Distinguished Scientists Elected to Guide Historic Project as Board Chair and Vice Chair

Dr. Walter Massey.

Dr. Taft Armandroff.

Pasadena, CA – November 16, 2016 – The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) today announced the appointment of Walter E. Massey, PhD, and Taft Armandroff, PhD, to the positions of Board Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Continuing their involvement in new leadership capacities, Massey and Armandroff will guide the GMTO Board, overseeing the construction of the 24.5 meter Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) in the Chilean Andes and working to complete the partnership of universities, research institutions and private donors who will contribute to the construction and operation of the GMT.

Poised to be the first of a new generation of extremely large telescopes, the GMT will be the largest optical telescope in the world when it comes online in 2022. The project is a distinguished collaboration of US institutions and international partners from Australia, Brazil and Korea. The telescope will be constructed at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.

“With his exceptional leadership and wisdom Dr. Massey will guide the GMTO Board with a steady hand as the telescope moves through the construction phase,” said Nobel Laureate Prof. Brian Schmidt, Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University. “Dr. Massey has an outstanding record of enabling breakthrough science through stewardship of major research facilities, including the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).”

With more than 40 years of leadership in science and education, Massey will transition from a member of the Board, to Board Chair, where he will be responsible for supervision of the management team and charting the strategy and direction for the organization. Massey brings experience as a consistent voice for scientific advancement and was notably involved in the ambitious Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Project. Twenty-five years after he ensured approvals and financial support for the project in his former role as Director of the National Science Foundation, LIGO announced the discovery of gravitational waves. Massey has held various other leadership roles in science and academia including President of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Director of the Argonne National Laboratory, Vice President for Research and Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago, Professor of Physics and Dean of the College at Brown University, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for the University of California system, and President of Morehouse College. He is currently the Chancellor of SAIC.

Armandroff serves as the director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory and as a Professor in the Department of Astronomy. Prior to this, Armandroff was Director of the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii for eight years. During his leadership there, the two 10-meter Keck telescopes played a key role in many astronomical discoveries. Armandroff also worked as an astronomer and eventually Associate Director for 19 years at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, Ariz. After a successful year as GMTO Board Chair, he will be stepping into the Vice Chair position, where he will partner with Massey to lead the Board as it advances the GMT through construction.

“The ambition and scale of the GMT collaboration require leadership with a high degree of scientific eminence and experience in the development and management of large science facilities,” said Dr. Robert Zimmer, President of the University of Chicago. “I am delighted that Walter is bringing his extraordinary abilities, as reflected in his distinguished record of scientific leadership, to this new role.”

Massey began his duties as Board Chair on November 2, 2016.

Comments on the News

“The GMT is one of the most exciting and important scientific projects underway in any field, and it has true potential to play a major role in developing programs and opportunities for the future of astronomical discovery. I’m excited to participate in maturing and shaping a scientific instrument of this caliber, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to see it through to successful discovery,” Walter E. Massey, PhD, Board Chair, GMTO Board of Directors.

“By drawing on the science plans and technology demonstrations from many of the leading research institutions in astronomy, the GMT stands to be an incredible research tool for advancing discoveries in astronomy and deepening humanity’s understanding of our place in the Universe. I’m excited to continue on the Board and look forward to working with Walter and the GMTO team,” Taft Armandroff, PhD, Vice Chair, GMTO Board of Directors.

About the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) manages the GMT project on behalf of its international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and University of Chicago.

Connect with the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization on social media: gplus.to/gmtelescope, twitter.com/GMTelescope, https://www.facebook.com/GMTelescope, https://www.instagram.com/gmtelescope/ and visit http://www.gmto.org.

Media Contacts

Amanda Kocz
GMTO
akocz@gmto.org

Sarah Lewis
Zeno Group for GMTO
sarah.lewis@zenogroup.com

Jeremy Manier
University of Chicago
jmanier@uchicago.edu

Rebecca Johnson
U Texas at Austin
rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Contents

• Telescope Mount Industry Briefing
• Site Update
• Board Member Profile: Dr. James Wyant
• GMT Community Science Meeting
• Community Outreach in Chile

Welcome to the November newsletter

The project office has been working hard over the past few months to prepare for the release of the request for proposals for a critical piece of the Giant Magellan Telescope – the telescope! Read below about our recent Industry Briefing, held to support this process.

At the GMT site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, pre-construction infrastructure work is nearly complete and we are pleased to share with you the latest bird’s-eye view video of the area.

In this newsletter we’d also like you to meet one of our distinguished Board members: Dr. James Wyant from the University of Arizona. Dr. Wyant has had a long and prestigious career in optical engineering, both in business and academia.

In September we hosted the 4th Annual Community Science Meeting at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Grounds near Monterey Bay, California. We were excited to bring together exoplanet scientists and students from around the world for this three-day conference. See some highlights of the meeting below.

Finally, we are pleased to introduce here the star of the GMTO Chile outreach team: Valentina Rodríguez.

You can always keep up to date with what’s happening at GMTO from our website, gmto.org, or from our presence on social media.

– Dr. Patrick McCarthy

Telescope Mount Industry Briefing

The procurement of the Telescope Mount is the next step in the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope. As part of the process, GMTO hosted an “Industry Briefing” from September 21-23 for telescope design and fabrication companies having interest in learning more about GMTO’s procurement plans.

The purpose of the Industry Briefing was to expose potential bidders to GMTO’s procurement objectives and approach and to brief them on the technical design of the Observatory and Mount. The GMTO team reviewed the statement of work, the specimen contract and proposal instructions. The meeting also provided an opportunity for networking between the companies in attendance, and for the GMTO team to obtain feedback from industry on GMTO’s technical design and procurement strategy.

Representatives from nineteen companies from nine countries (USA, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Korea, Japan, and Australia) were present at the meeting, representing the majority of the world’s most experienced and capable telescope designers and manufacturers.

All of the objectives of the Industry Briefing were met, and the degree of positive interactions between the companies was impressive. A commonly expressed theme was of the interest to begin this work as soon as possible.

GMTO expects to release the request for proposals before the end of 2016. More information is available on the GMTO website.

GMTO Project Manager James Fanson at the Industry Briefing.

Eric Chauvin, Telescope Structures Manager.

Sara Lee Keller, General Counsel, and Leticia Woodard, Purchasing Manager.

Site Update

Work continues at the GMT site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Since August several significant stages have been completed.

GMT site in late October: all buildings on support site 2 and the summit have been constructed. Credit: Ricardo Alcayaga. Click the image to view video.

Roads and Grading

Grading of the summit roads and off-summit construction pads has been completed. This is an important step in the site infrastructure work, as it contributes to a safe environment for those working on, and traveling to and from, the summit during the upcoming period of heavy construction.

Buildings

Two dormitories and a kitchen/recreation building have been constructed at Support Site 2. Work is underway on the buildings’ interior finishing, and temporary utilities are being installed to accommodate early occupiers. A permanent potable water system and the waste water treatment system are currently being installed. The summit construction office has also been completed and is in use.

Finalizing the installation of the 24 unit dormitory building.

Buildings at Support Site 2. Top: 24 unit dormitory; Middle: kitchen/recreation buildings; Bottom: 64 unit dormitory. Credit: Ricardo Alcayaga.

Communications

The fiber optics link between the Las Campanas Observatory main site and the GMT site has been installed. Communications equipment has been set up on the summit so that data from the Vaisala weather station, scintillometer and construction webcam can be transmitted directly to the Pasadena office for analysis.

José Soto and Metcom personnel setting up the Vaisala weather stations in the summit office.

This completes the development of the majority of pre-construction infrastructure and site preparation work on the summit. Future work includes finalizing the utilities and installing furniture and equipment in the buildings. The 24-dorm residence will be ready for occupancy in the next few months, and will host international visitors soon after.

We are now prepared for the start of work on the enclosure foundation and the telescope pier at the summit.

Summit Construction Office.

Board Member Profile: Dr. James Wyant

Dr. James Wyant.

Professor Emeritus and Founding Dean of the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, Dr. James Wyant, has been on the GMTO Board of Directors for the past year. He has served on the Board’s Development Committee and contributed valuable insights to the project. Dr. Patrick McCarthy, GMTO Director said, “Dr. Wyant’s impressive background in optics and business has been an asset to GMTO this year. We are privileged to have the opportunity to work with him and look forward to his continued input into shaping the GMT project.”

Dr. Wyant answered some questions for us about his life and career.

Describe your role as Professor Emeritus and Founding Dean of the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona – what does it entail on a daily basis?

While I have retired from the University of Arizona, I still have an office at the College of Optical Sciences (OSC) where I can be found most weekdays when I am in Tucson. I serve on a few committees at OSC, as well as a number of boards, including being the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio. All of these commitments take a lot of my time. I also frequently give technical talks at conferences and student groups throughout the world.

What sparked your interest in optics as a career?

Two events sparked my interest in a career in optics:

First, I was an undergraduate physics major at CWRU and, after my junior year in college, I got a summer job working for Libbey-Owens-Ford in Toledo, Ohio. This job involved developing an optical inspection system for large sheets of glass. It was such a fun experience that I began to think about a career in optics.

Then, in the first physics lab of my senior year, I was shown a laser illuminating a hologram. This was the fall of 1964, and it was the first time I had seen either a laser or a hologram. It was a life changing experience. I still remember looking through this cloudy piece of glass (hologram) and seeing a stapler that looked so real. I tried to grab the stapler, but of course it wasn’t there — it was only this fantastic three-dimensional image of the stapler. At that point I became hooked on optics!

What was the key to the success of your first company – WYKO Corporation?

I always attribute the success of WYKO to timing and “dumb” luck.

My first job out of graduate school was to work for Itek Corporation in Lexington, MA for 6 years, 1968-1974. During those years at Itek, I was involved in using interferometry for testing optical systems. We developed what is now called phase-shifting interferometry, which is an excellent fast, low-noise way of inputting interferogram data into computers. The problem at that time was that the items needed to build a phase-shifting system — small computers, large detector arrays, compact solid-state electronics and lots of software — did not exist. We did build one very expensive phase-shifting interferometer for the government, but it was nothing to brag about. I never even tried to publish anything about it — in fact, I tried to forget about it!

Then in the early 1980’s, as a professor at the University of Arizona (UA), I visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory and discovered they were in need of a good way to measure the surface roughness of the diamond turned mirrors they were fabricating. I began thinking about using an interference microscope to measure this roughness. Personal computers and detector arrays were just beginning to be introduced and I figured it was time to, once again, think about phase-shifting interferometry. I enlisted the help of an excellent graduate student, Chris Koliopoulos, to work on the project for his Ph.D. dissertation.

As time went along, we found there were several companies interested in a computerized interference microscope, so Chris and I, along with two others — a postdoc of mine and one of my research assistants — decided to start a company, WYKO. We found that while several companies wanted to buy the computerized interference microscopes for measuring the surface roughness of optical components, there was even more interest in measuring the surface roughness of magnetic storage tape. Later, we found there was additional business measuring the shape of the magnetic recording heads used in hard-disk drives.

This was a time of explosive growth in the number of computers being sold and each computer had at least one hard-disk drive in it — and manufactures of hard-disk drives found they had to measure the shape of every recording head used in the drives — and we had the perfect instrument for measuring these heads. By pure luck, we had just the right product at just the right time. This was a lot of fun!

What has been your most rewarding career accomplishment to date?

I would have to name two milestones in my life. Firstly, founding, growing and then selling WYKO was a fantastic amount of fun. We developed several products that were needed, that worked very well, and for a long time we had little real competition. It was wonderful visiting our customers around the world and seeing how our instruments were helping their businesses. Secondly, being the head of the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona and growing the number of students, faculty, staff and funding to the point where the Center became the College of Optical Sciences, and I became the Dean of the College was also a fantastic amount of fun. These days, I especially enjoy meeting with our alumni.

You have been involved with both SPIE and OSA for many years, including serving as President of both societies: what motivated you to become involved, and what do you enjoy about the time you spend with these societies?

I initially joined both SPIE and OSA to obtain their journals and to attend their meetings. While it is not necessary to be a member to read their journals or attend their meetings, I felt it was important to join and I am really glad I did. As time went along, I became very involved with both societies, first as a committee member and then organizing meetings. Additionally, I had many journal editing roles, including being the Editor-in-Chief of the OSA journal, Applied Optics. I also have the honor of being one of only four people to have been President of both SPIE and OSA. The people I have met as result of my SPIE and OSA activities remain, to this day, a very important part of my life. I look forward to my continuing involvement with both societies.

What might the astronomy community be surprised to know about you?

Astronomy played a role in fostering my passion in optical instruments. When I was an undergraduate physics major at CWRU, I would often go to a small CWRU observatory a few miles from campus to use a 9.5-inch refracting telescope to take photos. This ignited my interest in taking an astronomy course from Professor McCuskey the first semester of my senior year. During the taking of this course, I realized what I really enjoyed about astronomy were the optical instruments used.

How did you come to be on the Board of Directors of GMTO?

I have always been interested in telescopes and when UA president Ann Weaver Hart called me to see if I would be willing to be a Board Member of GMTO, I jumped at the opportunity.

What I find most challenging is determining the best ways I can help the project. I wish more people would understand more about all the great research and potential discoveries the GMT will make possible.

Community Science Meeting

The 4th Annual Community Science Meeting was held at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA. Students and postdocs are funded by GMTO to attend.

From September 25-28 more than a hundred astronomers gathered at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA to participate in the Fourth Annual GMT Community Science Meeting, “Exoplanets in the Era of Extremely Large Telescopes.”
GMTO’s policy of supporting young astronomers to attend these meetings ensured there were many students and postdocs presenting their cutting-edge research.

The conference highlighted how the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs), and in particular the GMT and its suite of instruments, are needed to make progress in the field of exoplanet science.

Mike Endl from the University of Texas at Austin’s report was highly anticipated. He told the conference attendees about the discovery of an Earth-sized planet orbiting in the habitable zone (where liquid water is expected to exist) of Proxima Centauri, the star nearest to the Sun. The current generation of large telescopes cannot separate the light of Proxima b from the glare of Proxima Centauri. The GMT, however, with its large aperture and powerful adaptive optics system will be able to separate the system, offering our best opportunity to study a rocky exoplanet in detail.

Mike Endl from the University of Texas at Austin presents the Proxima b discovery.

Olivier Guyon from the University of Arizona provided an overview of recent advances in high-contrast imaging, a field of rapidly evolving adaptive optics technologies and proposed the idea of a first-light Extreme Adaptive Optics (ExAO) system for the GMT. Other presentations addressed the challenges of determining the composition of exoplanet atmospheres, how planets form and evolve, and how disks of gas and dust around young stars reveal the existence and characteristics of forming planets by their structure.

Olivier Guyon from the University of Arizona describes a proposed Extreme AO system for the GMT.

For a full list of speakers and their topics, as well the photo gallery, visit the conference website: http://www.gmtconference.org.

The conference dinner was held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Community Outreach in Chile

In August, Valentina Rodríguez joined the GMTO office in Santiago as the Outreach Coordinator for Chile. Valentina is responsible for all GMTO communications with the Chilean public and the astronomical community, as well as educational activities, and coordinating VIP visits to the GMT site at Las Campanas.

Valentina Rodríguez, Outreach Coordinator, at the GMT site in Chile.

Valentina comes to GMTO after twelve years in a similar position with the European Southern Observatory (ESO). She was also accredited at the Washington Foreign Press Center at the White House, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon in Washington, DC between 2000 and 2002, representing several Chilean newspapers, a national TV channel and one of the main radio stations in Chile. Valentina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Social Media from Universidad Diego Portales (Santiago, Chile) and a Master’s degree in Science Communication from Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain).

Since starting at GMTO, Valentina has been responsible for producing the Spanish-language version of the August newsletter, she has secured coverage of the GMT on CNN-Chile, and she has organized a network of astronomical educational activities in Latin America, including submitting a grant application to the International Astronomical Union for its implementation. Valentina is also involved in the preparation of a final report of the Chile-US Summit on Education and Public Outreach, an activity supported by all US Observatories in Chile, the US Embassy and CONICYT, the Chilean equivalent of the NSF.

Valentina works in close coordination with Miguel Roth, the GMTO Representative in Chile and the Communications Team in Pasadena. She can be reached at vrodriguez@gmto.org.

Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek announced September 19 that a coalition of the world’s leading space science and astronomical institutions based in Pasadena are partnering to produce Astronomy Week, October 16-22, 2016.  The week-long series of public events, open houses, lectures and other activities celebrates Pasadena’s rich history as an innovative “City of Astronomy” and an international leader for telescopic celestial discovery and robotic space science.
 
Eight Pasadena-based scientific institutions and organizations have partnered to form the week-long “City of Astronomy” which culminates with the first Pasadena Astronomy Festival, 2-8 p.m., Saturday, October 22, 2016 at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street.
 
“We have an unprecedented level of astronomy efforts and space science organizations here that have been woven into the fabric of our Pasadena community for decades,” Mayor Tornek said. “Astronomy Week brings them together for the first time to show our community, and the world, that Pasadena is the center of the universe for more than the Rose Parade.”
 
The premier institutions involved include Caltech, www.caltech.edu; Carnegie Observatories, www.obs.carnegiescience.edu; Giant Magellan Telescope, www.gmto.org; IPAC, www.ipac.caltech.edu; NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, www.jpl.nasa.gov; Mt. Wilson Observatory, www.mtwilson.edu; The Planetary Society, www.planetary.org and Thirty Meter Telescope, www.tmt.org. These world-renowned institutions are collaborating together for the first time to promote greater public awareness about Pasadena’s storied history in the field of astronomy.
 
City of Astronomy events and activities will be posted at www.cityofastronomy.org. For social media platforms, tag and curate data via the #cityofastronomy and #Pasadena hashtags. The event coincides with Innovate Pasadena’s third annual Connect Week, www.connectpasadena.com, where cutting-edge minds and emerging talents in the fields of design, start-up entrepreneurship, science, technology and now, astronomy, converge for a week of inspiration and sharing.
 
City of Astronomy events include:

• Carnegie Observatories Open House, 2-5 p.m., Sunday October 16, at its Pasadena campus, 813 Santa Barbara Street. Meet Carnegie astronomers who will share their latest discoveries; explore the historic library and see photographic plates from its archives; learn how new scientific instruments are built in the famous machine shop and get updates on Carnegie’s Las Campanas Observatory in Chile and the latest news on the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 

• “Astronomy on Tap” 7:30 p.m., October 17-19, hosted by the Caltech Astronomy Outreach Office. Events occur in a bar (open only to 21 and older) with two, 10- to 15-minute talks on general astronomy/astrophysics. During intermission, scientists interact with attendees and, at end, there is an astronomy pop quiz, with cool astrophysics and NASA prizes! Host bar, Der Wolfskopf, 72 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Old Pasadena, www.derwolfskopf.com, offers attendees special prices on variety of food and drink during event.

 

• Mt. Wilson Observatory hosts a special Public Night, Wednesday October 19. This will be a ticketed, but free, event. For safety reasons, all visitors must be 12 or older, and visitors 12 to 18 must be accompanied by adult, no exceptions. All visitors will be responsible for their own transportation to the observatory.  For more info, email MtWilsonAstronomyNight@gmail.com.

 

• Public Talk on Pluto and the Mysterious Exoplanets at 6 p.m., Thursday October 20, hosted by City of Astronomy partner, American Astronomical Society, Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS).  DPS, https://dps.aas.org, is holding its annual meeting at the Pasadena Convention Center during Astronomy Week and offers a rare, free public talk at the Convention Center with some of its best exoplanet experts, Alan Stern and Giovanni Tinetti. Be sure to come early to enjoy an exhibit hall filled with info displays by astronomy institutions from around the world; a Space Art exhibition, and a “Star Party” with telescopes available for public viewing outside the Convention Center.

 

• See the Planetary Society’s CEO, Bill Nye, http://www.planetary.org/about/staff/bill-nye.html, publicly present the organization’s prestigious “Cosmos Award for Outstanding Public Presentation of Science” to the winner during the DPS public events on October 20. The Cosmos Award is one of the highest honors bestowed by the Planetary Society in recognition of the recipient’s efforts for outstanding and engaging space science communications.

 

• Pasadena Astronomy Festival, 2-8 p.m., Saturday October 22, at the Convention Center with free family fun astronomy activities including an inflatable, digital planetarium, special telescopes for both daytime and nighttime viewing and the opportunity to finally ask an astronomer your questions about how the Universe was formed, what are black holes, and whatever happened to little E.T.?

Contenido

• Actualización de las obras de construcción
• Perfil de los miembros del Directorio: Anne-Marie Lansdown
• Modelo Computacional del viento en el sitio y la cúpula del GMT
• Solicitud de propuestas para la estructura principal del telescopio
• Conferencia Científica de la Comunidad GMT

Bienvenido al Boletín de Agosto

El inicio del verano en el hemisferio norte ha estado lleno de actividades para la oficina central del proyecto en Passadena, California. Celebramos nuestro primer evento de puertas abiertas para la familia y amigos de GMTO, y más de 200 personas pudieron interactuar con el personal del proyecto. Gracias a la hospitalidad del Centro de Astrofísica Harvard-Smithsonian, pudimos realizar nuestra Reunión de Directorio del mes de junio en Cambridge, Massachusetts. Cerramos el mes de junio con una fuerte presencia del GMTO en el Congreso de Telescopios e Instrumentación de Astronomía organizado por la SPIE en Edimburgo, Reino Unido.

En este boletín podrán informarse sobre cómo va cambiando el sitio de GMT en Las Campanas con la construcción de nuevos edificios, y cómo modelos computacionales nos está permitiendo completar el diseño de la cúpula. También podrá conocer en profundidad a la Sra. Anne-Marie Lansdown, integrante del Directorio, quien condujo la transformación de la infraestructura de investigación en Australia, entre otros temas.

Manténgase informado sobre las últimas novedades de GMTO visitando nuestra página web gmto.org o a través de nuestras redes sociales.

– Dr. Patrick McCarthy

Avance de la construcción

Desde la ceremonia de colocación de la primera piedra en el cerro Las Campanas, en noviembre pasado, el equipo de GMTO que se encuentra en el sitio del telescopio ha estado finalizando la obra civil y construyendo la infraestructura necesaria para albergar a los trabajadores que se sumarán a la obra más adelante. También entró en operaciones el cintilómetro del sistema de medición medioambiental, que permite obtener datos valiosos del sitio.

Edificios

En el último mes, importantes edificios nuevos se han construido en el sitio del GMT. La empresa Rocterra llevó a cabo la nivelación de dos sitios de apoyo situados en el camino hacia la cumbre, mientras que varias unidades prefabricadas, construidas por Tecnofast, fueron llegando en camiones desde Santiago. Las unidades están siendo ensambladas en el lugar y quedarán listas, con terminaciones interiores y amobladas, durante los próximos meses.

El Sitio de Apoyo 1 albergará la edificación para los laboratorios y talleres. El Sitio de Apoyo 2 se encuentra dividido en tres sectores: el Sector 1 estará destinado a un edificio de 68 dormitorios, el Sector 2 albergará la cocina y las instalaciones recreativas, y el Sector 3 tendrá una edificación de 24 dormitorios. Durante la construcción, el edificio de 68 dormitorios albergará a los trabajadores en turno a cargo de las obras de construcción, mientras que el edificio de 24 dormitorios albergará el personal de GMTO que se encuentre trabajando en el lugar. Además se ensamblaron las oficinas situadas en la cumbre.

El Observatorio Las Campanas: ubicación de los sitios claves.

Oficinas de la cumbre a punto de ser finalizadas en el sitio del GMT. Crédito foto: Ricardo Alcayaga.

Vista aérea del Sitio de Apoyo 2. Parte superior: edificio de 68 dormitorios en construcción. Parte inferior: edificio de 24 dormitorios terminado. Crédito foto: Ricardo Alcayaga.

Monitoreo Ambiental

(Al frente) Ingeniero de GMTO, Wylie Rosenthal, trabajando en la implementación del cintilómetro.

En mayo, se completó la instalación final y la fase de pruebas del cintilómetro. El diseño e instalación de este sistema requirió los esfuerzos del personal de GMTO en Pasadena, Santiago y La Serena, de nuestros contratistas Tecmec, Rocterra, Incotell, Alderete, de nuestro personal externo de seguridad Ricardo Alcayaga y Julio Cintolesi, así como del equipo de escaladores de torres de Herreros.

Durante los preparativos para la implementación, José Soto y el personal de GMTO en Santiago coordinaron la instalación de los servicios públicos, los cimientos, las redes de datos y el resto de la infraestructura de soporte necesaria para este experimento y para futuros sistemas de monitoreo medioambiental.

Como parte de la campaña de implementación, José Soto y Wylie Rosenthal pasaran dos semanas instalando, alineando y probando los componentes del cintilómetro a nivel del suelo, trabajo que a menudo fue realizado durante la noche y con fuertes vientos. Luego, los escaladores profesionales de torres de Herreros estuvieron tres noches instalando y alineando de manera precisa los 18 espejos retráctiles (distribuidos en 9 niveles, desde los 5 metros a los 48 metros sobre el nivel del suelo) que reflejan el láser del cintilómetro entre las dos torres meteorológicas.

 

Un espejo retráctil que muestra el reflejo de la base del cintilómetro.

El sistema se encuentra ahora realizando exitosas mediciones de la turbulencia del aire a distintas alturas y a lo largo de todo el sitio cada pocos minutos. Para mayor información sobre el sistema, puede ver el siguiente artículo de nuestro boletín anterior.

Obras civiles

El programa de obras civiles, que comenzó hace casi un año, se encuentra prácticamente finalizado, con carreteras y conexiones eléctricas ya instaladas, y las obras para la conexión del sistema de agua en marcha.

El camino hacia la cumbre ya fue ensanchado y las pendientes ensanchadas para permitir el transporte de componentes de gran tamaño y materiales de construcción a la cima.

La energía eléctrica que llega a la cumbre y a los sitios de apoyo es una extensión, mediante cableado exterior, del sistema de alimentación del Observatorio Las Campanas. Una vez en el sitio, el cableado pasa a ser subterráneo. Este suministro apoyará la construcción en la cima y el funcionamiento de las oficinas y dormitorios. Antes del inicio de las operaciones, el cableado eléctrico será redirigido a un proveedor alternativo que pueda proporcionar la capacidad necesaria para las operaciones.

Recientemente, se ha instalado un nuevo sistema de bombeo de agua a base de energía solar. La construcción de este sistema es el resultado de un esfuerzo conjunto entre Carnegie Institution for Science (propietario del Observatorio Las Campanas) y GMTO. En sustitución de las bombas diesel de 45 años de antigüedad, el nuevo sistema bombeará 15 mil litros de agua al día desde una altitud de 1.500 metros a 2.500 metros sobre el nivel del mar, donde se encuentra la reserva de agua principal para ambos observatorios.

El superintendente de parques Marcelo Rodríguez y el consultor Mariano López en la estación de bombeo de agua impulsada por energía solar.

Otras novedades

En nuestras páginas de Facebook e Instagram encontrarás las últimas fotos y novedades de la construcción. !Síguenos y descubre los avances en el sitio del GMT! 

Perfil de un miembro del Directorio: Anne-Marie Lansdown

Anne-Marie Lansdown.

Anne-Marie Lansdown se incorporó al Directorio en octubre de 2015, anteriormente ocupó el cargo de Directora Ejecutiva Adjunta de Universities Australia, el principal organismo para el apoyo de las universidades australianas. Formó parte del Senior Executive Service (sistema de alta dirección pública) del Departamento Australiano de Industria durante 15 años. A nivel internacional, ha participado en organizaciones como la ONU, la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos, y el Foro de Cooperación Económica Asia-Pacífico.

La Sra. Lansdown incursionó por primera vez en el ámbito del financiamiento gubernamental para la investigación científica trabajando en el área de estrategias de innovación y banda ancha de Australia. En ese momento, Australia se encontraba desarrollando una estrategia nacional para consolidar las fortalezas existentes en el campo de la investigación en el país y abrir nuevas fronteras en esta área.

Bajo el liderazgo de la Sra. Lansdown, en 2004, se alcanzó un consenso entre las universidades y las agencias de investigación para formar un modelo de financiación nacional. Con el nombre de National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), esta estrategia trajo fondos para una amplia gama de instalaciones, tales como telescopios ópticos y de radio, el sincrotrón australiano, la Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility, el Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, y muchos otros, bajo un sistema de financiación de varios años y miles de millones de dólares (más detalles de las instalaciones se pueden encontrar en el siguiente enlace). La NCRIS continúa recibiendo financiamiento que permite a los investigadores construir infraestructuras para la investigación de clase mundial.

Un elemento fundamental para la NCIS fue la formación de pequeñas empresas independientes sin fines de lucro, con la misión de representar cada disciplina científica ante el gobierno. Una de las organizaciones socias de GMTO, Astronomy Australia Ltd. (AAL),  fue establecida para servir este propósito. Bajo la NCRIS, y como resultado de la recomendación de la comunidad astronómica australiana, AAL invirtió en diversos proyectos de infraestructura a gran escala en el área astronómica, incluyendo el Gran Telescopio Magallanes.

Estas instalaciones individuales han enfrentado con éxito las necesidades científicas de Australia a nivel nacional, logrando resultados inesperados. La Sra. Lansdown comenta: “La calidad de las instalaciones ha atraído a equipos de investigación de clase mundial provenientes de todas partes, y al extender el soporte con el que cuentan las instalaciones hacia las empresas, están surgiendo un número mayor de colaboraciones entre las universidades y el sector empresarial”.

Como miembro del Directorio de GMTO, la Sra. Lansdown aporta su experiencia en la generación de políticas en el área científica además de la planificación estratégica para apoyar al GMT. “Australia es un colaborador vital en la infraestructura astronómica óptica y de radio. Nuestra temprana participación en el GMT permitió a Australia tener un rol en las decisiones corporativas que será crítico para su éxito”, dice Lansdown. “Creo que la experiencia que aportamos en el desarrollo colaborativo de infraestructuras de investigación también será muy beneficiosa”.

El Director de GMT, Patrick McCarthy, concuerda con esta afirmación: “Las numerosas contribuciones de Australia (científicas, técnicas y financieras) han sido fundamentales para el desarrollo del proyecto hasta la fecha. Anne-Marie aporta al Directorio una dimensión adicional de experiencia en el ámbito de la gestión y las políticas científicas. Tenemos el privilegio de tenerla como parte del cuerpo directivo de GMTO”.

Modelo Computacional del viento en el sitio y la cúpula del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante

Para obtener las mejores imágenes del cosmos, es necesario que la turbulencia y las variaciones de temperatura en el aire sobre el telescopio sean mínimas. Por esta razón es muy importante comprender en detalle cómo interactúa el microclima del viento en Las Campanas con el diseño de la cúpula.

Los telescopios suelen estar situados en zonas montañosas y remotas que, por lo general, están sometidas a patrones de vientos sumamente complejos. Estos lugares rara vez cuentan con registros de larga data, y buena calidad, sobre las condiciones del viento. En consecuencia, los ingenieros utilizan la dinámica de flujos computacionales (CFD, por su sigla en inglés) para simular los patrones de circulación del viento y del clima en estos lugares. CFD usa las matemáticas aplicadas, la física y programas computacionales para visualizar cómo fluye un gas o líquido, y de qué manera éste afecta a los objetos a su paso.

A través del trabajo conjunto con ingenieros y científicos expertos en CFD de Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T), y de la consultora RWDI, especializada en el área de la ingeniería, el equipo de GMTO a cargo del diseño de la estructura de la cúpula está llevando a cabo estudios sobre cómo optimizar la posición del telescopio en el sitio y el diseño de la cúpula para maximizar la calidad de imagen.

Líneas de flujo alrededor de la estructura de protección del GMT obtenidas de estudios de CFD realizados por la empresa Boeing.

Líneas de flujo alrededor de la estructura de protección del GMT obtenidas de estudios de CFD realizados por la empresa RWDI.

Este es un trabajo en progreso que incluirá mayores elementos de análisis, como una simulación computacional más detallada de las condiciones del viento y una simulación de la acción del sol para comprender el impacto del calentamiento diurno de la cúpula, además de pruebas con un túnel de viento para recopilar datos acerca de la presión del viento y validar las predicciones del modelo CFD acerca de los efectos del viento sobre el telescopio, la óptica y la cúpula.

“Queremos producir las imágenes más nítidas posibles, por lo que un diseño aerodinámico de alto rendimiento es esencial”, dijo Bruce Bigelow, el administrador de elementos de la cúpula del GMT. “Los estudios basados en el modelo CFD están generado información inmediata y valiosa para el diseño de la estructura y el sitio del GMT”, comentó Bigelow.

Solicitud de Propuestas para la estructura principal del telescopio

El proyecto Telescopio Magallanes Gigante inició formalmente su Fase de Construcción en junio de 2015. Los espejos de 8,4 metros (27 pies) del telescopio se encuentran en distintas etapas de fabricación en el Laboratorio de Espejos Richard F. Caris en la Universidad de Arizona, y la obra civil del sitio está en marcha en el Observatorio Las Campanas. La siguiente licitación de gran importancia para GMTO corresponderá al diseño final y la construcción de la estructura principal del telescopio.

GMTO abrirá el proceso de solicitud de propuestas a finales de 2016, y celebrará una conferencia para interactuar con el sector industrial los días 21 y 22 de septiembre de 2016, en Pasadena. Las empresas que cuenten con la experiencia necesaria y que estén interesadas en presentar una propuesta serán invitadas al evento, donde tendrán la oportunidad de familiarizarse con la forma y contenido de la solicitud de propuestas y el diseño de referencia, como también de interactuar con el personal del proyecto GMTO encargado de dicha convocatoria.

En preparación para la solicitud de propuestas, se proporcionará material de apoyo y requisitos de alto nivel a través de la página web de GMTO. 

Conferencia Científica de la Comunidad GMT

Póster de la cuarta Conferencia Científica anual de la Comunidad del GMT. Descargue una versión en PDF aquí.

La cuarta Conferencia Científica Anual de la Comunidad GMT, patrocinada por la Organización Telescopio Magallanes Gigante, se llevará a cabo entre el 26 y el 28 de septiembre de 2016 en el Conference Grounds Asilomar en Pacific Grove, California. La conferencia estará centrada en “Exoplanetas en la Era de los Telescopios Extremadamente Grandes”.

Nuevas técnicas de observación, instrumentación y conocimientos teóricos han fomentado el reciente crecimiento exponencial en las observaciones y la teoría en el área de los exoplanetas.

En esta conferencia, científicos de todo el mundo se reunirán para discutir el estado actual y el futuro de la investigación en lo que se refiere a técnicas de detección, caracterización, dinámica de sistemas, así como mecanismos de formación y escalas de tiempo de los planetas extrasolares, con el objetivo de analizar el rol de los futuros observatorios e instrumentación en este campo.

La conferencia incluirá un banquete de gala que tendrá lugar en el acuario de la bahía de Monterey.

Para mayor información y detalles del proceso de inscripción (fecha límite el 1ro de Septiembre) visite el sitio web de la conferencia: http://www.gmtconference.org

Contents

• Construction Update
• Board Member Profile: Anne-Marie Lansdown
• CFD Modeling of the GMT site and enclosure
• Request for proposals for the telescopes main structure
• GMT Community Science Meeting

Welcome to the August newsletter

Early summer has been busy for the project office. We held our first open house for family and friends of GMTO – over 200 people attended and met with project staff. We also held our June board meeting in Cambridge, MA, and are grateful to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics for hosting us. At the end of June, we had a strong presence at the SPIE: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation conference in Edinburgh, UK.

In this newsletter you can read about the changing face of the GMT site at Las Campanas as new buildings are constructed, find out about how computational modeling is helping us finalize the enclosure design, read how Board Member Anne-Marie Lansdown led the transformation of research infrastructure in Australia, and more.

You can always keep up to date with what’s happening at GMTO from our website, gmto.org, or from our presence on social media.

– Dr. Patrick McCarthy

Construction Update

Since the groundbreaking ceremony at Las Campanas last November, the GMTO team working on the telescope site has been busy finalizing civil works and building the housing needed for the construction workers due on site later in the year. The scintillometer system is also now complete and is taking valuable data.

Housing

In the past month, several new buildings have been constructed on the GMT site. Rocterra leveled two off-summit support sites, and pre-fabricated units, built by Tecnofast, have been arriving by truck from Santiago. The units are being assembled on site and will be furnished and undergo interior finishing over the next few months.

Support Site 1 will house laboratory and workshop buildings. Support Site 2 is divided into three pads: Pad 1 is for a 68-dorm building, Pad 2 will house the kitchen and recreation facilities, and Pad 3 will host a 24-dorm building. During construction the 68-dorm building will house the construction workers in shifts, and the 24-dorm building will house GMTO staff working onsite. An on-summit office has also recently been constructed.

Las Campanas Observatory: location of key sites.

Summit offices nearing completion on the GMT site. Image credit: Ricardo Alcayaga.

A bird’s eye view of Support Site 2. Top: 68-dorm building is under construction; Bottom: 24-dorm building complete. Image credit: Ricardo Alcayaga.

Environmental Monitoring

(Front) GMTO Engineer Wylie Rosenthal working on deploying the scintillometer.

In May, the final installation and testing of the scintillometer system was completed. The design and installation of this system required the efforts of GMTO staff in Pasadena, Santiago and La Serena, our contractors Tecmec, Rocterra, Incotell, Alderete, our outsourced safety crew Ricardo Alcayaga and Julio Cintolesi, as well as the Herreros tower climbing crew.

In preparation for deployment, José Soto and GMTO staff in Santiago coordinated the installation of utilities, foundations, data networks and other infrastructure required to support this experiment and future environmental monitoring systems.

For the deployment campaign, José Soto and Wylie Rosenthal spent two weeks installing, aligning and testing the scintillometer components at ground level, often working at night and in strong winds. The Herreros tower climber crew then spent three nights installing and precisely aligning the 18 fold-mirrors that reflect the scintillometer laser between the two weather towers (9 levels, from 5 meters (16 ft) to 48 meters (157 ft) above grade).

A fold mirror, showing the reflection of the scintillometer base.

The system is now successfully taking measurements of the air turbulence at several different heights across the site every few minutes. For more background on the system, please read the article in our previous newsletter.

Civil Works

The civil works program, which started nearly a year ago, is almost complete, with roads and power connections installed and water connection work begun.

The summit road has been widened and the slopes adjusted to allow for the transportation of large components and construction materials to the summit.

Power is provided to the summit and support sites via an overland connection from Las Campanas Observatory’s power system, and once at the site it becomes an underground connection. This supply will support construction on the summit and operation of the residence and construction offices. Before the start of operations, the power lines will be rerouted to an alternative supplier capable of providing the capacity needed for operations.

A new solar energy water pumping system was recently installed. The construction of this system is a combined effort between Carnegie (owner of the Las Campanas Observatory) and GMTO. Replacing 45-year old diesel powered pumps, the new system will pump 15 thousand liters (4000 gallons) of water a day from an altitude of 1500 meters (4900 ft) to 2500 meters (8200 ft) above sea level, where the main water reservoir for both observatories is located.

Mountain Superintendent Marcelo Rodriquez and consultant Mariano Lopez at the solar energy water pumping station.

More updates

Our Facebook and Instagram pages share continued construction updates and photos – join us there to keep up to date on the latest developments from the GMT site!

Board Member Profile: Anne-Marie Lansdown

Anne-Marie Lansdown.

Anne-Marie Lansdown joined the Board in October 2015, and was most recently the Deputy CEO of Universities Australia, the top advocacy body for Australia’s universities. She served in the Senior Executive Service of the Australian Government’s Industry Department for 15 years. Internationally, she has engaged with organizations including the UN, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Ms. Lansdown first became involved in government and funding for scientific research while working on Australia’s Innovation and Broadband strategies. At the time, Australia was developing a national strategy to consolidate the country’s existing research strengths and open new research frontiers.

Under Ms. Lansdown’s leadership, in 2004, a consensus was formed among universities and research agencies to form a national funding model. Called the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), this strategy brought funding for a range of facilities, such as optical and radio telescopes, the Australian Synchrotron, the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility, the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, and many others, under multi-year, multi-billion dollar funding envelope (more details on facilities can be found here). NCRIS is still being funded today and continues to enable researchers to build world-class research infrastructure.

A key part of NCRIS was the formation of small, independent not-for-profit companies tasked with representing each scientific discipline to the government. One of GMTO’s partner organizations, Astronomy Australia Ltd (AAL), was established for this purpose. Under NCRIS, as a result of the recommendation of the Australian astronomy community, AAL invested in several large-scale astronomy infrastructure projects, including the Giant Magellan Telescope.

The success of individual facilities in addressing Australia’s national science needs has produced some unexpected outcomes. Ms. Lansdown says “the quality of the facilities has drawn world class research teams from around the globe, and by extending the support in the facilities to businesses, many more university-business collaborations are emerging”.

As a member of the GMTO Board, Ms. Lansdown brings her experience in science policy and strategic planning to support the GMT. “Australia is a vital contributor to both international radio and optical astronomy infrastructure. Our early involvement in the GMT allowed Australia to have a role in governance decisions that will be critical to its success,” says Lansdown. “I think the experience we bring in collaborative research infrastructure development will also be of great benefit.”

GMT Director Patrick McCarthy agrees. “Australia’s many contributions – scientific, technical and financial – have been central to the development of the project to date. Anne-Marie brings an added dimension of management and science policy expertize to the board. We are privileged to have her as part of the GMTO governing body.”

CFD Modeling of the Giant Magellan Telescope Site & Enclosure

To get the best images of the cosmos, there must be minimal turbulence and temperature variations in the air above the telescope. Gaining a better understanding of the interaction between the wind microclimate at Las Campanas and the design of the GMT’s telescope enclosure is an important task.

Telescopes are usually located in mountainous and remote areas and such locations rarely have high quality long-term records of the wind conditions and can be subject to highly complex wind patterns. As a result, engineers use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate windflow and climate patterns at these locations. CFD is the use of applied mathematics, physics and computational software to visualize how a gas or liquid flows — and how the fluid affects objects as it flows past.

Working with CFD engineers and scientists from Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T), and RWDI, a consulting engineering firm, GMTO’s enclosure group is conducting design studies to understand how the telescope’s position on the site and the enclosure design could be optimized to maximize telescope image quality.

Flow lines around the GMT enclosure from CFD studies by Boeing.

Flow lines around the GMT enclosure from CFD studies by RWDI.

This is a work in progress and further analysis will include more detailed computational modeling of wind conditions and solar modeling to understand the impact of daytime heating on the enclosure, and wind tunnel testing to gather wind pressure data to validate the CFD model predictions of wind effects on the telescope, optics and enclosure.

“We want to produce the sharpest images possible, so a high-performance aerodynamic design is critical,” said Bruce Bigelow, the element manager for the GMT enclosure. “CFD studies have already generated immediate and valuable insights into the GMT’s site and enclosure design,” Bigelow said.

Request for Proposals for the telescope main structure

The Giant Magellan Telescope project formally entered its Construction Phase in June 2015. The telescope’s 8.4 meter (27 ft) mirrors are in various stages of fabrication at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona, and the site civil work is underway at Las Campanas Observatory. The next major procurement for GMTO will be the final design and construction of the telescope main structure.

GMTO will issue a request for proposals for this procurement late in 2016, and will hold an industry interaction conference in Pasadena on September 21 & 22, 2016. Qualified companies interested in bidding for this contract will be invited to attend and will have the opportunity to become familiar with the form and content of the RFP and the reference design, as well as interact with GMTO Project staff managing the RFP.

In preparation for releasing the RPF, supporting materials and high-level requirements will be provided through the GMTO website.

GMT Community Science Meeting

Fourth Annual GMT Community Science Meeting poster. Download a PDF here.

The Fourth Annual GMT Community Science Meeting, sponsored by the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization, will be held September 26–28, 2016 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California. The theme of the meeting is “Exoplanets in the Era of Extremely Large Telescopes.”

New observing techniques, instrumentation, and theoretical understanding have fueled the recent dramatic growth in exoplanet observations and theory.

At this conference, scientists from around the world will gather to discuss the current and future status of research on exoplanet detection techniques, characterization, system dynamics, and formation mechanisms and time scales, with a view towards the roles of future observatories and instrumentation in these areas.

The conference will include a gala banquet to be held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

For more information and registration details (deadline Sept. 1), visit the conference website: http://www.gmtconference.org

Request for Proposals—Announcement of Opportunity

GMTO will issue a request for proposals for the final design and construction of the telescope main structure in late 2016.

An industry interaction conference will be held in Pasadena California in September 2016. Schedule and logistical information will be available soon.

The baseline design for the telescope and high-level requirements will be provided through the GMT web site. Additional information supporting the bidding process will also be provided soon.

Enquiries should be sent to rfp@gmto.org

This page will be updated regularly as dates are finalized.

Exoplanets in the Era of Extremely Large Telescopes, the fourth annual GMT Community Science Meeting, will take place September 25-28, 2016 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA.

Register now!

New observing techniques, instrumentation, and theoretical understanding have fueled the recent dramatic growth in exoplanet observations and theory.

Scientists from around the world will gather on California’s Monterey Peninsula to discuss the current and future status of research on exoplanet detection techniques, characterization, system dynamics, and formation mechanisms and time scales, with a view towards the roles of future observatories and instrumentation in these areas. The conference will include a gala banquet held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

About Exoplanets

In 1988 the first exoplanet was discovered orbiting Gamma Cephei A, although it was not until 2002 that the discovery was confirmed. The 1995 discovery of 51 Peg b, through Doppler velocity techniques, ushered in a new era of radial velocity discovery. The observation of the transit of HD 209458 b across the face of its parent star in 2000 foreshadowed the results of the Kepler mission, which has, since 2009, discovered thousands of exoplanets. The first images of an exoplanet in 2004 (2M1207b) and a family of exoplanets in 2008 (HR 8799) demonstrated the powerful ability of adaptive optics on large ground-based telescopes to spot massive exoplanets.

Tools for Exploration

In parallel astronomers have developed techniques and tools for measuring the atmospheres and other characteristics of exoplanets, often using primary or secondary transits as an opportunity for differential spectrophotometry.

Theory can now be confronted with data, and the development of models and interpretation of the data have developed at a rapid pace in recent years.

With the ongoing introduction of new instruments, techniques and theoretical models, and the upcoming addition of extremely large telescopes like the GMT, the TMT, and the E-ELT, and new space missions like TESS, we can expect this boom in the enterprise of studying exoplanets to continue at a rapid pace, leading to a better understanding of our own place in the Universe.

Conference Questions

At the conference we will explore the following questions:

• What unique roles will ELTs play in precision radial velocity and direct imaging?
• What are the frontiers in determining the diversity of exoplanet atmospheric properties?
• What observable consequences are there of the interior properties of exoplanets?
• How can circumstellar disk observations provide clues to the properties of exoplanetary systems?
• How will planet formation theory benefit from ELT observations?
• What do we need to know or what can we observe about stars to understand exoplanets?
• What unique challenges and opportunities do ELTs present for future instrumentation for exoplanet characterization?

Speakers

Rebecca Bernstein, GMTO
Jayne Birkby, Harvard
Alan Boss, Carnegie Inst. Of Washington
Ian Crossfield, Univ. of Arizona
Roubing Dong, U. C. Berkeley
Kate Follette, Stanford Univ.
Jonathan Fortney, U. C. Santa Cruz
Olivier Guyon, Univ. of Arizona/Subaru Telescope
Raphaelle Haywood, Harvard Univ.
Andrew Howard, Univ. of Hawaii
Nikole Lewis, Space Telescope Science Institute
Collete Salyk, Vassar College
Evgenya Shkolnik, Arizona State Univ.
Andy Skemer, U. C. Santa Cruz

Registration and information

Please register at: www.regonline.com/e3lt. Registration deadline is September 1, 2016. There is no registration fee.

More information about the event can be found at the conference website.

We look forward to seeing you there!

To read this newsletter in English click here.

Mensaje Del Presidente Interino

Durante el primer trimestre del año 2016 comienza una emocionante transición para GMTO. La llegada del nuevo Gerente de Proyecto ha dado un fuerte impulso al equipo del mismo. Nos hemos instalado en nuestras nuevas oficinas, donde esperamos permanecer por largo tiempo, en el Noreste de Pasadena. El cuarto de siete espejos gigantes del GMT ha “salido del horno” de la Universidad de Arizona, y se ve hermoso.

En Febrero, GMTO sostuvo una reunión con su Junta Directiva en la que se incorporaron un alto porcentaje de nuevos Directores, altamente experimentados. En este boletín informativo nos enfocaremos en el perfil del Dr. Walter Massey de la Universidad de Chicago, uno de los nuevos Directores. El Dr. Massey personifica el fuerte liderazgo y la visión necesaria para lograr instalaciones científicas de vanguardia.

Los científicos, ingenieros y equipos de construcción de GMT se han mantenido activos en el sitio donde se instalará el telescopio en Chile. En el próximo boletín informativo compartiremos los nuevos avances en Chile, pero siempre se puede encontrar mayor información en nuestra página web, gmto.org, o en nuestras redes sociales.

– Dr. Patrick McCarthy

El Dr. Walter Massey se integra a la Junta Directiva de GMTO

Dr. Walter Massey.

En Octubre del año pasado, los socios fundadores de GMTO contribuyeron a expandir las áreas de especialización representadas en la Junta Directiva , anticipándose al comienzo de la fase de construcción. El Dr. Walter Massey es uno de los nuevos Directores, y ejemplifica el nivel de atributos y experiencias encontradas en la Junta Directiva de GMTO.

El Dr. Massey es el Presidente del School of the Art Institute de Chicago, y como tal, representa a la Universidad de Chicago en la Junta Directiva. Sin embargo su carrera comenzó en la ciencia.

El Dr. Massey obtuvo su Doctorado en Física de la Universidad de Washington en St. Louis, Missouri. A lo largo de su carrera ha ocupado numerosos cargos de liderazgo en los que se ha distinguiido, incluyendo haber sido el Presidente Fundador de la Junta Directiva del Laboratorio Nacional de Argonne/Corporación de Desarrollo de la Universidad de Chicago, Director de la National Science Foundation, Rector del Sistema Educativo de la Universidad de California, y Presidente del Morehouse College.

Estos roles de liderazgo en el ámbito científico, permitieron que el Dr. Massey participar en el desarrollo y configuración de temáticas y políticas científicas.

Durante su periodo en la National Science Foundation, el Dr. Massey fue responsable de consolidar los recursos para el ambicioso proyecto LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory). Los investigadores de LIGO anunciaron a principios de este año la detección de ondas gravitacionales, evidencias que sustentan una de las teorías más influyentes de Albert Einstein.

“Este es uno de los descubrimientos más importantes de la ciencia en los últimos cien años”, dijo Massey. “Una sólida afirmación de la Teoría General de la Relatividad de Einstein y la existencia de los hoyos negros. Es igualmente importante señalar que se abre una nueva forma de ‘ver’ el universo.”

El Dr. Massey durante en una de sus actividades en la National Science Foundation.

Cuándo se le preguntó qué diferencias notaba entre el proyecto LIGO y el Telescopio Magallanes Gigante, el Dr. Massey dijo: “Ambos proyectos involucran un desafío por construir una gran infraestructura que requiere compromisos por muchos años. Pero, incluso más importante, es que ambos nos permitirán descubrir “nueva ciencia”, cosas que probablemente aun ni siquiera anticipamos”.

Como miembro de la Junta Directiva, el Dr. Massey utilizará su experiencia ayudando a la realización del GMT. Su valioso punto de vista ya ha hecho importantes contribuciones en materias relacionadas con la estructura corporativa, los procesos de adquisición de los grandes elementos del proyecto y su manejo.

“Walter ha sido un nuevo miembro espectacular de nuestra Junta”, dijo el Dr. Taft. Armandroff, Presidente de la Junta Directiva de GMTO y Director del Observatorio McDonald.

“Se ha involucrado rápidamente en entender las complejidades del Proyecto y nos ha ayudado a enfrentar algunos de nuestros obstáculos más grandes.”

“Los proyectos científicos de grandes infraestructuras requieren paciencia, persistencia y un compromiso de largo plazo”, dijo el Dr. Massey. “Es muy emocionante poder ser miembro del equipo de GMTO, y espero poder hacer todo lo que esté a mi alcance para lograr el éxito del mismo.”

Analizando la atmosfera en preparación para la construcción

Escaladores profesionales dan los toques finales en una de las dos torres en el terreno del GMT.

La luz que detectamos de estrellas y galaxias lejanas debe atravesar la atmósfera terrestre, donde su camino es desviado por celdas de aire frio y caliente, con el resultado de imágenes distorsionadas y difusas. Es necesario caracterizar las perturbaciones producidas por la atmósfera en la cumbre donde se construirá el GMT para ayudar al equipo del Proyecto en el diseño de las mejores herramientas para corregir las imágenes distorsionadas.

Es así como entrarán en escena dos piezas con funciones muy importantes: una unidad de detección de luz y alcance (LIDAR – Light Detection and Ranging) y un “cintilómetro”, equipo para determinar el centelleo, mediante el uso de un láser.

Los astrónomos usan el término “seeing” (calidad de imagen) para describir cuánto se distorsionan las imágenes de estrellas vistas a través de un telescopio por efecto de la atmósfera. Un “seeing” mejor (más pequeño) significa que las imágenes son más nítidas y que la atmósfera es menos turbulenta. Aunque las condiciones atmosféricas del Observatorio Las Campanas son de las mejores en el mundo, siempre es posible mejorar.

El GMT incluirá un sofisticado sistema de Óptica Adaptativa (OA) diseñado para corregir el efecto de la atmósfera. A través de la medición de la distorsión de la luz y el rápido ajuste de los espejos secundarios del telescopio para compensar la distorsión, las imágenes de objetos distantes pueden ser corregidas para obtener un óptimo nivel de nitidez.

Para diseñar un sistema de OA que sea efectivo y óptimo para el GMT, los ingenieros deben primero caracterizar las condiciones atmosféricas del sitio en que se construirá el telescopio. Es ahí donde el LIDAR y el cintilómetro adquieren importancia.

El LIDAR se utiliza para medir la velocidad y dirección del viento emitiendo un rayo láser infrarrojo y midiendo su reflejo debido a partículas en el aire que fluye sobre el terreno. La señal reflejada permite la medición de la velocidad y dirección del aire por medio del efecto Doppler. Esto se traduce en una mejor caracterización de los patrones del viento en el Cerro Las Campanas. El sistema LIDAR, suministrado por SgurrEnergy, opera 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana, muestreando la masa de aire sobre la cumbre. Además de proveer importante información para el diseño del sistema OA, la información del flujo del viento contribuye al detallado diseño de la cúpula del telescopio.

José Soto y Francisco Figueroa instalando el equipo LIDAR en el terreno de GMT en el Observatorio Las Campanas.

El “centello” se entiende como la fluctuación aleatoria de las ondas de luz, misma que puede ser causado por diferencias locales en la temperatura o presión del aire. El fenómeno es responsable de hacer que las estrellas parpadeen. El cintilómetro es un instrumento que puede medir esa fluctuación.

El equipo del GMT está construyendo un avanzado sistema de láser-cintilómetro que utilizará dos torres muy altas (50 metros) en la cumbre del cerro. Un par de rayos láser paralelos a 2 mm de distancia el uno del otro serán proyectados desde el suelo, reflejándose desde pares de espejos localizados a varias alturas de las torres, y de regreso, a un detector en el suelo. La variación entre las señales de los dos rayos del cintilómetro entregará información de cuánta distorsión o centelleo se produce, así como el perfil, a diferentes alturas del área entre las torres.

El LIDAR y el cintilómetro proveerán, de manera conjunta, importante información sobre las condiciones de observación en el sitio del GMT, y ayudarán al equipo de ingeniería para optimizar los diseños de OA y la cúpula. Muchos de los miembros de GMTO están contribuyendo al desarrollo e instalación del LIDAR y del cintilómetro, incluyendo a Matthieu Bec, Antonin Bouchez, Alan Conder, Francisco Figueroa, Robert Goodrich, Wylie Rosenthal, Fernando Santoro, y José Soto.

El sistema LIDAR se encuentra operando desde Octubre 2015; el cintilómetro será instalado y puesto en marcha en Abril 2016. Las torres que sostendrán los espejos del cintilómetro y otros instrumentos meteorológicos fueron instalados a principios de este año.

El sitio del GMT, visto desde un dron. Ambas torres miden 50 metros de altura. Imágen: Ricardo Alcayaga

Este video muestra cómo fueron construídas las torres y una vista del sitio desde un dron.

Nueva Oficina Central para GMTO

Nueva sede de GMTO en 465 N. Halstead St., Pasadena, CA.

La semana pasada GMTO Pasadena se instaló en sus nuevas oficinas, en Hastings Ranch. Después de muchos meses de trabajo en diseño, permisos y construcción, el edificio – que es el mismo complejo que en en la década de 1990 alojó al equipo de la misión espacial Voyager de JPL (NASA) – se ha convertido en una oficina diseñada para llegar a la Primera Luz del Proyecto GMT y más allá.

En la nueva sede se encuentran los ingenieros del proyecto, diseñadores y científicos, así como también las áreas corporativas como Recursos Humanos y Finanzas. Las ventanas que dan al norte ofrecen una vista espectacular de las montañas de San Gabriel. El edificio es una combinación de oficinas, espacios abiertos de trabajo, oficinas de reuniones, y oficinas de trabajo, diseñadas para optimizar la eficiencia y el flujo del trabajo. Es un placer inaugurar la Sala de Reuniones Magallanes, una sala de conferencia suficientemente grande como para llevar a cabo las reuniones cuatrimestrales de la Junta Directiva y las diferentes revisiones de proyecto. Muchas de las salas están provistas con equipos de video-conferencia, facilitando así la colaboración con GMTO Chile y otros grupos remotos.

La nueva oficina central se ubica en 465 N. Halstead St., Pasadena, CA, 91107 y es la cuarta sede que ha tenido GMTO en diez años. En la medida que el equipo creció junto al Proyecto, GMTO se cambió de ubicación desde las oficinas de Carnegie Observatories en Santa Barbara Street, al 831 N. Lake Avenue en 2009, y después a 251 S. Lake Avenue en 2011. El equipo pasó 3 meses durante el año 2016 en un espacio temporal ubicado en el edificio de Jacobs en 155 N. Lake Av., mientras se completaban los trabajos en el nuevo espacio.

El equipo del Proyecto se ha instalado en el nuevo espacio y esperamos poder recibir a los amigos de GMTO en nuestro nuevo hogar.

Personal de GMTO en las nuevas centros de Hastings Ranch.

Noticias desde el Laboratorio de Espejos Richard F. Caris

El cuarto segmento del espejo primario, el central, salió del horno en el Laboratorio de Espejos Richard F. Caris del Observatorio Steward, a fines de Diciembre pasado. La última serie de fotos muestra al equipo del laboratorio sacando el enorme disco de vidrio desde el horno y colocándolo de forma vertical para permitir la eliminación del material refractario del molde, preparando el comienzo del pulido, un proceso que tomará entre tres y cuatro años.

El horno para el segmento del cuarto espejo fue abierto recientemente. En esta imagen, las paredes del horno están aún en su lugar y los técnicos están limpiando e inspeccionando el espejo. Imagen: Ray Bertram, Laboratorio de Espejos Richard F. Caris, Universidad de Arizona.

Los técnicos preparan el cuarto espejo del GMT, el espejo central de la matriz, para extraerlo del horno. Una estructura de acero se adhiere a la superficie del espejo usando una versión de alta tecnología de pegamento sellador. El pegamento toma un mes en endurecerse antes de estar listo para cargar 40 toneladas de espejo y material del molde. Imagen: Karen Kenagy, Laboratorio de Espejos Richard F. Caris, Universidad de Arizona.

El espejo se encuentra ahora a pocos pies del suelo, mientras el equipo comienza el proceso de levantar y voltear el espejo. Imagen: Karen Kenagy, Laboratorio de Espejos Richard F. Caris, Universidad de Arizona.

El espejo es puesto en un gran anillo de acero que será utilizado para colocarlo de forma vertical, de manera que el equipo pueda remover los tornillos y el material refractario del molde incluido dentro de la estructura de panal de abeja del espejo. Imagen: Karen Kenagy, Laboratorio de Espejos Richard F. Caris, Universidad de Arizona.

La operación de volteo del espejo – el espejo es volteado (¡lentamente!) desde una posición horizontal a una vertical. Imagen: Karen Kenagy, Laboratorio de Espejos Richard F. Caris, Universidad de Arizona.

El espejo está en su posición vertical con la cara posterior a la vista. Se pueden ver los tornillos y las losetas de carburo de silicio que todavía están adheridos al tejo de vidrio. En los próximos meses, el equipo encargado quitará estos últimos elementos y comenzará a usar agua a alta presión para disolver los refractarios que se hallan en la estructura de panal de abeja del espejo. Finalizada esa maniobra, el espejo pesará 20 toneladas menos y estará listo para comenzar el proceso de pulido. Imagen: Karen Kenagy, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

Para leer este Boletín en español, haga clic aquí.

Message from the Interim President

The first quarter of 2016 marks an exciting transition time for GMTO. Our new Project Manager has settled in and is moving the project team forward. We have relocated to our new, and long-term, home in Northeast Pasadena. The fourth of seven giant mirrors for the GMT has emerged from the furnace at the University of Arizona, and it looks beautiful.

In February GMTO held a meeting of the Board of Directors that includes a large number of new and highly experienced Directors. In this newsletter we profile one new member, Dr. Walter Massey representing the University of Chicago. Dr. Massey personifies the strong leadership and vision needed to bring state-of-the-art scientific facilities to fruition.

GMT scientists, engineers and construction crews are busy at the site in Chile. In coming newsletters we will share further developments in Chile, but you can always learn more from our website, gmto.org, or from our presence on social media.

– Dr. Patrick McCarthy

Dr. Walter Massey joins the GMTO Board of Directors

Dr. Walter Massey.

In October of last year, the GMTO Founders collaborated to broaden the fields of expertise represented on the Board of Directors in anticipation of the start of the construction phase. Dr. Walter Massey was among the new Directors, and he exemplifies the skill and depth of experience within the GMTO Board.

Representing the University of Chicago, Dr. Massey is the President of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, but his career began in the sciences.

Dr. Massey earned his Ph.D. in physics from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Over his career, he has held several distinguished leadership positions, including Founding Chairman of the Board of Argonne National Laboratory/University of Chicago Development Corporation, Director of the National Science Foundation, Provost for the University of California System, and President of Morehouse College.

These scientific leadership roles enabled Dr. Massey to participate in developing and shaping important issues in science and science policy.

During his time at the National Science Foundation, Dr. Massey was responsible for securing funding for the ambitous LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) Project; LIGO researchers announced earlier this year that they had discovered gravitational waves, providing evidence to support one of Albert Einstein’s most fundamental contributions to science.

“This is one of the most significant findings in science in the last one hundred years,” Massey said. “A solid affirmation of Einstein’s theory of general relativity and of the existence of black holes. Equally as important, it can open up a new way to ‘see’ the universe.”

Dr. Massey, Director of the National Science Foundation, in Antarctica.

When asked what similarities Dr. Massey notices between LIGO and the Giant Magellan Telescope project, he said, “Both are major, challenging infrastructure projects that require multi-year commitments. But even more importantly, both will allow us to discover ‘new science,’ things we probably don’t even anticipate now.”

As a member of the Board, Dr. Massey will use his experience to help the GMT come to fruition. Already, he has provided valuable insight into matters related to governance, the procurement process, and project management.

“Walter has been an outstanding new member of the Board,” says Dr. Taft Armandroff, Chair of the GMTO Board and Director of McDonald Observatory. “He has jumped in quickly to understand the complexities of the Project and to help us tackle some of our biggest hurdles.”

“Long-term science infrastructure projects require patience, persistence and long term commitments,” says Dr. Massey. “I am very excited to be a member of the GMTO team, and I’m looking forward to doing whatever I can to make sure this project succeeds.”

Analyzing the Atmosphere in Preparation for Construction

Professional climbers install the finishing touches to one of the two towers on the GMT site.

After traveling vast distances, the light we detect from distant stars and galaxies must pass through earth’s atmosphere, where its path is bent by pockets of hot and cold air, resulting in blurred and distorted images. Characterizing the atmospheric disturbances at the summit site where the Giant Magellan Telescope will be built helps the GMTO team design the best tools to correct the distorted images.

Enter two pieces of equipment with some very important jobs: a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) unit and a laser scintillometer.

Astronomers use the term “seeing” to describe how much the atmosphere perturbs images of stars as seen through a telescope. Better seeing means that the images are sharper and that the atmosphere is less turbulent. While the Las Campanas Observatory has some of the best astronomical seeing conditions in the world, there is always room for improvement.

The GMT will include a sophisticated Adaptive Optics system designed to correct the effects of the atmosphere. By measuring the distortion of the light and rapidly reshaping the telescope’s secondary mirrors to compensate for this distortion, images of distant objects can be restored to their optimum sharpness.

To design an AO system that is cost-effective and optimized for the GMT, engineers must first characterize the atmospheric conditions where the telescope will be built. This is where the LIDAR and the scintillometer come into play.

LIDAR is used to measure wind speed and direction by reflecting an infrared laser beam off of airborne particles as the air flows over the terrain. The reflected signal allows one to measure the speed and direction of the air via the Doppler effect. This translates to a better understanding of wind patterns on the Las Campanas summit. Supplied by SgurrEnergy, the LIDAR system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, scanning the volume of air over the summit. In addition to providing information useful to the design of the AO system, this wind flow data will help inform the detailed design of the telescope’s enclosure.

José Soto and Francisco Figueroa installing the LIDAR equipment on GMT site at Las Campanas Observatory.

“Scintillation” describes random fluctuation in the brightness of light waves, which can be caused by local differences in the temperature or pressure of the air. The phenomenon is responsible for making stars twinkle. A scintillometer is an instrument that can measure that fluctuation.

GMTO is building an advanced laser scintillometer system that will utilize two high towers on the summit site. Parallel laser beams 2 mm apart will be projected from the ground, off pairs of mirrors located a various heights on the towers, and back to a receiver on the ground. The variation between the signals from the two scintillometer beams will provide information on how much distortion, or scintillation, occurred at the different elevations in the area between the towers.

Together, the LIDAR and the scintillometer will provide important information about the seeing conditions at the GMT site and help to inform the engineering team on how to optimize the adaptive optics and enclosure designs. Several of the GMTO team members are helping with the development and installation of the LIDAR and scintillometer systems including Matthieu Bec, Antonin Bouchez, Alan Conder, Francisco Figueroa, Robert Goodrich, Wylie Rosenthal, Fernando Santoro, and José Soto.

The LIDAR system has been in operation since October 2015; the scintillometer will be installed and commissioned in April 2016. The towers that will support the scintillometer mirrors and other meteorological instruments were erected earlier this year.

The GMT site as seen by a drone. The two towers are each 50 meters tall. Image credit: Ricardo Alcayaga.

Video: Watch how the towers were constructed and see a drone’s view of the GMT site.

New Headquarters for GMTO

New GMTO Headquarters at 465 N. Halstead St., Pasadena, CA.

Last week the GMTO Pasadena team moved into its new headquarters in the Hastings Ranch neighborhood of Northeast Pasadena, CA. After several months of work on design, permitting and construction, the space — which is in the same complex that, in the 1990’s, housed NASA’s JPL space mission Voyager team — has been converted into a custom office designed to see the GMT project through to First Light and beyond.

The new headquarters houses project engineers, designers and scientists, as well as corporate functions such as Human Resources and Finance. With spectacular views of the San Gabriel Mountains from the north-facing windows, the space is a mix of offices, open-plan workspaces, meeting rooms, and work rooms designed to optimize efficiency and work flow. We are also delighted to open the Magellan Boardroom, a conference room big enough to hold our tri-annual Board Meetings and project reviews. Several rooms, including the boardroom, are equipped with videoconference facilities, allowing easy collaboration with GMTO’s Chile HQ in Santiago and other remote groups.

The new HQ is located at 456 N. Halstead Street, Pasadena, CA, and is GMTO’s fourth HQ in Pasadena in ten years. As the team grew along with the Project, GMTO moved from its first home at Carnegie Observatories on Santa Barbara St to 831 N. Lake Avenue in 2009, then to 251 S. Lake Avenue in 2011. The team spent the first three months of 2016 in temporary space in the Jacobs Building at 155 N. Lake while preparation of our new space was completed.

The project staff is settling into the new space, and we look forward to welcoming friends of GMTO to our new home.

GMTO staff at the new Hastings Ranch HQ.

News from the Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory

The fourth (central) primary mirror segment came out of the oven at the Steward Observatory’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab in late December. The latest series of photos show the mirror lab team removing the enormous glass disk from the furnace hearth and turning it vertical to allow removal of the mold materials in preparation for polishing, a process that will take three to four years to complete.

The hearth for GMT’s segment 4 mirror was recently opened. In this image the furnace walls are still in place, and technicians are cleaning and inspecting the mirror. Image: Ray Bertram, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

Technicians prepare the mirror for removal from the furnace hearth. A steel fixture is attached to the front surface of the mirror using a high-tech version of bathroom caulk. The adhesive takes a month to cure before it is ready to carry the 40-ton load of the mirror and the mold material. Image: Karen Kenagy, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

The mirror is now a few feet off the floor as the crew begins the process of lifting and turning the mirror. Image: Karen Kenagy, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

The mirror is placed in a large steel ring that will be used to turn the mirror vertical so the crew can remove the bolts and mold material trapped inside the honeycomb structure of the mirror. Image: Karen Kenagy, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

The turning operation – the mirror is turned (slowly!) from horizontal to vertical. Image: Karen Kenagy, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

The mirror is now upright, and the back surface can be seen. The silicon carbide bolts and floor tiles can be seen still attached to the mirror blank. Over the next few months, the crew will remove the tiles and bolts and will then use water jets to remove the mold material trapped within the honeycomb structure of the mirror blank. Once this is completed, the mirror will be 20 tons lighter and ready for processing. Image: Karen Kenagy, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

Pasadena, CA – On Wednesday, February 23, GMTO honored Dr. Wendy Freedman for her leadership and service to the GMT Project as Chair of the Board of Directors from 2003-2015.

Dr. Freedman was presented with a bronze model of the telescope and a framed GMT print signed by current GMTO staff.

Dr. Charles Alcock, Dr. Bob Kirshner, Dr. Patrick McCarthy and Dr. Matthew Colless spoke about Dr. Freedman’s many contributions to the project, which included growing the project funding to $0.5B and building the Founder base to an international collaboration involving four countries and eleven Founders.

A selection of photos from the event are below.

Dr. Wendy Freedman was presented with a framed GMT print by Dr. Patrick McCarthy (Interim President).

Dr. Freedman with Board members Dr. Byeong-Gon Park and Dr. Taft Armandroff (Board Chair).

Dr. Freedman was presented with a bronze model of the GMT.

Current and former Board members and guests gather for dinner.

The dinner was held at Bistro 45 in Pasadena.

Message from the Interim President

Welcome! We are excited to share the next edition of GMTO’s Quarterly Newsletter after a brief hiatus. In this edition, we share with you some exciting project milestones, discuss our Groundbreaking Ceremony and Community Science Meeting, and introduce our new Project Manager, James Fanson. 2015 has been a productive year for the Project, and we are excited to ring in 2016. We thank you for following along with us on this journey and look forward to keeping you updated on our latest progress. –Dr. Patrick McCarthy

James Fanson joins GMTO as Project Manager

Dr. James Fanson. Image credit: Damien Jemison, GMTO.

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. James Fanson as Project Manager. The GMTO conducted an international search to identify candidates for this position, and Dr. Fanson stood out in a field of accomplished project managers.

Dr. Fanson has held multiple positions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) since he joined the organization in 1986. He served as Project Manager for GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer), Kepler, and the Keck Interferometer. In addition, he held key technical and managerial roles for the Spitzer Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2, and other missions.

“We searched the globe and identified a handful of strong candidates for this key position,” said GMTO Interim President, Dr. Patrick McCarthy. “In the end, the candidate that rose to the top of our list was here in our own backyard. Dr. Fanson brings deep and diverse experience in engineering and management of space- and ground-based telescopes to GMTO. His appointment positions us to take GMT into the construction and commissioning phase with strong technical and managerial leadership.”

“The opportunity to contribute to such an historic endeavor occurs perhaps once in a lifetime,” says Fanson. “The GMT is a great engineering challenge that will help us answer questions about the history, structure, and workings of the universe that are beyond the reach of the current generation of telescopes.”

The stars and the Milky Way piqued Fanson’s interest at an early age as he was growing up in Wisconsin. He recalls carrying his father’s telescope out to his backyard to observe the moons of Jupiter and other celestial objects. As he grew older, he biked to astronomy club meetings of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society, a group that has been together since 1932. Dr. Fanson went on to earn a B.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin and a doctorate in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology before joining NASA’s prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

At GMTO, Fanson’s early objectives include reviewing the organization of the team and the baseline design, continuing production of the optics for the telescope and identifying industrial firms to begin the procurements and civil engineering components of the project.

GMTO Breaks Ground

GMTO celebrated the start of on-site construction with a ceremony held at Las Campanas Observatory on November 11, 2015. The event capped a series of major milestones that were reached over the last 18 months.

In June, the GMT Founders announced that they secured sufficient commitments to support construction and voted unanimously to enter the project construction phase. Not long after that, competitively bid contracts were awarded for installation of power and data to the site and final grading of the road. Construction will soon begin on the site residence that will house the work crew during construction and transition to the staff and visitors’ lodge once the telescope begins commissioning and operations.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by nearly 200 people and included distinguished guests from all of GMTO’s Founder institutions. The list of distinguished speakers included Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Dr. Taft Armandroff, Chair of the GMTO Board of Directors, Prof. Ennio Vivaldi, Rector of the University of Chile, and Mr. Michael Hammer, U.S. Ambassador to Chile. The ceremony hosts included Dr. Miguel Roth and Mr. Mario Kreutzberger, also known as “Don Francisco”, host of the long-running television show Sabado Gigante. Collectively, the group spoke about the impressive engineering behind the GMT and the importance of science and exploration.

Following the speeches, President Bachelet closed the ceremony by striking a large stone from the observatory site producing the distinctive ringing that gives Las Campanas (“the bells”) its name.

From left: Michael Hammer, Michelle Bachelet, Ennio Vivaldi, Taft Armandroff, Miguel Roth, Mario Kreutzberger. Image credit: Damien Jemison, GMTO.

The ceremony was followed by a dance performance by local school children, a dinner banquet, and additional remarks from other distinguished guests. Attendees were then given the unique opportunity to tour the 6.5m Baade Telescope and to view the Saturn Nebula through the Clay telescope and the globular cluster 47 Tuc and other objects through other smaller telescopes.

Images from the event can be found on our website.

Astronomers from Las Campanas Observatory show guests the southern sky. Image credit: Damien Jemison, GMTO.

Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab Casts Fourth GMT Segment

On September 18, 2015, the University of Arizona rededicated the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab as the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, part of Steward Observatory and the College of Optical Sciences. During the ceremony the fourth of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror segments reached its high temperature phase as part of the process of forming the mirror blank.

The approximately 20 tons of glass needed for the 8.4m diameter central segment was loaded into a mold housed in a custom-built rotating oven and was heated to a temperature of over 2000°F during the ceremony. Guests had the opportunity to view the oven and learn about the mirror fabrication process. An ultraviolet camera feed also provided a unique opportunity to follow the melting process inside the furnace chamber.

“The casting went flawlessly and we look forward to seeing the cooled blank in January” said GMTO Interim President, Dr. Patrick McCarthy.

Each GMT primary mirror segment qualifies as the largest fabricated mirror in the world. Following the casting process, the segments are meticulously polished over multiple years to make each surface exquisitely smooth and matched to the demanding specifications needed to ensure that the telescope makes sharp images. The second and third mirror segments for the telescope are currently being processed, and glass for the fifth mirror segment has been delivered to Tucson.

The mirror lab was renamed in honor of Richard F. Caris, who donated $20 million to the University of Arizona to support its partnership in the construction of the GMT. At the ceremony, UA President Ann Weaver Hart, College of Science Dean Joaquin Ruiz and others made remarks thanking Mr. Caris for his vision and support.

http://abell.as.arizona.edu/~hill/GMT4/GMT4_Time_Lapse_H264_small.m4v
Timelapse movie of the GMT’s fourth mirror glass melting in the furnace. Video credit: Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. Find more video at the this Mirror Lab webpage.

Twenty tons of glass loaded into the oven, and the furnace is ready for placement of the oven lid. Image credit: Ray Bertram, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

Oven heating begins: the oven is spinning at approximately 5 RPM as the glass heats up to maximum temperature of 1165°C / 2129°F which was achieved at 8:40 pm on Friday, September 18, 2015. Image credit: Ray Bertram, Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, University of Arizona.

Third Annual GMT Community Science Meeting

“reSolving Galaxies in the Era of Extremely Large Telescopes” was the topic of the Third Annual GMT Community Science Meeting, held at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA in October 2015.

Over 120 people gathered to discuss resolved stellar populations and galaxy formation, including galactic archaeology and the use of galaxies as cosmological probes. Dr. Connie Rockoski from UC Santa Cruz gave the opening talk. Other invited speakers included Dr. Beth Willman, LSST Deputy Director, and Dr. Jason Kalirai, JWST Project Scientist at STScI.

Dr. Andrey Kravtsov lead the summary discussion on the last day and noted that, “it may be that we cannot even formulate the questions that will be the most exciting in ten to fifteen years.”

Dr. Rebecca Bernstein, GMTO Project Scientist, planned the event with the Scientific Organizing Committee co-chaired by Dr. Charlie Conroy (Harvard), and Dr. Willman.

GMTO hosts the Community Science Meetings each year to encourage thoughtful discussions on a wide range of topics covering astronomy and astrophysics and to stay informed in state-of-the-art research in the field. The event is also an opportunity to reach beyond the consortium to engage the broader astronomical community.

For more information about the event visit the conference website.

Delegates in discussion at the Community Science Meeting. Image credit: George Jacoby, GMTO.

Brendan Griffen, MIT, presents results from the Caterpillar Simulation Project. Image credit: George Jacoby, GMTO.

UC Santa Cruz colleagues Elisa Toloba, Alis Deason, and Emily Cunningham catch up at the Community Science Meeting. Image credit: Amanda Kocz, GMTO.

Dr. James Fanson

Pasadena, CA – The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) announces the appointment of Dr. James Fanson as Project Manager. The GMTO conducted an international search to identify candidates for this position, and Dr. Fanson stood out in a field of accomplished project managers.

Dr. Fanson has held multiple positions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) since he joined the organization in 1986. He served as Project Manager for GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer), Kepler, and the Keck Interferometer. In addition, he held key technical and managerial roles for the Spitzer Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2, and other missions.

“We searched the globe and identified a handful of strong candidates for this key position,” says GMTO Interim President, Dr. Patrick McCarthy. “In the end, the candidate that rose to the top of our list was here in our own backyard. Dr. Fanson brings deep and diverse experience in engineering and management of space- and ground-based telescopes to GMTO. His appointment positions us to take GMT into the construction and commissioning phase with strong technical and managerial leadership.”

A collaboration of eleven international research institutions, the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization is set to build one of the world’s largest astronomical telescopes. As Project Manager, Dr. Fanson is responsible for leading the team of engineers, managers and scientists in turning this ambitious goal into reality.

“The opportunity to contribute to such an historic endeavor occurs perhaps once in a lifetime,” says Fanson. “The GMT is a great engineering challenge that will help us answer questions about the history, structure, and workings of the universe that are beyond the reach of the current generation of telescopes.”

The stars and the Milky Way piqued Fanson’s interest at an early age as he was growing up in Wisconsin. He recalls carrying his father’s telescope out to his backyard to observe the moons of Jupiter and other celestial objects. As he grew older, he biked to astronomy club meetings of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society, a group that has been together since 1932. Dr. Fanson went on to earn a B.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin and a doctorate in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology before joining NASA’s prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

At GMTO, Fanson’s early objectives include reviewing the organization of the team and the baseline design, continuing production of the optics for the telescope and
identifying industrial firms to begin the procurements and civil engineering components of the project.

“The Giant Magellan Telescope, due to its shear size and advanced capabilities, will propel astronomy into an entirely new realm of scientific discovery,” says Fanson.

The Giant Magellan Telescope Groundbreaking Ceremony took place on November 11, 2015 at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Distinguished guests participating in the ceremony were the President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, the US Ambassador to Chile Michael Hammer, the President of the University of Chile Ennio Vivaldi, Chair of the GMTO Board Taft Armandroff, and television personality Mario Kreutzberger (aka Don Francisco).

The press release can be found on our website, along with a list of the worldwide media articles about the event.

Images from the event can be found on our Google photos gallery.

The Groundbreaking Ceremony on November 11, 2015 received worldwide coverage.  A selection of great stories about the event are listed below.

English

Space.com:

• Space.com in Chile: Giant Magellan Telescope Groundbreaking Travelogue
• Construction of Giant Next-Generation Telescope Begins in Chile

NBC News: Giant Magellan Telescope Breaks Ground in Chile’s Atacama Desert

BBC: Giant Magellan Telescope: Super-scope project breaks ground

CBS Los Angeles: Pasadena Group Breaks Ground On Project To Build World’s Largest Telescope

Popular Mechanics: The World’s Largest Telescope Breaks Ground Today

Christian Science Monitor: Work begins on humongous telescope

Ars Technica: Astronomers begin building super telescope to see dawn of the Universe

Associated Press: Scientists break ground in Chile for Giant Magellan Telescope; to be world’s largest by 2021

Weather.com: Construction Underway on Giant Magellan Telescope in Chilean Andes

Reuters: Hoping to find life on other planets, astronomers start on giant Chile telescope

Popular Science: Construction Begins on the Giant Magellan Telescope

HuffPost Science: Giant New Telescopes To Unlock Science’s Greatest Mysteries

Engadget: Construction has begun on the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile

Tech Insider: We just started building the largest and most powerful optical telescope ever

The Battalion: Construction of world’s largest telescope begins on Chilean soil

Spanish

El Mercurio:

• Bachelet y la instalación del telescopio GMT en Chile: “Se abre una ventana al conocimiento”
• Hoy parte en Chile la construcción del próximo telescopio óptico más grande del mundo
• Infografía: Así es el nuevo telescopio que se construirá en Chile

La Tercera: Presidenta Bachelet dio inicio a la construcción del telescopio más grande del mundo

El Día: Comienza la construcción de Magallanes, el telescopio más grande del mundo

Pasadena, CA – November 11, 2015 – Leading scientists, senior officials, and supporters from an international consortium of universities and research institutions are gathering on a remote mountaintop high in the Chilean Andes today to celebrate groundbreaking for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The ceremony marks the commencement of on-site construction of the telescope and its support base. The GMT is poised to become the world’s largest telescope when it begins early operations in 2021. It will produce images ten times sharper than those delivered by the Hubble Space Telescope and will address key questions in cosmology, astrophysics and the study of planets outside our solar system.

“We are thrilled to be breaking ground on the Giant Magellan Telescope site at such an exciting time for astronomy,” says Board Chair, and Director of the McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Taft Armandroff. “With its unprecedented size and resolving power, the Giant Magellan Telescope will allow current and future generations of astronomers to continue the journey of cosmic discovery.”

The GMT will be located at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Known for its clear, dark skies and outstanding astronomical image clarity, Las Campanas is one of the world’s premier locations for astronomy. Construction crews will soon be busy on the site building the roads, power, data, and other infrastructure needed to support the observatory.

The unique design of the telescope combines seven of the largest mirrors that can be manufactured, each 8.4 meters (27 feet) across, to create a single telescope effectively 25 meters or 85 feet in diameter. The giant mirrors are being developed at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory. Each mirror must be polished to an accuracy of 25 nanometers or one millionth of an inch.

One giant mirror has been polished to meet its exacting specifications. Three others are being processed, and production of the additional mirrors will be started at the rate of one per year. The telescope will begin early operations with these first mirrors in 2021, and the telescope is expected to reach full operational capacity within the next decade.

“An enormous amount of work has gone into the design phase of the Project and development of the giant mirrors that are the heart of the telescope. The highest technical risks have been retired, and we are looking forward to bringing the components of the telescope together on the mountain top,” says Patrick McCarthy, Interim President of GMTO.

The GMT will enable astronomers to characterize planets orbiting other stars, witness early formation of galaxies and stars, and gain insight into dark matter and dark energy. GMT’s findings will also likely give rise to new questions and lead to new and unforeseen discoveries.

The GMT Organization Board of Directors officially approved the Project’s entry into the construction phase in early 2015 after the eleven international Founders committed over $500M towards the project. Founders come from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, and Korea, with Chile as the host country.

“With today’s groundbreaking, we take a crucial step forward in our mission to build the first in a new generation of extremely large telescopes. The GMT will usher in a new era of discovery and help us to answer some of our most profound questions about the universe,” says GMTO Board Member and Director of the Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Dr. Charles Alcock. “We are pleased to celebrate this momentous milestone with our Chilean colleagues, our international partners, and the astronomical community.”

Today, the University of Arizona celebrates the newly renamed Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, part of Steward Observatory and the College of Science, and casts the fourth of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror segments. Glass for the 8.4m diameter central segment has been loaded into a mold housed in a rotating oven, and is in the process of being melted. The second and third mirror segments for the telescope are currently being polished at the mirror lab.

GMT4: Loading Ohara E-6 glass into oven. Glass loading completed. ready for placement of oven lid. Image credit Ray Bertram, University of Arizona, Steward Observatory.

 

The mirror lab has been renamed in honor of Richard F. Caris, who donated $20 million to the UA to support the university’s partnership in the construction of the GMT. At the ceremony today, UA President Ann Weaver Hart, College of Science Dean Joaquin Ruiz and others will give remarks.

More information on the mirror fabrication process is available on our website.

GMTO will celebrate the start of construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope with a groundbreaking ceremony at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, on November 11, 2015.

Distinguished guests from the Chilean government and higher education sector will attend this historic event, along with VIPs from GMTO’s partner institutions.

In celebration of the start of construction of what will become one of the world’s largest optical telescopes, there will be captivating speeches by project staff, partner representatives and Chilean government officials, followed by a ceremony to mark the groundbreaking. Dinner will be served and, as the twilight settles, guests will have the opportunity to stargaze from one of the finest sites on earth.

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization is hosting a three-day conference on the topics of resolved stellar populations and galaxy formation. Scientists from around the world will gather at the Asilomar Conference Grounds on the Monterey Peninsula in California to discuss the state of the field in topics ranging from using galaxies as cosmological probes, near-field and far-field connections, dwarf demographics, and galactic archeology.

Registration is free, and travel support is provided for graduate students and post-doctoral researchers.

Registration deadline: September 1, 2015
Poster abstract submission deadline: September 1, 2015

Visit the conference website here.

Pasadena CA – The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) is having a change of leadership.

The GMTO Board of Directors regrets to announce today that Dr. Edward I. Moses is stepping down as President of GMTO in order to deal with family matters that require his attention.

The GMTO Board thanks Dr. Moses for his important service to GMTO in leading the project from the design phase to the start of the construction phase. Dr. Moses was instrumental in sealing the GMTO Founders’ Agreement and in developing the legal and financial framework for the project. He grew the GMTO staff from the initial design team of about 30 people to a world-class organization of more than 90 people, recruiting a team capable of managing an ambitious project at the forefront of modern astronomy, and establishing key organizational structures to support GMT construction and commissioning.

The GMTO Board is pleased to announce that Dr. Patrick J. McCarthy, a Carnegie Observatories astronomer and formerly GMTO Executive Vice President, is now leading GMTO as interim President. Dr. McCarthy has been a key member of GMTO’s leadership team since 2008.

“Having been with this project since the beginning, I am excited by the great progress that we are making,” said Dr. McCarthy. “Ed brought his deep experience to our project and he has left us stronger as a result. He had the insight into the staffing, processes and the review strategy we need for success in this endeavour. We still have an enormous amount of work to do. Our dedicated team is focused on achieving our goal to build the first in the next generation of the world’s largest optical telescopes.”

Professor Taft Armandroff, Chair of the GMTO Board and Director of McDonald Observatory at The University of Texas, Austin, noted that, “Ed has led the GMT project in developing the engineering and technology skillset we need, and implementing more disciplined management approaches to enable successful execution of the project.” He continued, “The Board is also pleased with Ed’s successful recruiting program. We now have a strong technical and corporate staff dedicated to GMT. Their experience from past projects makes this team ideally suited to establish the GMT as one of the most powerful telescopes in the world. We wish Ed well and thank him for his outstanding contributions.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope is on schedule to reach first light in 2022, having successfully passed multiple design reviews by external committees. The telescope will be built at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile on a site that has been levelled in preparation for construction. Three of the seven 8.4-meter primary mirror segments have been cast at the University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab (formerly Steward Observatory Mirror Lab), with the fourth, central segment scheduled for casting in September.

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) announced today that Professor Wendy Freedman is stepping down from the GMTO Board after 12 years as its Chair. Professor Freedman, the John and Marion Sullivan University Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, was one of the initiators of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) project and a key founding figure for the organization. She led GMTO from its inception, with seed funding of $500,000 through the recent start of construction, with funding of half-a-billion dollars. Her vision for GMT has brought together an international partnership of eleven institutions from four countries to build a next-generation telescope that will probe deeper into the universe than ever before.

Professor Freedman said, “After more than a decade of guiding GMTO through the design phase and now into construction, it is time for me to devote more effort to my science research interests. I look forward to using the GMT when it is operational.”

Professor Taft Armandroff, Vice-Chair of the GMTO Board and Director of McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas, Austin, noted that, “Wendy has led the GMT project from its earliest conception to the start of construction. GMTO has been most fortunate to have had her guidance for so long.”

Professor Matthew Colless, a Board member from the Australian National University, also thanked Professor Freedman, saying, “The GMTO partnership has reached the present construction milestone only because of Wendy’s extraordinary efforts to form the partnership and her inspirational leadership. The GMTO partners offer their heartfelt appreciation to Wendy for all she has contributed to the project.”

Taft Armandroff, as Vice Chair, will lead the GMTO Board until a new Chair is selected.