1. Australia’s Path to a Giant Telescope Matthew Colless MNRF Symposium 7 June 2003

2. International ELT projects  Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) GMT (20m) = US private consortium Carnegie, Harvard, SAO, Arizona, MIT, Michigan, Texas  Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) TMT (30m) = CELT (US priv.) + GSMT (US pub.) + VLOT (Can.) Caltech, U.California, NOAO, AURA, ACURA  European Large Telescope (OWL) OWL (100m) = OverWhelmingly Large telescope ESO, Opticon (most European countries)

3. Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT)

4. Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)

5. The European Large Telescope (OWL)

6. ELT science scope = most of astronomy  Dark matter and dark energy  First light and reionization  Galaxy assembly at high-redshift  Growth of black holes  Chemical evolution of stars & galaxies  Origin of stellar masses  Uniqueness of our solar system  Formation of habitable worlds SERENDIPITY!

7. Mapping science goals to telescope design Stellar Populations in Galaxies Characterizing Exoplanets The Birth of Planetary Systems The Birth of Galaxies: The Birth of Large Scale Structure 0

8. Essential capabilities for ELT science

9. ELT technical capabilities  science gains

10. Technology developments needed

11. Australia’s ELT Roadmap  The Australian ELT Working Group has produced an ELT Roadmap with three main strands… 1 Smart buyers… Which ELT? Science, technology, share, access, etc. 2 Technology leaders… Developing Australian technology for ELTs 3 Antarctic advantage… The best telescope on earth should be at the best site on earth  The Roadmap is available on the web at… http://www.aao.gov.au/instrum/ELT/

14. GMT - a focus for Australian ELT effort  Australia’s goal is 10-20% of an ELT  Open to participating in any of the ELT projects  Keeping in close contact with all three  However, to provide a real focus for Australian ELT effort, the ELT WG is opening collaboration with the GMT project  This is not yet partnership (Australia has ‘observer’ status)

15. Ten reasons Australia should join GMT 1.World-leading science (mostly common to other ELTs) 2.Balance between technical risk and science opportunity 3.Low cost for large share (‘second to none’) 4.Early entry leads to more influence and greater benefits 5.Technology development leading to knowledge transfer 6.Education & training - links to leading US institutions 7.Flexible funding model - some choice in how, when, what 8.Southern location offers synergy with AU facilities & SKA 9.Interest in 2nd-generation Antarctic ELT 10.Genuine partnership based on mutual interests & regard

16. GMT cost estimates  The estimated costs for the 20m GMT are… Design ~ US$50M Construction ~ US$450M Operation ~ US$20M/year  For comparison… TMT is estimated to be ~50% higher (US$750M) OWL is estimated to cost €1200M to construct

17. GMT schedule  first light ~2018

18. Initial Australian collaborations with GMT  Currently: joint involvement by ANU/AAO/UNSW staff in concept design of visible multi-object spectrograph for GMT  Proposed for 2006 (funding sought via LIEF): Further design study of VISMOS (OCIW/AAO/ANU) Study of mirror phasing techniques (Arizona/ANU) Wind flow studies of telescope & enclosure (commercial engineering consultants - Sinclair Knight Merz)  Australian contribution valued at ~AU$600k Seek to credit this contribution to future GMT partner share, with approval of GMT Council

19. The MNRF contribution  MNRF is funding the Australian ELT effort by providing funding for… … the Australian ELT Project Scientist:  Prof. Warrick Couch (UNSW, 0.3 FTE) … a Deputy Project Scientist:  Dr Charles Jenkins (RSAA, 0.2 FTE) …travel support for these roles  The funding amounts to $140k p.a. for period 2005-2007