Objectives
The OPTical Infrared Coordination Network for astronomy (OPTICON) brings together all the international and national organizations which fund, operate and develop Europe's major optical and infrared astronomical infrastructures, together with several world class facilities for solar astronomy located in the Canarian Observatories. OPTICON will incorporate networking, trans-national access and Joint Research Activities (JRA)
Network N1 will manage the consortium.
Network N2 will assist in the coordination and integration of the observing
facilities at the Canarian Teide and Roques de los Muchachos observatories,
described here as the European Northern Observatory
Network N3 will identify needs and develop actions to structure the European
astronomical community around several large projects such as a European Large
Telescope.
Network N4 will develop proposals to enhance synergies between space and ground astronomy.
Network N5 will develop programmes to bring optical-IR interferometry into main-stream astronomy.
Network N6 will provide a forum for telescope directors to monitor and enhance the OPTICON transnational access programme and bring forward co-ordination of plans on developments of mutual interest.
The trans-national access programme will provide access to 17 infrastructures comprising 18 optical-infrared telescopes of between 1.5 and 4m aperture and 4 solar telescopes, as specified in table 6.TA.
JRA-1 will develop the concepts, designs and technologies required for the
next generation of Adaptive Optics capabilities which will equip 8-10 m telescopes
over the next decade.
JRA-2 will define, fabricate and fully characterize a high speed low noise
detector for Adaptive Optics applications having high sensitivity.
JRA-3 will Investigate the scientific applications and technological challenges
required to develop new high speed detectors for applications in astronomy.
JRA-4 will develop tools that will enable a larger number of astronomers
without specialized technical knowledge to use interferometers for their
research and the growth of the interferometric community in Europe.
JRA-5 will develop technologies for Integral Field and Multi-Object Spectroscopy
and Imaging. This will include technology road-mapping to establish the most
promising avenues and links with SME and other research organizations.
JRA-6 will develop a prototype European-led technology to build Volume Phase
Holographic gratings, a potentially major advance for future astronomical
spectrographs.
Close cooperation with the other astronomy I3 and the wider European community
will be maintained.