Developing the ASTRONET Infrastructure Roadmap
Having established a common "Science Vision" for the whole of European astronomy, ASTRONET is putting together a detailed Roadmap for the infrastructure needed to attain the scientific goals, including important aspects such as education, training and public awareness.
This exercise is organised along similar lines to those of the Science Vision. In this scheme, the five Panels named below work on specific areas of infrastructure and report to a Working Group, who synthesises their conclusions into one overarching Roadmap for European astronomy. The five Panels comprise:
- A. High energy astrophysics, astroparticle astrophysics and gravitational waves
Chair and Co-chair: Guenther Hasinger (DE, MPE), Patrizia Caraveo (IT, INAF Milan) - B. UVOIR and radio/mm astronomy
Chair and Co-chair: Michael Grewing (IRAM), Laurent Vigroux (FR, IAP Paris) - C. Solar telescopes, solar system missions, laboratory studies
Chair and Co-chair: Mats Carlsson (NO, Oslo), Therese Encrenaz (FR, Obs. Paris) - D. Theory, computing facilities and networks, Virtual Observatory
Chair and Co-chair: Francoise Combes (FR, Obs. Paris), Paolo Padovani (ESO) - E. Education, recruitment and training, public outreach
Chair and Co-chair: Rosa Maria Ros (ES, Tech. Univ. Catalonia), Robert Fosbury (ESA, ST-ECF)
The ASTRONET Board nominated the experts serving in each panel, after taking into account the advice of the Panel Chairs and Co-chairs and community input. The Working Group is composed of the Chairs and Co-chairs of the 5 Panels and several members at large drawn from the community.
The first stage of the work of the Panels and Working Group has now finished, with the public release of the first version of the complete Roadmap. This document has been widely distributed, and a web-based discussion forum will soon be opened to give everyone in the community the opportunity to express their views.
The Working Group and the Panels will take all comments into account before presenting the roadmap draft recommendations at the Symposium. Further discussion will then ensue in the form of live plenary and specialised, parallel sessions, where ample time for discussion is foreseen (see the programme).
Following the Symposium, the Infrastructure Roadmap Working Group will consider all the input received from the community to formulate the final document that will be released in the Autumn of 2008.