TMT International Science Development Teams Seek New Members

The second annual call for new members of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) International Science Development Teams (ISDTs) is now open, with applications due 16 January 2015. The ISDTs provide scientific input and feedback to the TMT project, stimulate planning for future TMT science programs, and build connections and collaborations within and beyond the international TMT partnership. 

ISDT membership is open to all PhD scientists, both from the current TMT partners and from the astronomical community at large. The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) are participating in a cooperative agreement between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and TMT to engage the US community and to explore potential US national partnership in the observatory (see the US TMT Liaison page at NOAO). The ISDTs are an opportunity for US astronomers to get involved in TMT and to provide scientific input that will help shape the observatory's capabilities, operations plans, and future directions.

There are currently eight ISDTs, organized around the following science themes:

• Fundamental physics and cosmology
• Early universe, galaxy formation, and the intergalactic medium
• Supermassive black holes
• Milky Way and nearby galaxies
• Formation of stars and planets
• Exoplanets
• Our solar system
• Time-domain science

This year there is also an opportunity to propose to form new ISDT working groups. These may focus on science that does not fit well within the scope of the existing groups, or on subtopics drawn from one or more of the existing ISDTs that merit additional emphasis within TMT planning.

During the past year, the ISDTs have helped to update the TMT Detailed Science Case, the highest-level guiding document for scientific guidance of the TMT project. ISDT members met at the 2014 TMT Science Forum in Tucson, and are now starting to develop ideas for large "key program" science projects with TMT.

You can find detailed application instructions and more information about the ISDTs on the TMT ISDT website.