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A Brand New World For Canadian Astronomy
(December 1998) -- In the coming decade, astronomers will be designing and building the
facilities necessary to understand the origins of the most basic
structures in the Universe. The goals of this new era in astronomy are
to understand how galaxies, stars and planets formed and how these
processes lead to the origin of life on the Earth and possibly
elsewhere. We will be developing the capability to study the Universe as
it was before the first stars appeared within it, back to the earliest
moments after the Big Bang itself. Astronomers will also have the
capability to study the formation of new stars and their planetary
systems that are nearby to us in our own Milky Way. Astronomers hope to
study the gaseous disks out of which stars and their planets form down
to scales comparable to the Earth-Sun distance.
The telescopes and facilities that we envisage to achieve these goals
are "one of a kind". They are so complex and expensive that no one
nation or small international consortium of nations has the means to
construct them. The era of world observatories is about to dawn in
which countries around the globe will contribute their astronomical
talent, expertise, and resources to construct them.
The Canadian astronomical community is internationally respected for
its major contributions to astronomy. The 3.6-meter Canada-France-Hawaii
optical Telescope on Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii as an example is widely
acnowledged as the best optical telescope in the world over the last
decade. Similarly, the 15-meter James Clerk Maxwell radio Telescope in
Hawaii is making ground-breaking discoveries in dusty galaxies and
star formation in our own. However, we are on the brink of being left
out of the future of astronomy if we are not prepared, as a country, to
invest in the development of new facilities now.
The Long Range Planning Panel has been struck by the National
Research Council Canada (NRC), with the full participation of the
Natural Science and Engineering Research Council Canada (NSERC), as well
as the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA), to develop a plan for
Canada's future in astronomy over this next decade. Victoria marks the
last in a series of four "town hall" style meetings, held across the
country in Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary over this last month. More
than 160 professional astronomers have participated in the debate over
Canada's involvement in these new world and other facilities.
The Panel has made several important preliminary findings about
Canadian priorities in the coming decade.
- There is strong endorsement for Canadian participation in the Next
Generation Space Telescope (NGST) which will be the successor to the
Hubble Space Telescope. This optical telescope will have an 8-meter
diameter mirror and will be put in orbit around the Sun at a
considerable distance from the Earth. The launch is currently planned
for 2007 by NASA. The NGST will be specially designed so as to be able
to observe the near and mid infrared light that arrives at the Earth, as
an example from very distant galaxies that we observe when they are very
young. Infrared light is also emitted by the cool dusty gas out of which
stars and planets form. With this unique instrument we will be able to
address such fundamental questions as what were the first sources of
light in the Universe, how are galaxies assembled, what is the history
of star formation in our Universe, how the dark matter that dominates
the mass of our Universe is distributed, and how stars and planets in
the Universe form. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) already has had
preliminary discussions with NASA about partnership. The Panel strongly
recommends this as a priority of CSA. Such an investment will not only
be crucial for astronomical research and instrument development at NRC
Canada and in Canadian universities, but will also result in millions of
dollars in contracts to Canadian firms.
- Of equal importance to Canadian astronomers is the involvement in
the construction of a Large Millimeter Array (LMA) of radio telescopes
on a high plateau in Chile. It is slated to start construction in 2003.
This world observatory would complement the capabilities of the NGST.
This radio observatory will consist of an array of 64 dishes, each with
a diameter of 10-12 meters. The detectors or cameras in such telescopes
will be tuned to measure radiation at millimetre wavelengths (or extreme
infrared regime). This observatory will have the capability of
studying the dense cold gas out of which the stars are formed in our own
galaxy and in those galaxies in the process of formation. The huge
collecting area of this array of telescopes will enable astronomers to
view the gas and dust in galaxies, stars, and planet formation with the
same clarity as that of the NGST. Canadian participation would involve
the expenditure of $ 30-50 millions and would capitalize on our
expertise in the construction of the necessary radio detectors. It would
also provide high tech spinoffs and contracts for the NRC and Canadian
firms.
- Canadian radio astronomers at NRC and in some Canadian universities
are developing what could be the leading design for the next generation
world observatory, after the NGST and the LMA, currently known as the
Square Kilometer Array (SKA). This array of radio telescopes would
have a collecting area that is 100 times larger than the Very Large
Array in New Mexico, that many members of the public saw featured in the
recent film "Contact". It will operate at centimeter wavelengths. This
telescope would have the ability to probe to earlier times in the
evolution of our Universe, beyond even what the LMA and NGST would
observe. If feasible, this telescope would peer at the process of galaxy
and star formation when the Universe was less than a billion years old.
It could give us our first glimpse of structures in the Universe before
the first stars were born. The Canadian design features an array of 30
radio dishes, each with a 200-meter diameter. Canadian astronomers want
to see the basic design studies for this telescope carried to
completion. If successful, this telescope design could be the key to the
SKA. The spin-offs for Canadian participation would also include
contracts to several Canadian firms.
- Finally, Canadian astronomers strongly endorse a concerted program
of public outreach and education in astronomy. Astronomers hope to
build better links with teachers and educators, to construct web sites
and visitor centres at our national observatories, and to deepen the
exposure of University students at the undergraduate and graduate levels
across the nation. Astronomy is one of the most fascinating subjects
to citizens of all backgrounds in our country. Our astronomical
community wishes to reach out and deepen its contact with the public, in
order to create a much richer environment in which to foster our common
deep seated desire to understand our Universe.
Our Panel is deeply impressed by the breadth and depth of involvement
in the many proposals brought forward for study. The Panel's final
detailed report will be given to NRC, NSERC, CASCA, and the CSA at the
end of March 1999.
For more information, please contact:
Ralph Pudritz
Chair, Long Range Planning Panel for Canadian Astronomy
Pudritz@physics.mcmaster.ca
Tel: 905 525 9140 ext. 23180
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