Speaker
Description
DZA, the Deutsches Zentrum für Astrophysik, is an emerging national research center for astrophysics that is current being established in the city of Görlitz in East Germany. Over a startup period of 15 years, the center is expected to establish critical mass in the areas of fundamental research, big data, and technology development, with the goal to better enable German astronomers to engage in major ground and space based facilities, e.g. GaiaNIR. DZA is growing quickly, with a target to host about 1000 employees by the end of startup in 2038. The DZA Center of Technology has already established a provisional facility with electronics and optics labs, and a detector lab, in particular. Amongst several pilot projects, the development of novel detector technologies is ramping up quickly. Two qCMOS cameras and a C-Red-One eAPD camera as turnkey systems are already in house to be characterized in the new detector lab. One of the qCMOS systems has already been commissioned at Calar Alto in June. A joint activity with AIP is planned to install an existing Large Saphira for lab tests with an ESO NGC. In collaboration with ESO a CMOS development contract was awarded to Fraunhoer IPMS in Dresden. Novel detector materials such as oganic semiconductors are being studied jointly with IAPP at TU Dresden. The talk will summarize the ongoing activities and sketch DZA's interest in contributing to GaiaNIR.
