No. 80 - June 1995 Recent Developments R. GIACCONI, Oirector General of ESO Many significant events have occurred environment for astronomical purposes notae clarifying the procedures, by the in the past few weeks and months wh ich and on programmes of development of establishment of a point of liaison for ESO will affect the life of ESO foryears to come. Chilean astronomy and related technolo­ at high level in the Chilean Foreign The most important one has been the gies, will play an important role in our Ministry and by the liberation of all signing of the "Interpretative, Supplemen­ future cooperation. materials wh ich had been upheld at tary and Amending Agreement" to the In a joint press release the Govern­ customs. The issue of the claims of 1963 Convenlion between the Govern­ me nt of the Republic of Chile and the ownership of Paranal by the La Torre me nt of Chile and ESO, by Mr. Roberto European Southern Observatory ex­ family is being resolved by the Govern­ Cifuentes, Plenipotentiary Ambassador pressed their desire to continue to work ment of Chile in out of courts direct representing the Government of Chile towards the resolution of common discussions wh ich will hopefully lead to a and the Director General of the European problems in a spirit of mutual respect and settlement in a short time. The Govern­ Southern Observatory on April 18, 1995. full collaboration. The signing of the me nt of Chile has given ESO both public This Agreement, wh ich will have the Agreement occurred after months of and private assurances that Chile effect of widening and strengthening the dialogue between the parties and considers this problem as an internal cooperation between ESO and the constitutes an important step towards the Chilean issue wh ich should not affect Chilean scientific community, will be solution of some of the pending points on ESO-Chile relations. In any case, work on submitted for ratification by the National the current agenda for discussions Paranal is proceeding at full speed. Congress of the Republic of Chile and by between Chile and ESO. Among the This generally positive evolution of the the ESO Council. Upon taking effect, this remaining points the most important situation in Chile has been the result of Agreement will ensure guaranteed ac­ appear to be weil on their way to solution many efforts. The determined effort and cess by Chilean astronomers to all ESO thanks to the determined efforts of the resolve of the Chilean Government to facilities up to 10% of the observing time. Chilean Government. deal with the issues in a decisive manner It is expected that for VLTNLTI half of this The issue of ESO immunity of cannot be overemphasized. The actions time will be devoted to collaborative jurisdiction on Paranal wh ich was violated by the Ambassadors and Foreign efforts between Chilean and European on March 30, 1995bythevisitofa member Ministries of the member states of ESO in astronomers. In the field of labour of the Judiciary with the support of the c1arifying to the Chilean Government the relations, the Agreement will result in the police, has been dealt with an official concerns of the European states for the incorporation of so me fundamental expression of regrets by the Chilean difficult situation in wh ich various events principles of Chilean labour legislation in Government and assurances by the had placed the VLTNLTI project were the internal ESO rules and regulations for Government that all necessary steps essential. Finally, the continued and the local statt in Chile. Chilean scientists within the Chilean constitution would be patient efforts of many, many diplomats, named by a Chilean Committee will taken to prevent the recurrence of such scientists and administrators both Chile­ participate in all ESO scientific and incidents. an and European have been essential to technical committees. Joint Chile-ESO The issue of imports and accreditation progress. We at ESO are extremely committees on the preservation of the has been dealt with by the issuance of two grateful to all of them. The ESO Council, wh ich met in expect the date of first light to be aHected These past few months have been also Extraordinary Session on April 19, 1995, by 3 to 6 months. Financial losses have extremely significant in the development expressed its satisfaction for the many been experienced due to work stoppag­ of an even closer involvement of the positive steps which had been achieved, es, delays, increased costs for storage of Science Divisions both in Garching and its intent to ratify the Agreement and components, rescheduling of planned La Silla in all technical aspects of ESO instructed the Executive to continue the activities, etc. Resolution of these activities. Staff scientists and Fellows are direct negotiations with the Chilean financial issues will require considerable expected and do contribute to operations, Government to hopefully resolve all attention by the ESO Executive and maintenance and upgrading of existing remaining issues prior to the regular Council over the next year. facilities, to the development of new Council meeting of June 7 and 8. In the technical areas the meetings of instrumentation, to the development of Important and fundamental as the issue of the Users Committee and of the Scientific new software for proposal processing, Chile is to permit us to continue carrying Technical Committee have resulted in scheduling and implementation, to the out astronomical programmes, it was only important decisions regarding the future development of physical models of the one of significant events in the last few of La Silla. STC has approved the instruments, to trade-oH studies between months. construction of SOFI (a near infrared scientific requirements and engineering The first comprehensive VLT manage­ imaging spectrometer for the NTT) and difficulties, to development of detectors, ment report based on a Work Breakdown the beginning of the assessment phase of in short to all essential activities of ESO as Structure was presented to the ESO the 3.6-metre upgrade plan. The La Silla an observatory. While this involvement is Scientific Technical Committee on May 4 2000 group is completing its work of being strengthened by proceeding with and 5 and to the Finance Committee at its planning lorthe future of La Silla in the VLT the hiring to the budgeted staff level, the meeting of May 9 and 10. This report, era. The increased attention by ESO to cooperation between ESO scientists and wh ich will be issued every six months at the development and operation 01 optical engineers in Chile and Europe is the request of Council, was very warmly detectors with competitive quantum increasing. Slowly, the concept that ESO received by both committees. Apart from eHiciencies, speed of read-out and noise is a single observatory, with a single staff its intrinsic interest for those who are has al ready resulted in notable improve­ whether in Chile or Europe, is emerging. involved in the monitoring of the technical ments. A plan for the continuation 01 this Detector development projects are the and managerial aspects of the VLT eHort lor the VLT instrumentation was responsibility of people at La Silla as weil programme, it represents the culmination enthusiastically endorsed by both UC and as Garching, the NTT and the 3.6-m of a very intensive effort by many groups STC. relurbishment eHorts are being carried at ESO to restructure the accounting, The VLT Science Operation plan was out by mixed groups, software develop­ reporting and management information presented to the STC and received a very ment is being carried out jointly and so systems to cope with the challenge of the positive approval and recommendation to forth. We consider this approach essen­ VLT project. proceed even further in implementing the tial to the successful operation 01 fa­ In the February ESO-wide annual end to end approach to implementation 01 cilities such as the VLTIVLTI in the review the same management principles the science programme that it represents. future. were applied to the reporting of every In general, the increased attention to the I would like to conclude these brief ESO activity both in Europe and Chile. planning for the utilisation 01 the VLT notes by expressing my increasing The efforts of the VLT Division, the newly telescopes and instruments has resulted confidence that ESO and the European created Instrumentation Division, Admin­ in a first cut study for the necessary astronomical community will prove equal istration and Project OHice, and 01 the software and hardware tools that will need to the challenges of the next century. I Chile Administration were essential in to be developed. Increased attention to base this confidence on the evidence I making this possible. These new tools will and formal representation of the data f10w see of increased cooperation between be even more important to permit clarity of necessary to take us Irom proposal entry ESO and its Scientific and Technical communication between ESO manage­ to scheduling, data reception, calibration, Committee and the European astronom­ ment and its oversight committees in the reduction and archiving has shown the cial community. On the solidarity which diHicult linancial times that one can see considerable amount of work still in front was expressed in ditlicult times by all ahead. of uso Arecent ESO Workshop on member states. On the remarkable While the overall technical progress on Calibration and Data Management performance by the European hardware VLT is extremely encouraging, the Techniques was extremely successful in contractors. Finallyon the splendid diHiculties in Chile in the recent past have permilting us to measure our progress performance by the entire ESO staH resulted in both time and financiallosses with respect to past and current large everywhere and in every function.