QUEST Seminar 8

COPAG Review of Technology Gaps Related to the Large IR/Optical/UV Space Telescope (IOU-ST)

Stephan McCandliss, Johns Hopkins University

The COPAG Executive Council (EC) has been charged with reviewing technology gaps recently gathered by Astrophysics Technology Development Program Offices for Cosmic Origins (COR), Exo-Planets (ExEP) and Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) in preparation for producing the (long delayed) Astrophysics Biennial Technology Report 2021. This report is aimed at identifying and ranking high priority technologies in need of advancement to achieve the strategic objectives outlined by the Decadal Survey and the Astrophysics Implementation Plan. The list as presented to the ECs of COR, ExEP and PCOS contains 120 gaps, which the Astrophysics Technology Development Program Offices is seeking prioritization guidance on their Strategic Alignment, Benefits, Urgency and Crosscutting Scope.

I will present a 26-gap subset that are relevant to COR science goals for a Large IR/optical/UV space telescope (IOU-ST). There is considerable overlap in these gaps, breaking down along 5 primary categories: detectors, gratings/filters, mirror coatings, target selectors for multi-object spectroscopy, and precision time domain devices. Gaps under review by the ExoPAG-EC have some overlap in the areas of detectors, mirror coatings, and gratings. The purpose of this seminar will be to solicit community dialog on combining gaps with similar performance goals/objectives and provide non-advocate statements regarding the current state-of-the-art, urgency, benefits, etc.