CHARA

Details

Goals

This service aims at supporting the french groups for the scientific exploitation of the CHARA Array (USA). This interferometric optical array, located at the Mount Wilson observatory (California), is equipped with 6 1-m telescopes on baselines from 30 to 330m. It is equipped with the recent SPICA instrument and offers also the use of the MIRCx and MYSTIC instruments for infrared imaging in H and K (University of MIchigan and Exeter). The access to CHARA (Northern hemisphere) and to the visible domain through SPICA is a unique opportunity for the french community, in complement of the access to the VLTI.

Identity

Data policy

  • All raw data are stored in Atlanta Data Centre.
  • All metadata are immediatly accessible on the OiDB database.
  • An automatic pipeline generates the calibrated data and send them to OiDB for immediate access for the community. A proprietary period of 18 months is asked by CHARA with specific conditions for PhD and large programs.

OCA role

This SNO offers the following services :

  1. Support for the preparation of proposals and observations. Formation
  2. Management of the service observing and formation
  3. Management and support for the data processing and the data analysis. Formation.
  4. Technical maintenance, evolutions

The Team in Nice has developped many tools supporting these actions. They are accessible on request.

This service is done in collaboration with Observatoire de Grenoble

Persons in Nice

Denis Mourard, Frédéric Morand, Philippe Berio

Needs and perspectives

The service observing is growing a lot with about 100n per year in 2025 and it is expected to reach a level of 200 per year in the future. This requires a large formation of the scientits interested by the CHARA array but also the organisation of service observing. We are looking for a person that can manage the important data flow of the three instruments for the benefits of the users. Moreover the retirement of the PI in 2026/2027 will require some hiring for the management of the SPICA instrument in relation with the CHARA team.

The CHARA SNO will merge with other interferometric Services d'Observation in a new extended Service National d'Observation in 2027, following the recommandations of the CNRS/INSU prospective in 2024. The synergy between data and instrumentation will be reinforced as well as the synergy between the different interferometric instruments.