TY - JOUR
T1 - The taipan galaxy survey
T2 - Scientific goals and observing strategy
AU - Da Cunha, Elisabete
AU - Hopkins, Andrew M.
AU - Colless, Matthew
AU - Taylor, Edward N.
AU - Blake, Chris
AU - Howlett, Cullan
AU - Magoulas, Christina
AU - Lucey, John R.
AU - Lagos, Claudia
AU - Kuehn, Kyler
AU - Gordon, Yjan
AU - Barat, Dilyar
AU - Bian, Fuyan
AU - Wolf, Christian
AU - Cowley, Michael J.
AU - White, Marc
AU - Achitouv, Ixandra
AU - Bilicki, Maciej
AU - Bland-Hawthorn, Joss
AU - Bolejko, Krzysztof
AU - Brown, Michael J. I.
AU - Brown, Rebecca
AU - Bryant, Julia
AU - Croom, Scott
AU - Davis, Tamara M.
AU - Driver, Simon P.
AU - Filipovic, Miroslav D.
AU - Hinton, Samuel R.
AU - Johnston-Hollitt, Melanie
AU - Jones, D. Heath
AU - Koribalski, Bärbel
AU - Kleiner, Dane
AU - Lawrence, Jon
AU - Lorente, Nuria
AU - Mould, Jeremy
AU - Owers, Matt S.
AU - Pimbblet, Kevin
AU - Tinney, C. G.
AU - Tothill, Nicholas F.H.
AU - Watson, Fred
PY - 2017/10/24
Y1 - 2017/10/24
N2 - The Taipan galaxy survey (hereafter simply 'Taipan') is a multi-object spectroscopic survey starting in 2017 that will cover 2π steradians over the southern sky (δ ≲ 10°, |b| ≥ 10°), and obtain optical spectra for about two million galaxies out to z < 0.4. Taipan will use the newly refurbished 1.2-m UK Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory with the new TAIPAN instrument, which includes an innovative 'Starbugs' positioning system capable of rapidly and simultaneously deploying up to 150 spectroscopic fibres (and up to 300 with a proposed upgrade) over the 6° diameter focal plane, and a purpose-built spectrograph operating in the range from 370 to 870nm with resolving power R≳;2 000. Themain scientific goals of Taipan are (i) to measure the distance scale of the Universe (primarily governed by the local expansion rate, H0) to 1% precision, and the growth rate of structure to 5%; (ii) to make the most extensive map yet constructed of the total mass distribution and motions in the local Universe, using peculiar velocities based on improved Fundamental Plane distances, which will enable sensitive tests of gravitational physics; and (iii) to deliver a legacy sample of low-redshift galaxies as a unique laboratory for studying galaxy evolution as a function of dark matter halo and stellar mass and environment. The final survey, which will be completed within 5 yrs, will consist of a complete magnitude-limited sample (i ≲ 17) of about 1.2 × 106 galaxies supplemented by an extension to higher redshifts and fainter magnitudes (i ≲ 18.1) of a luminous red galaxy sample of about 0.8 × 106 galaxies. Observations and data processing will be carried out remotely and in a fully automated way, using a purpose-built automated 'virtual observer' software and an automated data reduction pipeline. The Taipan survey is deliberately designed to maximise its legacy value by complementing and enhancing current and planned surveys of the southern sky at wavelengths from the optical to the radio; it will become the primary redshift and optical spectroscopic reference catalogue for the local extragalactic Universe in the southern sky for the coming decade.
AB - The Taipan galaxy survey (hereafter simply 'Taipan') is a multi-object spectroscopic survey starting in 2017 that will cover 2π steradians over the southern sky (δ ≲ 10°, |b| ≥ 10°), and obtain optical spectra for about two million galaxies out to z < 0.4. Taipan will use the newly refurbished 1.2-m UK Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory with the new TAIPAN instrument, which includes an innovative 'Starbugs' positioning system capable of rapidly and simultaneously deploying up to 150 spectroscopic fibres (and up to 300 with a proposed upgrade) over the 6° diameter focal plane, and a purpose-built spectrograph operating in the range from 370 to 870nm with resolving power R≳;2 000. Themain scientific goals of Taipan are (i) to measure the distance scale of the Universe (primarily governed by the local expansion rate, H0) to 1% precision, and the growth rate of structure to 5%; (ii) to make the most extensive map yet constructed of the total mass distribution and motions in the local Universe, using peculiar velocities based on improved Fundamental Plane distances, which will enable sensitive tests of gravitational physics; and (iii) to deliver a legacy sample of low-redshift galaxies as a unique laboratory for studying galaxy evolution as a function of dark matter halo and stellar mass and environment. The final survey, which will be completed within 5 yrs, will consist of a complete magnitude-limited sample (i ≲ 17) of about 1.2 × 106 galaxies supplemented by an extension to higher redshifts and fainter magnitudes (i ≲ 18.1) of a luminous red galaxy sample of about 0.8 × 106 galaxies. Observations and data processing will be carried out remotely and in a fully automated way, using a purpose-built automated 'virtual observer' software and an automated data reduction pipeline. The Taipan survey is deliberately designed to maximise its legacy value by complementing and enhancing current and planned surveys of the southern sky at wavelengths from the optical to the radio; it will become the primary redshift and optical spectroscopic reference catalogue for the local extragalactic Universe in the southern sky for the coming decade.
KW - Cosmology: observations
KW - Galaxies: distances and redshifts
KW - Surveys
KW - Techniques: spectroscopic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85032796953&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/pasa.2017.41
DO - 10.1017/pasa.2017.41
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85032796953
SN - 1323-3580
VL - 34
SP - 1
EP - 28
JO - Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
JF - Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
M1 - e047
ER -