National Science Foundation/Duetshe Forschungsgemeinschaft Joint Astrophyics Research Conference on Advanced Photonics in Application to Astrophyscial Problems

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PROPOSAL NO: AST-0739540PI: Donald T. Gavel, University of California, Lick ObservatoryNSF/DFG Joint Astrophysics Research Conference on Advanced Photonics in Application to Astrophysical Problems, June 2007, Washington, DC The proposal is to fund an international workshop on ''Advanced Photonics in Application to Astrophysical Problems.'' This would be the third workshop in a series jointly sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Deutshe Forshungsgemeinschaft (DFG). As in the previous workshops in this series, 70 researchers, 35 from the US and 35 from Germany would be invited to participate in a two-day conference. The researchers will be selected based on their current activities in advanced photonics as applied to Galactic center astronomy/astrophysics, to solar adaptive optics, and to gravitational wave detection. The costs requested in the proposal are principally for US participant travel expenses.Advanced photonics in this context refers to adaptive optics, laser technology, and interferometry. These fields are currently in rapid evolution with little or modest interaction between US and German researchers depending on the field. For example, there are vigorous programs on adaptive optics for application to very large telescopes in the US (the Thirty Meter Telescope project, the National Solar Observatory) and in Germany (ESOs 42-meter telescope project). These programs have worked independently, and to some extent competitively. This conference would bring the researchers together with the intent to foster future collaborations and with at least the result that future proposals to the NSF and DFG would be more informed of the work done elsewhere in the world. Similar comments can be made about interferometry. There are strong programs in the US (Keck Interferometer, Large Binocular Telescope interferometer) and in Germany (ESOs Very Large Telescope Interferometer). Historically these researchers largely work independently; a conference encouraging their interaction will improve the research in both communities and is quite timely.With regard to broader impacts, the intent of the workshop is to foster collaboration among US and German researchers. Moreover, researchers in gravitational wave detection, interferometry, laser technology, solar physics, and adaptive optics will all attend the same meeting. The opportunity for cross-fertilization is very high.This proposal is funded by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, the Division of Astronomical Sciences, and the Division of Physics.