Iranian National Observatory

Transcription

1 Iranian National Observatory Review and Status INO Management team Reza Mansouri Project Director Habib Khosroshahi Project Scientist Sepehr Arbabi Bidgoli Technical Manager Ahmad Reza Hamoni Haghighat Executive Manager

2 Outline Astronomy in Iran Site Selection Site Characterization Project Plan Science Case Conceptual Design M1 Blank Next Steps

3 ASTRONOMY IN IRAN

4 ~ 10 universities and institutes have research activities related to astronomy ~ 10 professional astronomers and ~ 20 Ph.D. students with research activities 2 research observatories o es in Shiraz and Tabriz Some other educational observatories Tabriz Shiraz

5 Astronomy in the Region Armenia 1 m, 2.5 m (Burakan) India 5 telescopes! 1m m + Radio (GMRT) Karachay-Cherkess 6m (Zelenchuk) Uzbekistan 2 m (Meidanak) Iraq 1.2 m, more in the future? Egypt 2 m Jordan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan m

6 INO The INO project was proposed as one of the few large projects in basic sciences The site selection project aiming at finding a suitable location for INO was launched at the the University of Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan. April Four locations in southern Khorasan, Kermaan, Qom, and Kashan are short-listed for further studies of their observational conditions. Dr. Nasiri was appointed as the chair of the site selection committee. February The government approved the INO project and the budget for the Iranian calendar year May Qom and Kashan sites were short listed for further studies. November The INO project is delegated to IPM

7 SITE SELECTION

8 Key site parameters Clear sky Height Seeing Sky brightness Light pollution Wind (speed, direction) Access Geotechnical characteristic

9 o o

10

11 SITE CHARACTERIZATION

12

13 Dinava and Gargesh Seeing Data After Midnight Before Midnight Dinava Dinava Garkash Garkash QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. Credits: Site selection team Plots: Rahvar / INO Science committee

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 The Earth from Space at Night

22 Europe & the Mid-East at Night

23 East Asia Japan Indonesia & Australia

24

25 Atmospheric light pollution Europe now and prediction for 2025 Light Pollution Computer modelled atmospheric skyglow isophotes for Europe, Left Right prediction for 2025 From a few stars only visible (red) to a few hundred (yellow to green) green), to near a thousand, some Milky Way visibility, to dark sky (black). Based on DMSP nadir data. (Cinzano P., Falchi F., Elvidge C.D., Baugh K.)

26

27 PROJECT PLAN

28 Building the INO300 Scientific Planning Defining the goals Focus on Promising research areas Defining the requirements Building an astronomical community Fostering international collaboration Planning Instrumentation Technical Realization + Design phase: Maximal learning effect + Construction phase: Efficiency + Operation phase: Maintenance Upgrade + Building and Operating Instrumentation

29 Building the INO300

30

31 SCIENCE CASE

32 Workshops and international Activities August 2007: Workshop on Site Selection Refining strategy for selecting the site Selected new parameters to be measured March 2008 : First international workshop on INO300 Discussion on Science Case Draft of main design parameters, including Telescope Field of View

33 Objects FOV min Wavelength Imager Spectrograph M31 object identification Astroseismology of pulsating variables 30 5 mmag resolution R~ LSS Survey k x 20k MOS with 150 slits Galaxy Dynamics IFU, R~30000 Stellar Clusters R~ Binaries in ext. galaxies, stars- planets follow-up accuracy, wide-band filters Standard stars 10 5 AGNs, Quasars few Multi-filter at the same time Long-slit, R~2000 Magnetic Stars few Spectro-Polarimeter Stellar Astrophysics R>100000

34 INO300 Design Parameters Aperture ~ 3m M1 Focal Ratio f/1.4 - f/1.6 Exit Focal Ratio f/11 f/16 Focus/Foci Cassegrain + Double optional Nasmyth Image Quality Active M1 Field of View ~ 20 Mount Alt-Az Enclosure?

35 Workshops and international Activities September 2008: Workshop on Instrumentation Refining the telescope design parameters Developing a concept for instrumentation Further discussions on: Site Selection Optical Design Science Case Project Management

36 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

37 INO300 Infrastructure

38 INO300 Infrastructure

39

40 INO300 Dome

41

42

43

44

45 M1 BLANK

46

47

48

49 NEXT STEPS

50 Site characterization Topographic maps Microthermal measurements Seeing roboters M1 Figuring Contract Conceptual + Preliminary Design Access Road INO Engineering team

51 Thanks INO science committee INO steering committee INO external Board Site selection team Arne Ardeberg Alireza Behnam INO staff and everyone who has helped INO