Development of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Vietnam: What is Most Needed?

1. Development of astronomy and astrophysics in Viet NamWhat is most needed?A personal viewPierre Darriulat Quy Nhon, July 31st, 2016

2. OutreachSpaceAstrophysics:Support from Viet NamSupport from abroadInstruments

3. OUTREACHIt is the domain that is best developedSeveral amateur astronomer clubsPlanetariums and similar initiatives at various places, Hoa Lac, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh…Good introduction to astronomy/astrophysics given to future highschool teachers in universities of education in TPHCM and Ha NoiStaffing is not a problem

4. SPACEIn 2006, the PM approved a Strategy for Space Research and Applications until 2020 that implies several ministries, such as Defense, National Resources and Environment, Agricultural and Rural Development, Science and Technology; as well as VAST. But there is nobody overlooking the whole space programme (other than the PM)VAST is in charge of the future Space Centre (through VNSC) and of research, for which a roadmap 2012-2015 was issued by MOST (as chair of a space committee), very ambitious but full of wisdom.We are still a long way from reaching its goal and it has been essentially reconducted for 2016-2020.Apart from us, few members of the VAST space community publish in international journals, mostly from STI and a HCMC team working on remote sensing applications.

5. In VAST, two institutes share the work on space technology and applications: the Space Technology Institute (STI) and the Vietnam National Satellite Centre (VNSC). STI shares its time between satellite control (VNredsat1) and image analysis. MONRE is in charge of receiving and exploiting the images but STI also does some of it for research. In very many different institutes, there exist teams working on the analysis of satellite images (VNredsat1 or others in open access, but many need to be bought). VNSC is responsible for the construction of the future Space Centre in Hoa Lac funded by Japanese loans. They are constructing in Japan, under supervision of Japanese engineers, a satellite (microdragon) that should be launched in 2018 and be controlled and exploited from Viet Nam, mostly by VNSC. In parallel they construct a smaller satellite “made in Viet Nam” (nanodragon) to be launched in 2019. DAP is part of VNSC. A small HCMC team (originally from the VAST Institute for Geography Resource) joined VNSC in 2014 to bring expertise in exploitation of images.

6. SATELLITES

7. MONRE is a major user of Earth observation satellites. It operates the Met office and the Remote Sensing Centre.In the absence of someone steering the whole Space Programme in a coordinated and coherent way, the Centre is probably the place which is least far from playing this role in matters of Earth observation.It collects and centralizes the requests for Earth observation using VNredsat1 from the various institutes (several ministries) and submits the list to STI which decides on what can be done in practice.

8. ASTROPHYSICS(active research producing publications)Essentially limited to Pr Phan Bao Ngoc in TPHCM and Pr Dinh Van Trung, Pr Nguyen Quynh Lan and the VNSC/VAST Department of astrophysics (6 PhD + 1 PhD student) in Ha Noi. At Vinatom/INST (Ha Noi), Pr Dao Tien Khoa is active in nuclear astrophysicsUse of data obtained from collaborations or from archives.

9. Publications 2014-2016 (from SAO/NASA ADS)(*) for conference proceedings

10. Which support do we need from Viet Nam?(1)That the authorities in charge of higher education recognize the importance of astrophysics in natural sciences. This has been recognized by developed countries for several decades but has not yet been in Viet Nam. Evidence is ubiquitous: e.g. Nobel laureates, scientists voting with their feet, and more importantly astrophysics is the seat of the main unanswered questions in natural sciences: dark energy, dark matter, inflation (approaching the big bang and the Planck scale). Chairs should be created in universities. Our young postdocs are perfectly able to teach astrophysics.

11. Astrophysics Nobel laureates in recent decades:in the past fifty years, a Nobel prize is given to astrophysics every third year on average1945-1955 01955-1965 01965-1975 31975-1985 41985-1995 21995-2005 32005-2015 5

14. Which support do we need from Viet Nam?(2)To be evaluated by scientists having competence in the field,implying that our successes be recognized and that guidance be given to help us to progressThis implies scientific advisory councils advising our authorities and including a majority of foreign membersThis was the first recommendation that we made in our report on how to increase the astrophysics community in size and in skills.What we need most may be encouragements and moral support.

15. Which support do we need from Viet Nam?(3)We need basic material support inherent to scientific research :- to attend conferences and summer (or winter…) schools- to invite colleagues from abroad for short stays on the occasion of colloquia and seminars which we should be encouraged to organise and which give us opportunities to increase our knowledge- to obtain support for spending short stays abroad on the occasion of working with collaborators on a common research topic

16. Which support do we need from Viet Nam?(4)Support in offering a good image of Viet Nam abroad by taking an active part in international organizationsParticularly important is IAU which is devoting much time and effort to help developping countries to progress: they help us with the organization of schools and colloquia. We must pay regularly our yearly fee.Our active participation in SEAAN and SEAYAC (South East Asia) and more generally in conferences organized in the East-Asia and Asia-Pacific regions, needs to be encouraged

17. There is a need for improved communicationWe learned from Viet Kieus, not from our authorities nor from the VN physics society, the existence of a Programme for development in the field of physics by 2020, issued by the PM in March last year. None of us was consulted.There exist today many world wide organizations that aim at bringing together scientists from all over the world, in particular young scientists. Examples are the Global Young Academy, that “aims to become the voice of young scientists around the world”; you may find out about it on its web site and be surprised to learn about the existence of a Vietnamese branch, created in 2014; or the Space Generation Advisory Council that “links together university students and young professionals to think creatively about international space policy issues and inject the youth point of view into international space policy creation”.No effort is made to properly inform the community of the existence of such organizations, no effort is made to make sure that Viet Nam is well represented and given a proper image of itself.

18. Which support do we need from Viet Nam?(5)An active representation from the Viet Nam Astronomy Societypromoting astronomy and astrophysics in the countryand defending the interests of our communityThe governmental organization VUSTA under the authority of which Vietnamese learned societies have to function, should leave them more independence and freedom.As an example, it should let them free to decide whether they are prepared to welcome foreign scientists among their members

19. Which support do we need from Viet Nam?(6)Most important is for us to feel that we enjoy full confidence from our authorities, at least until we do something that might imply that we do not deserve it

20. Which support do we need from abroad?(1)Most important, by far, is to help our authorities to understand which support we need from them.Indeed, what foreign people say matters very much because they often enjoy a reputation of being more competent and knowledgeable than people at home.

21. Which support do we need from abroad?(2)Arrangements such as CNRS PICS allowing for short visits on both sides on the occasion of lectures, seminars, colloquia.Joint supervision agreements for PhD thesis work.Fellowships in support of stays abroad.Support to developing countries from international organizations, such as given by IAU to attend schools and/or conferences, is most precious. Support for developing countries to publish in A&A, ApJ, PASP, etc. by lifting the page fee would be highly appreciated.

22. Which support do we need from abroad?(3)Collaborations accepted with the understanding of the working conditions that are ours. We cannot be expected to contribute in the same way as a team from a developed country would.We (DAP) had only excellent experiences, with the Pierre Auger collaboration, with Orsay and Jussieu, and now with Paris Observatory and Bordeaux. But I know (from experience with other developing countries) that it may happen to teams such as ours to be used as cheap labour. We need collaborators who are motivated in part by the desire to help developing countries to progress in science. We know that this is asking a lot and not giving much in return.

23. INSTRUMENTSIn the present state of our community, we cannot responsibly use a major instrument. Anyhow, our research work makes use of international facilities that are at a scale miles above from what Viet Nam might dream of.The only instruments for which we can make a good case are for training, and the cheaper the better.

24. We should never decide for scientists which instrument they need. Let them make the case for what their needs are. The acquisition of new instruments must be made in a transparent way, allowing for scientists not only from the field concerned but also from other fields to contribute to the decision.Good examples are Dinh Van Trung’s LIDAR and current optical interferometry project, our cosmic ray hodoscopes and Cherenkov counters and our 2.6 m radio telescope, the small radio interferometer given to VNU by Nguyen Quang Rieu, etc…

25. Another example to be followed, encouraged and supported: the Viet Nam Radio Telescopebuilt in HCMC by a small team lead by Le Quang Thuy encouraged by Nguyen Luong QuangThey are now planning to acquire a more sensitive (and more expensive…) receiver, to make measurements in the continuum, to couple two telescopes as an interferometerThey also want to promote the exploitation of such SRTs in schools and universities (so far, a school in Quang Nam is already using such an SRT)

27. Viet Nam needs to develop its industry in advanced electronics, microelectronics, optoelectronics, etcSouth-east and East Asian countries which succeeded to develop science at a good level were all enjoying support from a dynamic electronics industryWe might help by supporting a team working on an advanced project suitable for such a developmentInvesting in the material that is required should then be a priority

28. We must recognize that Viet Nam science does not have a good record with using scientific instruments in its possession and change style accordinglyNotorious examples are the microtron at IOP and the pelletron at HUS. But we are not very clean either: the radio interferometer given by Nguyen Quang Rieu, the optical telescopes at HNUE, our SRT are other examplesOwning a scientific instrument is a commitment to maintain it and to exploit it. Investing in a scientific instrument implies putting aside some 10% of its cost in the yearly running budget.

29. We do not need to be told what our needs areWe need to be listened to when we state what our needs are

30. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

31. Research roadmap: content1) Apply space technology for socio-economy: observation & monitoring of natural disasters, management of resources, climate change2) R&D microsatellite technologies for space observation (optical payload, solar batteries, control and management of satellite position, etc). Develop pico&nano satellites for education and the like.3) Research on technology of launching means on low altitude orbits (design and construction of rockets, propulsion, fuel, control, etc)4) R&D on software for receiving and handling satellite data (design and construction of fixed and mobile ground stations, develop data handling software)5) Study future directions for development and application of space technology (data handling, control of satellites and rockets, etc)

32. Research roadmap: expected outcome1) Produce a national database for remote sensing and satellite images (including VNREDSat-1) matching the needs of Viet Nam. Obtain models and results for the application to socio-economical development in particular in sensible regions. Obtain technical methods and software for ground stations. (MONRE>STI)2) Report on basic techniques of design, manufacturing, assembly and testing of Earth observation microsatellites and launching rockets. Software used for such tasks should be used also for training. Particular emphasis on mobile ground stations equipped with high sensitivity detectors, hyperspectral optical payload, space localization of satellites. 3) Publish articles in national and international scientific journals, report to national and international scientific conferences, publish textbooks4) Create efficient research teams.

33. - STI uses ground station (GRS) for control satellite VNREDSat-1 with its Antenna (S band) is placed in Hoa Lac HP, that is connected by fabric cable to the GRS placed in the Center for Satellite Control and Utilization of STI in building 2H (8th floor of Inst.of Physics).   The GRS for receiving VNREDSat-1 image (X band) is placed in MONRE, but there is one line connected to STI, VAST.  STI has 5 research Department, in which 1 is Center for Satellite Control and Utilization. This Center is responsible to receive OFFER from MONRE of Users, and control the Satellite to take images. That means, STI activity is not only control & utilization of VNREDSat-1. We have 3 departments for Applications of satellite image, GIS for natural resource, environment and disaster management (image analysis, processing, mapping, establish different map for flood, drought, forest, landslides, ocean, water quality, rice crop monitoring, etc)There are many organizations use this satellite VNREDSat-1 image (incl.) for different tasks, such as Ministries of Defense, Police, Universities, Institutes of MARD, MONRE, Transportation Ministries, in which the FIPI (Forest Inventory & Plan Institute - MARD) is the biggest customer (use VNREDSat-1 image for forest managemnt).

34. MONRE operates the Viet Nam National Remote Sensing CentreIn the absence of someone steering the whole the Space Program in a coordinated and coherent way, the Centre is probably the place which is closest (or least far) from playing this role.It collects and centralizes the requests for Earth observation from the various institutes (several ministries) and submits the list to STI which decides on what can be done in practice. In its first year VNREDSat-1 (115 kg, launched May 2013) captured 3,661 imagesSince then, it has come into stable operation, taking more than 20,700 images, of which 6,071 feature Vietnamese land. For the sea and islands of Vietnam, the satellite captured ​​1,557 images with a total area ofapproximately 240,000 sq km.Thanks to good preparation of human resources and equipments, Vietnamese scientists initially mastered operation procedures and effective exploitation of VNREDSat-1 in order to build a database of Vietnam’s territory and other regions of the world.