Wide Field Surveys and Astronomical Discovery Space

Details Wide Field Surveys and Astronomical Discovery Space Wide Field Surveys and Astronomical Discovery Space

2007-04-05

arxiv.org/abs/0704.0809v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Review for publication in Astronomy and Geophysics, based on talk at UK National Astronomy Meeting, 2006. Fifteen pages, nine

Scientific paper

10.1111/j.1468-4004.2007.48327.x

I review the status of science with wide field surveys. For many decades surveys have been the backbone of astronomy, and the main engine of discovery, as we have mapped the sky at every possible wavelength. Surveys are an efficient use of resources. They are important as a fundamental resource; to map intrinsically large structures; to gain the necessary statistics to address some problems; and to find very rare objects. I summarise major recent wide field surveys - 2MASS, SDSS, 2dfGRS, and UKIDSS - and look at examples of the exciting science they have produced, covering the structure of the Milky Way, the measurement of cosmological parameters, the creation of a new field studying substellar objects, and the ionisation history of the Universe. I then look briefly at upcoming projects in the optical-IR survey arena - VISTA, PanSTARRS, WISE, and LSST. Finally I ask, now we have opened up essentially all wavelength windows, whether the exploration of survey discovery space is ended. I examine other possible axes of discovery space, and find them mostly to be too expensive to explore or otherwise unfruitful, with two exceptions : the first is the time axis, which we have only just begun to explore properly; and the second is the possibility of neutrino astrophysics.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Wide Field Surveys and Astronomical Discovery Space 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 Wide Field Surveys and Astronomical Discovery Space, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wide Field Surveys and Astronomical Discovery Space will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-699415