NRAO Socorro Science Retreat
Socorro, NM, April 10, 2008
Science imperatives for 2020
Chris Carilli
NRAO
• I will not define the science imperatives for NRAO in the
next decade.
• I will present current landscape: science cases in radio,
optical…, plus various committee reports.
• Goal: Science-driven vision for (radio) astronomy in next
decade. Where does NRAO fit? How do we approach
DS2010?
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Documents considered
• Historical perspective -- pre-2020 review
Reports: Decadal Survey (McKee/Taylor), Quarks-Cosmos
Science goals: EVLA, ALMA
• Intermezzo: Major advances in astrophysics since DS2000/EVLA
• Modern era -- post-2020 review
Science goals: SKA, JWST, TMT, LSST, Herschel, ConX
Reports: RMSPG, AUI-Futures (McCray), Chicago I,II,III
Science cases can be:
• Facility based/Technology driven
• Theme based
• Question based
• Project/experiment based
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Historical perspective
DS2000 (McKee-Taylor) Facility based
• Broad-brush document -- too much so, unrealistic costing?
• EVLA, ALMA recommended highly
• Recommended both User grants and development $$
Quarks-to-Cosmos -- supplanted DS2000? Question based
•What is dark matter? (HI studies)
•Are protons stable?
•What is dark energy? (HI surveys)
•New states of matter at high
den/temp? (Neutron stars)
•How did Universe begin? (CMB)
•Did Einstein have last word on gravity? (Pulsars)
•Neutrino mass and evolution?
• Cosmic accelerators? (AGN/SNR)
•Are there extra dimensions?
•How are elements Fe -- U
formed?
•Is new theory of matter/light
needed at highest energies?
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EVLA science case
Science theme based
• The Magnetic Universe -- obvious radio forte
• The Obscured Universe -- PPdisks, YSOs, QSO abs
lines…
• The Transient Universe -- GRBs, XRBs, Mdwarfs…
• The Evolving Universe -- galaxy evolution
Question: was the science case generated before or
after the technical case?
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ALMA science: Project based
• Image molecular gas in z~3 MW-mass galaxies => A/T
(64x12m)
• Image PP disks on AU scales => ~10km baselines @ submm
• HST quality imaging => # ant, ACA + TP
Actively involved/energized User community
• Continuous refinement of ALMA science case, enabled by, but not dictated
by, executives
• ASAC + regional SACs: eg. organized the DRSP = observing proposals
for ALMA from community to gauge ‘demand’ and prioritize use cases
• Annual regional topical science meetings
• Regular international ‘love fests’
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Advances in modern astrophysics since DS00 and EVLA
• Precision cosmology: few % knowledge of age, mass-energy content of
Universe
• Probing epoch of first light (cosmic reionization) at z >~ 6
• GRBs = biggest explosions in Universe, massive star explosions to z ~ 6
• MBH - Mbulge => all spheroids have BHs with fixed mass ratio. BH and
Galaxy evolution are causally connected
• Quasars ~ AGN on 1e7 smaller scales
• double pulsars + Glob Cluster pulsars, gravity waves -- unprecedented
labs for tests strong field GR
• Extrasolar planets -- they are everywhere!
• Proto-planetary disks: clear signatures of planet formation
• Kuiper-belt objects -- what is Pluto?
• Mapping Universe -- SDSS, FIRST, NVSS, COSMOS, UDF, …
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• Three year process run by ISAC
• Experiment based: Quantified ‘experiments’ for future
large area cm telescopes – not just radio astronomy
reviews nor root N science
• 50 chapters, 90 contributing authors, 25% theorists, but
minority of multiwavelength observers
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Key Science Projects: (i) Address key questions, (ii) Unique role of
radio, or complementary but critical, (iii) Excites broad community
Cosmic reionization and first light: IGM evolution through HI 21cm line +
gas/dust/SF/AGN in first galaxies
Dark energy and galaxy evolution: All sky HI (+ continuum) survey
Origin and evolution of cosmic magnetism: all sky RM survey
Strong field tests of GR using pulsars
Cradle of Life: protoplanetary disks on
(sub)AU scales + astrobiology + SETI
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• All require sensitivity: A/T >= 1e4 m^2/K
• Most require frequencies >= 10 GHz
• Many require > 1deg^2 FoV at 1.4 GHz
• Some require > 1000 km baselines
• Some require multibeaming
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Downside -- still too broad to be practical for one facility
SKA path-finders (spurred, in part, by SKA
science discussions)
HI 21cm survey instruments
• ASKAP (Oz) -- $100M
• MeerKAT (SA) -- $100M
• PrepSKA (EU) -- $50M
• Apertif (WSRT FPA) -- $10M
Reionization experiments
LOFAR -- $100M
MWA -- $10M
PAPER -- $2M
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SKA phased approach
• Phase I: SKA mid, 0.5 to 3 (or 10?) GHz, 10%
collecting area, some long baselines, tile arrays +
small dishes, large FoV
• Phase II: Full SKA mid, plus full SKA low (70 -200MHz)
• Phase III: up to 25GHz -- not specified as to how, or
when, to get there (and why 25GHz vs. 45GHz?)
Phase I
Phase II
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Optical/near-IR Telescope Science
Priorities
Thirty meter telescope: Science themes, mostly
spectra
•Spectroscopic exploration of First Light and reionization -Pop III stars and first galaxies
•Exploration of galaxies and LSS in young Universe:
spectroscopy of galaxy assembly
•Investigation of massive black holes throughout cosmic time:
coeval formation gal/BH
•Exploration of planet formation processes and the
characterization of extrasolar planets
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Optical/near-IR Telescope Science
Priorities
JWST: science themes, mostly near-IR imaging +
spectra
• First
light and cosmic reionization
• Assembly of galaxies and black holes
• Birth of stars and proto-planetary systems: dusty disks in
near-IR
• Planets and the origins of life: imaging extrasolar giant
planets + KPOs…
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Optical/near-IR Telescope Science
Priorities
LSST: Project based
• Constraining dark energy and dark matter: very large
volume survey
• Taking an inventory of the solar system
• Exploring the transient optical sky
• Mapping the Milky Way
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FIR Space Telescopes
Herschel: Science theme based
•How galaxies formed and evolved in the early universe, and
the nature of enormously powerful galactic energy sources.
•The formation, evolution, and interrelationship of stars and
the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and other galaxies.
•Chemistry in our galaxy.
•Molecular chemistry in the atmospheres of Mars and our
solar system's comets and giant planets, and the nature of
comet-like objects in the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune.
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Xray Telescopes
Constellation X: Experiment based
• Black Holes: Using black holes to test General Relativity
(GR) and measuring black hole spin
• Dark Energy: Improving the constraints on the key Dark
Energy (DE) parameters by a factor of ten
• Missing Baryons: Unambiguous detection of the hot phase
of the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) at z>0
• Neutron Star Equation of State: Measuring the mass-radius
relation of neutron stars to determine the Equation of State
(EOS) of ultra-dense matter
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Common ground and radio contributions
Theme
Telescopes
Radio role
Galaxy/Black hole
evolution
SKA, (ALMA), TMT,
JWST, Herschel
gas, dust, star form,
dynamics, BHs
First light and
reionization
SKA, (ALMA), TMT,
JWST
IGM (21cm), gas,
dust, star form, dyn,
BHs
Planets and protoplanetary disks
SKA, (ALMA), TMT,
JWST
Sub-AU imaging
Dark energy
SKA, LSST, ConX
Very wide field survey
Star formation
(ALMA), JWST,
Herschel
gas, dust
Testing GR
SKA, ConX, (LIGO)
pulsars
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Other Radio Discussions
RMSPG: Haynes et al. Facility approach
• Written as radio input to senior review
• Excellent summary of existing facilities
Chicago I, II, III: NRAO/AUI/NAIC coordinated effort to
consider scientific future of radio astronomy, in preparation for
DS2010
• Engage broader community -- optical, theory, high energy (not connected
to SKA)
• No clear consensus on science, although some support for HI surveys
Working groups established: produce WP for DS2010
• SKA low (Beasley chair)
• SKA mid (Lazio/Myers) -- RSST
• SKA high -- no current WG?
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AUI Futures of Radio Astronomy Committee: Chair D. McCray
Science theme approach:
•Beyond standard model of physics and cosmology
•Origin/evol galaxies
•Origin/evol stars/planets/life
•The high energy Universe
•Fundamental and extreme physics
Current recommendations (likely to be much revised):
•Maintain a balanced and vigorous program in RMS science and
technology development
•Develop, test, prototype and implement technologies leading to SKA-class
facilities
•Nurture partnerships leading to SKA-class facilities
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McCray Summary at Jan08 AAS
• Ensure proper operation of ALMA, EVLA, GBT: ease of
use for non-experts, grants => leverage capital investment
• Maintain technical development and educational aspects
at (some) UROs.
• Emphasize surveys -- FPAs, wide field imaging.
• SKA -- stay the course of TDP, not ready for $100M
investment.
• No specific statement on VLBA or Arecibo.
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Closing ruminations
ALMA
•
Development plan ($10M/yr): science working groups and implementation
opportunities provides natural forum for continued advancement of science
case and instrument
•
Should NRAO secure access to supporting facilities (LMT, CCAT…)?
EVLA: re-energize the community (and staff!), led by SAGE
•
Regenerate science case in modern context: phase I, II, III (?)
•
and/or DRSP for EVLA
•
EVLA science meeting(s)
•
Needed if want any chance of getting proper User support $$
•
Might present path forward for DS2010
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Closing ruminations
VLBA: active staff participation in upgrade planning
GBT: clear near-term priorities for instrument
development
SKA and DS2010
NRAO/AUI has conducted three major forums to determine the
way forward for DS2010: Chicago meetings, AUI Futures
Committee, Strategic planning retreats
Thus far, no clear consensus has been reached in any forum.
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END
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