Collaborative Capability Building in Astrophysics with Thailand

与泰国在天体物理学方面的合作能力建设

• 批准号: ST/N006631/1
• 负责人: Iain Allan Steele
• 金额: $ 5.75万
• 依托单位: Liverpool John Moores University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2016 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FN006631%2F1
• 关键词: Collaborative; Capability; Building; Astrophysics; Thailand

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.

LJMU天体物理研究所(ARI)最近与泰国续签了为期5年的谅解备忘录，内容包括在联合天文学发展方面的合作。ARI的Mike Bode教授也在帮助他们制定天文学发展的国家五年计划。泰国人正在通过泰国国家天文研究所(Narit)利用天文学来促进全国对STEMM学科的接受，从而使他们的经济长期受益。为此，他们正在全国范围内迅速发展几个公共天文台。例如，每一家都雇佣了大约10名全职外展工作人员，拥有天文馆、大讲堂、机器人望远镜，并与地区教育系统建立了牢固的联系。多年来，LJMU的国家学校观察站在外展方面与泰国人建立了联系。作为牛顿计划的一部分，我们通过为推广项目开发示范联合材料来进一步加强这些联系。此外，Narit正在迅速发展泰国的天文研究基础设施，同样是因为它被视为泰国长期经济发展的重要组成部分。例如，他们现在在泰国最高的山峰Doi InThanon上运行着一台2.4米长的望远镜，并通过一个将学生送到国外攻读博士学位，然后将他们带回泰国的永久大学职位的计划，在全国范围内迅速增加具有博士资格的员工数量。他们热衷于与此同步发展他们的技术能力，并表示有强烈的兴趣成为LJMU 4M机器人利物浦望远镜2号(LT2)项目的未来合作伙伴，占项目资本成本的10%(GB 16M)。对于LT2，Narit已经表明了他们可以在哪里贡献软件或工具等方面。在蓬勃发展的泰国天文学社区中，时间域是非常重要的，因此泰国的天文学与ARI/LT/LT2之间有很好的学术契合度。在短期内，ARI热衷于与Narit合作的一个潜在领域是开发一种新型的快速光度计，用于他们的2.4米望远镜和LT/LT2，与目前用于泰国国家望远镜的ULTRASPEC相比，其性能有显著改善(LT天文学家克里斯·科珀麦尔博士，负责人克里斯·科珀麦奇博士，主要参与了ULTRASPEC的开发)。为了获得最佳的QE和性能，我们将探索使用sCMOS摄像头技术而不是EMCD来设计一种新的快速光度计的原型。为LT/LT2开发这一能力将促进在时间域天文学中的一系列新科学：CV研究、星震学、系外行星、掩星等。这项活动的第一步是对sCMOS探测器进行实验室测试，以确定它们的稳定性、灵敏度、噪声特性和在多光束设置中精确同步的能力。这项活动将构成最初的牛顿基金赠款中仪器部分的基础。总的来说，在最初的3个月的赠款中，牛顿基金将使我们能够与泰国人合作，扩大他们参与这些活动的范围，并开始软件和仪器合作的进程，以及开发新的天文学推广项目。这将有助于促进与Narit以LT2为中心的更大合作伙伴关系，并有利于泰国天文学和更广泛的泰国经济。