Chronos: A NIR spectroscopic galaxy survey to probe the most fundamental stages of galaxy evolution

I. Ferreras; M. Cropper; R. Sharples; J. Bland-Hawthorn; G. Bruzual; S. Charlot; C. J. Conselice; S. Driver; J. Dunlop; A. M. Hopkins; S. Kaviraj; T. Kitching; F. La Barbera; O. Lahav; A. Pasquali; S. Serjeant; J. Silk; R. Windhorst

doi:10.1007/s10686-021-09702-2

Chronos: A NIR spectroscopic galaxy survey to probe the most fundamental stages of galaxy evolution

I. Ferreras^*, M. Cropper, R. Sharples, J. Bland-Hawthorn, G. Bruzual, S. Charlot, C. J. Conselice, S. Driver, J. Dunlop, A. M. Hopkins, S. Kaviraj, T. Kitching, F. La Barbera, O. Lahav, A. Pasquali, S. Serjeant, J. Silk, R. Windhorst

^*Corresponding author for this work

Australian Astronomical Optics

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Abstract

We propose a dedicated, ultra-deep spectroscopic survey in the near infrared (NIR), that will target a mass-limited sample of galaxies during two of the most fundamental epochs of cosmic evolution: the formation of the first galaxies (at z ≳ 6; cosmic dawn), and at the peak of galaxy formation activity (at redshift z∼1–3; cosmic noon). By way of NIR observations (λ= 0.8–2μ m), it is possible to study the UV Lyman-α region in the former, and the optical rest-frame in the latter, allowing us to extract fundamental observables such as gas and stellar kinematics, chemical abundances, and ages, providing a unique legacy database covering these two crucial stages of cosmic evolution. The need to work in the NIR at extremely low flux levels makes a ground-based approach unfeasible due to atmospheric emission and absorption. Only with the largest facilities of the future (e.g. ELT) will be possible to observe a reduced set of targets, comprising at most of order thousands of galaxies. Likewise, from space, the small field of view of JWST and its use as a general purpose facility will yield a rather small set of high quality NIR spectra of distant galaxies (in the thousands, at best). Our project (codename Chronos) aims to produce ∼1 million high quality spectra, with a high S/N in the continuum, where information about the underlying stellar populations is encoded. The main science drivers are:

-The connection between the star formation history and the mass assembly history.

-The role of AGN and supernova feedback in shaping the formation histories of galaxies, with a quantitative estimate of quenching timescales.

-The formation of the first galaxies.

-The source of reionization.

-Evolution of the metallicity-mass relation, including [α/Fe] and individual abundances.

-Precision cosmology through detailed studies of the “baryon physics” of galaxy formation, probing the power spectrum over scales k∼1 Mpc^{− 1}.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	729-764
Number of pages	36
Journal	Experimental Astronomy
Volume	51
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09702-2
Publication status	Published - Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Galaxies: evolution
Galaxies: formation
Instrumentation:spectrographs
Space vehicles: instruments
Telescopes

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Ferreras, I., Cropper, M., Sharples, R., Bland-Hawthorn, J., Bruzual, G., Charlot, S., Conselice, C. J., Driver, S., Dunlop, J., Hopkins, A. M., Kaviraj, S., Kitching, T., Barbera, F. L., Lahav, O., Pasquali, A., Serjeant, S., Silk, J., & Windhorst, R. (2021). Chronos: A NIR spectroscopic galaxy survey to probe the most fundamental stages of galaxy evolution. Experimental Astronomy, 51(3), 729-764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09702-2

@article{df420a23d27e4444a37b5a8840d66488,

title = "Chronos: A NIR spectroscopic galaxy survey to probe the most fundamental stages of galaxy evolution",

abstract = "We propose a dedicated, ultra-deep spectroscopic survey in the near infrared (NIR), that will target a mass-limited sample of galaxies during two of the most fundamental epochs of cosmic evolution: the formation of the first galaxies (at z ≳ 6; cosmic dawn), and at the peak of galaxy formation activity (at redshift z∼1–3; cosmic noon). By way of NIR observations (λ= 0.8–2μ m), it is possible to study the UV Lyman-α region in the former, and the optical rest-frame in the latter, allowing us to extract fundamental observables such as gas and stellar kinematics, chemical abundances, and ages, providing a unique legacy database covering these two crucial stages of cosmic evolution. The need to work in the NIR at extremely low flux levels makes a ground-based approach unfeasible due to atmospheric emission and absorption. Only with the largest facilities of the future (e.g. ELT) will be possible to observe a reduced set of targets, comprising at most of order thousands of galaxies. Likewise, from space, the small field of view of JWST and its use as a general purpose facility will yield a rather small set of high quality NIR spectra of distant galaxies (in the thousands, at best). Our project (codename Chronos) aims to produce ∼1 million high quality spectra, with a high S/N in the continuum, where information about the underlying stellar populations is encoded. The main science drivers are:-The connection between the star formation history and the mass assembly history. -The role of AGN and supernova feedback in shaping the formation histories of galaxies, with a quantitative estimate of quenching timescales. -The formation of the first galaxies.-The source of reionization.-Evolution of the metallicity-mass relation, including [α/Fe] and individual abundances.-Precision cosmology through detailed studies of the “baryon physics” of galaxy formation, probing the power spectrum over scales k∼1 Mpc− 1. ",

keywords = "Galaxies: evolution, Galaxies: formation, Instrumentation:spectrographs, Space vehicles: instruments, Telescopes",

author = "I. Ferreras and M. Cropper and R. Sharples and J. Bland-Hawthorn and G. Bruzual and S. Charlot and Conselice, \{C. J.\} and S. Driver and J. Dunlop and Hopkins, \{A. M.\} and S. Kaviraj and T. Kitching and Barbera, \{F. La\} and O. Lahav and A. Pasquali and S. Serjeant and J. Silk and R. Windhorst",

note = "Copyright {\textcopyright} Crown 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher. ",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1007/s10686-021-09702-2",

language = "English",

volume = "51",

pages = "729--764",

journal = "Experimental Astronomy",

issn = "0922-6435",

publisher = "Springer, Springer Nature",

number = "3",

}

Ferreras, I, Cropper, M, Sharples, R, Bland-Hawthorn, J, Bruzual, G, Charlot, S, Conselice, CJ, Driver, S, Dunlop, J, Hopkins, AM, Kaviraj, S, Kitching, T, Barbera, FL, Lahav, O, Pasquali, A, Serjeant, S, Silk, J & Windhorst, R 2021, 'Chronos: A NIR spectroscopic galaxy survey to probe the most fundamental stages of galaxy evolution', Experimental Astronomy, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 729-764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09702-2

TY - JOUR

T1 - Chronos

T2 - A NIR spectroscopic galaxy survey to probe the most fundamental stages of galaxy evolution

AU - Ferreras, I.

AU - Cropper, M.

AU - Sharples, R.

AU - Bland-Hawthorn, J.

AU - Bruzual, G.

AU - Charlot, S.

AU - Conselice, C. J.

AU - Driver, S.

AU - Dunlop, J.

AU - Hopkins, A. M.

AU - Kaviraj, S.

AU - Kitching, T.

AU - Barbera, F. La

AU - Lahav, O.

AU - Pasquali, A.

AU - Serjeant, S.

AU - Silk, J.

AU - Windhorst, R.

N1 - Copyright © Crown 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2021/6

Y1 - 2021/6

N2 - We propose a dedicated, ultra-deep spectroscopic survey in the near infrared (NIR), that will target a mass-limited sample of galaxies during two of the most fundamental epochs of cosmic evolution: the formation of the first galaxies (at z ≳ 6; cosmic dawn), and at the peak of galaxy formation activity (at redshift z∼1–3; cosmic noon). By way of NIR observations (λ= 0.8–2μ m), it is possible to study the UV Lyman-α region in the former, and the optical rest-frame in the latter, allowing us to extract fundamental observables such as gas and stellar kinematics, chemical abundances, and ages, providing a unique legacy database covering these two crucial stages of cosmic evolution. The need to work in the NIR at extremely low flux levels makes a ground-based approach unfeasible due to atmospheric emission and absorption. Only with the largest facilities of the future (e.g. ELT) will be possible to observe a reduced set of targets, comprising at most of order thousands of galaxies. Likewise, from space, the small field of view of JWST and its use as a general purpose facility will yield a rather small set of high quality NIR spectra of distant galaxies (in the thousands, at best). Our project (codename Chronos) aims to produce ∼1 million high quality spectra, with a high S/N in the continuum, where information about the underlying stellar populations is encoded. The main science drivers are:-The connection between the star formation history and the mass assembly history. -The role of AGN and supernova feedback in shaping the formation histories of galaxies, with a quantitative estimate of quenching timescales. -The formation of the first galaxies.-The source of reionization.-Evolution of the metallicity-mass relation, including [α/Fe] and individual abundances.-Precision cosmology through detailed studies of the “baryon physics” of galaxy formation, probing the power spectrum over scales k∼1 Mpc− 1.

AB - We propose a dedicated, ultra-deep spectroscopic survey in the near infrared (NIR), that will target a mass-limited sample of galaxies during two of the most fundamental epochs of cosmic evolution: the formation of the first galaxies (at z ≳ 6; cosmic dawn), and at the peak of galaxy formation activity (at redshift z∼1–3; cosmic noon). By way of NIR observations (λ= 0.8–2μ m), it is possible to study the UV Lyman-α region in the former, and the optical rest-frame in the latter, allowing us to extract fundamental observables such as gas and stellar kinematics, chemical abundances, and ages, providing a unique legacy database covering these two crucial stages of cosmic evolution. The need to work in the NIR at extremely low flux levels makes a ground-based approach unfeasible due to atmospheric emission and absorption. Only with the largest facilities of the future (e.g. ELT) will be possible to observe a reduced set of targets, comprising at most of order thousands of galaxies. Likewise, from space, the small field of view of JWST and its use as a general purpose facility will yield a rather small set of high quality NIR spectra of distant galaxies (in the thousands, at best). Our project (codename Chronos) aims to produce ∼1 million high quality spectra, with a high S/N in the continuum, where information about the underlying stellar populations is encoded. The main science drivers are:-The connection between the star formation history and the mass assembly history. -The role of AGN and supernova feedback in shaping the formation histories of galaxies, with a quantitative estimate of quenching timescales. -The formation of the first galaxies.-The source of reionization.-Evolution of the metallicity-mass relation, including [α/Fe] and individual abundances.-Precision cosmology through detailed studies of the “baryon physics” of galaxy formation, probing the power spectrum over scales k∼1 Mpc− 1.

KW - Galaxies: evolution

KW - Galaxies: formation

KW - Instrumentation:spectrographs

KW - Space vehicles: instruments

KW - Telescopes

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85110779127

U2 - 10.1007/s10686-021-09702-2

DO - 10.1007/s10686-021-09702-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85110779127

SN - 0922-6435

VL - 51

SP - 729

EP - 764

JO - Experimental Astronomy

JF - Experimental Astronomy

IS - 3

ER -

Chronos: A NIR spectroscopic galaxy survey to probe the most fundamental stages of galaxy evolution

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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