TAO/AIUC Joint Workshop was held

Various components for the TAO 6.5m telescope are now under development, targeting at the first light in 2018. In addition, a near-infrared camera/spectrograph SWIMS and a mid-infrared instrument MIMIZUKU are being developed at Mitaka campus, and now under final performance verification phase. These activities of the TAO project is supported by various institutes such as National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA) in Japan, University of Arizona who fabricated the mirrors, Cornell University, and Caltech in USA, and University of Chile, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC), and University of Concepcion in Chile, through joint research and development activities. Recently, we have started collaboration with Catholic University of the North in scientific observation plans and with University of Antofagasta in public outreach. PUC is one of such institutes, where Dr. Shintaro Koshida worked as a researcher for a development of infrared instruments (please take a look at a previous article ).

On November 19, 2014, a joint workshop of TAO and Centro de Astro-Ingenieria UC (AIUC) was held at the campus of PUC. This is the first TAO workshop held at a foreign country, and as many as 52 researchers have participated from various institute in Chile, showing the large interest and expectation for the TAO project. Subjects of the presentations had large diversity from scientific results and future observational plans, to instrument developments, and active discussions were carried out to deepen the relationship between the TAO project and Chilean institutes.

This workshop was held in connection with the inauguration ceremony of the base facility at San Pedro de Atacama on November 21, and as a cultural exchange activity, a concert by "Orquesta AurorA" was also held at PUC on Novermber 19 hosted by Japanese embassy at Chile (co-hosted by the University of Tokyo).

Workshop venue	Active discussions went on durring the break also.
Workshop group photo

Program

TAO / AIUC Joint Workshop for Optical/IR Astronomy at Cerro Chajnantor