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Update from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) / Compte rendu de l’Agence spatiale canadienne (ASC)

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By / par Denis Laurin (Scientifique principal de programme, astronomie spatiale,
Développement de l’exploration spatiale, Agence spatiale canadienne / Senior Program Scientist, Space Astronomy, Space Exploration Development, Canadian Space Agency)

(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2019)

denis.laurin@canada.ca
(www.asc-csa.gc.ca/fra/sciences/astronomie.asp)
(www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/astronomy.asp)

The English version follows

Ma dernière contribution à Cassiopeia remonte à exactement un an et ce fut une année bien remplie. Plusieurs nouvelles initiatives de l’ASC en astronomie spatiale, ainsi que le soutien aux projets et missions en cours, sont décrits ci-dessous.

Missions en cours

JWST (Jean Dupuis)

L’AOP du 1er cycle sera publié le 23 janvier 2020 et la date limite de soumission des propositions est fixée au 1er mai 2020 (pour plus de détails, consultez la page Web de STScI). L’ASC supportera les chercheurs canadiens sélectionnés par le programme GO de la NASA. Les détails sur le mécanisme d’attribution des subventions de l’ASC seront fournis à temps pour le 1er cycle. Des activités sont prévues, avant la date limite de soumission du 1er cycle, afin d’aider les astronomes canadiens à préparer leurs propositions, par le biais d’ateliers et de webinaires. Des détails sur les activités et les horaires seront fournis à la communauté dans un proche avenir, par exemple par le biais du CASCA Exploder. Nous encourageons fortement les futurs utilisateurs de JWST à se familiariser avec les nombreux modes d’observation disponibles avec les instruments scientifiques du JWST, ainsi qu’avec tous les outils logiciels disponibles concernant la préparation de propositions.

L’ASC accorde des subventions (d’un montant maximum de 500K$, sur cinq ans chacun) à la préparation du programme GTO de l’équipe scientifique canadienne:

  • David Lafrenière, U. de Montreal, “NIRISS Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) Program on Exoplanets Characterization”
  • Marcin Sawicki, St-Mary’s U., “Science Support for JWST’s Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) – JWST GTO Program”

Le lancement du JWST est toujours prévu pour mars 2021. Une étape importante a récemment été franchie avec l’intégration de l’élément de télescope optique OTIS (OTE + ISIM) Optical Telescope Element and Integrated Science Instrument Module (décrit ici). Plusieurs examens critiques sont prévus jusqu’à l’année prochaine à Northrop Grumman (NGAS) en Californie, avant que l’observatoire ne soit finalement transporté au site de lancement en Guyane française. Pour des mises à jour et des nouvelles sur JWST, veuillez consulter les pages web de la NASA, du STScI et l’ASC.

Figure 1 – Le télescope spatial James Webb entièrement assemblé avec son pare-soleil, partiellement déployé dans une configuration ouverte. (Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn)

ASTROSAT (Jean Dupuis)

Les opérations ASTROSAT approchent la 4e année et de nombreux astronomes canadiens en ont bénéficié et ont produit des résultats grâce à cet observatoire unique. Les détails concernant le prochain appel de propositions d’observation devraient être publiés prochainement par l’ISRO. Le détecteur NUV d’UVIT n’est toujours pas disponible, mais les canaux FUV et VIS continuent de bien fonctionner. SVP contactez Joe Postma, U. de Calgary, pour les détails et assistance concernant le traitements de données et questions concernant vos préparation de propositions. Les observateurs canadiens qui ont obtenu du temps d’observation au cours des cycles précédents ont reçu une subvention de l’ASC (contactez Jean Dupuis à l’ASC concernant le programme de subvention ASTROSAT). Nous encourageons les bénéficiaires de subventions ASTROSAT à informer l’ASC de leurs publications, à paraître ou à venir, ainsi que de tous les communiqués de presse connexes.

L’ASC a accordé les subventions suivantes (maximum de 50K$ par subvention) aux utilisateurs d’ASTROSAT:

2017

  • Pat Coté, U. de Victoria / NRC, “UVIT Studies of Composite Stellar Systems in Cluster Environments”
  • Luigi Gallo, St-Mary’s U., “The connection between the accretion disk and corona in AGN with ASTROSAT”
  • Denis Leahy, U. de Calgary, “Analysis of Multi-wavelength ASTROSAT Observations of M31 and Hercules X-1”

2018

  • Carmelle Robert, U. Laval, “Young Stellar Populations in Nearby Galaxies with UVIT and SITELLE”
  • Gregory Sivakoff, U. d’Alberta, “ASTROSAT Accretion Disk Observations of the 2017 Outburst of the Black Hole X-ray Binary GX-339-4”
  • Denis Leahy, U. de Calgary, “ASTROSAT Multi-Wavelength Imaging Survey Of M31, Central and Northeast Regions”

NEOSSat programme d’observateurs invités

NEOSSat est un télescope spatial canadien. Semblable à MOST, il comprend une optique Maksutov de 15 cm, avec un « baffle » performant qui permet d’observer à des angles faibles du soleil. Il a été lancé en 2013 pour la recherche d’astéroïdes géocroiseurs. Le télescope est maintenant offert pour de nouvelles investigations scientifiques, telles que la photométrie ou la confirmation de nouveaux astéroïdes. A cette fin, l’ASC a affiché une AOP pour un programme d’observateurs invités. Le premier cycle de l’AOP est fermé, mais le prochain cycle sera offert bientôt. Il n’y a pas de subventions offertes avec ce AOP, les données seront publiques (sur le site FTP de l’ASC ou à partir de « Données ouvertes Canada »). Nous sommes en discussions avec le CADC pour y intégrer les données sur leur site dans un futur proche.

XRISM

La mission XRISM de JAXA prévue d’être lancée en 2021, sera un successeur de la mission Hitomi qui avait pris fin prématurément en 2016. L’ASC a contribué un support aux tests des instruments en développement de XRISM. Avec un support en subventions, Dr Luigi Gallo de l’université St-Mary’s et Dr Brian McNamara de l’université de Waterloo sont membres de l’équipe. Lorsque la mission sera en exploitation, les astronomes au Canada pourront s’inscrire à la compétition pour obtenir du temps d’observation.

BRITE

L’ASC continue à supporter les opérations du nanosatellite canadien BRITE avec le « Space Flight Laboratory » de l’UTIAS.

Investir dans l’avenir

Études conceptuelles et scientifiques de la l’ASC – développer des idées pour l’avenir

Plusieurs idées originales et analyses scientifiques en astronomie spatiale, allant des rayons X au CMB, en passant par les exoplanètes, ont fait l’objet d’études de concept de mission et de maturation scientifique soutenues par l’ASC au cours de la dernière année. Ces études démontrent la capacité d’innovation et le leadership scientifique du Canada.

Les contrats d’études sont le résultat d’un appel d’offres compétitif en 2018, qui abordait les priorités définies lors de l’atelier ACES 2016 et des équipes thématiques de l’ASC, décrites en détail dans le document final «2017: Exploration spatiale canadienne – Priorités en sciences et en santé spatiale pour la prochaine décennie et au-delà».

Les études d’astronomie spatiale sont énumérées ci-dessous. Toutes sont sur le point d’être terminées si elles ne le sont pas déjà, avec le chef scientifique entre parenthèses :

  • LiteBIRD, étude de contribution, McGill Univ. (Matt Dobbs), complété.
    La mission JAXA LiteBIRD consiste à détecter la polarisation dans le CMB. La contribution canadienne potentielle est l’électronique multiplexée de lecture pour les cryo-bolomètres.
  • CASTOR, maturation scientifique, Honeywell et CNRC (Pat Coté), complété.
    Un télescope spatial Vis-UV de 1 m piloté par le Canada pour des sondages cosmiques. Les rapports finaux ont fourni un examen complet des objectifs scientifiques et un concept de la mission.
  • Photometric Observations of Extrasolar Planets, maturation scientifique, Bishops’ Univ. (Jason Rowe), complété.
    Un concept basé sur le microsatellite MOST pour mesurer les transits d’exoplanètes dans différentes bandes afin de détecter leurs atmosphères. Des simulations ont déterminé une mission de base.
  • LiteBIRD, maturation scientifique, McGill (Matt Dobbs), prévu pour oct.
    La mission JAXA LiteBIRD consiste à détecter la polarisation dans le CMB. Cette étude appuie un plan plus détaillé pour les éléments scientifiques et la contribution potentielle.
  • Colibri (High-Resolution X-ray Telescope), étude de concept, UBC (Jeremy Heyl), prévu pour jan.
    Concept pour un télescope à rayons X à haute résolution temporelle et haute résolution énergétique, destiné à l’étude des étoiles à neutrons et à l’accrétion de trous noirs.
  • EPPE (Extrasolar Planet Polarimetry Explorer), étude de concept, Magellan et UWO (Stan Metchev), prévu pour nov.
    Mesures de haute précision dans le bleu au proche infrarouge pour déduire les attributs des atmosphères exoplanétaires, en utilisant la polarimétrie différentielle résolue dans le temps pour explorer les Jupiters chauds et les planètes semblables à la Terre.

(Il existe un nombre similaire d’études en exploration planétaire, également alignées sur les priorités décrites dans le rapport de l’ACES.)

Subventions aux cochercheurs – appui aux chercheurs canadiens sur des missions internationales

L’ASC reconnaît l’expertise existant dans le domaine des sciences spatiales au Canada, comme en témoignent les membres de la communauté qui sont invités à se joindre à des missions spatiales internationales. L’ASC avait publié une AOP, au début de 2019, pour support aux scientifiques en astronomie spatiale et en exploration planétaire possédant un rôle dans une équipe ou un consortium scientifique d’une mission étrangère. Conformément aux recommandations du JCSA et du PECC (comités de consultation sur l’astronomie spatiale et l’exploration planétaire, respectivement), ce AOP avait l’objectif de fournir aux membres de la communauté un soutien leur permettant de participer à des missions auxquelles l’ASC ne participe pas autrement. La première AOP a offert des subventions allant jusqu’à $100K sur deux ans. Les destinataires de ce concours sont (avec le nom de la mission entre parenthèses):

  • Catherine Johnson, UBC (InSight, Mars mission)
  • Will Percival, U. de Waterloo (Euclid mission)
  • Ed Cloutis, U. de Winnipeg (ExoMars)
  • JJ Kavelaars, U. de Victoria (New Horizons)
  • Douglas Scott, UBC (Euclid mission)
  • Livio Tornabene, UWO (ExoMars)
  • Jeremy Heyl, UBC (IXPE)
  • Lyle Whyte, McGill (ExoMars)

AOP pour subventions VITES

L’ASC annonce actuellement une AOP pour les subventions VITES 2019. Veuillez consulter la page Web de l’AOP pour plus de détails et la date limite de soumission.

Une liste complète des subventions octroyées du VITES 2017 est disponible sur cette page web. Les subventions suivantes, en astronomie spatiale, ont été octroyées:

Dans la catégorie de $400K:

  • Université de Toronto, “ Visible and Near-UV Wide-Field Imaging from the Stratosphere” Dr. B. Netterfield

Dans la catégorie de $200K:

  • Université McGill, “ High-Energy Light Isotope eXperiment (HELIX)”, Dr. D. Hanna
  • Université de Toronto, “Analysis of Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Data from the Second Flight of the SPIDER Balloon-borne Telescope”, Dr. John Richard Bond
  • Université de Victoria, “Windows to Worlds: Science Readiness and Requirements for Small and Large Exoplanet Characterization Missions”, Dr. C. Goldblatt

Dans la catégorie de $100K:

  • UWO, “ Surveying the Best Hosts for Detecting Earth-like Extrasolar Planets”, Dr. S. Metchev

Développements technologiques

L’ASC soutient le développement de technologies pour des missions futures afin d’aider l’industrie à rester compétitive et prête. Dans le cadre du programme de développement technologique actuel (PDTS) l’ASC a annoncé son intention de soutenir les technologies liées à la mission SPICA de l’ESA et à la mission LiteBIRD de JAXA. En ce qui concerne la technologie SPICA, un contrat a été attribué à ABB (Québec) pour le mécanisme cryogénique du FTS. En ce qui concerne LiteBIRD, l’ADP ciblant les systèmes de lecture numériques pour l’espace est toujours ouverte au moment de la rédaction de cet article.

Consultations

PLT 2020 et une réunion publique à l’ASC le 31 octobre

Comme la plupart des lecteurs le savent, la CASCA a lancé des consultations relatives au plan à long terme. L’ASC est heureuse de soutenir ces activités et accueillera le comité du PLT et les membres de la communauté au siège social de l’ASC à St-Hubert le 31 octobre. Pour plus d’information concernant le PLT voir l’article de Pauline Barmby dans cette parution de Cassiopeia.

Le comité consultatif JCSA

Les membres de ce comité sont :
Jason Rowe, U. Bishop (co-Chair)
Denis Laurin, ASC (co-Chair)
Renée Hlozek, U. de Toronto
Locke Spencer, U. de Lethbridge
Chris Willott, NRC Herzberg
Daryl Haggard, McGill
Jeremy Heyl, UBC

La dernière rencontre a eu lieu durant la CASCA à Montréal. La prochaine réunion sera par téléconférence en novembre ou décembre 2019.
——————-
En vous souhaitant à tous un bel automne coloré,
Denis Laurin

My last contribution to Cassiopeia was exactly a year ago and it has been a busy year. Several new CSA initiatives in support of space astronomy, as well as support to on-going projects and missions, are described below.

On-going Missions

JWST (Jean Dupuis)

Cycle 1 call for proposals is to be released on Jan 23, 2020 with a proposal deadline of May 1, 2020 (see the STSci webpage for details). The CSA will support Canadian researchers successful in the NASA GO Program. Details on the mechanism for the CSA awards will be provided by the time of the Cycle 1 release. Activities are planned before the Cycle 1 proposal deadline that will assist interested Canadian astronomers in the preparation of their proposals, through possible workshops and webinars. Details on the activities and schedules will be provided to the community in the near future, such as through the CASCA Exploder. We strongly encourage the future users of JWST to become familiar with the numerous observation modes available with the suite of science instruments on-board JWST, as well as with all the software tools available for the preparation of proposals.

The CSA is providing grant support ($500K max, each, over 5 years) for the preparation of the GTO program of the Canadian science team:

  • David Lafrenière, U. de Montreal, “NIRISS Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) Program on Exoplanets Characterization”
  • Marcin Sawicki, St-Mary’s U., “Science Support for JWST’s Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) – JWST GTO Program”

The JWST launch remains scheduled for March 2021. A major milestone was reached recently with the integration of the OTIS (OTE+ISIM) Optical Telescope Element and Integrated Science Instrument Module (described here). Several more critical tests are planned through to the next year at Northrop Grumman (NGAS) in California, before the observatory is eventually shipped to the launch site in French Guyana. For updates and news on JWST, please consult the NASA, STScI and CSA webpages.

Figure 1 – The fully assembled James Webb Space Telescope with its sunshield are seen partially deployed to an open configuration. (Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn)

ASTROSAT (Jean Dupuis)

ASTROSAT operations are approaching the 4-year mark, and many Canadian astronomers have benefited and produced results using this unique multi-wavelength observatory. Details about the next call for proposals are expected to be issued by ISRO soon. The NUV detector of UVIT continues to be unavailable, but the FUV and VIS channels are still performing well. Contact Joe Postma (University of Calgary) for details for UVIT data processing and analysis issues or for assistance in preparation of proposals. Canadian observers that have obtained observing time during earlier cycles have been awarded grant support from the CSA (contact person for ASTROSAT grants program at CSA is Jean Dupuis). We encourage ASTROSAT grant recipients to inform CSA of their resulting or upcoming publications, as well as any related media releases.

The CSA has provided the following grants (up to $50K max per grant) to ASTROSAT users:

2017

  • Pat Coté, U. of Victoria / NRC, “UVIT Studies of Composite Stellar Systems in Cluster Environments”
  • Luigi Gallo, St-Mary’s U., “The Connection Between the Accretion Disk and Corona in AGN with ASTROSAT”
  • Denis Leahy, U. of Calgary, “Analysis of Multi-wavelength ASTROSAT Observations of M31 and Hercules X-1”

2018

  • Carmelle Robert, U. Laval, “Young Stellar Populations in Nearby Galaxies with UVIT and SITELLE”
  • Gregory Sivakoff, U. of Alberta, “ASTROSAT Accretion Disk Observations of the 2017 Outburst of the Black Hole X-ray Binary GX-339-4”
  • Denis Leahy, U. of Calgary, “ASTROSAT Multi-Wavelength Imaging Survey Of M31, Central and Northeast Regions”

NEOSSat Guest Observer Program

NEOSSat is Canada’s own space telescope. Similar to MOST, it has a 15 cm Maksutov telescope, with a high performance baffle able to observe at low sun angles. It was launched in 2013 to discover near-Earth asteroids. The telescope is now available for new science investigations, well suited for photometry and asteroid follow ups. To that end, CSA has posted an AO for a guest observer program. The cycle 1 AO is now closed, but other cycles are to be expected soon. There is no grant funding associated with the AO and the data will be public (on CSA FTP and “Open Canada Data”). There are discussions with CADC to host the data archive in the near future.

XRISM

The JAXA X-ray telescope XRISM to be launched in 2021 is a follow up of the Hitomi mission that ended prematurely in 2016. CSA contributed to support tests of the instruments in development for XRISM. Wirth CSA grant support, Dr Luigi Gallo at St-Mary’s University and Dr Brian McNamara at University of Waterloo are members of the team. Once in operation, members of Canada’s astronomy community will be able to compete for guest observer time.

BRITE

CSA continues to support for the operations of the Canadian nanosat at the UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory.

Investing in the Future

CSA Concept and Science Studies – Enabling and Expanding on Ideas for the Future

Several original ideas and scientific analyses in space astronomy, from X-ray to CMB to exoplanets, have been the subject of CSA supported Mission Concept and Science Maturation Studies over the past year. These studies demonstrate the innovation capacity and scientific leadership in Canada.

The studies contracts are the results of a competitive RFP in 2018, that addressed the priorities set forth in the CSEW 2016 workshop and the CSA Topical Teams, detailed in the “Canadian Space Exploration – Science and Space Health priorities for Next Decade and Beyond” 2017 final report.

The space astronomy studies are listed below, all are near completion if not already done, with the science lead in brackets:

  • LiteBIRD, Mission contribution study, McGill Univ. (Matt Dobbs), completed.
    The JAXA mission LiteBIRD is to detect polarization in the CMB. The potential Canadian contribution is the read-out multiplexed electronics for the cryo-bolometers.
  • CASTOR, Science maturation study, Honeywell and NRC (Pat Coté), completed.
    A Canadian led 1-m Vis-UV space telescope for surveys. Final reports delivered comprehensive science objectives review and a mission design.
  • Photometric Observations of Extrasolar Planets, Science maturation study, Bishops’ Univ. (Jason Rowe), completed.
    A concept based on MOST micro-satellite to measure exoplanet transits at different bands to detect their atmospheres. Measurement simulations have determined a baseline mission.
  • LiteBIRD, Science maturation study, McGill (Matt Dobbs), due end of Oct.
    The JAXA mission LiteBIRD is to detect polarization in the CMB. This study supports a more detail plan for the science elements and potential contribution.
  • Colibri (High-Resolution X-ray Telescope), Concept study, UBC (Jeremy Heyl), due end of Jan.
    Concept for a high time-resolution, high energy-resolution X-ray telescope, for the study of neutron stars and accreting black holes.
  • EPPE (Extrasolar Planet Polarimetry Explorer), Concept study, Magellan and UWO (Stan Metchev), due end of Nov.
    High-precision measurements from blue through near infrared to infer attributes of exoplanetary atmospheres, using time-resolved differential polarimetry to explore nearby hot Jupiters and Earth-like planets.

(There is a similar number of planetary science studies, also aligned with the priorities described in the CSEW report.)

Co-Investigator Grants – Supporting Canadian Researchers on International Missions

CSA recognizes the expertise that exists in space science in Canada which is exemplified by members of the community being invited to join space missions of other nations. In early 2019, CSA issued an announcement of opportunity (AO) to grant support to space astronomy and planetary exploration scientists that have obtained a role in a mission’s science team or consortium. As recommended by the JCSA and PECC (space astronomy and planetary exploration consultation committees, respectively), this AO aimed to provide support to members of the community to participate on missions for which CSA is not involved otherwise. The first AO offered grants up to $100K over two years. The recipients of this competition are (with the related mission in brackets):

  • Catherine Johnson, UBC (InSight, Mars mission)
  • Will Percival, U. of Waterloo (Euclid mission)
  • Ed Cloutis, U. of Winnipeg (ExoMars)
  • JJ Kavelaars, U. of Victoria (New Horizons)
  • Douglas Scott, UBC (Euclid mission)
  • Livio Tornabene, UWO (ExoMars)
  • Jeremy Heyl, UBC (IXPE)
  • Lyle Whyte, McGill (ExoMars)

FAST Grants AO

CSA is currently advertising the Announcement of Opportunity for FAST 2019 grants. Please consult the AO webpage for details and the submission deadline.

The complete list of awards of the FAST 2017 grants are available here. The following are the awards related to space astronomy:

In the $400K category:

  • University of Toronto, “ Visible and Near-UV Wide-Field Imaging from the Stratosphere” Dr. B. Netterfield

In the $200K category:

  • McGill University, “ High-Energy Light Isotope eXperiment (HELIX)”, Dr. D. Hanna
  • University of Toronto, “Analysis of Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Data from the Second Flight of the SPIDER Balloon-borne Telescope”, Dr. John Richard Bond
  • University of Victoria, “Windows to Worlds: Science Readiness and Requirements for Small and Large Exoplanet Characterization Missions”, Dr. C. Goldblatt

In the $100K category:

  • Western University, “ Surveying the Best Hosts for Detecting Earth-like Extrasolar Planets”, Dr. S. Metchev

Technology Development

The CSA supports the development of technologies to potential future missions in order to help industry to remain competitive and ready. Under the current Technology Development (STDP) Program CSA announced its intent to support technologies related to the ESA SPICA mission and the JAXA LiteBIRD mission. Regarding SPICA technology, a contract has been awarded to ABB (Quebec) for the cryogenic mechanism of the FTS. Regarding LiteBIRD, the RFP targeting digital read out systems for space, is still open at the time of this writing.

Consultations

LRP 2020 and a CSA Town-Hall October 31

As most readers will be aware, CASCA has initiated the Long Range Plan consultations. The CSA is pleased to support these activities and will be hosting the LRP Panel and town-hall at CSA Headquarters in St-Hubert on Oct 31. For related information, please see the LRP contribution by Pauline Barmby in this issue of Cassiopeia.

The JCSA Consultation Committee

The current membership comprises:
Jason Rowe, Bishop U. (co-Chair)
Denis Laurin, CSA (co-Chair)
Renée Hlozek, U. of Toronto
Locke Spencer, U. of Lethbridge
Chris Willott, NRC Herzberg
Daryl Haggard, McGill U.
Jeremy Heyl, UBC

The last meeting was in Montreal just prior to the CASCA AGM. The next planned meeting will be by telecom in November or December 2019.

—————
Wishing everyone a colourful autumn,
Denis Laurin

President’s Report

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By / par Rob Thacker (CASCA President)
(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2019)

Dear CASCA Members,

I sincerely hope the Fall term has begun well for you. A new academic year can often bring new and unanticipated challenges. Most of the messages I’ve sent so far have been ones of acknowledgement and/or updates. In this message I thought I’d discuss some difficult issues we face as a scientific community.

I’m reasonably sure that many of us see astronomy as something that should bring people together, be it families, communities, even nations. My grandfather “Dadger” taught me some of the constellations and was the first person to show me a lunar eclipse (my roots are from a small fishing village). But going broader, every culture has their own sky lore and stories. Sharing them is potentially a way to build bridges and a starting point for wider discussions.

Yet that is really a modern viewpoint reflecting astronomy’s wider perception in western societies of having philosophical impacts that outweigh the practical. Of course, astronomy does have practical value today, but it is not immediately self-evident to many. Indeed, I visit Ottawa regularly to make astronomy’s practical implications more widely understood. But go back 100+ years and western astronomy played a very distinct role in ensuring security through timekeeping and the associated surveying. Its practical significance overshadowed its philosophical implications, and in many ways, it can be seen as a tool that furthered colonial agendas.

Therein lies a significant difference between our internal perception of our field vs that held by many scholars outside it. Astronomy is not measured solely by its current research outputs, as spectacular and awe-inspiring as they may be. As the facilities we build get larger, the nature of our field and the perceptions of it change. The term “astronomy industry” may garner a rueful smile when we read it, knowing as we do that our “product” is largely knowledge, and yet outside the field it is a term often used. Once projects reach the billion-dollar level that kind of language is not surprising.

Much of what I’m going to discuss finds genesis in the current TMT situation, but I’d like to take a step back and consider astronomy’s impact elsewhere. Having visited South Africa in 2016, I have found discussions of astronomy’s role within the country to offer several distinct and thought-provoking perspectives. See [1] and references therein for a detailed discussion social and political developments related to the SKA and astronomy within South Africa.

After years of apartheid, the Mandela and later governments sought to establish a “less militaristic” path forward and astronomy was chosen as one of the key science areas. The enormous internal changes going on in the country were also set against an increasingly global perspective, and a desire to position South Africa as an active and deserving member of the global knowledge economy. To this end, South Africa’s 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology includes the following passage:

“scientific endeavour is not purely utilitarian in its objectives and has important associated cultural and social values. It is also important to maintain a basic competence in ‘flagship’ sciences such as physics and astronomy for cultural reasons. Not to offer them would be to take a negative view of our future – the view that we are a second class nation, chained forever to the treadmill of feeding and clothing ourselves.”

In [1] the funding that resulted for astronomy is argued as being a result of “canny marketing of astronomy as a national ‘feel-good’ story.” This is not so much a criticism of the intentions of scientists, but rather an acknowledgement of political aspirations in a global context, and the endeavours of a number of key actors within the government.

Hidden in the above, is one of the greatest challenges astronomy faces. The international “mega-project” nature of many projects positions the field at a policy/social interface where global aspirations conflict against local. For optical astronomy the concerns can be localized to the site and local light ordinances. These can be highly complex of course, potentially having both environmental and human (land) rights concerns. However, for radio astronomy the need for low backgrounds can create severe constraints on local communication infrastructure across large areas. For the often economically disadvantaged communities in the Karoo that desire modern communication infrastructure, is it reasonable to tell them that they must forfeit a cellphone?

The South African government has decreed that areas of land can be set aside for astronomy projects. The “Astronomy Advantage Areas” are regions of land controlled for the purposes of scientific progress, while several key areas were also directly purchased. These decisions might seem a reasonable step to us as international collaborators, and indeed were done in consultation with the San Council and other groups representing interests in the Karoo. Numerous public consultations were held by the SKA. Yet we are very distant from the local concerns and aspirations of the Karoo communities who feel their voices were not heard.

Astronomy is firmly in an era where the “costs” involved go beyond just monetary, into the social, political and legal (human rights). Of course, there remain some places without human habitation, but for most of the remote places astronomy seeks to build infrastructure, there are indigenous peoples or local residents and questions we must face. While issues surrounding a given project/region are always distinct, they can span the spectrum of development concerns from too little to too much.

For all the challenges outlined here, I remain resolutely behind the scientific goals and the value of the knowledge being sought. I have conducted hundreds of interviews in support of the amazing research we do. But the routes to gaining this knowledge are becoming ever more layered and can have impacts that we may not anticipate. Precisely how the global to local interface is approached may become the defining factor in the future success of our field.

Ultimately, it is astronomy’s very nature to seek pristine and frequently remote lands for facilities. That means the issues we see being raised in Hawai’i, South Africa and other places are likely to become bigger concerns in the future. While we might look to political routes to solve these problems for us, the harsh reality is we are the individuals that develop and propose facility concepts. Engineers take ethics courses, have ethics committees review projects and undergo community consultations, but this is not a route to avoiding conflict or demonstrations. Just consider the many hydroelectric dam projects or oil pipelines that are contested. And to make matters even more complex, no society whether western or indigenous, is always uniform in its viewpoints. That said, I appreciate the issue of differences of viewpoints can be highly nuanced for indigenous peoples and profoundly influenced by colonial legacies.

Awareness and respect of local/cultural issues combined with truly active engagement and learning is something that we must continue to build. It’s one thing to say that knowledge from astronomy benefits everyone, but there’s a growing onus on astronomers to make connections that fulfil that promise.

[1] Cherryl Walker, Davide Chinigò & Saul Dubow (2019) Karoo Futures: Astronomy in Place and Space – Introduction, Journal of Southern African Studies, 45:4, 627-639

BRITE-Constellation Mission Update

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By / par Gregg Wade (Canadian PI for BRITE)
(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2019)

BRITEpatch

BRITE-Constellation is an international space astronomy mission consisting of a fleet of 20x20x20 cm nanosatellites dedicated to precision optical photometry of bright stars in two photometric colours. The mission continues in full science operations, with 38 data releases to BRITE target PIs having already taken place, and many datasets available in the public domain from the BRITE public archive.

The BRITE mission is a collaboration between Canadian, Austrian and Polish astronomers and space scientists. The Canadian partners represent University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, Bishop’s University, and Royal Military College of Canada. The mission was built, and the Canadian satellites operated, by the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies Space Flight Lab (UTIAS-SFL). The Canadian Space Agency funded the construction of the Canadian satellites, and continues to support their day-to-day operations.

Operations

There are five operating BRITE satellites in the Constellation, collecting data on various sky fields in a coordinated programme to obtain well-sampled, longterm continuous (~6 months) light curves in both red and blue bandpasses.

As this issue of Cassiopeia went to press, here was the status of the sky assignments for the BRITE nanosats:

  • BRITE Toronto (Canada): Toronto observes with a red filter. It is currently observing the Cyg/Lyr II field. As implied by the numeral ‘II’, the current campaign on this field represents a revisit of a previously-observed field.
  • BRITE Lem (Poland): Lem observes with a blue filter. It is also observing the Cyg/Lyr II field after successfully completing a campaign on the Sco II field.
  • BRITE Heweliusz (Poland): Heweliusz observes with a red filter. This satellite was observing the Sco II field, but those observations were recently interrupted in order to observe a Target of Opportunity.
  • BRITE Austria (Austria): BRITE Austria observes with a blue filter. It is observing the Sag V field.
  • UniBRITE (Austria): UniBRITE observes with a red filter. This satellite is currently idle due to unresolved ACS stability issues.

The BRITE Constellation observing programme complete to mid-2020 has been planned by the BRITE Executive Science Team (BEST), and details are available on the BRITE photometry Wiki page.

Recent Science Results

Figure 1 – The left column illustrates the heartbeat model fit to BRITE photometry obtained by 3 different satellites. The right column illustrates the fit to the various epochs of radial velocity measurements. From Pablo et al. (2019).


“Epsilon Lupi: measuring the heartbeat of a doubly magnetic massive binary with BRITE Constellation” (Pablo et al. 2019, MNRAS 488, 64). Epsilon Lupi A is a binary system consisting of two main-sequence early B-type stars Aa and Ab in a short period, moderately eccentric orbit. The close binary pair is the only doubly magnetic massive binary currently known. Using photometric data from the BRITE Constellation we identify a modest heartbeat variation. Combining the photometry with radial velocities of both components we determine a full orbital solution including empirical masses and radii. These results are compared with stellar evolution models as well as interferometry and the differences discussed. We also find additional photometric variability at several frequencies, finding it unlikely these frequencies can be caused by tidally excited oscillations. We do, however, determine that these signals are consistent with gravity mode pulsations typical for slowly pulsating B stars. Finally we discuss how the evolution of this system will be affected by magnetism, determining that tidal interactions will still be dominant.

Conferences, Resources and Social Media

Conferences

Figure 2 – Conference photo from “Stars and their Variability, Observed from Space”.

The BRITE team recently organized an highly successful conference entitled “Stars and their Variability, Observed from Space”, to celebrate the anniversary of BRITE-Constellation in Vienna, Austria from August 19 – 23, 2019. Over 250 participants from 47 countries attended.

Resources

The BRITE Public Data Archive, based in Warsaw, Poland, at the Nikolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre, can be accessed at brite.camk.edu.pl/pub/index.html.

The mission Wiki (including information on past, current and future fields) can be accessed at brite.craq-astro.ca/.

BRITE Constellation is on Facebook, at @briteconstellation.

The BRITE International Advisory Science Team

The BRITE International Advisory Science Team (BIAST), which consists of BRITE scientific PIs, technical authorities, amateur astronomers, and mission fans, advises the mission executive on scientific and outreach aspects of the mission. If you’re interested to join BIAST, contact Canadian BRITE PI Gregg Wade: wade-g@rmc.ca.

CATAC Update on the Thirty Meter Telescope

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By / par Michael Balogh (CATAC Chair)
(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2019)

There has been no TMT construction activity since protestors blocked the access road on July 17. The situation remains peaceful, as described in our recent CASCA circular. We continue to welcome your feedback and questions. A good place for factual information about the work TMT has done to engage the Hawaiian community and more is the website www.maunakeaandtmt.org.

CATAC remains strongly supportive of the TMT, and of the activities the Project has undertaken over the past decade to consult with and engage the Hawaiian community. It has become increasingly clear in recent weeks that the most prominent voices heard during the first days following the anticipated restart of construction are not representative of most Hawaiians, including the Native population. There is significant support for TMT on the Big Island of Hawaii, and more and more people are coming forward to say so. Furthermore, many of the concerns expressed by the protestors have little to do with TMT itself, leaving hope that there is a way to address those concerns and build TMT at the same time.

As CATAC reported previously, the alternative site, in the Canary Islands, would allow TMT to realize most of its exciting potential. In particular, the site characteristics for adaptive optics in the near infrared are very competitive with those of Maunakea. However, the lower altitude and higher humidity of the ORM site severely compromise observations in the ultraviolet and mid-infrared. These wavelength regimes enable some compelling science cases, including the search for biosignatures on exoplanets. There is no doubt that Maunakea is superior to ORM for science observations, and for this reason we hope that, following some further work and negotiation, it will be possible to undertake TMT construction with broad Hawaiian support.

As we wait for these events to unfold, we are conscious of the potential additional delay to a project that is already five years behind schedule. The consequences of this should be considered deeply as we move into the process for LRP2020. TMT will hopefully have a long and productive lifetime – 40 years or more – and will shape many future generations of Canadian astronomers. It is CATAC’s opinion that the impact of this delay must be considered within this broader context: we must not risk or sacrifice the long-term benefits of having access to the best possible observatory for future Canadians.

It is important also to not lose focus on the long term development of this project, and with that in mind we remind you that the next TMT Science Forum will be November 4—6 2019, in Xiamen, China. This forum is a great opportunity to participate in, and influence, teams developing the future instrumentation suite for TMT. ACURA will again be providing some travel support for University-based researchers to attend this meeting. Requests can be directed to mbalogh@uwaterloo.ca.

We have proposed that the next Science Forum, sometime in 2020, be held in Canada, and this proposal has been welcomed by the Science Advisory Committee. Stay tuned for details.

CATAC membership:
Michael Balogh (University of Waterloo), Chair, mbalogh@uwaterloo.ca
Bob Abraham (University of Toronto; TIO SAC)
Stefi Baum (University of Manitoba)
Laura Ferrarese (NRC)
David Lafrenière (Université de Montréal)
Harvey Richer (UBC)
Kristine Spekkens (Royal Military College of Canada)
Luc Simard (Director General of NRC-HAA, non-voting, ex-officio)
Don Brooks (Executive Director of ACURA, non-voting, ex-officio)
Rob Thacker (CASCA President, non-voting, ex-officio)
Kim Venn (Science Governor for Canada on TIO Governing Board, non-voting, ex-officio)
Stan Metchev (TIO SAC, non-voting, ex-officio)
Tim Davidge (TIO SAC Canadian co-chair; NRC, observer)
Greg Fahlman (NRC, observer)

Long Range Plan 2020 / Plan à long terme 2020

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From / de Pauline Barmby, Bryan Gaensler (LRP2020 co-chairs / co-présidents PLT2020)
(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2019)

La version française suit

Canadian astronomers are hard at work on their white papers for LRP 2020. The due date of Sept 30, 2019 means that it’s not too late to get involved; contact the lead authors and find out how you can contribute!

The next stage of LRP2020 will be a series of town halls, in Montréal (CSA Oct 31, downtown Nov 1), Toronto (Nov 12), Victoria (Nov 26), Vancouver (Nov 27), and Edmonton (Nov 29). The goal of the town halls is to inform the community about the breadth of our collective vision for the future as demonstrated in the white paper submissions, and to facilitate consideration of our priorities. Each town hall will have a science theme and a facilities theme as well as time for open discussion. Remote participation by videoconference will be enabled. Town hall agendas will be available by mid-October.

As always, the latest news on LRP2020 is available from the webpage, the Slack workspace and our Twitter handle @LRP2020. The panel can be contacted at panel@lrp2020.groups.io and the co-chairs at chairs@lrp2020.groups.io.

Les astronomes canadiens travaillent d’arrache-pied sur leurs livres blancs pour le PLT2020. L’échéance du 30 septembre 2019 signifie qu’il n’est pas trop tard pour vous impliquer; contactez les auteurs principaux et découvrez comment vous pouvez contribuer!

La prochaine étape de PLT2020 sera une série d’assemblées publiques, à Montréal (ASC le 31 octobre, centre-ville le 1er novembre), à Toronto (le 12 novembre), à Victoria (le 26 novembre), à Vancouver (le 27 novembre) et à Edmonton (le 29 novembre). L’objectif des assemblées publiques est d’informer la communauté sur l’ampleur de notre vision collective de l’avenir, telle que présentée dans les livres blancs soumis, et de faciliter l’examen de nos priorités. Chaque assemblée aura un thème scientifique et un thème d’installations ainsi que du temps pour une discussion ouverte. La participation à distance par vidéoconférence sera activée. Les ordres du jour des assemblées publiques seront disponibles à la mi-octobre.

Comme toujours, les nouvelles sur le PLT2020 peuvent être trouvées sur la page Web, à Slack, et sur Twitter @LRP2020. Le panel peut être contacté à panel@lrp2020.groups.io et les co-présidents à chairs@lrp2020.groups.io.