2007- 2016 Update to the Roadmap for Astronomy in Switzerland - EPFL
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Update to the
Roadmap for Astronomy
in Switzerland
2007– 2016
Update to the
Roadmap for Astronomy in Switzerland 2007–2016
CHAPS (College of Helvetic Astronomy Professors)
This Update to the Roadmap for Astronomy in Switzerland 2007-2016 was prepared by the following 2 Executive Summary
committee of editors: Chapter 1
4 Context and Background
Prof. W. Benz, University of Bern (Chair) Prof. G. Meylan, EPFL
Prof. C. Charbonnel, University of Geneva Prof. B. Moore, University of Zürich Chapter 2
Prof. M. Meyer, ETHZ 6 Swiss Astronomy in 2013
6 The Changing Landscape
The document was approved by CHAPS (College of Helvetic Astronomy Professors) on October 1, 2014. 8 Forward Look
The members of CHAPS are:
Chapter 3
Antusch Stefan, University of Basel 10 Recommendations
Baudis Laura, University of Zürich 1 3 Additional Observations
Benz Willy, University of Bern
Appendix 1: Summary of Achievements since the 2007 Roadmap
Binggeli Bruno, University of Basel
Carollo Marcella, ETH Zürich 14 Theme 1: Fundamental physics
Charbonnel Corinne, University of Geneva 15 Theme 2: Origins – stars, galaxies, the evolving Universe
Courvoisier Thierry, University of Geneva 17 Theme 3: Planets and the emergence of life
Durrer Ruth, University of Geneva 19 Theme 4: Our home and the impact of space environment on Earth
Jaeggi Adrian, University of Bern
Appendix 2: Summary of near- and mid-term perspectives
Jetzer Philippe, University of Zürich
Lake George, University of Zürich 20 Theme 1: Fundamental Physics
Lilly Simon, ETH Zürich 22 Theme 2: Origins – stars, galaxies and the evolving Universe
Meyer Michael, ETH Zürich 24 Theme 3: Planets and the emergence of life
Meylan Georges, EPFL Versoix 25 Theme 4: Our home and the impact of the space environment on Earth
Meynet Georges, University of Geneva 26 Numerical simulations
Montaruli Teresa, University of Geneva Appendix 3
Moore Ben, University of Zürich
28 List of Acronyms
Pepe Francesco, University of Geneva
Pfenniger Daniel, University of Geneva 30 Imprint, Credits
Queloz Didier, University of Geneva
Refregier Alexandre, ETH Zürich
Riotto Antonio, University of Geneva,
Schaerer Daniel, University of Geneva
Schildknecht Thomas, University of Bern
Schmid Hans Martin, ETH Zürich
Schmutz Werner, Physical-Meteorological Observatory Davos
Shaposhnikov Mikhail, Laboratory of Cosmology EPFL, Lausanne
Steinacher Martin, State Secretariat for Education and Research Bern
Teyssier Romain, University of Zürich
Thielemann Friedrich-Karl, University of Basel
Thomas Nicolas, University of Bern, University of Geneva
Von Steiger Rudolf, University of Bern
Wurz Peter, University of Bern
December 2014
Cover picture: Marsflash
© T. Credner & S. Kohle, AlltheSky.com
Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 1
Executive Summary
The Roadmap for Astronomy in Switzerland 2007- and/or industrial landscape in which projects are Recommendation 4 be beneficial. Among these additional facilities, the
2016 aimed at providing a framework in which carried out adapts. Seven years after the publica- Given the size and number of instruments fore- Swiss astronomy community considers SKA and
Swiss astronomy could optimally develop by point- tion of the original Roadmap, changes have been seen for the future world-leading astronomical fa- LSST as scientifically most attractive at present. It
ing out the strength of the system and providing significant enough that the need was felt for a cilities, at least a doubling of the FLARE support is imperative that the cost of joining one of these
detailed recommendations for further improving its re-assessment while awaiting the next full Road- for astronomical instrumentation is required. Fur- new projects be covered through newly available
coherence and impact. Many of the successes map foreseen for 2017. ther, the rules governing FLARE should be adapt- funding and not at the expense of the active Swiss
achieved since are directly or indirectly related to This exercise led to a number (8) of key ed to better reflect the constraints imposed by the participation in ESO or ESA.
the recommendations issued at the time. findings that capture key aspects of Swiss astron- long-term nature of these projects.
Modern space- and ground-based astron- omy today. Each finding is followed by a recom- Finding 7
omy, with its major research infrastructures and/or mendation. Together, these recommendations aim Finding 5 The recent successes of Swiss scientists in pro-
platforms being planned and built within interna- at continuing building the framework laid down by Some areas of astrophysical research can be best posing, and building (with the help of industry)
tional collaborations, continues to evolve over time. the 2007 Roadmap. addressed through the participation in projects space experiments have been such that efforts are
Boundary conditions change and the academic taking place outside the framework of ESO. now being funding limited.
Recommendation 5 Recommendation 7
List of findings and recommendations Financial support should be made available for Maintaining Swiss leadership in space sciences
small to medium-size projects carried out beyond and technology requires an increase of 50% in
Finding 1 Recommendation 2 the traditional ESO boundaries. This support PRODEX funding over the next five-year period.
The breadth of Swiss astronomy is impressive and While scientific excellence must be the ultimate cri- should be flexible in both its purpose and its use
has even grown since the formulation of the teria, projects of equal merit should be preferred if: with the goal to extend research infrastructures to Finding 8
Roadmap for Swiss Astronomy 2007-2016. This areas outside the main focus of ESO. In comparison to other countries of similar size
diversity in scientific interests calls for diversity in a. They establish or strengthen the scientific (e.g. Belgium), Switzerland’s ability to fund activi-
capabilities, realised through space- and ground- leadership of Switzerland in an area Finding 6 ties outside the framework of ESA is severely lim-
based telescopes and instrumentation, as well as b. They address the needs of a broad com- At present, participation in some of the new large ited. In addition, funding of auxiliary technical ac-
in theoretical and computational developments in- munity astronomical facilities of the future is done at the tivities (for ESA and non-ESA missions) that are
cluding specialised analysis tools needed to deal c. They are being carried out within the frame- level of individual research groups or through ad not directly related to the building of experiments
with very large datasets. This diversity is also an work of ESA and/or ESO hoc collaborations that benefit in a concomitant (e.g. software development) is also needed.
important asset within the framework of interna- way.
tional agencies, which set priorities for major pro- Finding 3 Recommendation 8
jects. Defining a single national priority is impossi- A strong ESO remains the greatest asset for Recommendation 6 A 50% funding increase of the “National Comple-
ble without excluding a large fraction of the Swiss ground-based astronomy. A federated participation by Switzerland in some of menting Activities” over the next 5 years is nec-
astronomy community and disregarding past in- these future large projects, guaranteeing access to essary.
vestments. Recommendation 3 all researchers working at Swiss institutions, would
ALMA in full routine operation mode, a timely and
Recommendation 1 successful completion of the E-ELT with a power-
The diversity of astronomical research in Switzer- ful suite of instruments, and the VLT remaining a
land should be preserved through the concurrent world-leading observatory in the E-ELT era remain
support for participation in multiple large projects top priorities for Swiss astronomers. Within ESO,
having different science goals with significant Switzerland should continue to provide strong
Swiss participation. support for these facilities.
Finding 2 Finding 4
As future projects worldwide grow in size and The participation by research teams in instrument
complexity, significant Swiss participation in those building consortia enables access to significant
most essential will increasingly strain available amounts of observing time needed to maintain sci-
funding and make prioritisation necessary. entific leadership. This trend is likely to grow even
more in the future, in particular with the E-ELT.
2 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 3
Chapter 1 Chapter 1
1. Context and Background
Astronomical research is a highly competitive en- be based. The Roadmap identified four scientific and cosmology, as well as cosmic ray astrophysics of the research methods used. As a result, we have
deavour in which excellence is essential for pro- themes unifying both past achievements and future and neutrino astrophysics. There are also close excluded from our main considerations ground-
gress. In such an environment, success does not potentials: ties between nuclear physics and the astrophysics based gamma-ray observatories, neutrino observa-
come by chance. Success requires dedicated and of stars and stellar explosions. Planetary astro- tories, and other subjects more closely related to
innovative people working within an appropriate ■ Theme 1: Fundamental physics physics has strongly allied interests with geophys- particle physics and/or geophysics.
framework in which talents can blossom. The ■ Theme 2: Origins – stars, galaxies and the ics while the growing interest in the development To carry out the task of updating the
Roadmap for Astronomy in Switzerland 2007- evolving Universe of the conditions necessary for the emergence of roadmap, CHAPS appointed an editing committee
2016 aimed at providing such a framework by ■ Theme 3: Planets and the emergence of life Life has spawned a vigorous new field of astrobiol- in charge of preparing a draft document, which
pointing out the strength of the system and provid- ■ Theme 4: Our home and the impact of the ogy, bringing together astrophysics, chemistry and would provide the basis for the update of the 2007
ing detailed recommendations for further improv- space environment on Earth. biology. These scientific interconnections will pro- Roadmap. The editing committee was also re-
ing its coherence and impact. vide much of the excitement and relevance of 21st quested to proceed bottom-up and offered the
In 2007, the pressing need for a Roadmap In addition, synergies within and across these century astrophysics. Nevertheless, to define our community several opportunities to provide input.
for Astronomy was felt at government, funding themes were recognised and encouraged as a way community and our ambitions, we are forced to This exercise was carried out during the fall 2013
agency and institute levels to: to breakout of the traditional research habits. Final- limit the scope of our strategic considerations. Fol- and through the first half of 2014 and led to the
ly, in a set of findings followed by recommenda- lowing the approach used in the 2007 Roadmap, present document, which was approved by
■
Plan effective investment in research projects tions, the Roadmap identified a number of priorities these boundaries have again been set on the basis CHAPS on Oct. 1, 2014.
and long duration infrastructures that carry a and measures to maximise future impact while op-
significant cost timising human and financial resources.
■ Set priorities for the future directions and Seven years after the publication of the
facilities of the European organizations ESO 2007 Roadmap, Swiss astronomy has expanded
and ESA significantly and established and/or consolidated its
■ Provide input to a European-wide vision for leadership in a number of areas (see Appendix 1). This image of the Cygnus X complex, taken with ESA’s
astrophysics Many of these successes are directly or indirectly Herschel Space Observatory at far-infrared wavelengths,
shows how young, massive stars are carving an intricate
■ Coordinate activities in education and related to the recommendations issued at the time. network of bubbles, filaments and pillars in this very
outreach These stressed the need for additional coordina- rich stellar nursery.
■ Provide a national context for decisions at the tion and collaborations, for additional funding al-
local level. lowing for participation in major projects, for a
strong effort in theory and computational work, to
The 2007 Roadmap was prepared by the 21 name a few. Together, these recommendations
elected Professors in Astrophysics at Swiss uni- have helped build a framework that enabled Swiss
versities, plus representatives of three independ- astronomy to reach new heights.
ent laboratories: IRSOL, ISSI, and PMOD/ Modern ground- or space-based astrono-
WRC. This was the first time that astronomy or- my, with its major research infrastructures and/or
ganised itself at national level to review its cur- platforms being planned and built within interna-
rent activities and future ambitions in order to tional collaborations, continues to evolve over time.
develop a coherent vision of astrophysics in Boundary conditions change and the academic
Switzerland. CHAPS (the College of Helvetic and/or industrial landscape in which projects are
Astronomy Professors) was established to carry carried out adapts. Seven years after the publica-
out this exercise and constitutes since then the tion of the original Roadmap, changes have been
body in which these issues continue to be dis- significant enough that CHAPS felt the need for a
cussed and major priorities defined. re-assessment while awaiting the next full Roadm-
The Roadmap highlighted the strong foun- ap foreseen for 2017.
dations of Swiss astrophysics. Research groups As already noted in the 2007 Roadmap,
have established international presence in many of astronomy, or astrophysics, does not have sharply
the most current areas of research. This strength defined boundaries. It is intertwined with many oth-
and vigorous activity provides the foundation upon er branches of science. Currently, there is a par-
which the future directions of the community can ticularly strong synergy between particle physics
4 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 5
Chapter 2
Swiss Astronomy in 2013
2.1 The Changing Landscape
Since the writing of the Roadmap in 2007, the On a European scale, the most important single CHEOPS is the first small mission in ESA’s Science
Swiss astrophysics Landscape has changed signif- event that will be shaping Swiss astronomy for Programme and is jointly led by Switzerland. CHEOPS will
target nearby bright stars that are already known to have
icantly, both nationally and internationally. In Swit- years to come was the decision by the ESO Mem- exoplanets in orbit around them, in order to provide new
zerland, a number of new research groups were ber States to go ahead with the project to build a insight into the characteristics of those planets.
established; each has led, or will be leading, to the 39m telescope in Chile (the European-Extremely
appointment of at least one new professor: Large Telescope, in short E-ELT) even without the
formal ratification of the Brazilian accession being
■ Star and Planet Formation Group at the ETH completed. In the 2007 Roadmap, the E-ELT was
Zürich (2009) singled out as the most important priority for Swiss
■ High-Energy Heliophysics Group at the ground-based astronomy. The decision to proceed
FHNW (2010) with the project is therefore most welcome by the
■ Center for Space and Habitability at the Uni- Swiss astrophysics community.
versity of Bern (2011) Switzerland has a rich tradition of success
■ Astroparticle Physics / Cosmology Group at in both ground- and space-based instrumentation.
the University of Basel (2011) The period since the publication of the 2007
■ Fundamental Cosmology Group, ETH Zürich Roadmap has been particularly successful in terms
(2011) of significant Swiss participation in new large pro-
■ High Energy Multi-messenger Astrophysics jects, ground-based and space-based. This suc-
Group, University of Geneva (2011) cess relies on scientific leadership, technological
■ NCCR PlanetS at its leading houses (Univer- capacities in instrument building, and appropriate
sities of Bern and Geneva in 2014) funding through the FLARE (formerly FINES),
PRODEX, and “National Complementing Activi-
In addition, new professors were also appointed in ties” (NCA) programmes.
already existing research groups thereby strength- Following the recommendation of the
ening local priorities in the corresponding fields of 2007 Roadmap, the budgets of PRODEX and
research: NCA have been increased. This has led to the pos-
sibility for Switzerland to become involved in the
■ Exoplanets, University of Geneva (2007) development of several space instruments and
■ Galaxies and Cosmology, University of mission ground segments to an extent never possi-
Geneva (2008) ble before. Unfortunately, the funding available to
■ Exoplanets, University of Geneva (2011) finance the development of ground-based instru-
■ Stellar Physics, University of Geneva (2011) mentation (FLARE) did not follow the same evolu-
■ Computational Astrophysics, University of tion. In light of the increased complexity of the
Zürich (2013) instrumentation foreseen for the E-ELT, while con-
currently maintaining the VLT and its instrumenta-
While new professors were appointed and new tion at the forefront of modern astronomy, this lack
groups were established, others where terminat- of funding increase will lead to a critical situation in
ed. The Institute for Astronomy at the University of the near future. In the current international astro-
Basel was closed with some of its activities being nomical context, the active participation in the
transferred to the physics department. The solar building of instruments is the only way to guarantee
physics group at the ETHZ was dissolved with a significant share of the observation time, priority
part of its activities transferred to FHNW and IR- access to data, and hence the largest possible sci-
SOL. With this termination solar physics is no entific return. This is bound to be especially true for
longer represented at a Swiss university. the E-ELT.
6 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 7
Chapter 2 Chapter 2
2.2. Forward Look scientific interests is helpful, to ensure that scien- projects, and these projects are spread over all
tists working at Swiss institutions can take best four scientific themes. While some are multi-pur-
Progress in astronomy is in a large part driven by the servational facilities of ESO and ESA, as well as ESA advantage of the missions and facilities that are pose observatories (e.g. JWST, Gaia, Euclid) oth-
development and availability of major ground-based space platforms for in situ space research. While the implemented by ESO and ESA. Figure 1 displays ers are quite specialised and address specific bod-
infrastructures and space missions. Switzerland par- Swiss research community has a direct influence on the various large projects with major Swiss involve- ies (e.g. Rosetta, BepiColombo, JUICE) or carry
ticipates in these major international projects through the direction of ESO and ESA, decisions made are ment that are currently underway or which are out specific measurements (e.g. ESPRESSO,
its membership in organisations such as ESO and ultimately based on the aspirations of all the partners planned to become operational within the next CHEOPS, MOONS). The large number of instru-
ESA. These organisations provide the basis for a throughout Europe. This means that the Swiss com- decade and for which work is already being carried ments and missions with significant Swiss implica-
large part of the experimental and observational as- munity must retain some flexibility to respond to the out today (see Appendix 2). This figure illustrates tions mirrors the breadth of Swiss astronomy.
trophysical research. Swiss astronomers make ef- changing international context in which it operates. several important aspects of modern astronomical While Figure 1 shows the projects that are
fective and high profile use of the common-user ob- To achieve this, maintaining a wide range of Swiss research. In particular, the figure shows that large on the horizon today, work is already being carried
projects require considerable advance planning out to define projects and missions that are even
and sizeable amount of work to be carried out be- beyond today’s horizon. Such preparatory work is
EPICS fore participation in the mission is secured and sci- essential to position Swiss teams for participation
2025 entific data are obtained. They represent true in the most interesting future developments. For
JUICE
longterm investments in the future. brevity these “still beyond the horizon” projects
Plato
HiRes
2024 Swiss astronomers have been successful and missions are not discussed, but definition
METIS
SKA in getting involved in a significant number of large work takes place in all four themes.
L3: Gravitational waves
2023
2022
E_ELT
2021
The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA),
LSST showing the telescope’s antennas under a breathtaking
2020 starry night sky. Located on the Chajnantor Plateau at an
PROBA-3
Euclid elevation of 5000 metres, ALMA is the world’s most powerful
MOONS
telescope for studying the Universe at submillimetre and
2019
millimetre wavelengths.
DESI
JWST
NORSAT-1
2018 CHEOPS Solar
ERIS
Athena
2017 Orbiter
2016 LISA ESPRESSO BepiColombo
2015 Pathfinder Muse
ALMA
Rosetta
2014
VLT Gaia
DES
Large Instruments and space misions
Infrastructures
all Themes 1 Theme 1& 2 Themes 2 Theme 2 & 3 Theme 3 Themes 4
themes Fundamental Origins of stars, Planets and the our home and the
Physics galaxis, and the emergence of life impact of the space
evolving Univers enviroment on Earth
Fig.1: On-going and future large projects within the four vertical bars are projects for which the funding of the Swiss
themes. Displayed are all activities within the boundaries of contribution is only partially secured or not yet requested. In
the update – with significant Swiss involvement either existing these boxes, dark colours indicate that the instrument is oper-
or in relatively advanced stages of planning. Projects in red ating on the telescope or the mission is flying, light colours
are those already mentioned in the 2007 Roadmap, while show preparation activities. Large international ground-based
those in blue are new ones. Missions or projects within the facilities are indicated in the left column in black.
8 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 9
Chapter 3 Chapter 3
3. Recommendations
In 2007, the “Roadmap for Swiss Astronomy” is- tronomy community are considered, is essential to questions in astronomy, the VLT and its suite of The success of the VLT as an observatory – in
sued a set of recommendations, which defined the build on past investments, as well as focus invest- instruments will remain the workhorse facility for terms of science output – is based on a model in
priorities for the period 2007-2016. The recom- ments to create an even brighter future. Here we most astronomers. This implies continued invest- which ESO and instrument-building consortia
mendations in this update take into account re- issue several findings of fact and resulting recom- ment in new instruments, as well as maintaining drawn from the scientific community of Member
cent achievements and the evolution of the nation- mendations for action aimed a achieving this. We the existing infrastructure. States work together to build powerful instru-
al and international landscape. A global strategic close with a few additional observations. ments. The consortia, which invest significant
approach, in which the strengths of the Swiss as- Finding 3 resources, are rewarded with large amounts of
A strong ESO remains the greatest asset for Guaranteed Time Observing (GTO) once the in-
3.1 Large international projects in general Swiss ground-based astronomy. strument is on the telescope. FLARE (and previ-
ously FINES) have allowed Swiss astronomers to
Astronomy covers a broad area of natural sciences Recommendation 1 Recommendation 3 use this approach extremely successfully in the
(see also Appendices 1 & 2). While the understand- The diversity of astronomical research in Switzer- ALMA in full routine operation mode, a timely and past (e.g. HARPS and the discovery of exoplanets
ing of the formation and evolution of the Universe as land should be preserved through the concurrent successful completion of the E-ELT with a power- with masses approaching that of Earth). The new
a whole (including galaxies, stars, planets) repre- support for participation in multiple large projects ful suite of instruments, and the VLT remaining a VLT instruments, with important FLARE-funded
sents its classical core, modern astronomy also in- having different science goals with significant world-leading observatory in the E-ELT era remain Swiss participation that have just been commis-
cludes aspects of chemistry, geophysics and even Swiss participation. top priorities for Swiss astronomers. Within ESO, sioned or will be in the near future (e.g. MUSE,
biology. Its diverse multi-disciplinary nature distin- The most pressing scientific questions, which are Switzerland should continue to provide strong SPHERE, ESPRESSO), promise similar large re-
guishes it from other sciences in which large invest- also of great public interest, require ever more so- support for these facilities. wards for Switzerland.
ments in infrastructure are also necessary (e.g. par- phisticated capabilities: the needed infrastructures
ticle physics). Over the years, in order to avoid come at a cost. The past and present investments
duplication of efforts, Swiss astronomy research by Switzerland in astronomical research have been European Extremely Large Telescope, this revolutionary new
ground-based telescope concept will have a 39-metre
groups have specialised, realising a diverse land- remarkable. This has allowed unprecedented in-
main mirror (made of nearly 800 hexagonal mirrors) and will be
scape. volvement by Swiss teams in the largest ground- the largest optical/near-infrared telescope in the world:
and space-based projects and has led to great the world’s biggest eye on the sky
Finding 1 scientific successes for Switzerland.
The breadth of Swiss astronomy is impressive and
has even grown since the formulation of the Finding 2
Roadmap for Swiss Astronomy 2007-2016. This As future projects worldwide grow in size and com-
diversity in scientific interests calls for diversity in plexity, significant Swiss participation in those most
capabilities, realised through ground- and space- essential will increasingly strain available funding
based telescopes and instrumentation, as well as and make prioritisation necessary.
in theoretical and computational developments in-
cluding specialised analysis tools needed to deal Recommendation 2
with very large datasets. This diversity is also an While scientific excellence must be the ultimate cri-
important asset within the framework of interna- terion, projects of equal merit should be preferred if:
tional agencies, which set priorities for major pro- a They establish or strengthen the scientific
jects. Defining a single national priority is impossi- leadership of Switzerland in an area
ble without excluding a large fraction of the b They address the needs of a broad community
astronomy community and disregarding past in- c They are being carried out within the frame-
vestments. work of ESA and/or ESO
3.2. Ground-based astronomical instrumentation
The availability of the VLT to ALMA, and eventually state-of-the-art instruments covering a broad range
to the E-ELT, provides Swiss astronomers with ac- of wavelengths. While the E-ELT will be used to
cess to the worlds’ most powerful telescopes and address some of the most pressing scientific
10 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 11
Chapter 3 Chapter 3
Finding 4 the traditional ESO boundaries. This support Finding 7 orbital rocket launch, and other bilateral collabora-
The participation by research teams in instrument should be flexible in both its purpose and its use The recent successes of Swiss scientists in pro- tions (e.g. Russia, China) are under-exploited:
building consortia enables access to significant with the goal to extend research infrastructures to posing, and building (with the help of industry) their number and complexity promise to increase
amounts of observing time needed to maintain areas outside the main focus of ESO. space experiments have been such that efforts are in the future as more space-fairing nations emerge.
scientific leadership. This trend is likely to grow now being funding limited.
even more in the future, in particular with the There are several new large international projects Finding 8
E-ELT. (including, but not limited to SKA, LSST, NOEMA) Recommendation 7 In comparison to other countries of similar size
currently under development, which are likely to Maintaining Swiss leadership in space sciences (e.g. Belgium), Switzerland’s ability to fund activi-
Recommendation 4 become major facilities in the future. For example, and technology requires an increase of 50% in ties outside the framework of ESA is severely lim-
Given the size and number of instruments fore- SKA will represent a huge leap forward in under- PRODEX funding over the next five-year period. ited. In addition, funding of auxiliary technical ac-
seen for the future world-leading astronomical fa- standing the early Universe and large-scale struc- Over the years, Swiss teams have also developed tivities (for ESA and non-ESA missions) that are
cilities, at least a doubling of the FLARE support ture formation, in relation to the formation and evo- essential competences in other areas critical to not directly related to the building of experiments
for astronomical instrumentation is required. Fur- lution of galaxies. With the changing landscape of success in space-based research, such as ground (e.g. software development) is also needed.
ther, the rules governing FLARE should be adapt- Swiss astronomy, the scientific interest in SKA has segment software. These activities, which also re-
ed to better reflect the constraints imposed by the grown significantly since the 2007 Roadmap. The quire long-term commitments, fit only with difficul- Recommendation 8
long-term nature of these projects. LSST will also impact all areas of astrophysics ty within the PRODEX programme. Furthermore, A 50% funding increase of the “National Com-
when data become available in fifteen years. innovative ways to conduct novel astrophysics ex- plementing Activities” over the next 5 years is
Outside the ESO framework, there are compelling periments from balloon-based platforms, sub- necessary.
small to medium projects that do not duplicate the Finding 6
ESO infrastructures and represent unique and At present, participation in some of the new large 3.4 Additional Observations
cost-effective opportunities for Swiss astrono- astronomical facilities of the future is done at the
mers. In addition to instrumentation, software de- level of individual research groups or through ad We also offer these three additional observations, Observation 2
velopment, as well as contributions to capital costs hoc collaborations that benefit in a concomitant way. which describe important aspects of science fund- In a research landscape shaped in part by large-
granting access to data, are diverse ways in which ing in Switzerland as it relates to astrophysics. scale projects, the availability of a permanent and
Swiss astronomers can consolidate scientific lead- Recommendation 6 These observations should be considered in any highly skilled staff is essential. In Switzerland, only
ership in specialised areas. A federated participation by Switzerland in some of global strategic review of national priorities for Universities, ETHs, and FHS can ensure the avail-
these future large projects, guaranteeing access to Swiss astrophysics, but do not come associated ability of such staff.
Finding 5 all researchers working at Swiss institutions, would with actionable recommendations for SERI or
Some areas of astrophysical research can be best be beneficial. Among these additional facilities, the SNSF. Observation 3
addressed through the participation in projects Swiss astronomy community considers SKA and Full access to European programmes is necessary
taking place outside the framework of ESO. LSST as scientifically most attractive at present. It Observation 1 to remain embedded in the European astronomi-
is imperative that the cost of joining one of these In Switzerland, the funding for large projects is de- cal research community. Furthermore, the ability
Recommendation 5 new projects be covered through newly available coupled from the funding supporting their scientif- to attract and eventually lead European projects
Financial support should be made available for funding and not at the expense of the active Swiss ic exploitation through data analysis and theoreti- has become a benchmark, by which quality
small to medium size projects carried out beyond participation in ESO or ESA. cal or computational investigations. The funding and competitiveness of research in a country is
for this exploitation comes in a large part through evaluated.
competitive project grants from SNSF. Hence,
3.3 Space-based missions and experiments
SNSF plays a central role in adding scientific val-
Participation in the ESA Science Programme is the payload elements or even in leading an entire mis- ue to the investments made in large projects and
major way in which Swiss astronomers, solar physi- sion (CHEOPS) has been made possible by the infrastructures.
cists, and planetary scientists obtain access to data PRODEX programme and/or the “National Comple-
produced by revolutionary capabilities in space. By menting Activities” (NCA). In addition, PRODEX
participating in the development of space-based in- funding, by requiring a substantial (50% or more)
struments, they have not only a privileged access to industrial participation in projects, naturally creates
the data but also gain a better understanding of how close ties between academia and industry and pro-
to best exploit them – thereby gaining a strong com- motes technology transfer.
petitive advantage. Participation in building mission
12 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 13
Appendix 1 Appendix 1
Appendix 1: Summary of achievements
since the 2007 Roadmap
Switzerland is a fertile ground for astrophysics and national landscape, as well as the possibility for tru- 2. Theme 2: Origins – stars, galaxies and the evolving Universe
the research community is characterised by diver- ly novel ideas to be pursued. This mix is illustrated
sity and excellence. A healthy mix of projects car- by this short summary of scientific achievements We live in a Universe that changes with time as questions, such as the physics of matter at extreme
ried out by individuals as well as large consortia since the publication of the 2007 Roadmap. structures form and evolve. Stars are the building densities via the determination of pulsar/neutron
provides the flexibility to adapt to a changing inter- blocks of the visible Universe. Over the history of the star radii, general relativistic effects in the vicinity of
Universe, they have produced most of the chemical black holes, accretion and jet formation, the role of
elements, and released them in winds or powerful feedback from supermassive black holes in the evo-
1. Theme 1: Fundamental Physics
explosions. Their newly synthesised and often radio- lution of galaxies and galaxy clusters, as well as the
Astrophysics can be either the application of phys- the spectral index of primordial fluctuations and, active elements imprint in the interstellar medium build-up of the largest cosmological structures and
ical laws to cosmic phenomena, or the use of cos- together with additional astrophysical data, the the detailed traces of stellar evolution and provide a the re-ionisation of the Universe.
mic phenomena to extend our knowledge of phys- current best constraints on the mass of the natural clock to mark the passage of time. Since Swiss research in galaxy formation and evo-
ical laws. While the former is evident, the latter neutrinos. 2007, Swiss astronomers have exploited with great lution has continued at the forefront of the field.
comes from the fact that astrophysical environ- In 2011, the Nobel Prize in physics was success world-class ground- and space-based ob- Combining the deepest ground-based (VLT+) and
ments can be so extreme that physical conditions attributed for the discovery of dark energy resulting servatories, and fundamental theoretical break- Hubble Space Telescope observations, Swiss as-
unattainable in our laboratories can be examined in an accelerated expansion of the Universe. Ad- throughs were obtained thanks to the development tronomers have successfully participated in search-
and new insights about the nature of the funda- dressing the question of its nature requires wide- of sophisticated models of the sun, stars, and stellar es for the most distant galaxies in the Universe and
mental forces or laws of Nature can be gained. field galaxy surveys carried out from the ground explosions that probe stars as high-energy laborato- led discoveries about their physical nature. This has
Probably the most extreme example of and from space. Swiss teams are heavily involved ries of physical processes. This led to a number of provided a unique view on the first objects formed
such conditions is the Big Bang itself, and the rap- in current and upcoming ground-based experi- major contributions both observational and theoreti- shortly after the Big Bang, at the end of the dark
id expansion of the early Universe that followed: ments, such such as DES, BOSS, DESI and LSST. cal in a wide range of topics in stellar evolution (in- ages and well within the era of cosmic re-ionisation.
the so-called inflation phase. During inflation, Switzerland is also deeply involved in the ESA Eu- cluding the sun) as well as in the dynamical and The MUSE instrument on the ESO VLT, which has
quantum fluctuations are amplified and, as the Uni- clid mission. Euclid will observe 15000 square de- chemical evolution of the Universe at all scales. seen first-light at the beginning of 2014, will be a
verse expands and cools, finally result in classical grees, in visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Among the many highlights in this domain we can unique facility in the next decade to study the galaxy
density fluctuations. This is the time at which the Several Swiss institutes are directly involved in the quote the challenging numerical simulations incor- populations emerging from the re-ionisation epoch.
structure of the future observable Universe is preparation of the mission through essential activi- porating complex magneto-hydrodynamical pro- Another major step forward for Swiss astronomers
being defined and baryogenesis is being complet- ties related to theory, observations, simulations, cesses that have finally led to successful supernova will come with MOONS, the next generation mul-
ed. Testing this phase in the laboratory would re- data reduction, and hardware. explosions, and the spinstar model proposed for the ti-object infrared spectrograph on the VLT. MOONS
quire energies 10 billion times larger than those The bulk of the mass of our galaxy is in the first stars in the Universe, which opened new views will enter operation in 2018 and will survey the gal-
currently reached at CERN’s Large Hadron Collid- form of dark matter. The identification of the nature on how these element factories enriched, and axy population at a look-back time of over 10 billion
er (LHC). of dark matter is one of the main challenges of helped ionise sub-structures in the early Universe. years with the same level of precision that today can
Swiss research groups located through- modern physics. Astronomical observations in the Following the recommendation of the Roadmap, a be achieved in nearby galaxies. Further ahead, up-
out the country are developing relevant theories X-ray and gamma-ray domain, and with neutrinos, national school in astrophysics entitled “Stars and coming facilities such as the JWST, E-ELT, and SKA
and means to test them with great successes. Ac- are our few chances for such an identification Supernovae” was organised within the Stellar Evo- are expected to revolutionise our knowledge of the
curate measurement of the anisotropies and polar- (along with the complementary direct detection lution Network and held in 2012. very early phases of galaxy formation.
isation of the Cosmic Microwave Background searches and particle collider experiments). Over Since its launch in 2002, the ESA satellite Switzerland also plays a major role in the
(CMB), such as those provided by the ESA Planck the last years X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes mission INTEGRAL has played an important role in Gaia mission, which was launched in 2013, and
satellite, is the best window into the Universe at have started to search for the signal from interac- the development of high-energy astrophysics in which will map the entire Milky Way galaxy. Swiss
very high energies. Swiss research teams partici- tions of dark matter particles (decay and/or annihi- Switzerland. Together with the other currently avail- astronomers were selected to lead the “Variability”
pated in the mission and are still active in the cos- lations) in the halo of the Milky Way, from the galac- able X-ray observatories, especially XMM-Newton, Coordination Unit (managing and coordination of
mological analysis and interpretation of the data. tic centre and other nearby structures. Swiss they have led to considerable progress in our under- 18 European institutes) within the Gaia Data Pro-
Planck currently yields the most precise determi- researchers are successfully contributing to this standing of neutron star and black hole powered cessing and Analysing Consortium of the Gaia mis-
nation of the age of the Universe (although with the on-going search, which results in significant tight- phenomena such as pulsars, supernovae remnants, sion. This coordination effort will provide a valuable
use of priors), of the spatial curvature of the Uni- ening of bounds on parameters of particle models gamma-ray burst as well as of X-ray binaries, active database for studying time-dependent phenomena
verse, of the amount of baryons in the Universe, of of dark matter. galactic nuclei, and galaxy clusters. The outstanding in all phases of stellar evolution.
success of the current generation of X-ray observa- The exchange of gas between galaxies and
tories has transformed X-ray astronomy into an es- their surroundings is central to their evolution: infall-
sential tool for the understanding of fundamental ing material fuels star formation, while energy injec-
14 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 15
Appendix 1 Appendix 1
tion from massive stars and supernovae may regu- epochs of evolution of the Universe, was found via how star formation proceeds on a galactic scale. the visible and infrared. However, the spectrum of
late further star formation. Enriched material has observations with gamma-ray telescopes. Very Work continues to understand the dependence of EBL is measured indirectly by gamma-ray tele-
been seen in absorption for many years in the inter- high-energy gamma-rays propagating from extraga- outcomes of star formation in local environments scopes, via the effect of absorption of the highest
galactic medium at high redshifts. Recent work in lactic sources initiate electromagnetic cascades in (e.g. initial mass function, multiplicity, companion energy gamma-rays in interaction with the EBL
Switzerland has now established an unambiguous intergalactic space. The details of the gamma-ray mass ratio distributions, boundedness of star clus- photons. Swiss astronomers use the newly availa-
connection between this material and bipolar winds signal from such cascades are sensitive to the mag- ters, feedback, lifetime of molecular clouds and the ble gamma-ray techniques of the measurement of
driven by the intense energy injection associated netic field. Swiss researchers have used this effect duration of star formation, star formation efficien- EBL for the study of evolution of the star formation
with supernovae in vigorously star-forming galaxies to establish the presence of magnetic fields in the cy) on initial conditions and how to relate these to activity of galaxies.
in the early Universe. Furthermore, a quite different voids of the Large Scale structure. galactic scale star formation. These topics are also Computer simulations play a key role in
line of research has established that these winds While the theory tracing the development of addressed by searching for the remnants of ul- modern science, using virtual data as a link be-
are highly magnetized, potentially providing an ex- dark matter structures is now well mastered, the tra-faint galaxies, by studying the chemical abun- tween our theoretical understanding of the Uni-
planation for the presence of significant fields in in- evolution of gas and stars is not easily linked to the dance patterns of the earliest generations of stars verse and our observations of the physical world.
tergalactic space and, by removing small-scale evolution of non-baryonic matter. The processes of in the Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies, and They are also used to construct mock Universes to
magnetic turbulence, resolving difficulties in the gas accretion, heating, cooling, and star formation by numerical simulations of the tidal interactions of test new theories and open new avenues of re-
operation of galactic-scale dynamos. are still poorly understood from both theoretical these galaxies with the Milky Way. search. In cosmology, simulations have an even
A complementary evidence for the exist- and observational points of view. Star formation Swiss astronomers have also carried out greater impact because we have an excellent un-
ence of magnetic fields in intergalactic space, occurs in massive, dense and cold gravitationally large galaxy surveys collecting a vast amount of derstanding of the initial conditions of our Universe
spread by the galactic winds or left from the earlier bound giant molecular clouds, but we do not know data on the population of galaxies and active galac- through the observations of the CMB. For exam-
tic nuclei at low and high redshifts, and on their ple, next generation galaxy surveys such as Euclid
environment. A real breakthrough has come from will be able to measure the cosmological power
the development of new phenomenological ap- spectrum up to k=10 h/Mpc, and the key cosmo-
proaches to understanding the evolving galaxy logical parameters to percent level precision. As a
population. These have been based on identifying consequence, to model this regime we will have to
simplicities of the galaxy population and exploring better understand the physics of baryonic matter,
the implications of these via the most basic conti- which boils down to understanding star formation,
nuity equations. Paradoxically, by stepping back galaxy formation, feedback processes and their im-
from physical preconceptions about how galaxies pact on the distribution of matter on small-scales.
should be evolving, a much clearer picture has Hydrodynamical simulations designed to model
emerged of how they actually are behaving, in these processes are planned by the Euclid consor-
terms of both the fuelling of galaxies and the tium in order to generate correction terms that can
quenching of their star-formation activity. be added to the standard pure N-body codes.
Star formation activity of all the galaxies in Some of the few codes capable of scaling suc-
the course of their evolution leads to accumulation cessfully to tens of thousands of cores and per-
of diffuse infrared and visible light, collectively forming the target resolution for full Euclid simula-
known as Extragalactic Background Light, EBL. tions have been developed in Switzerland.
Direct measurements of such light are not possible
because of the high level of zodiacal emission in
3. Theme 3: Planets and the emergence of life
The scientific exploration of the solar system repre- mentioned as important elements of the scientific
sents the only opportunity for carrying out detailed and exploration programmes of two major Agen-
in situ measurements of celestial bodies beyond cies (ESA and NASA), in which a significant Swiss
Picture taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope shows the our Earth. Within the original Roadmap, the in situ participation was taking place.
galaxy NGC 1187. This impressive spiral lies about 60 million exploration of Mars (Mars Express, MRO and The HiRISE imaging system on MRO has
light-years away in the constellation of Eridanus (The River).
NGC 1187 has hosted two supernova explosions during the ExoMars), of Venus (Venus Express), of comets identified what are almost certainly traces of extant
last thirty years, the latest one in 2007 (Rosetta), and of Mercury (BepiColombo) were liquid water on Mars. Through laboratory investiga-
16 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016 17Appendix 1 Appendix 1
tions, Switzerland has supported what is probably discoveries led by M. Mayor at the Astronomy De- made possible by the significant funding increase outside the solar system. From individual research
one the most significant findings in the field of partment of the University of Geneva, the scientific of the PRODEX and ANC programmes following group efforts and ad hoc collaborations already
planetary habitability in the past three years¹. Swit- focus has shifted from discovery to characterisa- the 2007 Roadmap, will extend Switzerland’s strongly encouraged in the 2007 Roadmap, the
zerland is now involved in the building of part of tion of these other worlds. We can now assess the dominant position in the field. field will now be moving towards a coordinated,
the imaging system for the ExoMars Trace Gas temperatures, luminosities, and compositions of a Finally, the selection of the NCCR Plan- coherent and multi-disciplinary national research
Orbiter. Rosetta, ESA’s “comet chaser”, was wok- handful of planets whose light is detected directly etS, started on 1 June 2014, marks the beginning programme.
en, in early 2014 for the Rendez-vous with the through secondary eclipse or resolved imaging, in of a new era in the studies of the formation, evolu-
comet and provided startling pictures. After a dec- addition to dozens of worlds whose bulk composi- tion, and characterisations of planets inside and
ade of waiting for this event, Swiss scientists are tion is constrained through estimates of their mass-
gearing up for a whole year of measurements, as es (radial velocity) and radii (transit).
the satellite will follow the comet on its orbit. Swit- Exoplanet research in Switzerland remains 4. Theme 4: Our home and the impact of the space
zerland has the responsibility for a suite of instru- internationally leading and, following the recom- environment on Earth
ments (ROSINA) dedicated to chemical composi- mendation of the 2007 Roadmap, has been in-
tion measurements of gases, and participates creasing coordination to achieve a whole, which is Space geodetic techniques such as Very Long most reliable ways of obtaining such evidence.
strongly in the imaging system (OSIRIS). As the greater than the sum of the parts. Collaborations Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Satellite Laser This approach is closely related to satellite orbital
launch of the Mercury mission BepiColombo is such as HARPS and SPHERE, already in place at Ranging (SLR), Global Navigation Satellite Sys- dynamics. With their long-standing expertise in
nearing (2016), the instrumentation for the laser the writing of the Roadmap, remain strong and tems (GNSS), and Doppler Orbitographie et Ra- these problems, Swiss institutes have made major
altimeter project, BELA, which is designed to successful. HARPS continues to lead the world in dio-positionnement Intégrés par Satellite (DO- contributions to this field.
measure the surface topography and participate in radial velocity exoplanet discoveries including bod- RIS), provide the metrological basis for the The proliferation of space debris and the increased
the planetary geophysics experiment, is getting ies with minimum masses close to that of the Earth. establishment of the global terrestrial reference probability of collisions and interference raise con-
close to completion. The spacecraft is expected to SPHERE achieved first light in May and will be- frame, for the determination of the transformation cerns about the long-term sustainability of space
reach Mercury after a cruise phase of 6 years. come one of the premiere facilities for imaging parameters between the terrestrial and the celes- activities, particularly in the low-Earth orbit and ge-
ESA’s JUICE mission was recently selected for planets in the next decade. ESPRESSO, the next tial reference frame, and for a multitude of studies ostationary orbit environments. International or-
implementation to study Jupiter and its icy moons generation of high-precision spectrographs under related to the system Earth – our “cosmic home”. ganisations at different levels are examining meas-
in detail. Swiss leadership, to be installed at the VLT in The International Association of Geodesy ures to enhance the long-term sustainability of
This year the count of confirmed extra-so- 2016, will complement the palette of instruments (IAG) founded the International GNSS Service such activities, among them the UN Committee
lar planets has exceeded 1500. As the field has in the hand of Swiss astronomers, allowing for the (IGS) in 1994 to support the development of GNSS on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPU-
matured in the past 19 years since the pioneering detection of exoplanets as small as the Earth and data analysis, and to exploit the scientific use of OS),and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordi-
measurement of their mass. GNSS. The Center for Orbit Determination in Eu- nation Committee (IADC). Swiss researchers par-
CHEOPS, the first Swiss scientific satel- rope (CODE), which is led by Switzerland, is one of ticipate in the development of efficient and
lite, was selected in October 2012 as the first the leading global analysis centres of the IGS. cost-effective measures to reduce the creation
S-class mission in ESA’s Science Programme. Earth’s bounded observations play an im- and proliferation of space debris by studying the
Rosetta is an ESA cornerstone mission to chase, go into orbit
CHEOPS is the first mission dedicated to search portant role in better understanding the sun, and current debris population, to identify their major
around, and land on a comet. It is studying the Jupiter-family
comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with a combination of for transits of exoplanets by means of ultra-high Swiss solar physicists are performing polarimetric sources and release mechanism.
remote sensing and in situ measurements. precision photometry on bright stars already known observations, using the most sensitive polarimeter Our society has become more and more
The lander Philae can be seen to host planets. It will provide the unique capability (ZIMPOL), in order to better understand the sun’s dependent, directly or indirectly, on satellite servic-
attached to the spacecraft.
of determining accurate radii for a subset of those magnetic field. Observations are also carried out es. These are vulnerable to what is called “space
planets for which the mass has already been esti- at GREGOR, the largest such facility currently op- weather”, which is the impact of solar events, or
mated from ground-based spectroscopic surveys. erating. more generally speaking, events from outer space,
It will also provide precise radii for new planets In their latest report on “Climate Change, impacts on the Earth. The world-wide community is putting
discovered by the next generation of ground- or and vulnerability in Europe 2012“, the European into place warning centres, and the United Nations
space-based transit surveys (Neptune-size). By un- Environment Agency stated the expected severe Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
veiling transiting exoplanets with high potential for impacts in Europe due to climate change (EEA, has a working group active on the subject. Swiss
in-depth characterisation, CHEOPS will also pro- 2012). One of the driving factors is ice melt, e.g. scientists are actively involved in research for un-
vide prime targets for future instruments suited to the Greenland ice sheet, and the changing hydrol- derstanding the solar processes, as well as as-
the spectroscopic characterisation of exoplanet ogy within Europe. Time variability, as derived from sessing the potential impact on Earth.
atmospheres (e.g. JWST). CHEOPS, which was space borne gravity field missions, is one of the
¹see http://www.tagesschau.sf.tv/Nachrichten/Archiv/2011/08/04/
18 Update Roadmap for Astronomy 2007-2016
Vermischtes/Nasa-Ziemlich-sicher-Wasser-auf-dem-Mars
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