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NOVA is the alliance of the astronomical institutes of the universities of Amsterdam, Groningen, Leiden and Nijmegen, legally represented by Leiden University.

Photo Front cover: Gaia’s sky in colour. Gaia’s all-sky view of our Milky Way Galaxy and neighboring galaxies, based on measurements of nearly 1.7 billion stars. The map shows the total brightness and colour of stars observed by the ESA satellite between July 2014 and May 2016. Spectacular progress in our understanding of the Milky Way has been made because the projected sky motions of 1.3 billion of these stars have also been measured by Gaia. 5

04 NOVA Networks 16

17 Network 1: Formation and evolution of galaxies: from high redshift to the present

Network 2: Formation and evolution of stars and planetary systems 21

Network 3: Astrophysics in extreme conditions 25

Table of 05 Instrument Development 30 Contents 06 Building Bridges 42

Nationale Wetenschapsagenda (NWA) 07 – The Dutch Research Agenda 50

Communication, Education 01 Introduction 06 08 and Public Outreach 52

02 Mission and Landscape 10 09 NOVA organization 56

03 Diversity & Inclusiveness 14 10 PhDs in Astronomy 2016 – 2018 60 6 INTRODUCTION 06 Introduction 01 c the theme “The life-cycle of stars and galaxies: galaxies: and ofstars life-cycle “The theme the around NOVA within focused is research The ofNOVA. part are astronomy in researchers a than more predicted holes, ofblack merging the from revealed with new facilities. Gravitational waves being are itself, life even perhaps and planets, and stars ofgalaxies, birthplaces dusty The System. Solar own our in those from different very characteristics with found, been has stars a tohome Close pace. amazing an at continuing discoveries with thinking, critical and streams data big facilities, ofnew combination by the driven is astronomy in Progress public. general the exciting and inspiring while education and a is Astronomy NOVA program 2016– developments of the Introduction andmajor funding as a as funding 1992. in 1999,founded Since NOVA receives Groningen,Amsterdam, Leiden, and Nijmegen, of universities ofthe institutes astronomical ofthe (NOVA) alliance the is Astronomy for School Research Netherlands The students. and tochildren technology and sciences natural the for appreciation enhance to vehicle excellent an presents astronomy and public, general the and astronomers between shared is Universe fascinating this understand to curiosity and desire The understood. not is nature whose and trace observable directly leave no which matter dark and energy dark ofmysterious 95% remaining consisting the with Universe, 5% only of the comprise objects all visible that fact the is remarkable more Even 13 Earth. takes toreach years billion radiation the which from Universe ofthe edge the at found now are Galaxies time. first the for seen ombines top science, cutting-edge technology technology cutting-edge science, top ombines

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century ago by Einstein, have been have been by Einstein, ago century top-research school. All university university All school. top-research

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2018 coordination. national through impact international having and homebase its as functioning thereby (ESO), Observatory Southern European the for instrumentation submillimeter and infrared optical, on focused mainly is It projects. instrumentation international big in participate to astronomers university enables program NOVA’s Netherlands. the in R&D instrument high-tech and research astronomical between a chosen strategically. TheNetherlandshas dynamic andinter-connected andhavebeen These three research themesare inter-university, 3: Network systems planetary and 2: Network galaxies: from high to redshift the present 1:Network networks: research ofthree consists present”. tothe theme This high-redshift from and Big Data(science). There is a is There Big Data(science). and Big Science for instrumentation of advanced construction and development the is programs research ofthe success the for importance vital Germany. in Of Institutes Planck Max and UK the and USA the in institutes prime a with world-top the at position its to keep NOVA enables grant school research top The European European Astronomy, ASTRONET. big five the of research themes within the Strategic Plan for part are they and

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large synergy synergy large INTRODUCTION 07 08 INTRODUCTION projects of typically 10-20 years duration. years 10-20 oftypically projects toinstrumentation commitment long-term its 2023, given after funding its tocontinue ways future for actively searching NOVA been since has then. end would line funding school top-research the that but 2023, of end the until years five by Phase-4 after extended be NOVA would funding the that announced OCW 2016Early ministry the outreachand education programs world-wide. is that exemplary for comparable astronomy coordinated outreach seta activities respects. inall wide highestquality The NOVA in astronomy andastrophysics world- isofthe NOVA- the emphasizes that EB The world. the and Europe within inastronomy aboveitsweight’ to punchwell strategies isa between research andinstrumentation strengths. Theveryhighdegree ofintegration NOVA greatly institutional enhancing existing standards holdacross with institutes, ofthe all andoutreach.education Theseexemplary PhDinstrumentation, education, and keyareas the in all ofitsmission:research, NOVA has performed at anexemplarylevel international the (EB) were: board evaluation of findings main The 2016. November in review NOVA 5-year its had imaging ofexoplanets,EPICS. ELT instrumentforhigh-contrastpolarimetric MOSAIC aswellinR&Dstudiesofa second-generation multi-object spectrometer NOVA participatesinthedesignstudyof spectrometer capabilities.Inaddition, unprecedented sharpness andlow-resolution a generation EL The METIS, NOVA spectrometer high-resolution in2027. and imager mid-Infrared the is foreseen is project flagship light first Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) for which becoming increasingly focused on ESO’s described below. Future instrumentationis science andinstrumentationprogram is from 2014 to the end of 2018. The interrelated Phase-4 school funding cycleofNOVA whichwasrunning the top-research of part final The reporting period2016-2018 concludesthe NOVA program 2016– Major developments of the MICADO, a instrument light first ELT the in co-Investigator consortium. NOVAleading aninternational is the prestigious role asthePrincipalInvestigator T instrument,ofwhichNOVA has

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total of 109 PhDs in astronomy were awarded. awarded. were of109 astronomy in total PhDs a of changesina highlight hasbeenthedetailed observations has drivenmanynewdiscoveries.One Telescope co-builtbyNOVA, calledSPHERE, The NOV a have performed NOVAswing, astronomers  W galaxies. mass low in of stars light by the caused be could Universe early the of reionization the that indicating measured, were by NOVA, CIII lines Ly and faint alpha W appearance oftheMilkyWay. a own MilkyWay. Thisledtotheirdiscoveryof mission tomapthe3Dmotionsofstarsinour NOV casting longshadows ontheouterpart. and darkpatchescaused by theinnerdisk scales oflessthana  less suitableasa which isclearlynotthecaseinspace–makingit bybiologicalprocesses,only formed something to comet67P/C-G.OnEarththismoleculeis the same source and byESA’s Rosetta mission Freon-40 (CH3Cl)wasalsofoundbyALMAin bonds undercoldconditionsinthelaboratory. ofsuchpeptide demonstrated theformation system scales(~50AU)withALMAand gas methylisocyanate(CH3NCO)onsolar  evolve. galaxies of clusters how and holes ofblack physics the including areas, many research on light new shedding galaxies, radio undetected ofpreviously ofthousands hundreds  a galaxy, Gaia-Enceladus.Thiscollisionhad 

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Hörandel 2018 Van Weeren Birkby Désert Dayal Van Leeuwen Petroff Mushtukov Blagorodnova Keller, Snik INTRODUCTION 09 10 MISSION AND LANDSCAPE 10 Landscape Mission and 02 and objectives NOVA's mission often come from a from come often breakthroughs new but instruments, and a use astronomers NOVA NOVA the in program. interlinked strongly are instrumentation and Research possible. be otherwise would a and horizon planning a with them key providing areas, in several astronomers the university empowers NOVA thereby universities. the at astrophysics laboratory and modelling numerical software, reduction data of specialized development NOVA stimulates invested. has also government Dutch the which in telescopes of major return science the maximizes strategy This astronomy. Dutch for importance ofparticular observations to access priority ESO, provide for which particular in facilities, observing of-the-art state- for instrumentation advanced build and ofNOVA’s todesign part therefore is strategy second The essential. –are models and theory with –together technology and instruments observations, new To dreams, these enable grow. and develop can scientists young which in and boundaries, push and dreams scientific their topursue is astronomers allows which strategy its a of foster part to first The society. with knowledge new our toshare and discoveries ofastronomical generation next the in role NOVA’s a toensure is objective galaxies”. and ofstars lifecycle “The called program national collaborative a in activities outreach and education PhD instrumentation, research, astronomy university all ofDutch coordinates NOVA society. with discoveries toshare and levels, international highest the at astronomers young totrain research, astronomical front-line NOVA’s out tocarry is mission NOVA is the alliance of the four university astronomy NOVA astronomy university four ofthe alliance the is

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leading role, through role, through leading MISSION AND LANDSCAPE AND MISSION 11 11 12 MISSION AND LANDSCAPE stars andplanetary systems Formation andevolution of Network 2: a towards assembly: ofgalaxy process The (iii) energy; dark and matter dark on constraints putting Universe: ofthe constituents main ofthe nature The (ii) Universe ofthe dawn The are: (i) years 5-10 coming the for themes main Its Universe. the in objects observable Way Milky to first the the from space, and time across of galaxies evolution and formation the 1studies Network from highredshift to thepresent Formation andevolution of galaxies: Network 1: regularly. meet also topics specialized more on focusing universities different from of Subgroups researchers and postdocs. mostly by presentations, scientific PhD students a times tothree two meetings face face-to- have regular networks The records. scientific international strong with researchers staff active of 15-30 consists network Each 3: Network systems planetary and 2: Network galaxies: from high to redshift the present 1:Network to as referred “Networks”:programs thematic interconnected three following the along organized is present” tothe redshift high- from galaxies: and ofstars lifecycle “The by NOVA out carried program research The of planets, and the subsequent evolution of evolution subsequent the and of planets, formation the disks, protoplanetary and stars new toform collapse its medium, interstellar the of chemistry and physics the 2studies Network of stars andgalaxies program: Thelife cycle The NOVA research

theory of galaxy evolution. ofgalaxy theory Astrophysics in conditions extreme Astrophysics Formation and evolution of Formation and evolution of stars stars of evolution and Formation

year with year with pathways and diagnostic applications. applications. diagnostic and pathways chemical inventory, Universe: molecular The (iv) planets; ofEarth-like characterization towards planets: Extrasolar (iii) systems? of planetary architecture the determines what disks: in formation Planet (ii) Universe? the and environment their shape and form they do how stars: 5-10 coming Massive the are: (i) years for themes main Its planets. and stars those Astrophysics inextreme conditions Network 3: diverse environments. environments. diverse in WDs and NSs BHs, of(binary) evolution and Formation (iii) acceleration; particle and ejection Accretion, (ii) mergers; their in and objects compact with physics Extreme (i) are 5-10 next the for years themes main (BH). Its holes black and (WD) dwarfs (NS), white stars neutron potentials: gravitational strongest the with objects in energies and densities temperatures, highest the at encountered as ofphysics, extremes the 3investigates Network multi-pixel submillimeter instrumentation. submillimeter multi-pixel (ii) imaging; and contrast high (i) years: coming the for chosen have been focus ofR&D areas Two instrumentation. new in deployed being before matured and implemented developed, be will technologies and concepts new where projects R&D and instrumentation scale smaller in invests also program NOVA instrumentation ELT. the for instrument METIS The the on ship PI- the be will this decade, coming the For instrument. ESO one least at on Investigator (at Co-Principal time) be will any given it that therefore is program ofthe strategy top-level (ESO). The Observatory Southern European the on focused is NOVA’s program instrumentation Instrumentation and astroparticle physics. astroparticle and wave detection gravitational in instruments a started, has physics) energy high and nuclear for institute (the NIKHEF a recently, More regimes. wavelength far-IR and scientific optical/near-IR X-rays, the in Astronomy and for Observation Earth in space instruments from research on concentrates LOFAR WSRT. and Netherlands, SRON the in observatories radio the maintaining and SKA like the observatories radio for development and research doing is ASTRON SRON. and ASTRON institutes NWO the with ties are there strong Netherlands the Within scientific landscape. therefore a planetary andgeosciences.Astronomy is exoplanetary research connectswellwith a science andmathematics.Astrochemistry is is additionallyverywellconnectedtocomputer streams intheoryandobservations,astronomy to solidstatephysics.Becauseofitslarge data of thephysicscommunity–from cosmology Astrophysics usesknowledgefrom allcorners Landscape ASTRON Credit: baselines. shortest receivers the many with diameter, measuring for 320m of area elevated an Superterp, so-called the is Telescope LOFAR International the of part central The

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the formation of galaxies and stars. Credit: ESA/AOES Medialab ESA/AOES Credit: stars. and galaxies of formation the study to designed satellite, ESA’s of Herschel impression Artist’s MISSION AND LANDSCAPE AND MISSION 13 15 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS more inclusive

leading position

national astronomy

bit more gender-diverse.

decade in which our community

among hard natural sciences, certainly in the Netherlands, which lags among countries EU in female participation in STEM. Our community has also become more international, with overallmembership shareDutch of nationality decreasing from 50% to 30% (counting PhDs, postdocs, and faculty). recognizes thatNOVA there is still more work to Representationdo. of women among students of Dutch origin is still with poorer, typically aboutin1 4-5 incoming students BSc being women. Also, among faculty women are more often of foreign background than men. This means more work has to be done to engage with girls at primary and secondary school andlevel entice themSTEM. to The same holds for students with minority backgrounds, immigrant backgrounds,e.g., which are underrepresented in of academia all including STEM. the At time of writing of this report the(end 2020), Dutch Astronomy Council, of is part,which NOVA is preparing to launch new initiatives towards making ours a environment, such as a statement of values and code of conduct. The reporting falls just after period the 2016-18 middle of a has become quite a Thefraction femaleof PhDs graduatinghas approximately doubled from just 20% over in it fluctuates aboutto around40% in 2015; 2010 that value thereafter. In that same period, the absolute number of PhDs graduating grew by so another 70%, phrasingwayof this result is that the number of male PhDs grew slightly whereas(30%), the number of female PhDs became times 2.5 higher. The fractionof female permanent staff lags behind, more soin the higher ranks. But between to 25% still, it grew from 2011 15% whichand 2020, is about double the rate of growth of female faculty It ranges nationally. considerably between institutes though, from partly to 44%, 13% due to the rates of faculty replacement having been quite different: in recent times, the fraction of new female faculty hires is approaching 50% in NOVA all institutes. This puts in a NOVA

Inclusiveness Diversity and and Diversity 03

14 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS AND DIVERSITY 14 16 16 17 Network 1: Formation and evolution of galaxies: from high redshift to the present

NOVA Network 1 (NW1) focusses on fundamental questions related to the constituent components of our Universe and how it came to be as we see it around us today. Its core question is: “How do galaxies form and evolve, and how can they be used as tracers of the evolution of the Universe and its (dark) constituents?”

Recent years have seen spectacular progress the Universe at the earliest times. Studies with NOVA NW1 researchers playing leading of dark matter and dark energy using ESO’s roles in key discoveries. This has been VLT Survey Telescope in Chile as part of the possible thanks to long-term preparations Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) have confirmed and investments from earlier in this decade, surprising tensions in the cosmological model. particularly through the NOVA instrumentation In short, NOVA NW1 researchers have tackled program. Examples are the key roles in ESA’s very important questions in the evolution of Gaia space mission, whose datasets are driving galaxies throughout cosmic time and have a revolution in our understanding of the Milky also used galaxies to probe the fundamental 04 Way. The use of ALMA, MUSE, and ultra- physics of the cosmos (e.g. dark matter and deep imaging of the Hubble Space Telescope, dark energy). These selected highlights that together with the LOFAR telescope, have illustrate the enormous progress of NOVA NW1 N OVA provided new insights into the galaxies and are described in more detail below. Networks Deciphering the Milky Way with Gaia ESA’s Gaia cornerstone mission has been dwarf galaxies, critical to understand their mass charting the Milky Way to unveil its composition, distribution. Among the top science with Gaia formation and evolution. Two data releases took DR2, was the NOVA led discovery that the Milky place in the 2016-2018 period, and particularly Way underwent a major merger with another the 2nd data release has revolutionized our galaxy called “Gaia-Enceladus” some ten understanding of the Galaxy because of the billion years ago, which dominates the halo near enormous improvement in quality and quantity the Sun and also shaped the thick disc of the of kinematical, photometric and positional Milky Way. The flagship paper that produced NOVA NETWORKS information. The Gaia Processing and Data a catalogue of the 3D motions of dwarf galaxies Analysis Consortium, whose leadership is in the and globular clusters, also a NOVA NW1 led hands of a NOVA researcher, producing arguably effort, has allowed among other things, NOVA one of the most impactful astronomical datasets researchers to associate globular clusters to in history. Using Gaia DR1 in combination with not only Gaia-Enceladus but also to different HST, NOVA NW1 made the first measurement building blocks of the Milky Way.

NOVA NETWORKS NOVA of the 3D internal motions of stars in the nearby 18 19 New views from the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR): the radio sky and the epoch of reionisation

The Low-Frequency Array, the largest low place the deepest limits on the feeble 21-cm frequency array with baselines from tens of signal of neutral hydrogen from the EoR at meters to thousands of kilometers, has finally redshift z=8-11. started routine observations. An international team led by NOVA astronomers has carried out a low frequency survey of the northern sky. The first phase of the survey has revealed hundreds of thousands of previously undetected radio galaxies, shedding new light on many research areas, including the physics of black holes and how clusters of galaxies evolve. A special Gaia – Our Milky Way shaped by a merger with Gaia-Enceladus issue of the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics was dedicated to the first 26 NOVA scientists found in the data from ESA’s Gaia satellite a tell-tale sign of a major collision event in the history of the Milky Way. The research papers describing the survey and its merger with another galaxy, named Gaia-Enceladus, altered the shape, content and evolution of our Milky Way. Left panel: the dynamical first results, based on work done over the past picture of the two galaxies merging. Right panel: The Versailles gilt-bronze of Enceladus, son of Gaia, is merging with the Milky Way, depicting the major merging event. several years.

During the first one billion years the Universe was pervaded by neutral hydrogen, which was LOFAR (re)ionized rapidly in the Epoch of Reionization. Galaxies under construction This epoch forms the foundation of most The core area of LOFAR, showing the High-Band Antennas of what we see around us today: the first (square boxes) and Low-Band Antennas (individual receivers). In the period 2016-2018, NOVA astronomers have used LOFAR to A study led by NOVA researchers using ALMA precise measurements of the (primeval) galaxy stars, galaxies, black holes and metals were formed, transforming the pristine Universe into produce not only the deepest low-frequency radio images of the has resolved star formation within galaxies luminosity function up to a redshift of z ~ 10, radio sky from the LOTTS survey but also to obtain the first and present when the Universe was only a fraction probing deep into the Epoch of Reionization a complex astrophysical system. Using LOFAR thus far deepest limits on the 21-cm signal of neutral hydrogen from the Epoch of Reionization. of its current age. They discovered compact and approaching the Cosmic Dawn. data, NOVA researchers have been able to (≤ a few kiloparsecs) dust disks within more extended and chaotic unobscured stellar distributions, suggesting that major mergers may be responsible for driving the formation of the compact dust disks. The extreme morphological contrast also indicates that the Cosmography via Weak Lensing current bursts of dusty star formation have the potential to transform both the observed The ESO-VST survey KiDS has come to fruition galaxy sizes and overall light profiles. over the past few years. An exciting result from its weak lensing survey, led by NOVA NOVA astronomers have also used the MUSE researchers, has been the measurement of the instrument on the VLT to obtain new insights cosmic shear power spectrum over a range of galaxies in the early universe, particularly of redshifts, using 450 square degrees of sky. about mergers, galactic winds and star The results confirm the recently reported formation processes. They have detected tension between local universe measurements and characterized faint Lyman alpha and CIII and measurements from the Cosmic emitters, and found that low-mass galaxies at Microwave Background. This same tension 3 < z < 6 are forming stars at higher rates than was reported from strong lensing and seen locally or in more massive galaxies. This measurement of the Hubble Constant from is consistent with a scenario where low mass local and CMB observations. galaxies reionise the Universe. Hubble View of the Universe NOVA NETWORKS

In other efforts led by NOVA researchers, This Hubble-picture shows part of the Hubble Legacy Field. The KiDS Parameters image is a combination of thousands of exposures, taken over very deep observations of the Hubble Space 16 years for various Hubble-Deep-Field Surveys. The mosaic Telescope have revealed galaxies at z ~ 11, contains 200,000 galaxies up to 500 million years after the Big Tomographic cosmic shear analysis of the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) combined with the VISTA Kilo – Degree Infrared Galaxy Survey (VIKING). and hundreds of thousands of galaxies only Bang. Observations such as these have been used by NOVA The unprecedented dataset (KV450), spanning 450 deg2, allows to improve significantly the estimation of photometric redshifts, and hence of researchers to obtain precise measurements of the galaxy cosmological parameters using weak lensing. This figure shows the constraints obtained by NOVA astronomers in the Ωm vs. σ8 plane from 1/2 billion years after the Big Bang. These luminosity function deep into the Epoch of Reionization and KV450 cosmic shear tomography (blue), and the KiDS-450 optical-only cosmic shear measurement (green) in comparison to those derived

NOVA NETWORKS NOVA observations have been used to obtain approaching the Cosmic Dawn. Credit: NASA, ESA from other experiments, and reveals the tension with the Planck-Legacy CMB results. Credit: ESO, KiDS Collaboration 20 21 Network 2: Formation and evolution of stars and planetary systems

Quotes of Amina Helmi, based on an interview published in NRC Handelsblad, 4 June 2018 Research in NOVA Network 2 focuses on the Amina Helmi is professor of astronomy at the University of formation and evolution of stars and planetary Groningen. She analyzes the data from the space telescope Gaia (“1 billion starmapper”) systems. It touches upon fundamental and existential questions about mankind and our place in the Universe. It seeks answers to the origin and evolution of our Solar System and the Earth in the How did you, as an Argentinian, actually end up in the Netherlands? context of star and planet formation processes, and “There are two reasons for this. One is that my mother is originally from the Netherlands. the diverse architectures of other planetary systems As a result, I have a Dutch passport and I also had family here. I thought the switch to the Netherlands would be easy. The other reason was that the Netherlands is very in the Milky Way. highly regarded in astronomy.”

We live in an exciting time. Circumstellar disks, planets and life), can be studied in a wide At the University of Groningen you have followed in the footsteps of from which ultimately planets and their moons range of environments. In addition, increasingly Jacobus Kapteyn, who made a name for himself with his research of form, are being studied in detail. Exoplanets complex molecules are found in interstellar the Milky Way – the theme of your own thesis... are found in their thousands, for which the space, and their formation processes can now chemical make-ups are being deciphered. The be simulated in state-of-the-art astrochemical “Yes, that is interesting. I think people find my work so interesting because I have linked most massive stars, which produce the bulk of laboratory set ups. The science of NW2 is at the traditional astrometric exploration of our Milky Way – which in itself is often seen as the chemical elements in the universe (essential the heart of all these exciting developments. very boring – with cosmology. And I did that at a time when cosmology had increasing ingredients for the formation of Earth-like predictive power to understand how galaxies evolve. That’s how “galactic archeology” came into being, which people are very excited about because it is about our origins.”

Giant steps forward with ALMA Is Gaia going to solve all outstanding problems?

“When I look at my own research, I do have the feeling that Gaia is going to solve a lot. In the 2016-2018 period, the Atacama Large size, and eventually km-size planetesimals. I am particularly interested in the history of the Milky Way and in what is dark matter. Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provided NOVA astronomers have used relatively simple + “We are already starting to get a good picture of that history. Moreover, galaxies were exciting new pathways to study the formation of molecules, such as H2CO, DCO , DCN, and + long seen as self-contained „universe islands,” but now it appears that our Milky Way stars and their planets. New ALMA observations N2D to trace how grain growth and radial drift is very sensitive to interactions with other galaxies. As a result, the disk of stars that our reveal a wealth of beautiful and often surprising affects the disk chemistry. sun is also part of shows a lot of structure. Understanding what is dark matter issue will structures on solar system scales, with gas need a little more time, I think. We need to map the force field around the Milky Way and mm-sized dust not following each other. The unprecedented power of ALMA now also using the movements of the stars. That way you can determine if there really is such Some of the observed gaps and cavities are allows large samples of disks to be studied at a thing as dark matter or if we need to adjust our theory of gravity.” caused to forming protoplanets, whereas other ~20 AU resolution, often with integration times structures are may be related to snowlines. as short as one minute. Disk demographics Rings purely due to chemistry have also been

of hundreds of sources in nearby star- NOVA NETWORKS found. The unexpectedly weak observed CO forming regions show that typical dust mass

(and H2O, from Herschel) emission implies the distributions are very similar from cloud to transformation of the bulk of CO into other cloud but that the median value is not enough carbon-bearing species and locking up of ices to form a giant planet core by the T Tauri into larger pebbles. It remains a challenge to stage. In contrast, disks in the embedded understand how small dust grains over time can stage have 5-10 times higher dust masses.

NOVA NETWORKS NOVA grow to larger sizes, from mm to cm size, meter Thus, planet(esimal) formation must start early, 22 23

shortly after the collapse of the cloud to form Advanced modelling is a crucial aspect of Novel probes of gas giant planets a new star. Taken together, these ALMA data NOVA NW2 astrophysical research. An exciting allow a completely new view on the structure highlight involves simulations of how water and evolution of protoplanetary disks. at a microscopic level can be incorporated in NOVA astronomers detected for the first time dust grains. It shows that water can be trapped the absorption from H-, atomic hydrogen with an extra electron, in an exoplanet atmosphere, A unique NOVA quality is the combination of efficiently in small silicate grains in the early showing that ultra-hot giant exoplanets state-of-the-art astronomical observations with stages of planet forming disks near the water atmospheres have different properties and laboratory measurements, allowing a deeper snowline, forming a viable way to incorporate opacity sources than their cooler counterparts. level of understanding not possible otherwise. significant amounts of water into objects that Their chemical and dynamical properties are Of particular interest is the study of pre-biotic could later form planets like our Earth. found to be governed by H – and molecules molecules – chemical species that may play that have fallen apart. a role in the formation of life. As part of the ALMA PILS-survey of the IRAS16293-2422 solar-mass protostar, NOVA scientists found WASP18b the gas methyl isocyanate on solar system scales (~50 AU), a building block for biologically The large exoplanet WASP-18b is found 410 light years from important molecules and studied its formation Earth. It rotates around its star in a very close orbit, always in the laboratory. Freon-40 (CH Cl) was also showing the same side to the star. NOVA has expanded its work 3 on exoplanets considerably in the 2016-2018 period. Credit: found by ALMA in the same survey and by X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/I.Pillitteri et al; Optical: DSS; Illustration: ESA’s Rosetta mission to comet 67P/C-G. On NASA/CXC/M.Weiss Earth this molecule is only formed by biological processes, something which is clearly not the case in space – making it less suitable as a so-called biomarker gas. Excitingly, Another highlight has been the measurement the first time a direct mass measurement of NOVA scientists managed to produce the of the reflex motion of a young star, β Pictoris, the infant planet – an important step towards biologically important compound glycerol in due to the gravitational pull of its planet, testing planet formation and evolution theories, the Leiden Laboratory for Astrophysics, under using the transformational Gaia satellite from in particular how young planets evolve in circumstances that are very similar to those in the European Space Agency. This allowed for temperature and size over time. cold interstellar clouds – letting CO ice react ALMA and Rosetta Detect Freon-40 in Space with hydrogen atoms at a temperature of only 10 K. The ice laboratory data will be important Organohalogen methyl chloride (Freon-40) discovered by ALMA around the infant stars in IRAS 16293-2422. These same organic for analysis of the JWST-MIRI GTO data on compounds were discovered in the thin atmosphere surrounding protostars and disks, and also formed the Comet 67P/C-G by the ROSINA instrument on ESA’s Rosetta New insights into massive stars basis for the award of a JWST Early Release space probe. The combination of measurements from ground and space with laboratory data and chemical modelling is typical Science program to search for complex organic for how NOVA’s researchers work. Credit: B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/ For the first time, NOVA astronomers have molecules in the solid state. NSF); NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA conducted a detailed VLT-X-Shooter survey of a region of very high star formation in our satellite galaxy – the Large Magellanic Cloud. They were able to map precisely when and at what rate the stars in the 30 Doradus region are being formed. The sharpest views with SPHERE Surprisingly, stars significantly more massive than our Sun form much more often than expected. Another highlight involves new measurements of In the scientific world of exoplanets, it has been the binarity of massive stars. While mature stars the new exoplanet imager on ESO’s Very Large are mostly found in pairs, it turns out that very Telescope co-built by NOVA, called SPHERE, young stars are mostly single, or only very weakly that has driven many new discoveries. One bound to another star. It implies that many of highlight has been the detailed observations the stars will acquire a companion later in their of changes in a planet-forming disk on time- life – an important aspect in understanding the scales of less than a year. The images show evolution of massive stars. a beautiful circumstellar disk with spiral arms and dark patches caused by the inner disk casting long shadows on the outer part of Tarantula Nebula the disk. In another great example, NOVA NOVA NETWORKS scientists detected for the first time a planet in This image shows the central region of the Tarantula Nebula polarized light outside a disk surrounding two Transition disk of HD 135344B in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The young and dense star binary stars. The polarization signal suggests cluster R136 can be seen at the lower right of the image. This cluster contains hundreds of young blue stars, among them the seeing reflected light coming off a disk or ALMA Shadows cast on the transition disk of HD 135344B as most massive star detected in the Universe so far. A team of dusty envelope around the planet – a new and seen by ESO’s SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope. astrophysicists, including NOVA scientists, discovered that the exciting view of a planet in formation. SPHERE has been co-developed by NOVA’s instrumentalists and binarity of the most massive stars was surprisingly low. Credit: NOVA NETWORKS NOVA astronomers. Credit: Stolker et al. 2016 NASA, ESA, P. Crowther (University of Sheffield) 24 25

Powerful new impulse to NOVA exoplanet research Network 3: The exoplanet field in the Netherlands has been strengthened very much with the Astrophysics arrival of two new staff members at the University of Amsterdam, Jean-Michel Désert and Jayne Birkby. Both have experienced a flying start with large grants from the in extreme conditions European Research Council. A dual mini – interview.

Research in NOVA Network 3 focuses on the What is your research about? physics of compact objects, their evolution and the Désert “The main goal of my research is to answer questions about the formation interaction with their environment. These compact and evolution of exoplanets, to understand the nature and diversity of exoplanet atmospheres, and to explain the origin and characteristics of our Solar System and objects are natural sites to study the physics of the Earth. I conduct comparative exoplanetology observational programs. Ultimately, my work provides techniques that will be used to characterize potentially habitable strong gravity, dense matter, extremely high exoplanets with future capabilities such as JWST and Extremely Large Telescopes.” magnetic fields, accretion processes, Birkby “My ultimate research goals are similar, but I focus on a special technique with and particle acceleration. very high resolution spectroscopy to find out what is in the atmospheres of these planets and how they gathered these materials from their natal protoplanetary disk environment. The technique relies on the orbital motion of the planet, and its unique spectral fingerprint to detect the photons coming from the planet atmosphere.” Stellar compact objects, such as white dwarfs, different scales. Compact objects manifest neutron stars, and stellar-mass black holes are themselves as sources of high-energy radiation, What attracted you to continue your career in the Netherlands, the end products of stellar evolution and are non-thermal emission, highly energetic and what do you think of NOVA? often found in binaries. Super-massive black particles, gravitational waves, and high time holes in the centres of galaxies have a very variability, which we can measure and model Birkby “I did my first postdoc at Leiden University where I learnt and developed the different formation history, but share similar with rapidly increasing precision. NW3 is at the techniques I use today. The Netherlands is the PI in building METIS for the Extremely physics and allow the study of the physics of heart of these developments. Large Telescope. This very high resolution integral field spectrograph is going to help us black holes and the process of accretion on find biomarkers on the very nearest exoplanets and was a key attractor for me to return to the Netherlands. While the Netherlands is a relatively small community in astronomy by comparison to other countries, with NOVA it is well organized which helps makes us very competitive on the international stage.”

Désert “Yes, I agree. NOVA definitely played a major factor for me to come to Extreme astrophysical transients the Netherlands, and more generally the way Dutch astronomy is conducted. I found that approach unique, with a lot of potential. In particular, the NOVA The last decade has seen a revolution in the contribution to JWST/MIRI was an important factor for me to make my decision use of transients in multi-messenger astronomy to come here. I was also impressed by NWO and the Veni, Vidi, Vici schemes, to study extreme conditions in the universe. as well as the TOP and Groot grants, and I found them very appealing. NOVA has been at the forefront of this effort, in I was also aware of initiatives like PEPSci (Planet and Exoplanet Science Network), and particular in the new field of Fast Radio Bursts NWA (Nationale WetenschapsAgenda), which are particularly interesting for my field.” (FRBs)) which are extragalactic millisecond duration bursts of unknown origin. NOVA scientists have been instrumental in discovering What do you hope to achieve in your research over the next year, new FRBs, including the first repeating FRB and of the fact that its emission is nearly and what role could NOVA play? 100% linearly polarized, requiring a strong Birkby “Over the next years, with my NOVA PhD student, we aim to develop a technique and dynamic magneto-ionic environment. We that can monitor exoplanet atmospheres over time and potentially map their features. have developed new techniques for transient discovery, such as real-time mining of Gaia This is a new technique that will open new doors on exoplanet properties, and is enabled NOVA NETWORKS by NOVA’s support.” data, and are also working on the theory Astronomers find an extra-galactic source of that underpins extreme transients: exploring mysterious fast radio bursts Désert “I have half of a PhD candidate supported by NOVA working with me (the how the disruption of stars in orbit around other 0.5 is with SRON), and so NOVA helps me to develop research components that a supermassive black hole can give rise to tidal Artist’s impression of the globally distributed dishes of the are not directly supported by my grants. Over the coming years, we will be developing disruption events; and whether the tearing European VLBI Network. They are linked with each other and the 305-m William E. Gordon Telescope at the Arecibo Observatory a framework that connects exoplanet chemistry to disk chemistry by looking at specific instability in a neutron star magnetosphere is in Puerto Rico. Together they have localized FRB121102’s exact

NOVA NETWORKS NOVA tracers of planet formation.” a viable mechanism for magnetar giant flares. position within its host galaxy. 26 27 GW counterparts and source modelling Accretion and outflows around compact objects The direct detection of gravitational waves due to the merging of compact objects has been one of the greatest achievements of the 2016- Accreting compact objects across the mass using the world’s fastest GPU-accelerated 18 period. For the first black hole merger, and compactness scales, allow us to probe our general relativistic MHD code, have shown GW150914, NOVA scientists played a key physical understanding of the most extreme that the jet is aligned with the disk’s rotation role in the astrophysical interpretation and conditions in the universe, via the behaviour axis rather than the black hole’s spin axis. searches for an electromagnetic counterpart. of astrophysical plasmas moving under the This allows the jet to precess, something This was followed by the discovery of the first influence of the strong gravitational and that fits with new results from NICER on the double neutron star merger and its associated (possibly strong) magnetic fields close to the International Space Station. NOVA teams have kilonova, with leading roles in the work on compact objects. NOVA scientists are trying to also been able to show that the ultra-strong the counterpart [Figure 1] and the progenitor. understand how jets from supermassive black magnetic fields around some neutron stars do A protocol developed by NOVA scientists is holes generate their multi-wavelength emission, not impede jet formation. Meanwhile high time now being used for the open LIGO-VIRGO and have developed state of the art general resolution UV and X-ray spectral-timing studies Consortium alerts that let observers know relativistic magnetohydrodynamical models of outflowing winds from the accretion disks whether events are thought to be NS-BH to explore the parameter space. Progress has around supermassive black holes have also systems or NS-NS mergers. also been made on the jet-launching problem: shed light on their complex phenomenology. simulations on the Blue Waters supercomputer,

Timeline of multimessenger observations of the first binary neutron star merger seen in gravitational waves NOVA scientist Dr Samaya Nissanke was responsible for coordinating the multiwaveband electromagnetic follow-up campaign, and many other NOVA scientists contributed to this effort. Neutron star Endpoints of heating and cooling stellar evolution

The fate of material accreted onto the Supernovae, and the formation of the Fundamental physics: neutron star surface, in particular the unstable observed population of compact objects thermonuclear burning that leads to X-ray remains an active area of research with many strong gravity and dense matter bursts, is another active area: NOVA scientists open questions. Technically challenging low have shown that the burning layer where the rp frequency radio observations of the supernova NW3 scientists use black holes and neutron process is active is underabundant in hydrogen remnant Cassiopeia A with the NOVA- stars to probe the strongest gravitational fields by a factor of at least five with respect to cosmic supported LOFAR telescope have shown that in the Universe. Timing of the radio pulsar PSR abundances; that there is a relation between the ejecta need to be very clumped or the J0337+171, which is in a hierarchical triple system ignition location and the onset of marginally temperature in the cold gas needs to be as with two white dwarfs, enabled the strongest test stable burning; and that the most promising low as 10 K. NOVA scientists have identified of the universality of free fall to date. Meanwhile mechanism to explain burst oscillations fails serious flaws in previous studies of the velocity X-ray observations the black hole binary H1743- when applied to carbon-triggered superbursts. distribution of young neutron stars (a critical 322 led to the first measurement of the Lense- Intensive effort also continues on the cooling parameter in determining whether they remain Thirring effect in the strong gravitational field of accretion heated neutron stars, homing in a globular cluster or in a binary), and shown close to a black hole. NOVA scientists are also in on the mysterious shallow crustal heating that at least some black holes get relatively heavily involved in efforts to constrain the nature mechanism that is required to explain many of large natal kicks. Understanding the evolution of ultradense matter in the cores of neutron stars, their properties. of multiple star systems is vital to explain with detailed studies on basic principles of dense many open astrophysical problems, from the matter, reviews defining the dense matter science formation routes of the binary black holes case for anticipated large-area X-ray timing detected in gravitational waves, to the cause of telescopes, and a leading role in the first constraints the giant outburst of Eta Carinae in the mid- on dense matter to come from gravitational wave nineteenth century, to discrepancies in the observations of neutron star mergers. distribution of supernova remnants. NOVA NETWORKS

Black Hole

Artist’s impression of a black-hole system exhibiting the Lense- Thirring effect, using XMM-Newton of the black hole binary H1743-322. NOVA astrophysicists have a tradition on the interpretation of timing d ta from X-ray and radio telescopes.

NOVA NETWORKS NOVA Credit: ESA/ATG media 28 29

Interview with Dr Abigail Stevens, Interview with Jordy Davelaar, PhD student at University of Amsterdam 2013-18 Master student Physics and Astronomy from 2013-2016, PhD student from 2016-2020 both in Nijmegen

As part of your PhD you published one of the first scientific results Your research webpage is full of beautiful Virtual Reality images – from NICER. Can you tell me about what you discovered? not what you might expect from an astrophysicist!

“We used NICER data from the new black hole transient MAXI J1535-571 taken in the “Virtual Reality is a great way to inspire and engage with the general public. During autumn of 2017. We discovered a weak “Type B” low-frequency QPO that was hidden my Ph.D. we got the idea that we could use our state-of-the-art black hole simulations in a disk-dominant state and we applied “spectral-timing” analysis techniques that to render VR movies, this resulted in a series of movies that allow you to see the direct consider the spectral and temporal information simultaneously. Our results indicate that environment of these objects in the most immersive way possible. The movies have the QPO signal is being produced in a small compact region very close to the black been watched more than one million times on multiple channels and are used during hole. My thesis was the first PhD thesis to be published with NICER data!” many outreach events. Besides fun, they also are very useful to visualize the data for myself, and they help me understand complex dynamics.”

What was it like to work on data from a telescope on the International Space Station?! What do you hope to learn about supermassive black holes? “It’s so cool! There are more than 200 science experiments happening right now on the International Space Station, and it’s very fun to be a part of that. The NICER team sends “Black holes are excellent laboratories to test GR and plasma physics. The plasma a weekly summary of science to the astronauts, and I’ve written two of these (one on physics affects the characteristics of the emission we observer, such as near-infrared the work from my thesis and one on another black hole). It’s really exciting to know that flares or the extended non-thermal radio emission from jets. Our current models do astronauts in the space station know about my research!” not capture this physics self-consistently. I would like to gain a deeper understanding of the complex plasma physics and try to combine what happens on the micro-scale to the macro-scale.”

You finished your PhD in 2018 – where are you now?

“I’ve moved back to the US (my home country) and have a National Science Foundation You were also selected as one of the KNAW's Faces Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship at Michigan State University and of Science – tell me about that! the University of Michigan. I have a post-bachelors research trainee working with me at Michigan State on NICER and NuSTAR data of black holes and neutron stars, and I’m “Being selected by the KNAW was a big honor. The Faces of Science program tries to branching out in my own research to study optical data of accreting compact objects.” inspire a new generation of scientists via various activities aimed at elementary and high school children, for example, via blogs, visits to schools, and media appearances we try to show how it is to be a scientist. During these activities Virtual Reality is, of course, also a great way to show them how the universe works and teach them about black holes!” NOVA NETWORKS NOVA NETWORKS NOVA INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT 30 Development Instrument 05 instrumentation Submillimeter Observatory, 5000 metres above sea level. Its arrival completes the complement of 66 ALMA antennas on the Chajnantor Plateau in the the in Plateau Chajnantor the on (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) a been antennas has NOVA ALMA Marinkovic/X-Cam/ALMA A. telescope. 66 ALMA Credit: giant one of the telescope. as at together site complement work they high the where — the Chile completes to northern of arriving arrival Desert seen Its Atacama here level. is sea project above (ALMA) metres Array 5000 Observatory, Millimeter/submillimeter Large Atacama the for antenna final The Chile. northern in Desert Atacama the in plateau Chajnantor the on antennas ALMA 66 The toNOVA. and group tothe basis a providing expected, is ALMA for 2receivers ofBand production the for 2011. 2019 September In a in modules 9receiver Band ofthe production ofthe completion the follows achievement This telescopes. ALMA the for module receiver 5 Band last ofthe production completed 2017In NOVA Groningen in the team ALMA developments for the Cherenkov Telescope Array were done. were Telescope Array Cherenkov the for developments Amsterdam In Lab. Radio Radboud the in activities main ofthe one is technology radio Nijmegen, In SRON. and Groningen with R&D, collaboration in of it some instrumentation for points focal ofthe one as imaging contrast high on working is staff university Leiden, In Developing novel instruments to answer scientific scientific to answer Developing novel instruments questions is one of the main activities ofNOVA. activities main one ofthe is questions NOVA on working groups dedicated two has 1. Optical/InfraRed (O/IR) at instrumentation

2. Submm/ALMA instrumentation at Submm/ALMA2. instrumentation 4 to 5-year contract contract 4 to5-year NWO-I/ASTRON and in Dwingeloo

the University of Groningen. the University s ound financial financial ound complete cryostats including receiver systems. receiver including cryostats complete perhaps and electronics ofwarm direction the in integration forward and arrays multipixel 2, 6, 10 9 (2SB)bands and (2SB), developing of ALMA production and as: development summarized be can which ALMA, for scientific demands the to relation in technology new in investments continuous and group submm Groningen of the nature stable ofthe because contracts production NOVA these tolead able is

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trong promotor for this powerful powerful this for promotor trong INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTRUMENT 31 32 33

Optical/InfraRed instrumentation

In Dwingeloo, at the premises of NWO-I/ precision components often at cryogenic ASTRON, the O/IR group develops subsystems temperatures. NOVA finances part of the for instruments at the European Southern Dutch contribution, jointly with grants of the Observatory and the La Palma Group of Dutch funding agency NWO or the European Telescopes. NOVA specializes in optical Research Council.

ALMA Cryostat

A view into the cryogenic receiver cryostat for the ALMA telescopes with positions of the receiver bands. Bands 9 and 5 were NOVA deliveries. Band 1 will soon be added and Band 2 in a few years. Credit: NOVA/J. Adema

These technology development projects can advanced tuning schemes; Increase the be ALMA studies but are also often executed baseline distance for the high frequency bands, in single dish observatories rather than through by advanced phase measurements correcting ALMA itself. Examples of the latter include: for the atmospheric effects and multi pixel The APEX / SEPIA Band 9 2SB and APEX / arrays for larger field-of-view. NOVA is involved in instrumentation and science of the major observatories of the world.

FLASH Band 10 2SB, EHT Band 6 and maybe INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT Band 2 and LLAMA (Bands 5, 6, 9 and maybe The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) warm NOVA, ESO, ESA, NASA. Instrument consortiums of: Sphere, MATISSE, 4MOST, WEAVE, BlackGEM, Meerlicht, METIS, MICADO, ALMA, MIRI 2). The single dish projects also lead to a faster electronics boards deserve a special mention. and JWST. science return. The integration of these boards added experience with warm electronics to the The ALMA science demands can be submm group’s portfolio, knowledge that will summarized as: Broadening the Intermediate also be used in the production of the Warm Frequency of the mixers by at least a factor of Cartridge Assembly of Band 2. The EHT is The SPHERE instrument on the VLT delivers IR group. The image of R Aquarii shows the VLT two: i.e. 32GHz rather than the current 16GHz; interested in a group that can supply an entire crisp images because of the capabilities of diffraction limited resolution compared to the Improve the sensitivity by hardware, implying cryostat including receivers. In principle, this is extreme adaptive optics. SPHERE has been Hubble Space Telescope. new (difficult) junction fabrication, or through also one of NOVA’s future options. developed in collaboration with the NOVA O/ INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT 34 35

The MATISSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) successfully made its first observations at the Paranal Observatory in northern Chile in early 2018. MATISSE is the most powerful interferometric instrument in the world at mid-infrared wavelengths. It will use high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy to probe the regions around young stars where planets are forming as well as the regions around supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. NOVA specialists Eddy Elswijk and Felix Bettonvil enjoyed their roles during the installation: “It is great to further expand the capabilities of the most productive observatory in the world.”

MATISSE interferogram

This image is a colorized version of the first MATISSE interferometric observations of the star Sirius, combining data from four Auxiliary Telescopes of the VLT. The colors represent the changing wavelengths of the data, with blue showing the shorter wavelengths and red the longer. The observations were made in the infrared, so these are not the colors that would be seen with the human eye. Credit: NOVA/R. Navarro

BlackGEM are three telescopes at the ESO La Silla Observatory project dedicated to monitoring the Southern Sky with large field of view and high cadence. SPHERE and R Aqu The main purpose of BlackGEM is follow- Extreme Adaptive optics on VLT SPHERE generates images with unprecedented resolution, like the image of R Aquarii (lower panel, right). The up of gravitational wave detections by LIGO upper panel shows the SPHERE optics in the laboratory. NOVA contributed to the ZIMPOL instrument in SPHERE. Credit: Upper panel: NOVA, R. Navarro; lower panel: ESO/Schmid et al./NASA/ESA and VIRGO, pinpointing the exact location of the optical counterpart of gravitational wave sources. Up to 27 August 2017 this was pure theory, but the detection of the first kilonova showed the huge potential of the combination of Even higher resolutions are possible. In 2017 gravitational wave and optical detections. Nearly the NOVA O/IR group finished development a thousand different institutes were involved in of the cold optics subsystems for the MATISSE writing the first kilonova detection paper. instruments. MATISSE can combine the signals INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT from all 4 VLT telescopes coherently in order to achieve an extremely high resolution, comparable to a virtual telescope of 200-meter diameter. Kilonova

MATISSE cold bench A graphical depiction of the merger of two neutron stars (upper panel) from the detection in gravitational waves with LIGO and the immediate follow-up by telescopes around the world and in The MATISSE cold optical bench in the cleanroom in Dwingeloo, space. In the lower panel the title page of the first synthesis of with three people from NOVA’s OIR group. NOVA was responsible all these data. In the large, world-wide science consortia NOVA for the cold optical bench in the MATISSE instrument. Credit: astronomers have a very visible role, both in coordination and in

INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT NOVA/R. Navarro science. Credit: LIGO/Virgo Collaboration 36 37

The enormous potential for BlackGEM is most prominent science cases is to determine underlined by the fact that Virgo detected radial velocities for millions of stars in order to 6 gravitational wave events in just 4 weeks in complement existing Gaia data and complete 2017 and the expected sensitivity increase position and velocity information for all would likely result in multiple gravitational wave objects, enabling a complete reconstruction of detections per day in the early 2020s. the Milky Way Galaxy. WEAVE will be located at the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma, WEAVE is a multi-object spectrograph, and because of its location in the Northern capable to detect spectra of up to 1000 hemisphere ideal for follow-up observations of sources in a single observation. One of the transients detected by LOFAR and Apertif.

X-shooter follow-up MeerLICHT and BlackGEM

Follow-up observations of the first kilonova detection were made The Meerlicht telescope is a prototype telescope for the NOVA/ by virtually any professional telescope in the world, including all RU BlackGEM telescope array. Meerlicht is located in Sutherland, instruments that were developed by the NOVA O/IR group. One South Africa and is co-pointing with the MeerKAT radio telescope. of the most impressive observations is the one by the X-shooter The main purpose of BlackGEM is follow-up of gravitational spectrograph. Credit: NOVA wave detections by LIGO and VIRGO, pinpointing the exact location of the optical counterpart of gravitational wave sources. Credit: NOVA INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT

BlackGEM WEAVE, Gaia, LOFAR and Apertif

The first array of 3 BlackGEM telescopes has been integrated in NOVA’s submm lab in Groningen before being shipped to La Silla in Chile, The northern observatory of La Palma with WEAVE will give access to the same part of the sky as LOFAR and WSRT/APERTIF and can be where groundwork had started. Control electronics and data processing pipelines have been developed in Nijmegen and mounts and domes combined with the space-borne Gaia data. NOVA is one of the major subsystem providers in the WEAVE consortium. Credit: NOVA & Daniëlle

INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT are procured abroad. Credit: NOVA Futselaar/ASTRON 38 39

WEAVE was in the manufacturing phase in 2016- and handle really large and heavy lenses, even 2018. Development of the WEAVE spectrograph by the most specialized companies in the world. is progressing, although there were a number of The WEAVE spectrograph consists of more than issues, mainly involving broken pieces of glass. 30 large pieces of optics, varying in size from It proves to be difficult to manufacture, coat 25cm to 90cm.

4MOST

4MOST is the multi-object spectrograph for the VISTA telescope in Paranal, capable to observe spectra of 2400 objects simultaneous. It will do an all-sky survey, serving several science cases at once, e.g. Gaia follow-up observations. NOVA develops the calibration system for 4MOST. Credit: NOVA/R. Navarro WEAVE

The WEAVE spectrograph consists of more than 30 large pieces of optics, varying in size from 25cm to 90cm. Credit: NOVA/R. Navarro

The Terra Hunting Experiment is developing Terra Hunting Experiment a 3rd HARPS instrument for the Isaac Newton Related projects include 4MOST and HARPS3. Telescope. The goal is to detect earth – like NOVA contributes the Cassegrain Fibre Adapter Unit, the 4MOST is the multi-object spectrograph for the exoplanets. Calibration Unit, the Control Electronics, and the Control Software VISTA telescope in Paranal, capable to observe for these elements. spectra of 2400 objects simultaneously. It will carry out an all sky survey, serving several science cases at once, e.g. Gaia follow-up observations. NOVA develops the calibration system for 4MOST. INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT

WEAVE assembled

The WEAVE spectrograph being assembled in the cleanroom at

INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT the NOVA-lab in Dwingeloo. Credit: NOVA/R. Navarro 40 41

The most exciting development of the last METIS is the flagship project for NOVA. NOVA years is the go ahead for the European is the PI institute, leading the consortium of 11 Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT or ELT institutes in 7 different countries. METIS has in short). The ELT with a primary telescope a long heritage, as first proposals for a thermal mirror of 39m will be one of the most powerful infrared instrument on a next generation infrastructures ever made for astrophysics. It ground based telescope date back to 2004. will give unprecedented sharp images, spectra METIS is preparing for its preliminary design of very faint sources at the edge of the visible review in May 2019. There are discussions universe or a combination of these. to extend the consortium to include new institutes, also from non-ESO member states. The NOVA O/IR group is expanding both in Extremely Large Telescope size and in competencies.

Artist impression of the E-ELT opening up to the sky. NOVA is Of the second or third generation ELT involved with 4 scientific instruments for the ELT. Credit: ESO instruments, MICADO has completed its Phase A study, or concept study early 2018 and is waiting for the goahead for the development phase, while EPICS is in the stage of technology developments. NOVA is involved with 4 scientific instruments NOVA has a prominent role in the first light for the ELT. They are listed here with their main instrument MICADO. It leads three work observing mode: packages: development of the Science METIS Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph case, the Data Flow System and the Central Near Infrared Diffraction Wheel Mechanism. A prototype Atmospheric The whole METIS system on its warm support structure (WSS). The • MICADO beam from the ELT is shown in blue on the right-hand side. NOVA Limited Camera Dispersion Corrector mechanism (ADC) is leading the science and development of the whole instrument, Mid Infrared Camera has been developed in order to test the as well as providing the Cold Front Optics and the Cold Central • METIS Structure. NOVA is responsible for systems engineering and & Spectrograph performance of this mechanism under operational (vacuum cryogenic) conditions and assembly, integration and verification of the whole instrument. • MOSAIC Multi Object Spectrograph in order to assess the impact of this mechanism • EPICS Planet Imager and Spectrograph on the astrometric precision of the instrument. The James Webb Space Telescope is in historic Chamber A in the NASA Johnson progressing slowly to its intended launch date in space complex. NOVA was responsible for 2021. Cryogenic vacuum tests of the telescope the cold optics of the MIRI instrument and is and the Integrated Scientific Instruments now involved in the calibration, software and Module have been completed successfully science for this instrument. INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT

MICADO ADC JWST and MIRI

CAD drawing of the MICADO Central Wheel Mechanism, housing filter wheels, pupil wheel and Atmospheric Dispersion Correction The James Webb Space Telescope is progressing slowly to its intended launch date in 2021. Cryogenic vacuum tests of the telescope and mechanism (lower panel). The actual prototype has been built in the O/IR Group of NOVA and can be seen in the upper left panel with the the Integrated Scientific Instruments Module have been completed successfully in historic Chamber A in the NASA Johnson space complex in

INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT housing in the upper right panel. Credit: NOVA/R. Navarro 2017. NOVA provided the MIRI spectrometer main optics. Credit: NASA/ESA BUILDING BRIDGES 42 Bridges Building 06 of molecules, whose rates and product branching ratios will be measured and put into models. Credit: PPD ESO/L. Calçada; JWST: NASA Calçada; ESO/L. PPD Credit: models. into put and measured be will ratios branching product photodissociation in and rates resulting whose photons UV molecules, of copious emits star The left). (lower techniques controlled imaging molecular decelerator Stark of advanced use and making beams molecular experiments collision laboratory against tested be will theory The theoretical right). quantum (lower from calculations obtained data molecular of use make will observations the of analysis the on The (center). disks especially of zones left), (upper planet-forming community Dutch the to data unique provide will JWST-MIRI The theme. gas-phase DAN-II the of of Overview (DAN) Network Astrochemistry Dutch of physics to describe the Universe. At the same time time Universe. At the same to the describe of physics sciences as well as data science and multi messenger messenger multi and science data well as as sciences that perfectly describes how astrophysics needs all all needs how astrophysics describes perfectly that forging new collaborations to observe and explain explain and newforging to collaborations observe “All physics is astrophysics” is a well-known saying saying “All a well-known is astrophysics” is physics the importance of chemistry, geo – and planetary planetary –and geo ofchemistry, importance the NOVA are builders andinstrument astronomers approaches have important. more become approaches more and more aspects of the Universe. ofthe aspects more and more

BUILDING BRIDGES BUILDING 43 44 45 The Dutch NOVA and Geosciences Astrochemistry Network Over the last 25 years, astronomy has made Origins Center (www.origins-center.nl), great progress in finding and characterizing a Dutch initiative that aims to bring together The Dutch Astrochemistry Network (DAN) is in the Universe; 3) The Aromatic Universe, exoplanets. About 4000 exoplanets have been a very broad range of scientific disciplines to a highly interdisciplinary network combining which studies the contribution of aromatic discovered, and many of them are solid like the study the origins and evolution of life, planets, the astronomical and chemical expertise in the species to the molecular inventory and their Earth. To make progress in our understanding and the universe. This initiative was one of Netherlands with the goal of understanding the evolution in space. Each theme consists of of the formation, structure and evolution of the very few natural science consortia that origin and evolution of molecules in space and four, deeply interwoven projects addressing these rocky exoplanets, knowledge from received substantial (2.5 million euros) seed their role in the Universe. DAN is funded by the key aspects of their field. The three themes astronomy needs to be combined with funding from the Dutch government as part Dutch Research Council, NWO, as an integrated are complementary with projects addressing knowledge from planetary science and the of its new National Science Agenda funding and coherent program of astrochemical and common science questions from different geosciences. Of particular interest are the scheme. NOVA staff are Origins Center council astrophysical experiments, quantum chemical perspectives including the photostability of structure and composition of exoplanet members. This heavy involvement was due in calculations, and laboratory spectroscopy of small and large hydrocarbons and their reaction interiors and the composition and dynamics no small part to the network activities initiated astronomically relevant species in combination products, the interaction of water with grains of their atmospheres. Increased knowledge through PEPSci. with an active program on modeling and and with PAHs, and photodissociation in the on rocky exoplanets can teach us about our gas phase and in ice environments. DAN works observations of astronomical sources. DAN was own solar system formation; a large variety NOVA is looking forward to working with closely with NOVA and with the NASA Ames initiated in 2010 and renewed in 2017. DAN II of exoplanets can be studied at different colleagues in the geosciences in the team in the NASA Astrobiology Institute on The focuses on three major astrochemical themes stages of evolution while we can only directly forthcoming PEPSci-2 funding and the Evolution of Prebiotic Chemical Complexity and where Dutch astronomy and chemistry have study our own solar system at a single Origins Center. particular strong expertise and experience the Organic Inventory of Protoplanetary Disks evolutionary stage. as well as access to unique observational or and Primordial Planets. In addition, the DAN experimental facilities. The three themes are Aromatic Universe theme is closely aligned The interpretation and understanding of 1) The Gaseous Molecular Universe where with the EUROPAH Marie Curie Initial Training exoplanets require the development of new, formation and destruction as well as the Network. Collaborations and joint projects are highly cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary excitation of simple molecules are studied; fostered through joint meetings and through research approaches. Astronomical studies 2) The Icy Universe where the role of ices is exchange of students and postdocs. need to be combined with knowledge from the studied in the origin of molecular complexity fields of earth science, biology, and chemistry to provide a coherent framework to understand planetary system formation and evolution – to ultimately answer the question ‘Are we alone?’.

The Netherlands have a long tradition of world-leading science in these fields. In 2012, the NWO-funded Planetary and Exoplanetary Science (PEPSci) network was established to foster the collaboration between geoscience and NOVA astronomy to establish an integrated, world-leading (exo)planetary research community in the Netherlands. PEPSci funded 8 cross-disciplinary positions for four years in two themes: 1: Identification, Characterization and Detection of Biomarkers, and 2: Formation, Evolution and Structure of Rocky (Exo)Planets. NOVA was fully involved in five of these projects.

One of the major gains with PEPSci has been the ability of senior scientists to “learn the language” of colleagues in very different Simulated Exoplanet Interiors

research fields. This major gain is not directly BUILDING BRIDGES False-color backscattered electron images of laboratory samples of visible in the substantial, direct research output simulated exoplanet interiors. A team of researchers at the VU under of the projects, but the major advantages leadership of Wim van Westrenen and astronomers at the UvA under stem from understanding each other’s leadership of Carsten Dominik studied fundamental reactions in Breakdown of small Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules the interior of rocky exoplanets at high pressure and temperature. backgrounds and fields and from knowing The figure shows the ongoing reaction between the silicon carbide where to find the key players. Members of layer and the silicate-rich layer representing a carbon-enriched rocky NOVA researchers elucidated the detailed chemical route in the conversion of hexagons into pentagons – a necessary step in converting the PEPSci network have played a leading exoplanet. Most of the work as well as this figure was carried out by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into fullerenes; e.g., the soccerbal, C . The experiments demonstrated that this is a facile process in the joint PhD student, Kaustubh Hakim, who defended his thesis in 60 role in the establishment of the Netherlands BUILDING BRIDGES energetic environments and may play a major role in the processing of interstellar PAHs. Credit: J. Bouwman December 2018. Credit: VU/UvA/K. Hakim 46 BUILDING BRIDGES BlackGEM array is specifically designed to designed specifically is array BlackGEM NOVA Within made. the are hires and taken are initiatives new community astronomy the develop to as well as physics the in both and further, expected is field the detections, of increase strong 1).Box expected the With GW170817 merger star neutron the plus (see GW150914, mergers hole black binary more ten first the of merger hole black binary the GW source, discovery the with spectacularly, delivered has and Leiden and Amsterdam from astronomers including significantly, expanded has collaboration this period reporting the In 2034. in launch for 2016 in that selected was mission space LISA the for preparations and Nikhef/GRAPPA and department Astrophysics Radboud the ofboth collaboration Virgo ofthe membership the around concentrates Netherlands the in Waves (GW) ofGravitational area the in collaboration The Black Holes andCosmology Gravitational Waves, astrophysics/ The (Nikhef). Physics Subatomic for Institute National the through organised mainly is community NOVA, physics the in together working is universities the at astronomy While institutes. 2005) (since IMAPP GRAPPA 2011) (since the in collaborations and have formal Nijmegen and Amsterdam in departments The stronger. become has decade past the in but existed always has physics and astronomy between interaction The relation withphysics astrophysics andthe Multi-messenger with NOVA astronomers. interaction considerable is there connections local Through Groningen. and Utrecht Amsterdam, Leiden, in exist groups Cosmology theoretical Strong holes. black and cosmology of areas the in physics and astronomy between collaborations are development in clearly but established Less projects. joint for agenda science national ofthe umbrella the under proposals joint and interaction tomore led has This physics. and astronomy from contributions with organised was a announced) ofGW was discovery the for 3, 2017 prize Nobel October On the day (the measurements. electromagnetic with ofGW signals combination the exploit tofully order in ofGW triggers follow-up do field. this in research coordinating and fostering is (CAN) in Netherlands the physics for Astroparticle Committee the many years Since (astro)physics. neutrino and research hole cosmology, black GRAPPA, at matter dark in increasingly and waves gravitational and rays cosmic of) origin of(the topics the around strongly particularly established been has collaboration physics

workshop “Black Holes in the Netherlands” Netherlands” the in Holes “Black workshop a gamma-rays andNeutrino's Cosmic Rays, TeV ehrad hv sgiiat novmn in involvement KM3NeT the through project. research neutrino significant have Netherlands the (CTA). Nikhef Telescope Through Array Cherenkov future the for preparations the in particular, in H.E.S.S. and, in observations ray a is There involvement in TeV Amsterdam from gamma- energies. highest the at rays ofcosmic origin the toclarify help will and observatory Auger ofthe performance the improve strongly will This Argentina. in site Auger Pierre the at array detection radio a toinstall by Nijmegen led effort GW170817event a currently is There wave gravitational ofthe follow-ups messenger multi- and rays of cosmic direction arrival the in ofanisotropy establishment the particular in results, important other saw period reporting The worldwide. used now is that rays cosmic by emitted emission radio the characterising a played has LOFAR telescope the where technique, detection radio of the development is establishment the important most The Nikhef. within and Groningen from scientists with together area, also this in strongly collaborating are departments physics high-energy and astronomy the institute IMAPP Radboud the in particular In rays. cosmic energy ofhigh- origin the toinvestigate together a than more Since stronomers in the Netherlands work closely work in Netherlands the stronomers experiment, neutrino experiments and TeV telescopes. gamma-ray the electromagnetic emission from the radioactive decay of heavy heavy of decay radioactive the from emission electromagnetic the electromagnetic facilities including LOFAR, Ray including Cosmic Auger facilities the electromagnetic The discovery immediately probed the physics of the merger, the of physics the the probed immediately discovery The in gamma-ray bursts and the first unambiguous measurement of of measurement unambiguous first the and bursts gamma-ray in several days. It was a huge effort, with contributions from many many from contributions with effort, a huge was several It days. formation of the gamma-ray emission seen already for decades decades for already seen emission gamma-ray the of formation and infrared measurements and X-ray and radio following after after following X-ray radio and and measurements infrared and seconds by a gamma-ray detection, within 11 within detection, by optical hours by a gamma-ray seconds The double neutron star merger GW170817, merger star neutron double The multi- a true was messenger event, where a GW signal was followed within 2 2 followed within was a GW event, signal where messenger element produced in the merger, the in a kilonova. produced element called

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BUILDING BRIDGES BUILDING 47 48 BUILDING BRIDGES software technology and its hardware park at at park hardware its and technology software WISE its expertise, human its pooled it period, this In 2000s. early the since science data and technology information astronomical for OmegaCEN below. detailed are projects ofthese Five programme. instrumentation ofits part integral an as projects system software to have data strategy its therefore bits”.and 2016-2018 In NOVA continued has a of concept design tothe naturally leading accuracies required the toachieve way only the becoming rapidly is This critical. is software complex and instruments ofcomplex teams these design between understanding mutual and of analysis collaboration “oceans” Close ofinformation. scientific and calibration data their improve which algorithms and systems information develop teams science NOVA science. data edge cutting for essential are They data. observational raw of-the-art ofstate- streams large very produce that a in heavily invests NOVA program, instrumentation its Through The data science bridge KiDS data. Credit: Kilo-Degree Survey Collaboration/H. Hildebrandt & B. Giblin/ESO &B. Hildebrandt the Collaboration/H. from Survey arises tension Hubble Kilo-Degree the Slowly Credit: data. KiDS collaboration. international large this from data the of the interpretation in and reduction instrumental data been NOVA has planning, sources. bright of masking the and quality image of examples control quality and map matter dark KiDS map matter dark KiDS

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BUILDING BRIDGES BUILDING 49 50 50 51

In 2015 the general public in the Netherlands could ask questions to be solved by scientists, and the response was overwhelming – more than twelve thousand questions were sent in. Scientists bundled these 12,000 questions into 140 cluster questions and these were attached to 25 routes. Two of these Routes are important in research conducted by NOVA scientists: “Bouwstenen van materie en fundamenten 07 van ruimte en tijd” and “Oorsprong van het NATIONALE WETENSCHAPSAGENDA (NWA) − THE DUTCH RESEARCH AGENDA leven: op aarde en in het heelal” (also called the Origins Center). Loosely speaking, the Nationale first route connects with Networks 3 and 1 of NOVA and the second one with Network 2 of NOVA. In the years 2016 and 2017 astronomers Wetenschapsagenda actively participated in the matchmaking activities with other disciplines, such as physics, mathematics, computer science, biology, geosciences, planetary sciences. The two (NWA) – The Dutch routes were amongst the eight that received a “Startimpuls” from the ministry of science and education, 2.5 M€ to be spent in three years. Dutch astronomers were active in defining Research Agenda these and further programs under the umbrella created by the Routes.

In 2018 the first call for Research for Consortia (NWA-ORC) was released. While the requirements are such that medical and societal research have an advantage, the NWA itself remains important because it emphasizes interdisciplinary research. The route organizations are now in the process of obtaining money elsewhere: e.g. NWO- Zwaartekracht funds were made available for the “Bouwstenen” Route to be invested in a Dutch Institute for Emergent Phenomena. The Origins Center looks at a variety of

NATIONALE WETENSCHAPSAGENDA (NWA) − THE DUTCH RESEARCH AGENDA WETENSCHAPSAGENDA (NWA) NATIONALE funding possibilities. COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH 52 Public Outreach Education and Communication, 08 Information Centre Vision and Strategy 2025. Strategy and Vision Centre Information NOVA document the in strategy and vision communication their 2018In redesigned NOVA/NIC Vision &strategy ctively stimulate innovation and share share and innovation stimulate ctively 1. following choices: strategic NOVATo vision, the its makes realize IAU. and ESO ofNOVA, also and behalf on Netherlands, the in news astronomical for connector main the and coordinator national the as position its strengthen further desired, and feasible where and, toconsolidate aims NOVA/NIC media. tothe communication press and public, general tothe communication –based internet modern tools, teaching and materials ofeducation development include in astronomy.activities activities These outreach of nationwide hub national and center initiator, as innovator, acts expertise NOVA/NIC Strategy: 3. 2. astronomical modern in society ngage 1. Vision:

  

Amsterdam) has been established by NOVA established been has four Amsterdam) its and The four institutes at the Universities of Amsterdam, Groningen, Leiden and Nijmegen Nijmegen and Leiden Groningen, Amsterdam, of Universities the at institutes four The discovery; scientific of thrill the share and research E technology in general through education; through general in technology and sciences beta other and particular,  F to be inclusive in this process. this in inclusive to be and possible as youth school and public T and strategy which is outlined below is also applicable to the local and regional public public regional and local to the applicable also is below outlined is which strategy and best practices; practices; best A  university astronomical institutes to execute, institutes promote astronomical university outreach and education activities. Examples of local outreach are stargazing nights, nights, stargazing are outreach local of Examples activities. education and outreach o reach as many members of the general general ofthe many members as o reach in general and results obtained by astronomers in the the in by astronomers obtained results and general in oster enthusiasm for astronomy in in astronomy for enthusiasm oster also have local outreach officers and outreach and educational activities. The vision vision The activities. educational and outreach and officers outreach local have also Netherlands on discoveries in astronomical research research discoveries on astronomical in Netherlands and coordinate activities in public outreach in the the in outreach public in activities coordinate and The NOVAThe in located (NIC, Centre Information open days and organizing activities with schools in the region. the in schools with activities organizing and days open Netherlands in particular. in Netherlands 2. 2. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. astronomy can contribute, and (3) contribute (3) contribute and contribute, can astronomy where developments societal with engage and (2) astronomy, identify in involve them and astronomy about to(1)are public the inform efforts outreach NOVA/NIC ofthe goals Prime public.general (3) the and &educators, children (2) school (1) are &media, groups press target main The Goals and target groups training in primary and secondary schools. secondary and primary in training  E line i te il o atooy and astronomy of outreach; field the in alliances  Foster in primary and secondary schools; secondary and primary in evaluation program exam and curriculum Cultuur  P eei fo ad dp t te fast- the to adapt landscape; media changing and from benefit  C ‘Bringing Astronomy intoClassrooms’; and interactivemobileplanetariumproject  Reach secondary school astronomy education; astronomy school secondary  C xpand activities in (electronic) teacher teacher (electronic) in activities xpand articipate in in articipate ontinuously monitor and pro-actively pro-actively and monitor ontinuously ontinued effort in primary and and primary in effort ontinued children by means of the innovative connections, partnerships and and partnerships connections, en Wetenschap Ministerie van Onderwijs, Onderwijs, van Ministerie

commissioned commissioned COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH PUBLIC AND EDUCATION COMMUNICATION, 53 54 55

to the teaching of the astronomy curriculum in detector technology). Communication to period, an increased interest developed from in schools. specific groups is both direct and indirect – and event organizers, including the International both one-way and interactive. Examples of the Short Film Festival, Royal Concertgebouw It aims to reach these goals by communicating former are outreach via the press, social media and several museums (e.g. the Copernicus to selected target groups using those media presence, and contributing to writing high exposition in Zutphen in 2018). At the end of and platforms that are most efficient in school textbooks. Examples of the latter are 2018, a grand total of 282,900 people (the reaching these groups. The sizes of such target public events, science fairs, and school visits majority of which are school children) visited an groups range from very large (e.g., the general with the mobile planetariums. interactive planetarium show since the start of public) to small (e.g., engineers specialized the project. This converts to 1/6th of the total annual cohort of students in the Netherlands. Schools pay a minimum contribution for covering transport and personnel costs. NOVA’s Mobile Planetarium Press & Media Other educational projects involve development

and distribution of materials, organizing teacher NOVA’s Mobile Planetarium at the Expedition Next festival of As part of its communication effort, NOVA/NIC post docs and staff. The NIC is also the Dutch trainings, and coauthoring textbooks. NWO in 2018 in Rotterdam. Credit: NOVA/M. Baan issues about 50 press releases (in the Netherlands national communication and press hub for the and abroad) and announcements annually, on European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the behalf of all the four NOVA astronomy institutes, International Astronomical Union (IAU). highlighting Dutch science results of (inter-)national importance and linking these to societal and Teacher training Textbooks technological developments where appropriate. A similar number of ESO press releases is As part of the new physics curriculum in high The NIC continued the collaboration with one translated and disclosed to the Dutch public. schools, the NIC organized six Astronomy of the major educational publishers in the These efforts contribute to the many hundreds courses at the NOVA institutes. Over 200 Netherlands. The NIC, in collaboration with of astronomy news items and features that are teachers were trained in modern astrophysics was involved in writing and producing the reported on in regional and national newspapers, and were offered new materials for their astronomy chapters in a text book series for internet sites, radio, television and social media lessons. In 2018 the NIC started with a new high school children (13-15 years old). every year, in the Netherlands and abroad. approach to teacher trainings by collaborating with a company specialized in online programs (e-Wise). Development of the first course Press releases are issued in close collaboration finished at the end of 2018 and will be offered with the NOVA institutes, but also with ESO, Channels to teachers August 2019. ESA, ESA, SRON, ASTRON, NWO, JIVE, NSO, UNAWE, and institutes abroad. The NIC also A broad range of channels is used for acts proactively towards media and journalists communicating and interacting with press, by pitching ideas for reports on a regular schools and the general public. Examples basis, and by organizing press visits to the big Networks include press releases, media pitches, website observatories and other press events. (news, phenomena in the night sky, agenda for The NIC officers maintain strong connections talks and events, all on a daily basis), newsletter

Press release on www.astronomie.nl about the contract for building with, and play important roles in, national press COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH Since 2017 the NIC offers annual media training with over 3000 people subscribed, mainly the support structure of the ELT. NOVA fosters its relation with the communication and education organizations, working in education, annual direct mailing sessions at all NOVA institutes, for PhD students, high tech industry in the Netherlands. like board membership of the Platform to high schools with materials, posters, social Wetenschapscommunicatie (PWC), members media, Q&A e-mail service, and events (science of the Vereniging van Wetenschapsjournalisten fairs, movie festivals, star gazing activities). (VWN). Baan is the ESO media representative in the Netherlands, member of the editorial board Mobile Planetarium of the website natuurkunde.nl and member of the advisory committee for the science Website NOVA runs three mobile planetariums since Two domes (the NOVA dome and the Leiden program of the Allard Pierson Museum. Baan 2010. The sets were upgraded in 2017 with dome) are operated by the NIC, the third joined in 2018 the Local Organizing Committee In 2018 preparations started for a restyling the latest Evans and Sutherland software. (Groningen) is operated locally. All three for the PCST (Public Communication of Science of the NOVA website for the general public NOVA/NIC has a unique position in the mobile domes are equipped with the same software and Technology) science communication planetarium world, having direct access to and hardware and are run under the same conference that will be held in the Netherlands www.astronomie.nl. the large community of NOVA scientists and licenses. The NIC coordinates and negotiates in 2023. Vreeling is chair of the Dutch/Belgium their datasets. There is an increasing trend in the licenses, advises about and implements planetarium society Planed and board member This project will conclude in 2019. bringing cutting-edge science data into the upgrades, produces and renders planetarium of the International Planetarium Society IPS. In dome. This can be in the form of imagery and movies, and takes care of daily maintenance. 2018 Baan was appointed National Outreach films, the most basic way of utilising science Coordinator for the IAU and chair of the Dutch data in a planetarium show, or data can be The NIC organized approximately 270 show national steering committee which oversees used in e.g. visualisations to connect the visitor days per year in the period of 2016-2018, and manages the activities in the Netherlands

COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH EDUCATION COMMUNICATION, to current science. including school visits and special events. In this celebrating 100 years of IAU. 56 57 Board

Prof. dr. P. Groot chair RU to 01 01 2017

Prof. dr. G. Nelemans RU from 01 01 2017

Prof. dr. R.F. Peletier RuG to 01 01 2017

Prof. dr. S. Trager RuG from 01 01 2017

Prof. dr. H.J.A. Röttgering chair UL

Prof. dr. R.A.M.J. Wijers UvA

Supervisory Board

Prof. dr. S. Gielen chair RU to 01 09 2016

Prof. dr. L.M.C. Buydens RU from 01 09 2016

Prof. dr. J. Knoester chair RuG

Prof. dr.ir. K. Maex UvA to 01 01 2017

Prof. dr. P.H. van Tienderen UvA from 01 01 2017

09 UL N OVA Prof. dr. G. de Snoo organization International Board Prof. dr. R.C. Kennicutt chair University of Cambridge, UK

Prof. dr. C.J. Cesarsky Saclay, France

Prof. dr. H-W. Rix MPIA, Heidelberg, Germany NOVA ORGANIZATION Prof. dr. A. Sargent Caltech, Pasadena, California, USA

Prof. dr. B. Schmidt The Australian National University

Prof. dr. D.N. Spergel Princeton University, USA

Prof. dr. W.J. van de Zande ASML, NL 58 59

Minnaert Committee Instrument Steering Committee

Prof. dr. A. de Koter chair UvA Prof. dr. M.W.M. de Graauw chair ALMA, Chile to 01 11 2008

Prof. dr. R. vd Weijgaert RuG Prof. dr. G. Wright chair ATC, UK from 01 11 2018

Dr. M. Klein Wolt RU Dr. T. Augusteijn NOT, La Palma

Prof. dr. I. Snellen UL Dr. F. Bettonvil UL to 01 05 2016

Dr. W.H.W.M. Boland (observer) NOVA Dr. B. Brandl UL to 01 05 2016

Dr. A. Brown UL

Dr. J. M. Desert UvA

NOVA Information Center Dr. F.P. Helmich SRON

Dr. T. Herbst MPIA, Heidelberg M. Baan MSc Head of NIC Dr. J. Hörandel RU D. Redeker MSc Press and information officer Dr. W. Jellema RuG J. Vreeling Education and public outreach officer Prof. dr. L. Kaper UvA to 01 05 2016

NIC is supported by 15 freelancers on a project-by-project basis. The NOVA outreach activities are Dr. G. Kruithof ASTRON monitored by the Minnaert Committee. Dr. Ir. M. Rodenhuis secretary UL

Dr. G. Verdoes Klein RuG NOVA Office Prof. dr. W. Wild ESO

Prof. Dr. E.F. van Dishoeck Scientific Director

Dr. W.H.W.M. Boland Executive Director

Dr. Ir. M. Rodenhuis Instrumentation coordinator

C.W.M. Groen Finance and control NOVA ORGANIZATION

J.T. Quist Management assistant

Current lists of NOVA staff, engineers, emeriti, postdocs and PhD students can be found at: https://nova-astronomy.nl/people/ NOVA ORGANIZATION NOVA PHDs IN ASTRONOMY 2016 – 2018 60 2016 Astronomy PhDs in 10 – 2018

M.C. Ramirez Tannus L. Klarmann L. V.A. Allen V.A. A.J. Greenwood A.J. C. Eistrup C. MikhailovK. S.S. Sridhar S. Zeegers A. Savino A. C.R. Barber C.R. A.R. Ridden-Harper Y.M. Welling Wilby M.J. Roestel J. van E. Zapartas Y. Wang R.R. Kooistra R.R. S. Straal S. Hakim K. NAME A total of109A total PhD’s in were awarded astronomy in the Netherlands in 2016, in Netherlands the 2017 2018. and table The below lists all PhD’s all below lists period. this in PhD DATEPhD 28 2018 09 04 1004 2018 91 08Van Hulst der 1029 2018 23 10 2018 03 1203 2018 07 12 2018 15 10 2018 12 10 2018 16 10 2018 02 11 2018 1120 2018 10 12 2018 71 08Kuijken 27 11 2018 27 11 2018 Prince Groot, 27 11 2018 18 12 2018 12 18 01 1101 2018 21 11 2018 12 12 2018 12 12 co: Koter De Kaper, co: Waters Dominik, Van der Tak Kamp co: Walsh co: Van Dishoeck, co: Van Leeuwen Van Klis, der Tielens Tolstoy Schaye Snellen, Keller Snellen, Keller co: Mink De Koter,De Mendez Zaroubi co: Van Leeuwen Van Klis, der Dominik PROMOTOR

The outcome of massive star formation star ofmassive outcome The The inner regions of protoplanetary disks ofprotoplanetary regions inner The mass stars: Observational and theoretical and Observational stars: mass high- young around chemistry Organic spectra, and dust evolution dust and spectra, molecular mid-infrared dwarfs, Brown models: disk ofprotoplanetary future The The Chemical Fingerprint ofa Fingerprint Chemical The toPlanets: Midplane From in search of distant pulsars ofdistant search in afar: from lighthouse radio The Galaxy tothe laboratory the From dust: ofinterstellar spectroscopy X-ray systems stellar ancient of populations stellar complex the On continuum perspective A galaxies: nearby in fields magnetic and emission Non-thermal galaxies galaxies type early ofhigh-mas, centres the in mass baryonic excess the to understand simulations Using Deep: the in Monsters Inferno Works Works Inferno inflation oftwo-field Spectroscopy exoplanets of imaging high-contrast the for techniques Optical Starlight with Painting Transient Factory Palomar the with Variability Optical Systems Binary in Stars ofMassive Deaths The Disc reflection in low-mass X-ray binaries X-ray low-mass in reflection Disc medium intergalactic the and filaments Large-scale Young Pulsars Hidden Diving Deep into Rocky Exoplanets Rocky into Deep Diving THESIS TITLE

low-frequency radio radio low-frequency

Disk

– 2016 ASTRONOMY IN PHD’S 2018 61 62 63 NAME PhD DATE PROMOTOR THESIS TITLE NAME PhD DATE PROMOTOR THESIS TITLE

Van der Klis, Hunting for High Magnetic Fields A. Miotello 07 03 2018 Van Dishoeck The puzzle of protoplanetary disk masses 27 09 2018 A. Borghese co: Rea in Different Neutron Star Classes Wijers, C. Elenbaas 23 02 2018 On magnetar burst mechanisms J.J.A. Matthee 19 09 2018 Röttgering Identifying the origins of galaxy formation co: Watts High-contrast imaging of Van der Klis, Discovery and Characterisation J. Boer, de 10 01 2018 Keller 14 09 2018 protoplanetary disks D. Michilli co: Hessels of Fast Radio Transients Neutron stars as fragmentary Portegies Zwart, Spin evolution of accreting and radio A. Igoshev 21 12 2017 Verbunt 13 09 2018 records of supernova explosions A.S. Bak-Nielsen co: Patruno pulsars in binary systems Studying Dark Matter using Weak Groot, Exploring rapid variability E. Aranzana Martez 07 09 2018 M.M. Brouwer 20 12 2017 Kuijken Gravitational Lensing: from Galaxies co: Körding of accreting compact sources to the Cosmic Web Wijers, Joint Radio and X-ray Analysis of Powerful Linnartz, The Astrochemical Factory: G. Kokotanekov 06 07 2018 18 12 2017 co: Wise Feedback Systems N.F.W. Ligterink van Dishoeck A solid base for interstellar reactions Breaking & entering: PAH Hogerheijde, Linking Simple Molecules and Grain P. Castellanos Nash 28 06 2018 Tielens 18 12 2017 photodissociation and top-down chemistry V.N. Salinas Poblete Van Dishoeck Evolution Across Planet-Forming Disks Wijers, Wijers, Multi-wavelength studies S. Vats 23 06 2018 co: Wijnands, X-ray diversity in old star clusters 14 12 2017 co: Wijnands, L. Rivera Sandoval of compact binaries Van den Berg Van den Berg Groot, Trager, Tales told by Galaxies: Clues to chemical Kuijken, Resolving the building blocks S. Hernandez Orta 22 06 2018 06 12 2017 co: Larsen enrichment and the Epoch of Reionization B.I.F. Clauwens Achucarro of galaxies in space and time The formation of complex organic Linnartz, Nelemans, 20 06 2018 molecules in dense clouds – sweet results T. Wevers 30 11 2017 Searching for quiescent black holes K. Chuang Van Dishoeck Jonker from the laboratory Wijers, Accretion and jets from stellar-mass to Infrared spectroscopy of astrophysically R. Connors 30 11 2017 20 06 2018 Linnartz co: Markoff supermassive black holes K.D. Doney relevant hydrocarbons Galaxy formation traced by Falcke, Disc-jet coupling in M. Segers 28 11 2017 Schaye 14 06 2018 heavy element pollution P. Salkia co: Körding supermassive black holes Spectroscopic Characterization of 23 11 2017 Snellen Astrophysical plasma modeling of the H.J. Hoeijmakers ExoPlanets: From LOUPE to SINFONI J. Mao 07 06 2018 Kaastra hot Universe: Advances and challenges Assessing the performance of forthcoming in high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy 13 11 2017 Caputi L. Bisigello Infrared telescopes The multi-phase ISM of radio galaxies: 01 06 2018 Morganti a spectroscopic study of ionized Multiple Star Formation: Chemistry, F. Santoro N. Murillo Mejias 01 11 2017 Van Dishoeck and warm gas physics and coevality The ornithology of the Baudin A Westerbork blind HI imaging survey 22 05 2018 Van Lunteren J.J.F.J. Jansen expedition (1800-1804) M.A. Ramatsoku 17 10 2017 Verheijen of the Perseus-Pisces filament in the Zone of Avoidance Wijers, A spectral-timing approachto Exploring the Threefold Invisible Universe: C. de Jesus Silva 25 04 2018 co: Uttley, Falcke, the study of AGN outflows 09 10 2017 Low-Frequency Spectropolarimetry with Costantini C. van Eck co: Haverkorn LOFAR as a Probe of Galactic Magnetism Kinematics and stellar populations 20 04 2018 Peletier J. Mentz of dwarf elliptical galaxies Portegies Zwart, Face-on accretion onto T. Wijnen 05 10 2017 Groot, co: Pols protoplanetary discs PHD s Van der Klis, New techniques for understanding rapid 19 04 2018 A. Stevens co: Uttley X-ray variability from compact objects Dynamics and Radiation IN ASTRONOMY 2016 – 2018 05 10 2017 Schaye, Rossi C. Bonnerot from Tidal Disruption Events Some assembly required: the structural A.R. Hill 18 04 2018 Franx evolution and mass assembly of Cold gas in the center of radio-loud galaxies: New perspectives on triggering galaxies at z < 5 18 09 2017 Morganti F.M. Maccagni and feedback from HI absorption surveys Unravelling the stellar Initial Mass Function and molecular gas M. Dries 06 04 2018 Trager of early-type galaxies with hierarchical Protoplanetary disks and Bayesian modelling 09 09 2017 Dominik T. Stolker exoplanets in scattered light The anharmonic infrared spectra of 29 03 2018 Tielens J.C. Mackie polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Unveiling dark structures 2018 IN ASTRONOMY 2016 – 26 09 2017 Hoekstra R.T.L Herbonnet with accurate weak lensing The life cycle of radio 23 03 2018 Morganti PHD s M. Brienza Jaap Kistemaker en uraniumverrijking galaxies as seen by LOFAR 20 09 2017 Van Lunteren A.H. Streefland in Nederland 1945-1962 64 65

NAME PhD DATE PROMOTOR THESIS TITLE NAME PhD DATE PROMOTOR THESIS TITLE

Hide and Seek in the Halo of the Milky Winds in the AGN environment: 04 07 2017 Helmi H. Tian Way: Substructure Recovery L.D. di Gesu 04 10 2016 Kaastra new perspectives from high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy Schaye, D.J. Carton 29 06 2017 Resolving gas-phase metallicity in galaxies Groot, Woudt, Multi-wavelength accretion studies of Brinchmann 03 10 2016 D. Coppejans co: Kording cataclysmic variable stars Mass accretion rate fluctuations in black S. Rapisarda 28 06 2017 Van der Klis Groot, co: The Search for Galactic Short-period hole x-ray binaries 28 09 2016 S. MacFarlane Woudt, Ramsay Variable Stars in the Omega White Survey H. Andrews Mancilla 07 06 2017 Tielens Shining light on PAHs in space Nelemans, The formation of black holes 28 09 2016 S. Repetto co: Jonker derived from X-ray binaries H. Schwarz 01 06 2017 Snellen Spinning worlds Weighing the dark: cosmological 28 09 2016 Kuijken F. Köhlinger applications of gravitational lensing From supernovae to galaxy clusters: The assembly history of the F.D.M. Mernier 31 05 2017 Kaastra observing the chemical enrichment in the A. Feldmeier- 13 09 2016 De Zeeuw hot intra-cluster medium Krause milky way nuclear star cluster 3D Visualization and analysis of HI in and Radio galaxies at low frequencies: high spatial 26 05 2017 Van der Hulst 13 09 2016 Röttgering D. Punzo around galaxies L. Morabito and spectral resolution studies with LOFAR De verzamelwoede van Martinus van The connection between C.J. Sifon Andalaft 07 09 2016 Hoekstra B.C. Sliggers 30 03 2017 Van Lunteren Marum (1750-1838) en de ouderdom mass and light in galaxy clusters van de aarde D.M. Paardekooper 05 07 2016 Linnartz Shining light on interstellar matter Into the depths: the radio hunt for the 23 03 2017 Falcke R. Coppejans youngest and most distant AGN Spectral and timing properties of neutron- M. Lyu 27 06 2016 Mendez The impact of neutral Hydrogen on the star low-mass X-ray binaries 19 03 2017 Peletier M.K. Yildiz current evolution of early type galaxies The impact of dark satellites on dwarf T.K. Starkenburg 24 06 2016 Helmi Understanding disk galaxies galaxies in a ΛCDM universe 24 02 2017 Verheijen A. Ponomareva with the Tully-Fisher relation A.S. Hamers 21 06 2016 Portegies Zwart Hierarchical systems Polarization leakage in epoch of K.M.B. Asad 23 01 2017 Koopmans reonization windows Far and mid-infrared studies of star Chemistry and photophysics of E. Koumpia 14 06 2016 Van der Tak forming regions: Probing their thermal Hoekstra, 06 01 2017 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons balance, chemistry and evolution L.M.P.V. Boschman Spaans in the interstellar medium Wijers, Exploring radio and jet properties P. van Oers 09 06 2016 Kuijken, co: Uttley across the black hole mass scale J. Franse 20 12 2016 Hunting dark matter with X-rays Achucarro Infrared studies of astronomically relevant Waters, co: Clusters, voids and reconstructions D. Kiawi 09 06 2016 metallic clusters and their interactions 05 12 2016 Weygaert Buma, Oomens E.G.P. Bos of the cosmic web with simple molecules Suppressing a sea of starlight: enabling Tolstoy, Sulphur, zinc and carbon in Kenworthy, A. Skuladottir 18 04 2016 29 11 2016 technology for the direct imaging Salavdori the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy G.P.P.L. Otten Keller of exoplanets Tracing the journey of the C.A. Martinez 13 04 2016 Brown LOFAR Epoch of reionization. Barbosa sun and the solar siblings 22 11 2016 Zaroubi A.H. Patil Statistical methods and first results The structure of the dusty

N. Lopez Gonzaga 12 04 2016 Jaffe PHD s Star formation and AGN activity cores of active galactic nuclei 24 10 2016 Barthel P. Podigachoski in distant massive galaxies

The influence of dramatic IN ASTRONOMY 2016 – 2018 A.J. Rimoldi 29 03 2016 Portegies Zwart Exploring the transient sky: stellar events on their environment D. Carbone 21 10 2016 Wijers from surface to simulations Franx, Early death of massive galaxies C.M.S. Straatman 29 03 2016 A spectroscopic study of co: Labbé in the distant universe W. Karman 21 10 2016 Caputi the high-redshift universe Water in protoplanetary disks: S. Antonellini 04 03 2016 Kamp, Spaans Matter of life and death. The impact of Line flux modeling and disk structure C. van Borm 17 10 2016 Spaans environmental conditions on the origins of Wijers, Modeling the atmosphere 16 02 2016 stars and supermassive black holes T. van Putten co: Watts of a magnetar during outburst 2018 IN ASTRONOMY 2016 – Inextricable ties between chemical Cosmic Radiation. Reconstruction of 06 10 2016 Van Dishoeck complexity and dynamics of embedded Falcke, M. Drosdovskaya J. Schulz 11 02 2016 Cosmic-Ray Properties from Radio

PHD s protostellar regions co: Horandel Emission of Extensive Air Showers 66 67 PHD s IN ASTRONOMY 2016 – 2018 2018 IN ASTRONOMY 2016 – PHD s