Parallel Session 2- User needs in Physics and Engineering

2.1 User needs in physics and engineering: the case of astronomy and space sciences.

It is a golden era for Astronomy and Space Sciences, worldwide but especially in the EU: ground-based and space-based telescopes push forward mankind's intellectual horizons our perception of the Universe. Robotic missions explore the Solar System and beam back to Earth images of alien landscapes. Astronomy and space exploration are also the fields of science that like no other touch directly the mind and the heart of the average citizens. Astronomy and space sciences are also very technology driven, and need the continued development of technologies which ultimately will also benefit the European citizen.
The European astronomical and space community is globally competitive, and in order to remain such its present and future needs must be addressed both in terms of optimisation of existing resources and of new facilities. This session will identify the crucial points that need to be tackled to make sure that this field of science will continue to answer questions as old as mankind's dream for the stars.

Chair: Prof. John Renner Hansen,
Niels Bohr Institute for Astronomy, Physics and Geophysics, Univ. of Copenhagen, Denmark.

New Challenges for the Oldest Science
Dr. Bruno Leibundgut
European Southern Observatory
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Astronomy is often described as the world's oldest science. Yet at the beginning of this century it presents itself as one of the fastest moving areas of scientific research, supported by a vibrant community of scientists. The scientific community is characterized by its critical dependence on access to large research infrastructures as well as its persistence in pushing the latest technologies to their limits. These years, in terms of operations ground-based astronomy is undergoing a paradigm shift, adopting many ideas from space exploration - ranging from the application of end-to-end models in telescope and instrument design to 'service observing', which greatly enhance efficiency and scientific productivity and enable the building of large data repositories that themselves may become virtual infrastructures. For Europe's user community to remain competitive, its present and future needs include continued access to state-of-the art research infrastructures, both physical and virtual, secured through credible long-term programmes; access to key technologies; a merit-oriented competitive environment across the continent; adequate resources to fully exploit the results obtained and training of young scientists to use these advanced instruments and observational techniques.

The Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope
Prof. Richard Schilizzi
International SKA Director, SKA Project Office, ASTRON, NL
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One of the driving forces for current astrophysics and cosmology is to understand when and how the first stars and galaxies formed and how they evolve with cosmic time. Radio observations of the early universe will play a fundamental role in solving this question and will require an interferometer telescope 100 times more sensitive than current instruments. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a global project to design and build such a new generation radio telescope. It will have a collecting area of order one million square meters and will be spread over at least 3000 km to obtain detailed images. Four possible locations for the telescope are under investigation, with an initial ranking of the sites to be made in late 2006 and the final decision planned in 2008. Phase 1 of the construction is planned to take place from 2010 to 2013, with the full array completed by the end of the decade.

Europlanet: an EU network in support to the European programme of planetary missions
Prof. Michel Blanc
Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements (CESR)
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Thanks to ESA and its Member States, Europe today has become a key player in planetary science and solar system exploration. The mandatory scientific programme of ESA includes missions to the outer planets (Cassini-Huygens), to comets and primitive bodies (Rosetta), and to the terrestrial planets (e.g. Mars-Express). New missions are already under study, which will hopefully consolidate Europe's ranking and activity in planetary sciences. The European Commission, recognizing the key role of planetary missions as major research infrastructures for planetary sciences, is currently funding the Europlanet Coordination Action. The speaker shall briefly describe its scientific objectives and the tools it is developing to achieve them, before discussing its potential role in the perspective of FP7.

2.2 User needs in physics and engineering: the case of engineering sciences.

Sustainable growth in Europe depends on many variables. Not the least of these is the prerequisite for Europe to maintain and develop the capability to create and exploit new technologies, products and services. It is clear that engineering development goes hand in hand with scientific endeavour: the scientists cannot make any progress without new engineering breakthroughs, while research needs continuously push for new technological advances. In this context, RIs create important supply (direct) and demand (indirect) effects. Direct effects derive from new technologies applied in building world-level facilities, or enterprises profiting from RTD results or by using facilities themselves. May be of greater importance are the indirect effects deriving from spin off products and/or start up companies. The bottlenecks affecting the interaction between RIs and industry are similar to those affecting the interconnection of knowledge production and its use in industry.
This session will attempt to raise and address some of theses issues.

Chair: Dr. Rainer Koepke,
Head of Division, Basic Scientific Research, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany.

Research Infrastructures and the Engineering sciences
Mr Hervé Pero
DG RTD, EC
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Sustainable growth in Europe depends on many variables. Not the least of these is the prerequisite for Europe to maintain and develop the capability to create and exploit new technologies, products and services. Engineering development goes hand in hand with scientific endeavour: the scientists cannot make any progress without new engineering breakthroughs, while research needs continuously push for new technological advances. In this context, RIs create important supply (direct) and demand (indirect) effects. Direct effects derive from new technologies applied in building world-level facilities, or enterprises profiting from RTD results or by using facilities themselves. May be of greater importance are the indirect effects deriving from spin off products and/or start up companies. This presentation will attempt to raise and address some of theses issues.

Research infrastructures needs in aeronautics
Dr. H. Consigny
Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA)
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In the session devoted to engineering sciences, the presentation intends to address the specific case of research infrastructures in the aeronautical sector, more particularly with respect to:
- Situation regarding covered perimeter, harmonization, rationalization and networking initiatives at European level,
- Place and importance in the current and future global European R&D process in the sector,
- Specific economic environment for operation and maintenance,
Challenges in terms of infrastructures future upgrade and replacement.

Tangible Research Infrastructure requirements in the domain of embedded systems
Dr. Rudy Lauwereins
Vice President, IMEC
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In fields like astrophysics (telescope), quantum physics (accelerator), fusion (reactor), nano-electronics (clean room), it is obvious that expensive tangible research infrastructure is needed, which goes beyond the capabilities of a single institute, company or even nation. Although less well known, this is also becoming of mounting importance for the field of embedded systems, the target of the FP7 Artemis Technology Platform. This presentation will briefly sketch the requirements for the automotive, private spaces and nomadic domains and pose a number of questions that have to be answered urgently.

2.3 User needs in physics and engineering: development of multi-users analytical facilities.

Synchrotron and neutron sources, lasers and FELs are apparently very different, and they serve a scientific community just as diverse but with one thing in common: they all need beams of different wavelengths and energies according to the objects under investigation. From fundamental physics to crystallography, to biology and pharmacology right through to nanomaterials to archaeology, multi-user analytical facilities are the most versatile tool at the disposal of the researcher. This session will highlight the challenges posed by this versatility:
- Should new beamlines be dedicated to particular communities, like that for cultural heritage at SOLEIL?
- Is the future seen in terms of "Scientific Parks", where the user can "shop" for X-rays, neutrons or lasers on the same site?
- What will the 4th generation of X-ray sources look like? What are its applications? What the likely breakthroughs?

Chair: Prof. Norbert Kroo,
Vice-President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

How to try to fulfil users needs in analytical facilities through a bottom-up approach?
Dr. Denis Raoux
Director General, SOLEIL Synchrotron
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Abstract not available

Developing links between nanomaterials research and Research Infrastructures: GENNESYS
Prof. Wolfgang Kaysser
Scientific Director, GKSS Forschungzentrum, Germany
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In a European Foresight Study on materials science, entitled "European White Book for Fundamental Research in Materials Science", the importance of advanced analytical techniques for breakthroughs in micro- and nanomaterials research has been highlighted. On the basis of these recommendations, a new European initiative called "GENNESYS: Grand European Initiative on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation Sources" was launched end of 2004. GENNESYS is a unique effort to join forces between the Materials Science and Technology Laboratories at universities, research laboratories, and industry, and the large scale facilities for the fine analysis of materials, to enhance the development of nanomaterials and nanotechnology in Europe. All European Synchrotron Radiation and Neutron Facilities as well as all major European Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Laboratories have embarked into this new partnership in order to contribute to the de-fragmentation of nanomaterials research in Europe. The presentation will report on the present status of the European Initiative GENNESYS and the steps planned for the near future.

The European X-ray Free Electron Laser Project
Prof. Massimo Altarelli
European XFEL Project Team, DESY, Germany; Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
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The project of a new European user facility for the production of ultra-bright, spatially coherent sub-ps pulses of x-rays with wavelengths down to 0,1 nm will be described. At the heart of the new Laboratory is a 20 GeV superconducting linear accelerator, based on the TESLA technology developed at DESY, which delivers ultra-short, low-emittance electron bunches to ~100 m long ondulators, in order to generate coherent x-ray pulses by the Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) process. A set of five beam lines with ten experimental stations is expected to allow the performance of revolutionary new experiments by a vast, multidisciplinary European scientific community. A short description of the project in the context of the worldwide competition for 4th generation x-ray sources is provided.

2.4 User needs in environment: marine sciences and geosciences

Life began in the oceans and slowly migrated on earth. The conditions of both are of fundamental importance for life to continue to exist. The requirements and challenges for research infrastructures in marine and geosciences are dictated by the particular environmental conditions encountered, often extreme, and never comfortable for human life, especially the unique conditions of polar research.
For effective marine and seismic monitoring, distributed infrastructures in terms of networks of sensors and stations, together with state of the art cyber-infrastructure are a prerequisite not only for basic research and environmental concerns but also for civil protection and disaster prevention and mitigation. The distributed nature of these infrastructures makes them maybe less visible but no less real or important.
In this session two examples of how these challenges have been met are introduced, and their unique needs are discussed.

Chair: Dr. Sylvie Joussaume,
Director, CNRS, France.
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Research Infrastructure in Polar Regions
Prof. Roy H. Gabrielsen
Executive Director Division of Science, The Research Council of Norway
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Research in the polar regions is of great significance, because these areas offer unique conditions for the study of global-scale natural processes. Such research requires massive investments, due also to their limited annual accessibility. In order to generate uninterrupted data time series remote sensing methods can be used, but these are in turn dependent on ground calibration data, and hence, on ground- or sea-based observation stations. Hence the study of the polar regions requires a flexible and agile system of observation platforms and modelling tools, including moveable platforms like ships, drifting buoys, satellites, airplanes and balloons combined with ground-based installations like fixed buoys and automatic and manned observation stations. The equipment required include sensors that work in many parts of the electromagnetic spectrum supported by sampling tools for gases, liquids and solid material. The investments and the complexity of the infrastructure are such that it is impossible for national states to carry such loads alone. International cooperation, long-term planning and merging of scientific forces and abilities are therefore not only preferable, they are essential.

Long term preservation and stewardship of marine data - SEADATANET Pan-European infrastructure
Dr. Catherine Maillard
IFREMER
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The marine observing system is highly distributed as hundreds of parameters are currently measured by hundreds of laboratories using sensors installed on the research fleet and other platforms. The SEADATANET consortium is developing a marine data management infrastructure, to handle this large volume of heterogeneous data and insure their long term accessibility. It is developed as a virtual data centre that incorporates and enhances the existing infrastructures of the participating countries, and makes use of the new possibilities offered by the communication technology. Therefore it brings together the national data centres (hosted by the major Marine Institutes) of 35 countries bordering the North-East Atlantic and its adjacent seas, satellite data centres, modelling centres and two international organizations.

Linking European Infrastructures for Earth Sciences: the example from seismology
Prof. Domenico Giardini
Director, Swiss Seismological Service, Zurich, CH
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European infrastructures for Earth Sciences are characterised by a lack of structured policy for European-wide access or of co-ordinated actions. As these infrastructures become more complex and expensive, a European strategy is urgently needed, covering the development of new infrastructures, a coordinated access policy, as well as the developments required for their optimal use. An example of coordination is given by NERIES (Network of Research Infrastructure for European Seismology). Earthquakes are recorded in the larger European-Mediterranean region by observatories in 46 countries. NERIES will network these seismological infrastructures into a sustainable integrated pan-European cyber-infrastructure serving needs of the scientific community and of society. NERIES will also support a key land-based segment of the GMES strategy and of the GEO implementation plan.

Conclusions of Parallel Session 2
Prof C. Rizzuto
Sincrotrone, ELETTRA, Italy
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