![[Toledo poster (PDF 110kb)]](poster_icon.jpg){kind=icon}
![[FIRST-inspace-image (JPG 73 kb)]](../Images/1999/first-inspace-medial-small.jpg)
The ESA Cornerstone mission FIRST - the Far InfraRed and Submillimetre Telescope - is scheduled to be launched in the year 2007. FIRST will be the first space observatory to cover the submillimetre and far infrared part of the spectrum. It will have a science payload complement consisting of three instruments and offer unprecedented capabilities for photometry and spectroscopy in the 60-670 µm range.
The instrument complement consists of:
FIRST will operate from an orbit around the second Lagrangian point (L2) in the Sun-Earth system, and will offer a nominal lifetime of 3 years of routine operations. Approximately two thirds of the available observing time is open time, thus FIRST will be offering unique capabilities to the whole astronomical community!
The FIRST science objectives target the `cold' universe. The key science objectives emphasise specifically the formation of stars and galaxies. Typical observing programmes will include:
Observations have never been performed in space across the `prime band' of FIRST. From past experience, it is also clear that the `discovery potential' is significant when a new capability is being implemented for the first time.
It is necessary and appropriate already now to address the very important issue of how to use the available observatory time in the optimum manner, in order to maximise the scientific return from the mission.
In this context a question of prime importance is what fraction of the total time ought to be allocated to `key' programmes (assumed to need relatively large amounts of observing time, e.g. various kinds of surveys) as opposed to smaller `focussed' programmes.
Given the stated science objectives, and that FIRST is the first facility of its kind, it has always been recognised that `key' programmes will play an important role; thus it is foreseen that a `significant' fraction of the observing time will be used for such programmes. However, it is not clear what that fraction should be.
All astronomy missions and observatories - ground, air, and space based - to varying degrees rely on, and complement, each other; FIRST is not an exception. It is therefore vital - especially for major instruments where the cost per unit observing time is high, which certainly applies to FIRST - to make sure that each facility is used in the best possible way. This means attracting all available good ideas, including those from members of the community who may not `automatically' consider themselves potential FIRST users.
Thus, specifically we want to:
The meeting will have three main components: invited talks, contributed talks and posters, and discussion/workgroup sessions. After introducing the FIRST mission and its science instruments, invited speakers will introduce various areas of astronomy, contributed talks and poster sessions will be held, and these areas will then be discussed - in smaller groups - with the aim of addressing the questions listed above. These discussions could produce e.g. prioritised lists of potential observing programmes, and as a byproduct could also identify areas with lower priority for spending extensive amounts of FIRST observing time.
The invited speakers will be addressing astronomical areas of importance in connection with the scientific objectives of FIRST from a variety of points of view. The list of confirmed speakers, and tentative titles of their presentations, includes:
The FIRST Science Team is the Science Organising Committee (SOC):
Contributed papers, both for oral presentation and poster sessions are solicited. An important criterion for oral presentations is to put FIRST in the context of a specific issue, and to address one or more of the aims given for this meeting. Use the online registration form to give title and oral/poster presentation preference of your proposed presentation. Absolute deadline for submitting the abstract is 1 October 2000. The scientific programme will be posted on the symposium website around 25 October 2000.
The venue will be Hotel Beatriz in Toledo (located approximately 70 km from Madrid), Spain. The meeting will start on the morning of Tuesday 12 December 2000 and last four full days. Toledo can conveniently be reached by car, bus, and train from Madrid.
![[Toledo by El Greco (JPG 185 kb)]](toledo_elgreco.jpg)
Use the online registration form to register for the conference. The deadline is 1 October 2000, early registration is strongly encouraged. The registration fee is 30,000 Pesetas (180 Euro) and includes all sessions, coffee breaks, conference dinner, and a copy of the proceedings. Late registration will be 41,500 Pesetas (249 Euro).
The symposium organisers encourage all participants to stay in the conference hotel. Special prices of 13,300 Pesetas (80 Euro) per night for a single room, or 11,600 Pesetas (70 Euro) per night (per person) for a double room including half board (breakfeast and lunch), or 15,300 / 13,300 Pesetas (92 / 80 Euro) for a single/double (per person) room with full board (breakfeast, lunch, and dinner) have been negotiated. Reservations for Hotel Beatriz should be made on the online registration form at the time of registration.
The Symposium proceedings will be published approximately 3 months after the Symposium by the ESTEC Publications Division in the ESA Special Publication series as ESA SP-460. Author instructions will be sent to all authors and published on the symposium website.
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) consists of:
The LOC Conference Secretary is:
The deadline for registration is 1 October 2000, early registration is encouraged. The scientific programme will be made available on the symposium website around 25 October 2000.
For latest and local information, and an online registration form, consult the symposium website, which is linked to from the FIRST website.
This ESA Symposium is co-sponsored by:
|