ngCFHT Workshop
27-29 March 2013, Hilo, Hawaii
First Announcement, October 2012
A large number of wide-field photometric and astrometric surveys that are either underway, or planned for the coming decade, will soon map much the sky at a range of wavelengths. However, a gap in optical-infrared capabilities has emerged: there is an urgent need for complementary spectroscopic observations that can maximize the scientific return from these rich datasets and enable independent scientific programs that require large amounts of telescope time.
There are number of wide-field spectroscopic instruments being commissioned or proposed on 4m-class facilities, as well as observational campaigns on existing 10m-class telescopes using current (ESO-GAIA) or planned (Subaru/PFS) facility instruments. To date, however, there is no dedicated, 10m-class, wide field telescope capable of conducting large spectroscopic surveys of faint targets (1E3 -1E7 with g>19) at a range of spectral resolutions (R ~ 2,000 to >=20,000), over large areas (1 - 10,000 square degrees). Such a capability is the natural complement to the large photometric studies of the next decade, and will provide the key data required for science areas as diverse as the mapping of the interstellar medium, stellar astrophysics, near field cosmology and Gaia follow-up, extragalactic astronomy, and the nature of dark matter and dark energy.
The Next Generation CFHT is a proposal to replace the current 3.6m telescope with a wide-field 10m facility using the same pier as the current telescope, recycling as much of the current facility as possible. The baseline for this facility is that it will be equipped with a dedicated multi-object spectrograph capable of obtaining more than 3,000 spectra simultaneously over a 1.5 square degree field of view at spectral resolutions spanning from R=2,000 to at least R=20,000. Developing such a facility requires establishing a new and expanded partnership. To this end, a team of more than 60 scientists and engineers from ten countries have been defining the science cases and capabilities required for such a facility, and have investigated key technical challenges in the construction of the telescope and spectrographs.
This workshop is intended as a forum for discussion of the science cases and technical status that has emerged from the feasibility study. It will last for 2.5 days, with summary talks discussing the science drivers and current technical status. Contributed talks and posters are encouraged to highlight synergies with current and future facilities and to propose opportunities for subsequent development. A large amount of time will be made available for discussion. This will be a key opportunity to define a strategic roadmap for the scientific and technical development of the project, and establish a foundation for the growth of the new partnership that will deliver this unique scientific facility to the international community.
Venue capacity limits the number of attendees. At this time, it is encouraged for those interested in attending this workshop to complete the following form stating your intent to participate.
Intent to Attend Form
Full registration and abstract submission will be available at a later time. Please check the website regularly for details and updates on the workshop in general.
ngCFHT website
Patrick Cote & Alan McConnachie (NRC Canada)
Workshop & SOC Co-chairs
More information on ngCFHT is available at: