TMT: Beyond First Light
The 2017 TMT Science Forum will be held in Mysore, India, on November 7-9, 2017.
- Several supporting workshops (WFOS, high-contrast instrument, high-resolution spectroscopy) are being organized before the TMT Science Forum. Please, click here for more details.
Each year, the Forum gathers members of the international astronomical community to meet, collaborate, and plan for future TMT science programs. It is the premier opportunity to learn about TMT, to discuss its science capabilities, and to become involved in shaping the observatory's future.
The theme for the 2017 Forum is "TMT: Beyond First Light”.
While designs for TMT's first-generation instrumentation and adaptive optics systems are well mature, it is none too soon to start planning new capabilities beyond first light! As a result, the TMT International Observatory is taking the opportunity of the 2017 TMT Forum to launch feasibility studies for future-generation instruments.
Some conversations on future generation instruments began at last year 2016 TMT Forum in Kyoto, Japan (see Program & Presentations) and it is now time to kickoff instrument studies, deepening the participation of all interested members of the international TMT community. The 2017 Forum will also be an excellent opportunity to learn from the experience of the first-light instruments teams, and consider any adjustments to instrumentation priorities, or operations plans, for TMT's early-light phase and beyond.
The agenda of the Forum includes:
— A series of overviews of the project status provided by representatives of the TMT project office, the TIO Board of Directors and its Science Advisory Committee.
— Presentations and discussions about the big science questions to be answered by TMT next-generation instruments, and the novel technologies permitting to address these questions
— Parallel sessions to present and discuss concepts for next generation instruments that will be organized by the TMT International Science Development Teams (ISDTs)
A direct product of this meeting will be to prepare material for a response to a Call for White Papers on TMT Next-generation Instruments, which has been released by the TMT Science and Advisory Committee. See the TMT announcement for more information on how to respond to this call.
Mysore is a fascinating and attractive city with many famous palaces, situated about 150 km from Bangalore (site of the nearest international airport). The surrounding area features national parks, wildlife and bird sanctuaries, charming villages and temples, waterfalls, and many other attractions (see http://karnatakatourism.org/Mysore/en/).
