Science Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting participants at the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory project office -April 10, 2018- Image Credit: TMT International Observatory
Science Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting participants at the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory project office -April 10, 2018- Image Credit: TMT International Observatory
Members of the TMT Science Advisory Committee (SAC) met in Pasadena on April 9&10, 2018 for their quarterly gathering. SAC representatives reported on their respective activities for the TMT project and discussed top-level requirements for TMT’s suite of science instruments. The discussion particularly focused on the instrument designs and science cases for WFOS -Wide Field Optical Spectrograph [https://www.tmt.org/page/wfos] - which is planned to be one of the first-light instruments for TMT. White papers on next-generation instruments for TMT were also examined by the SAC. [https://www.tmt.org/announcement/312].
These conversations on instrument studies will continue until the SAC can make recommendations to the TIO Board of Directors on priorities on design and instrument concepts, with the goal to optimize the science productivity and impact of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
Also introduced and reviewed were applications for new members in the TMT International Science Development Teams (ISDTs). The ISDTS are groups of researchers who work together to provide scientific guidance and feedback to the TMT project, stimulate planning for future TMT observing programs, and build connections between TMT and the international astronomical community. With the latest additions, the total number of ISDT members is now more than 270 researchers from across the world.
TMT Board Defers Decision on Thirty Meter Telescope Site
U.S. national observatory and two extremely large telescope projects team up to enhance U.S. scientific leadership in astronomy and astrophysics
