We present a systematic evaluation of JPEG2000 (ISO/IEC 15444) as a transport data format to enable rapid remote searches for fast transient events as part of the Deeper Wider Faster program (DWF). DWF uses ∼20 telescopes from radio to gamma-rays to perform simultaneous and rapid-response follow-up searches for fast transient events on millisecond-to-hours timescales. DWF search demands have a set of constraints that is becoming common amongst large collaborations. Here, we focus on the rapid optical data component of DWF led by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). Each DECam image has 70 total coupled-charged devices saved as a ∼1.2 gigabyte FITS file. Near real-time data processing and fast transient candidate identifications -in minutes for rapid follow-up triggers on other telescopes -requires computational power exceeding what is currently available on-site at CTIO. In this context, data files need to be transmitted rapidly to a foreign location for supercomputing post-processing, source finding, visualization and analysis. This step in the search process poses a major bottleneck, and reducing the data size helps accommodate faster data transmission. To maximise our gain in transfer time and still achieve our science goals, we opt for lossy data compression -keeping in mind that raw data is archived and can be evaluated at a later time. We evaluate how lossy JPEG2000 compression affects the process of finding transients, and find only a negligible effect for compression ratios up to ∼25:1. We also find a linear relation between compression ratio and the mean estimated data transmission speed-up factor. Adding highly customized compression and decompression steps to the science pipeline considerably reduces the transmission time -validating its introduction to the DWF science pipeline and enabling science that was otherwise too difficult with current technology.

IRIS (InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph) is a fust light near-infrared diffraction limited imager and integral field spectrograph being designed for the future Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). IRIS is optimized to perform astronomical studies across a significant fraction of cosmic time, from our Solar System to distant newly formed galaxies (Barton et al. [1]). We present a selection of the innovative science cases that are unique to IRIS in the era of upcoming space and ground-based telescopes. We focus on integral field spectroscopy of directly imaged exoplanet atmospheres, probing fundamental physics in the Galactic Center, measuring I 0 4 to 10 10 M 0 supermassive black hole masses, resolved spectroscopy of young star-forming galaxies (1 < z < 5) and first light galaxies (6 < z < 12), and resolved spectroscopy of strong gravitational lensed sources to measure dark matter substructure. For each of these science cases we use the IRIS simulator (Wright et al. [2], Do et al. [3]) to explore IRIS capabilities. To highlight the unique IRIS capabilities, we also update the point and resolved source sensitivities for the integral field spectrograph (IFS) in all five broadband filters (Z, Y, J, H, K) for the finest spatial scale of 0.004" per spaxel. We briefly discuss future development plans for the data reduction pipeline and quicklook software for the IRIS instrument suite.

A laser system to generate sodium-layer guide stars has been designed, built and delivered to the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The system uses frequency doubled YAG lasers to pump liquid dye lasers and produces 20 W of average power. The design and performance results of this laser system are presented.

Liquid crystal spatial light modulator technology appropriate for high-resolution wavefront control has recently become commercially available. Some of these devices have several hundred thousand controllable degrees of freedom, more than two orders of magnitude greater than the largest conventional deformable mirror. We will present results of experiments to characterize the optical properties of these devices and to utilize them to correct aberrations in an optical system. We will also present application scenarios for these devices in high-power laser systems.

As a blind researcher, I rely entirely on sound to analyse my data and carry out my research program. To this end I am active in a collaboration that is exploring the use of data sonification (converting data into sound) to enhance, validate, and accelerate discovery. The scope of our program is not limited to enabling blind and visually-impaired researchers to contribute to areas of research that were not previously accessible. Rather, we look also to the use of new multi-modal approaches that exploit the properties of sound to address mainstream challenges presented by trends in modern astrophysics. Using ‘real-life’ examples, I describe how we are ex- ploring time-series data, spectra, and multi-dimensional datasets mapped to a variety of sonic characteristics such as pitch, amplitude, waveform, pulse repeat rate, tone quality, and distortion and noise to provide addi- tional information on measurement uncertainties. I discuss the application of data sonification to high redshift galaxy research and to our coordinated multi-wavelength observational program to detect and follow up fast transient events. Finally, I outline current research directions involving touch screen and trackpad approaches to examine scatter-plot (non-linear) data representations, shape-based recognition, and the use of combined weighted harmonics to render the information content in multi-dimensional datasets as sound.