Mauna Kea is one of the best sites in the world for astronomy, and the mountain
displays such unique astronomical qualities that thirteen telescopes from eleven
countries now operate on the summit. Scientists travel from around the world
and sometimes wait years to conduct their astronomical research at one of the
observatories. Two of these observatories include the Subaru Telescope, of
course, and the Gemini Observatory.
Both of these world-class facilities are highly desirable for astronomical study due
to their large light gathering powers and unique capabilities. Both observatories
began operations in 1999 and are recognized as superb 8-meter class
telescopes because of the quality of their images: Subaru is 27 feet (8.2 meters)
while Gemini is 26 feet (8.1 meters). The National Astronomical Observatory of
Japan (NAOJ), the national center of astronomical research in Japan, operates
Subaru, while Gemini Telescopes in Hawaii and Chile are operated under an
agreement with the National Science Foundation by a partnership of seven
countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Chile,
Brazil, and Argentina.
Through many years of being neighbors on Mauna Kea and colleagues in
astronomy, Subaru and Gemini (North) have formed a unique and positive
working relationship. This shared vision has led the two observatories to dream
about joint projects for the future. One venture in particular is the instrument
WFMOS, Wide-Field Fiber Multi-Object Spectrograph, which will feature highlymultiplexed
optical spectroscopy for a variety of science projects. The instrument
is currently undergoing conceptual design studies.
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To further study their collaborative efforts, Subaru and Gemini hosted a
workshop on WFMOS science in Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii from 19 to
21 May 2008. The meeting entitled “Cosmology Near & Far: Science with
WFMOS” was co-sponsored by JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science), NOAO (National Optical Astronomy Observatory), STFC (UK Science & Technology Facilities Council), and AAL (Astronomy Australia Limited). The
meeting intended to build a partnership between the Subaru community and the
Gemini members on future science projects, starting with WFMOS. The meeting
was well-attended with approximately 80 persons on hand; the delegation was
split evenly with those representing Japanese interests and others corresponding
to Gemini and its affiliates. The welcoming address to the workshop was
presented by Professor Shoken Miyama, Director General of NAOJ, who greeted
all in attendance and “invited partnership, cooperation, and collaboration
between Subaru, Gemini, and all other observatories on Mauna Kea to advance
instrument development in parallel with the expanding boundaries of scientific
discovery”.
The workshop featured invited talks, panel discussions, poster sessions, and
networking opportunities, and focused on the entirety of science that will be
made possible by WFMOS. The daily sessions were designed to share valuable
summaries on the current achievements and future objectives to be tackled by
WFMOS, specifically the key science fields of galactic archaeology, baryon
acoustic oscillations, and galactic surveys. Some discussions focused on
modified gravity, neutrino masses, gravitational lensing, and understanding dark
energy, while other presentations involved varied perspectives on galaxy
evolution, intergalactic medium, active galactic nuclei, and disk galaxy formation.
Many attendees concluded that while other imaging surveys are currently in
operations and planning stages, WFMOS will be unique in its highly-multiplexed
spectroscopic capabilities and will open up a wide variety of new science
opportunities for international astronomers. They also realized that a tight
partnership between Subaru and Gemini is necessary to promote and realize the
WFMOS project.
On the whole, the workshop was a huge success with many participants enjoying
the opportunity to exchange information and ideas, and everyone left the event
looking forward to the next joint Subaru/Gemini Science Conference to be held in
May 2009 in Kyoto, Japan.
