Untitled - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble
Untitled - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble
Untitled - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble
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and published 95 papers in four years.)<br />
Currently, un<strong>de</strong>r FP6, LAOG is a no<strong>de</strong> for two RTNs (“JetSet” and “Molecular Universe”) and a recently<br />
approved “Large Infrastructure” network (“Arena”, or “Astronomical Research Network in Antarctica”). In<br />
brief:<br />
• JetSet (Jet Simulation, Experiment, and Theory; PI T. Ray, Dublin.) This RTN (2004-2007) aims at<br />
a better un<strong>de</strong>rstanding of the physics of jets from young stars. Its originality stems from the fact that it<br />
brings together researchers that never worked together before: astronomers (observations), theoreticians (plasma<br />
experts), numericists, and experimentalists in fluid dynamics. All three thematic teams of LAOG have members<br />
in this network; its activities will be <strong>de</strong>scribed in more <strong>de</strong>tail in the FOST part.<br />
• Molecular Universe (PI X. Tielens, Groningen.) This RTN (2004-2007) brings together astronomers,<br />
mo<strong>de</strong>lists and experimentalists, as well as astrochemistry theoreticians, to better un<strong>de</strong>rstand the physics and<br />
chemistry of the <strong>de</strong>nse interstellar medium, all the way from molecular clouds to protostellar collapse and<br />
protostars. With its specific composition of experts both in mm-wave astronomy and theoretical chemistry, the<br />
Astromol team will bring a strong input into this network (see the Astromol part).<br />
• ARENA (Astronomy Research Network in Antarctica; PI N.Epchtein, Nice) This is a so-called “Large<br />
Infrastructure” network (2005-2008), with the goal of investigating the possibility to conduct intermediate- to<br />
large-scale astronomical projects using the French-Italian permanent scientific station “Concordia” at Dome C.<br />
LAOG is interested by the possibility to contribute to a medium-size interferometer. More <strong>de</strong>tails are given in<br />
the GRIL chapter.<br />
LAOG is also involved at high level in three “Joint Research Activities” (JRA) of “Opticon”, a large<br />
European, EC-fun<strong>de</strong>d collaboration:<br />
(i) adaptive optics (JRA1, Project Scientist: J.-L. Beuzit);<br />
(ii) interferometry (JRA4, PI: A. Chelli);<br />
(iii) <strong>de</strong>tectors (JRA2, PI: Ph. Feautrier).<br />
These JRAs are also <strong>de</strong>scribed in more <strong>de</strong>tail in the GRIL part.<br />
Within FP6, LAOG is again competing for a post-Young Stellar Clusters 12-laboratory RTN (“Constellation”;<br />
PI M. McCaughrean, Exeter), and will also compete for new Opticon funding (“Key Technologies for<br />
Astronomy”) in FP7 (starting in 2007).<br />
In addition to these network activities, which bring post-docs (RTNs) and a very significant funding (JRA),<br />
LAOG has a long-standing partnership with ESO (<strong>de</strong>livery of major instruments for the VLT), and with CNES<br />
and ESA (R&D contracts for Darwin, see <strong>de</strong>tails in the GRIL part; high-level involvement in the guaranteed<br />
time program of Herschel, see <strong>de</strong>tails in the Astromol part).<br />
1.3.5 Publicizing LAOG’s research: outreach and patents<br />
Part of our web site is accessible to the general public. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, and LAOG is<br />
very active in promoting astronomy to a wi<strong>de</strong> audience. Among the various public outreach actions un<strong>de</strong>rtaken<br />
these last few years, we can mention the following:<br />
• Actions in the LAOG building: weekly night observing sessions with our 40-cm telescope on its domed-roof,<br />
first initiated by Manuel Forestini), regular visits of the lab by high-school stu<strong>de</strong>nts;<br />
• Actions within OSUG: For promoting astronomy to a wi<strong>de</strong> audience, the collaboration with other laboratories<br />
of OSUG is very efficient and many actions have a common organization. For example, this is<br />
the case of the ”Fête <strong>de</strong> la Science”, organized each year in October at a single location for all OSUG<br />
activities.<br />
• Actions on the UJF campus: construction of the “Sentier Planétaire” (the Planetary Path), a scale mo<strong>de</strong>l<br />
of the solar system on the ground a few hundred meters in size (also initiated by Manuel Forestini);<br />
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