APOGEE -- SDSS-III's Other Milky Way Experiment

Details APOGEE -- SDSS-III's Other Milky Way Experiment APOGEE -- SDSS-III's Other Milky Way Experiment

Jan 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21920506m&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #205.06

Other

Scientific paper

The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) in SDSS-III is a large-scale, near-infrared, high-resolution (R ≥ 22,500) spectroscopic survey of the Milky Way (MW)
using a newly-constructed, 300-fiber, cryogenic spectrograph operating over 1.51-1.68μm (i.e., most of the H-band). Because of the lower H band dust extinction compared to optical wavelengths (AH/AV=0.16), APOGEE will effectively pierce through dust obscuration to provide a vast, uniform database of chemical abundances and radial velocities for stars across all Galactic populations (bulge, thin and thick disks, halo). APOGEE started observations in May 2011 and will use the remaining 3 years of SDSS-III bright time to observe 100,000 giant star candidates selected from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) down to H=11-13.5 across hundreds of sightlines. With its high resolution and S/N (>100), APOGEE will determine precision radial velocities (presently 200 m/s accuracy) and accurate abundances for numerous chemical species, including C, N, O and Fe, as well as other α, odd-Z, and iron-peak elements. Among the main APOGEE scientific objectives are to:
(1) measure in an unbiased, uniform manner the spatial variations of metallicity distributions and abundance patterns with statistically large samples of MW stars,
(2) study the processes of star formation, feedback, mixing and chemical evolution in the MW with sensitivity to numerous nucleosynthetic pathways,
(3) survey Galactic dynamics, particularly in the bulge and disk, where constraints on the nature and influence of the Galactic bar and spiral arms will be defined,
(4) look for chemodynamical evidence of Galactic substructure from accretion events, postulated by hierarchical formation models to be responsible ultimately for the formation of all MW stellar populations, and
(5) use these extensive chemodynamical data, particularly in the inner Galaxy, to unravel the overall formation and evolution of the MW. The first APOGEE results are in hand and will be highlighted.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

APOGEE -- SDSS-III's Other Milky Way Experiment does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with APOGEE -- SDSS-III's Other Milky Way Experiment, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and APOGEE -- SDSS-III's Other Milky Way Experiment will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1577456