Collaborative Capability Building in Astrophysics with Thailand

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LJMU Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI) has recently renewed its 5 year MoU with Thailand covering cooperation on joint astronomy development. Professor Mike Bode at ARI is also helping them to develop their national 5 year plan for astronomy development.The Thais, through the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) are using astronomy to foster the take-up of STEMM subjects nationally to the long-term benefit of their economy. To this end, they are rapidly developing several public observatories across the country. Each of these for example employs around ten full-time outreach staff, has a planetarium, large lecture space, robotic telescopes and strong links into the regional educational system. Over the years, LJMU's National Schools' Observatory has developed links with the Thais on outreach. As part of the Newton project we enhance these links further by developing exemplar joint materials for outreach projects.In addition, NARIT is rapidly developing the astronomical research infrastructure of Thailand, again because it is seen as an important part of their nation's long-term economic development. For example, they now operate a 2.4m telescope on Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthanon, and are rapidly increasing the number of PhD-qualified staff across the country through a programme of sending students to study for their PhDs abroad and then bringing them back to Thailand in permanent university positions. They are keen to develop their technological capability in tandem with this and have expressed a strong interest in being a future partner in the LJMU 4m robotic Liverpool Telescope 2 (LT2) project at the level of 10% of the capital cost of the project (£16m). For LT2 NARIT have indicated where they may contribute software or an instrument among other aspects. There is a strong emphasis on the time domain in the burgeoning Thai astronomy community, so there is an excellent academic fit between the Thai's and ARI/LT/LT2. In the short term, one potential area ARI is keen to pursue with NARIT is developing a novel fast photometer for use on their 2.4m telescope and LT/LT2 with substantially improved performance compared to ULTRASPEC, which is currently used on the Thai National Telescope (Dr Chris Copperwheat, the LT astronomer-in-charge was heavily involved in the development of ULTRASPEC). For optimum QE and performance we would explore prototyping a new fast photometer using sCMOS camera technology, instead of EMCCDs. Developing this capability for LT/LT2 would facilitate a range of new science within time domain astronomy: CV studies, asteroseismology, exoplanets, occultations etc. The first step in this activity is laboratory testing of the sCMOS detectors to determine their stability, sensitivity, noise characteristics and ability to be accurately synchronised in a mutli-beam setup. This activity would form the basis of the instrumentation component of this initial Newton fund grant.Overall in this initial 3 month grant, Newton funding will enable us to work with the Thais to scope their participation in these activities and start the the process of software and instrument collaboration, along with developing new astronomy outreach projects. This will help to foster a larger partnership with NARIT centred on LT2 and to the benefit of Thai astronomy and the wider Thai economy.