GEPI

De la conception instrumentale
à l’exploitation des observables
Accueil > Séminaires > An Exciting Future for CFHT

An Exciting Future for CFHT

David Crampton (DAO, Canada)

Extremely large datasets are required to tackle most of the Big Questions confronting astronomy today, especially those involving Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Dark Halos, and Galaxy Evolution. Several projects are underway to provide imaging surveys at a variety of wavelengths (e.g., GAIA, LSST, Euclid, SKA) but complementary spectroscopic data are required to realize their potential. France and Canada have the opportunity to transform their investment in CFHT into exactly what is required : thanks to the design of the infrastructure of the original CFHT, it can be straightforwardly upgraded to a 10m, highly multiplexed, wide field spectroscopic facility (“ngCFHT”). With an expanded partnership, the capital cost to France would be comparable to that of a modern large instrument for an 8m telescope.
The CFHT SAC and Board agree that the science case for ngCFHT is outstanding and compelling. The next step will be the formation of a Project Office to assist in the development of a new partnership and to bring the design of ngCFHT to construction readiness. This presents an exciting opportunity for significant contributions from French scientists and engineers because they are already familiar with CFHT, and have experience and expertise in constructing powerful spectroscopic instruments.
ngCFHT will build on the outstanding legacy of CFHT to deliver world-leading science at very modest cost.