OPTICON

OPTICON

OPTICON is the EC-funded coordination network which supports the multi-national partnerships on which the success of this model rests. OPTICON support in previous FP programmes prototyped and raised to operational level the critical Adaptive Optics (AO) systems in the SPHERE instrument mentioned above. OPTICON’s Trans National Access (TNA) system underlies the “support network for small and medium telescope operations” noted. OPTICON’s networking provides the community coherence which leads to coordinated instrument development, future planning, and builds the key consortia of institutes. ESO, nationally funded, complemented by the international technology development, community building and transnational access enabled by EC funding has created this balanced excellent system. In H2020 OPTICON will both complete and innovate activities in all three critical areas, extend its proven success in innovation implementation and continue longer-term strategic planning.

WP10 AO networking

The significant progress made over the past 15 years in the field of adaptive optics (AO) has brought this observational technique to the maturity level where outstanding astronomical results can be obtained routinely. Astronomers are now looking toward the next generation of AO systems, especially those under development for the 40-m European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), recently approved for full deployment by the ESO member states. Such ambitious scientific objectives clearly increase the complexity of future instruments, which in turn will require further development of critical technologies, and also elaboration of new system concepts, new control strategies, new data reconstruction methods, etc. The proposed network aims at coordinating these latter aspects through the reinforcement of the existing synergies between the teams already involved in the AO activities within OPTICON, as well as by attracting new teams. The impact of such synergies, initiated since the FP5 programmes, has proven to be very successful.

Tasks

Task 1: Coordination and follow up of the network activities

Task 2: Optical turbulence studies for Large Astronomical Telescopes

Task 3: Reconstructing the AO-corrected PSF for maximised science output

Task 4: Innovative control strategies for future adaptive optics systems

Task 5: On-Sky AO test platform using CANARY at WHT

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 730890. This material reflects only the authors views and the Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.