The local universe

Emergence & Emergence &

the Next BIG THING(s)the Next BIG THING(s)

Steven BeckwithSteven Beckwith

STScISTScI

Chicago, April 5, 2002Chicago, April 5, 2002

Intellectual trends

Uncover (“discover”) the unseenUncover (“discover”) the unseen Catalog the universeCatalog the universe Adduce the physical lawsAdduce the physical laws Understand the reason for it allUnderstand the reason for it all

The quest for distance drove us to large light bucketsThe need for resolution & dynamic range drives to large apertures in space.

Local to the distant, minor to major Local to the distant, minor to major componentscomponents Solar system Solar system Milky Way Milky Way galaxies galaxies

recombinationrecombination Planets Planets Stars Stars Galaxies Galaxies Structure Structure

““Local” questionsLocal” questions How & why do planets form?How & why do planets form? What do they look like?What do they look like? What makes planets evolve into habitable worldsWhat makes planets evolve into habitable worlds

Giant exoplanetsYoung exoplanets

CS disks & ringsExozody clouds

Stellar windsTTS in LMCBinary starsStellar popsIGM BaryonsMicrolensing(z) (e2/hc)

ExplorationTerrestrial exoplanets

Atmospheres of SS planetsOccultation of stars Composition of bodiesRing dynamics

Disk chemistryH2 spectra of disks

Disk structure, gaps, rings

Census of exoplanetsExoplanet atmospheres

x ~ 4 km~4m UV

~10m Optical

~10m optical light bucket

~4m UV spectra ~ /D

10m optical ~/D

10m optical coronagraph

10m optical coronagraphD.R. > 1010

Planetary imagesDeep field imagesNebulae, cloudsExo-planet images

Interferograms

HeritageEngineering challenge

Military/industry interests

Beautiful pictures

Kill

er

Ap

Space-basedlasers

UV spectral light bucket

Optical light bucket

Optical resolution: ~/D

Optical coronagraph D.R. > 108

Optical coronagraph D.R. > 1010

Exploration

Walk before you run (Angel, this conference)

L1 Earth L2

MCAO w/ n x LGS

- /D with < 1 m- dynamic range- faint fuzzy things- sky coverage- wide fields- photo stabilty

Irrational exuberance

The biggest optical systems will eventually be in space.

10 kg m-2 1 kg m-2

Emergent phenomena

Life is an emergent phenomenonLife is an emergent phenomenon Self-reproduction arose from inorganic elementsSelf-reproduction arose from inorganic elements The vector of life has increased complexityThe vector of life has increased complexity

Intelligence is an emergent phenomenonIntelligence is an emergent phenomenon Intelligence appears to be a new propertyIntelligence appears to be a new property It took a long time and many accidents to emergeIt took a long time and many accidents to emerge

Life, intelligence & emergent phenomena are Life, intelligence & emergent phenomena are the new fundamental questionsthe new fundamental questions Shift in emphasis to the microscopic, rare Shift in emphasis to the microscopic, rare

constituents of the universeconstituents of the universe Stretch our view from the Solar System to local star Stretch our view from the Solar System to local star

systems and the solar neighborhood: the new frontiersystems and the solar neighborhood: the new frontier

naysayers, conservatives, realists, optimists, visionaries