2008 A NORDIC OPTICAL NN TELESCOPE U Galaxy clusters acting as gravitational lenses. A L RE P O R T NORDIC OPTICAL TELESCOPE The Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) is a modern 2.5-m telescope located at the Spanish Observa- torio del Roque de los Muchachos on the island of La Palma, Canarias, Spain. It is operated for the benefit of Nordic astronomy by theN ordic Optical Telescope Scientific Asso ciation (NOTSA), estab- lished by the national Research Councils of Den- mark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, and the Uni- versity of Iceland. The chief governing body of NOTSA is the Council, which sets overall policy, approves the annual bud- gets and accounts, and appoints the Director and Astronomer-in-Charge. A Scienti fic and Technical Committee (STC) advises the Council on scientific and technical policy. An Observing Programmes Committee (OPC) of independent experts, appointed by the Council, performs peer review and scientific ranking of the observing proposals submitted. Based on the rank- Front cover: A mosaic of galaxy clusters ing by the OPC, the Director prepares the actual showing strong gravitational lensing and observing schedule. giant arcs discovered with the NOT (see p. 5). Composite images in blue and red light from the NOT, Gemini, and Subaru The Director has overall responsibility for the telescopes. Photo: H. Dahle, Oslo. operation of NOTSA, including staffing, financial matters, external relations, and long-term plan- ning. The staff on La Palma is led by the Astrono- mer-in-Charge, who has authority to deal with all matters related to the daily operation of NOT. The members of the Council and committees and contact information to NOT are listed at the end of this report. The NOT Annual Reports for 2002-2008 are available at: http://www.not.iac.es/news/reports/ 1 CONTENT 2 THE STAFF 3 PREFacE 4 EVENTS IN 2007 5 SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS 5 Cosmology, Formation and Evolution of Galaxies 13 Formation, Structure, and Evolution of Stars S 20 INSTRUMENTS 22 EDUCATION 26 FINANCIAL MATTERS 28 OBSERVING TIME 29 PUBLICATIONS 33 COMMITTEES & ADDRESSES Inside back cover Editor: Johannes Andersen Layout: Anne Marie Brammer NORDIC OPTICAL TELESCOPE | ANNUAL REPORT 2008 2 THE The NOT staff was strengthened in August, when former NOT student Raine Karjalainen took up a two-year post- doc position. Among our current students, Jarkko Niemelä (Helsinki) was succeeded by Zita Banhidi in June, while the others remained on board until the end of the year. In accordance with the agreements with Spain, we also provided stipends for Spanish PhD students Laia Mencia NOT Trinchant and Javier Blasco Herrera to obtain their degrees in Stockholm. TE Francisco Armas Thomas Augusteijn Zita Banhidi Peter Brandt Ricardo Cárdenes AM Administrator Astronomer-in-Charge Student Mechanic System manager Jacob W. Clasen Graham Cox Anlaug Amanda Djupvik Loida Fernández Eva Jurlander Software specialist Senior electronics Senior staff astronomer Secretary Accountant engineer Raine Karjalainen Jarkko Niemelä Carlos Pérez Tapio Pursimo Peter M. Sørensen Postdoc Student Electronics technician Staff astronomer Software specialist Ingvar Svärdh Auni Somero John H. Telting Helena Uthas Carolin Villforth Senior software engineer Student Senior staff astronomer Student Student NORDIC OPTICAL TELESCOPE | ANNUAL REPORT 2008 3 P Funding agencies in 26 countries with over 500 million in- habitants are now behind the Roadmap, which gives it REF credibility, but no guarantee of funding for the implemen- tation phase. We are already moving into that phase, as ASTRONET has appointed a committee to review the fu- ture roles and organisation of all the European 2-4m tele- scopes by the end of 2009. We hope its report will enable us to progress towards our goal. ac Meanwhile, we are broadening our user base in two direc- tions. First, the NOT is becoming very attractive for Euro- It is a pleasure to introduce this report on a productive pean astronomers in general; indeed, a year ago, “foreign” 2008 at the Nordic Optical Telescope. Steady progress has proposals for observing time already outnumbered Nordic been made on several fronts of short- and long-term sig- projects. The role of OPTICON in catalysing this develop- E nificance, and the crystal ball through which we try to peer ment will probably prove more important in the long term into the future has become a bit less opaque. The follow- than the cash refunds we receive. Second, we are develop- ing gives a brief overview of the main issues. ing a broad, coordinated set of educational services that is currently aimed at Nordic universities, but should be First, although I take pride in the accomplishments of the equally attractive throughout Europe. year, credit goes to the great team of people greeting you on the facing page. We were pleased to welcome our Finally, we are developing our own capabilities. The tele- former student Raine Karjalainen back in mid-year in a scope itself is fit for fight for another 20 years after a com- postdoc position funded by NORDFORSK, and Zita Banhidi plete renewal of its basic infrastructure. We are now tun- who replaced Jarkko Niemelä in the student group. The ing our suite of instruments and our operations for maxi- spirit in which Thomas Augusteijn runs his team is well mum efficiency on the agreed priority science, transient illustrated by the above photo from the “family reunion” in and variable objects. Later chapters in this report give you July at Carlos Pérez’ “summer palace”! more detail, but many of this year’s science stories already show that our users are taking advantage of our increased Preparing for the future remained my own first priority. As flexibility, “fast-track” proposal option, and enhanced in- described earlier, our agreed long-term goal is to join a strumentation. larger, coordinated and cost-effective European mid-size telescope facility. The task is to find out what it means in But while we prepare for the future, our users keep the specific terms, what role the NOT should play, and how to present busy and rewarding, and the following pages high- make it happen under as-yet unknown rules. We pursue it light some of the scientific projects recently carried out at along three main lines: Developing the infrastructure the NOT. I thank the authors for sharing their stories with planning framework in European astronomy; developing us, and hope that they will be pleased to see them in the our user base; and developing our own services. In paral- attractive layout of Anne Marie Brammer. lel, NOTSA joined the worldwide IAU-UN International Year of Astronomy 2009 as an official Associate. On the European scene, the publication of the ASTRONET Infrastructure Roadmap in 2008 was an historic event: Never before have European policy makers been presented with a comprehensive plan for all of astronomy in all of Europe, based on a common scientific vision and extensive com- munity input. The Roadmap deals not only with the future mega-projects in ground- and space-based astronomy at all wavelengths, but also with the roles of existing facili- ties, theory, computing and archiving, and the crucial hu- Johannes Andersen man resources – all within a plausible budget. Director & Editor NORDIC OPTICAL TELESCOPE | ANNUAL REPORT 2008 4 E The new control electronics for the building and telescope V drives, dubbed “R2-D2” (the ‘Star Wars’ robot) and “Prof. AltAz” by our tireless staff. ENT A few main events in 2008 are summarised here. scribes not only the headline-grabbing mega-projects, but S I More detailed reports on instruments, education, the entire food chain of astronomy from schoolchildren to observing time, and finances are given in later sec- space telescopes. Making the giant projects reality will tions and at our web site. take time, but ASTRONET has already now appointed a Eu­ ropean Telescope Strategy Review Committee to take a fresh look at how Europe organises its 2-4m telescopes and, by N Renewing the infrastructure the end of 2009, propose ways to do it better. We support The NOT has been in continuous operation for twenty this initiative vigorously. years, and some basic components were showing signs of 2008 wear and old age. Many spare parts are no longer available, 2008 was the last year of the OPTICON EC contract under and incomplete or missing documentation implied a risk FP6. A four-year extension under FP7 has been approved, of major breakdowns. Over the last five years we have but with only half the current funding level. OPTICON will gradually renewed the entire cooling system of the build- therefore focus on networking and support for the devel- ing, the control system of the telescope, and the drive opment of potential future technologies, but the Trans­ electronics and motors for both. 2008 saw the arrival of the National Access Programme will be reduced to ~2% of the last units (see photo), and the telescope should now be fit total observing time. The plan, therefore, is to retain most for another 20 years. Moreover, the modern architecture of our European users for the next couple of years while and processor power of the new control systems create a developing new strategies for the longer term in coopera- basis for integrated user control of the entire facility. tion with ASTRONET. 2009 and 2010 will be exciting years! ASTRONET and OPTICON Nordic cooperation The ASTRONET project was initiated in 2005 by the major The Report for 2007 described our strategy to forge closer funding agencies for astronomy in Europe (see www.astro­ ties within Nordic optical and mm astronomy to prepare net­eu.org). Its goal is to establish a comprehensive plan- for the time (soon!) when they will not be seen as separate ning and coordination process for all of European astronomy disciplines.