These events are unpredictable, show a temporal evolution of the physical conditions, and often fall below the detection threshold when faint. supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, neutron star mergers), or a result of accretion of matter (nova outbursts, tidal disruption events, AGN flares). Transients are usually the result of some kind of explosion or collision that leads to a change in the physical character of the source (e.g. Time domain astronomy encompases the study of transient and variable sources. TMT, with the great complementarity with other telescopes and instruments, will provide a big step forward to more complete understanding of star and planet formation. However, we definitely need TMT to have unprecedented angular resolution with very high sensitivity in near- to mid-infrared wavelengths, which is critical for this science topic. ![]() ALMA, JWST, and next generation instruments on ground-based telescopes will yield further scientific advances prior to the TMT’s first light. In fact, significant progress has been seen especially in the last decades, but the detailed processes are still quite elusive. ![]() Therefore, understanding how stars and planets form has long been one of the central problems in astrophysics. On the other hand, it also provides the sites of planet formation and development of life. TMT’s capabilities for high angular resolution imaging and ultra-deep spectroscopy will provide unprecedented opportunities to advance numerous areas of SMBH science.įormation of stars is the principal driver of galaxy evolution and chemical enrichment in the Universe, which in turn affects the process of star birth. Understanding the formation and growth history of SMBHs, their influence on galaxy evolution, and the exotic phenomena of stellar dynamics and gas accretion in the SMBH environment has become a major theme in astronomy. These discoveries over the past 20 years have led to the popular idea that black holes and galaxies co-evolve and that feedback of active galactic nuclei (AGN) during the growth phases of the black hole strongly affects the gas content and star formation in the host galaxy. Mass of the black hole (BH) is correlated with the stellar mass (M BH-M bulge relation) and velocity dispersion (M BH-σ relation) of the bulge of the galaxy. Masses, are now known to be present in the centers of most and perhaps all large galaxies. Supermassive black holes (SMBHs), with masses ranging from below 10 6 to above 10 10 solar These science teams created the 2015 Detailed Science Case and they continue to provide valuable guidance and input that helps to direct the observatory design and scientific priorities. A set of dedicated international science developement teams has been established to formulate and oversee activities related to each science goal. Exoplanet discovery observations that push into the terrestrial-planet regimeįurthermore, as has been the case for every previous increase in capability of this magnitude, it is very likely that the scientific impact of TMT will go far beyond what we envision today and TMT will enable discoveries that we cannot anticipate.Ī full list of the TMT science goals is listed below.Exploration of planet-formation processes and the characterization of extra-solar planets.Investigations of massive black holes throughout cosmic time.Exploration of galaxies and large-scale structure in the young universe, including the era in which most of the stars and heavy elements were formed and the galaxies in today’s universe were first assembled.Spectroscopic exploration of the “dark ages” when the first sources of light and the first heavy elements in the universe formed.The Thirty Meter Telescope will be the amongst the largest ground-based observatories in the world and will provide new observational opportunities in essentially every field of astronomy and astrophysics. Astronomers will pursue further advancement of our inderstanding in several key science areas, including: In the first decade of the 21st Century, international partners from around the world envisioned the one of the largest telescopes to be built - the Thirty Meter Telescope. Nowadays, no single university or country, has the technological resources to build the facilities required to answer key questions about the structure and evolution of the universe and the enigmatic processes, environments and bodies that pervade the cosmos. As our level of knowledge grows, the next level of questions that arise require facilities with even greater capabilities to gather the observations needed to answer them. ![]() In the last 2000 years, human understanding of the universe has leapt forward incrementally with each new technology. Astronomy is arguably the oldest of the sciences.
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