SAV Institute of Astronomy Presents European Solar Telescope Project

Bratislava, 28 June (TASR) - The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) and the SAV Institute of Astronomy presented the European Solar Telescope (EST) scientific project, a European astronomy scheme focusing on ground-based research on the Sun. Using the solar telescope, scientists want to study the physics of plasma and dynamic phenomena on the Sun. SAV presented the project to the community of experts on Tuesday (24 June) at an event called EST Slovakia Infoday, which aimed to bring together key players from industry, research and public administration and to open a discussion on the possibilities of participating in this pan-European project. According to director of the SAV Institute of Astronomy Peter Gomory, the project has been in preparation since 2008 and is currently in the phase of addressing the financing method. He added that such large scientific projects cannot be funded only via grant schemes, so support from national governments is also expected. „Europe keeps this in mind in the sense that it has created some kind of legislative framework called Eric, where all member states can contribute financially on the basis of their national laws so that such infrastructure can be built," said Gomory. The scientific project also gives space for Slovak companies to get involved. According to Gomory, this is a project that is on the edge of scientific and technological knowledge, so the SAV Institute of Astronomy wants to reach out to companies dealing with new technologies. Gomory opined that companies could be found in Slovakia that could construct the necessary equipment for the solar telescope mirror which will be unique in the world. With the European solar telescope, scientists would like to investigate the plasma physics and dynamic phenomena of the Sun. They want to investigate more closely how solar eruptions are formed, and the scientific findings could also contribute to more efficient use of solar radiation in the energy sector. am/mcs/mf