Scientific Drivers for ESO Future VLT/VLTI Instrumentation : Proceedings of the ESO Workshop Held in Garching, Germany, 11–15 June 2001

This is the start of a long process to ultimately operate new advanced capabilities at Paranal that can keep up with the evergrowing need for larger and more complex astrophysical data sets. A modern instrument represents a very significant investment in cash, human resources and time. Such a meeting gives us a precious yardstick to evaluate the competitiveness of 1st-generation instruments and associated current and forthcoming proposals for 1st-generation upgrades. This is also crucial to orient the large research and development effort that will provide the very foundation on which 2nd-generation VLT instrumentation can be built. Finally, it represents a significant step towards defining the hopes and goals for the future Extremely Large Telescope to come. The first outcome of this meeting, already in progress, is outlined in the epilogue. Front Matter....Pages I-XVII Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction to Meeting: Towards VLT/VLTI 2nd Generation Instruments....Pages 3-8 Front Matter....Pages 9-9 The Physics of Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows and the Nature of Their Host Galaxies....Pages 11-22 Faint Object Spectroscopy and GRBs: The Need for a Spectroscopic Laboratory at the VLT....Pages 23-29 Absorption Studies with GRB Afterglows....Pages 30-35 Advanced Telerobotic Field Spectrometer....Pages 36-41 REM — Rapid Eye Mount. A Fast Slewing Robotized Telescope to Monitor the Prompt Infra-Red Afterglow of GRBs....Pages 42-47 Observing the First Galaxies — A Case for an Intermediate Resolution Multi-Object IR Spectrograph....Pages 48-53 3D Spatial Distribution of the Intergalactic Medium: The ESO Blues?....Pages 54-59 Galaxy Evolution from Deep Multicolor Surveys: The VLT Perspective....Pages 60-65 Astrophysical Applications of Tunable Imaging Filters for the VLT....Pages 66-71 High Redshift Ellipticals: Prospects for the VLT....Pages 72-77 Future VLT Instrumentation: An IoA View....Pages 78-80 Multi-Object Spectroscopy: The Faint Object Case....Pages 81-86 A Wide Field Multi-Object IR Imager and Spectrograph....Pages 87-92 MAXIMUS: Exploiting the Full Power of OzPoz....Pages 93-98 A Million Element Integral Field Unit (MEIFU)....Pages 99-107 A Mega Integral Field Spectrograph for the VLT....Pages 108-117 CROMOS: A Cryogenic Near-Infrared, Multi-Object Spectrometer for the VLT....Pages 118-127 Multiple Integral Field Spectroscopy....Pages 128-135 Crowded Field 3D Spectroscopy — The Next Step: First Light for PMAS....Pages 136-138 Front Matter....Pages 9-9 The FALCON Concept: Multi-Object Spectroscopy Combined with MCAO in Near-IR....Pages 139-148 Scientific Potential of Enhancing the Integral-Field Spectrometer SPIFFI with a Large Detector and High Spectral Resolution....Pages 149-157 Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics with Laser Guide Stars....Pages 158-163 MOEMS, Key Optical Components for the Future Instrumentation of VLT....Pages 164-166 Front Matter....Pages 167-167 Spectroscopy of Faint Emission Line Nebulae....Pages 169-174 Near-IR Spectroscopy with VLT/ISAAC: Distribution and Kinematics of Molecular Gas in the Nucleus of NGC 1068....Pages 175-177 Dwarf Galaxies in the Local Group: The VLT Perspectivev....Pages 178-183 Identification and Study of Blue Supergiants in Nearby Galaxies....Pages 184-189 Quantitative Spectroscopy of Local Group Supergiants....Pages 190-192 A Super-Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer for the VLT....Pages 193-198 Rectifying Échelle Spectra — A Comparison Between UVES, FEROS and FOCES....Pages 199-204 Scientific Objectives and Design Study of an Adaptive Optics Visual Echelle Spectrograph and Imager Coronograph (AVES-IMCO) for the NAOS Visitor Focus at the VLT....Pages 205-212 Massive Spectroscopy of (Stellar) Fields....Pages 213-218 Stellar Oscillations Studies with STOMACH....Pages 219-224 Proposal for a VLT Multichannel Infrared Heterodyne Instrument Based on THIS (Tuneable Heterodyne Infrared Spectrometer)....Pages 225-230 Imaging Polarimetry and Spectropolarimetry of Bright Objects....Pages 231-237 High-Resolution Spectropolarimetry on the VLT....Pages 238-243 Transmission Spectroscopy for Extrasolar-Planet Studies: UVES Search and Future Prospects....Pages 244-246 Zero Noise CCD: A New Readout Technique for Extremely Low Light Levels....Pages 247-250 Front Matter....Pages 251-251 A Differential Imager for Adaptive Optics....Pages 253-257 Front Matter....Pages 251-251 Very Accurate Imaging of the Close Environment of Bright Objects in Visible and Near-Infrared....Pages 258-263 High-Contrast Imaging Science with Adaptive Optics....Pages 264-266 Coronagraphy with 4Q Phase Mask on the VLT....Pages 267-272 Achromatic Interfero-Coronagraphy and VLT....Pages 273-278 Growing Up — The Completion of the VLTI....Pages 279-288 The VLTI Adulthood: Scientific Drivers for Future VLTI Instrumentation....Pages 289-292 Imaging Interferometry — Experience from COAST and Implications for the VLTI....Pages 293-302 VLTI Imaging Instrument Using the Full Potential of the Interferometric Array....Pages 303-310 The Pre-PRIMA Survey Project: Turning the Problem Around....Pages 311-313 The Scientific Potential of MIDI in the 20 μm Window....Pages 314-319 The Potential of an Extension of Amber to the Visible....Pages 320-327 FINITO: A Fringe Sensor for VLTI in Two and Three Beam Configuration....Pages 328-330 Scientific Drivers for a Future Polarimetric Mode for the VLTI: VISPER....Pages 331-333 Search and Characterization of Extrasolar Planets Using VLT/VLTI Instrumentation....Pages 334-339 Optimizing a Differential Interferometric Instrument....Pages 340-346 NEVEC: The NOVA ESO VLTI Expertise Centre....Pages 347-349 Back Matter....Pages 351-356 This is the start of a long process to ultimately operate new advanced capabilities at Paranal that can keep up with the ever-growing need for larger and more complex astrophysical data sets. A modern instrument represents a very significant investment in cash, human resources and time. Such a meeting gives us a precious yardstick to evaluate the competitiveness of first-generation instruments and associated current and forthcoming proposals for first-generation upgrades. This is also crucial to orient the large research and development effort that will provide the very foundation on which second-generation VLT instrumentation can be built. Finally, it represents a significant step towards defining the hopes and goals for the future Extremely Large Telescope to come. The first outcome of this meeting, already in progress, is outlined in the epilogue.