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arXiv · 0905.1965

The Synoptic All-Sky Infrared (SASIR) Survey

Joshua S. Bloom·J. Xavier Prochaska·William Lee·J. Jesús González·Enrico Ramírez-Ruiz·Michael Bolte·José Franco·José Guichard·Alberto Carramiñana·Peter Strittmatter·Vladimir Avila-Reese·Rebecca Bernstein·Bruce Bigelow·Mark Brodwin·Adam Burgasser·Nat Butler·Miguel Chávez·Bethany Cobb·Kem Cook·Irene Cruz-González·José Antonio de Diego·Alejandro Farah·Leonid Georgiev·Julien Girard·Hector Hernández-Toledo·Elena Jiménez-Bailón·Yair Krongold·Divakara Mayya·Juan Meza·Takamitsu Miyaji·Raúl Mújica·Peter Nugent·Alicia Porras·Dovi Poznanski·Alejandro Raga·Michael Richer·Lino Rodríguez·Daniel Rosa·Adam Stanford·Andrew Szentgyorgyi·Guillermo Tenorio-Tagle·Rollin Thomas·Octavio Valenzuela·Alan M. Watson·Peter Wehinger
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Abstract

We are proposing to conduct a multicolor, synoptic infrared (IR) imaging survey of the Northern sky with a new, dedicated 6.5-meter telescope at San Pedro Mártir (SPM) Observatory. This initiative is being developed in partnership with astronomy institutions in Mexico and the University of California. The 4-year, dedicated survey, planned to begin in 2017, will reach more than 100 times deeper than 2MASS. The Synoptic All-Sky Infrared (SASIR) Survey will reveal the missing sample of faint red dwarf stars in the local solar neighborhood, and the unprecedented sensitivity over such a wide field will result in the discovery of thousands of z ~ 7 quasars (and reaching to z > 10), allowing detailed study (in concert with JWST and Giant Segmented Mirror Telescopes) of the timing and the origin(s) of reionization. As a time-domain survey, SASIR will reveal the dynamic infrared universe, opening new phase space for discovery. Synoptic observations of over 10^6 supernovae and variable stars will provide better distance measures than optical studies alone. SASIR also provides significant synergy with other major Astro2010 facilities, improving the overall scientific return of community investments. Compared to optical-only measurements, IR colors vastly improve photometric redshifts to z ~ 4, enhancing dark energy and dark matter surveys based on weak lensing and baryon oscillations. The wide field and ToO capabilities will enable a connection of the gravitational wave and neutrino universe - with events otherwise poorly localized on the sky - to transient electromagnetic phenomena.

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Joshua S. Bloom, J. Xavier Prochaska, William Lee, J. Jesús González, Enrico Ramírez-Ruiz, Michael Bolte, José Franco, José Guichard, Alberto Carramiñana, Peter Strittmatter, Vladimir Avila-Reese, Rebecca Bernstein, Bruce Bigelow, Mark Brodwin, Adam Burgasser, Nat Butler, Miguel Chávez, Bethany Cobb, Kem Cook, Irene Cruz-González, José Antonio de Diego, Alejandro Farah, Leonid Georgiev, Julien Girard, Hector Hernández-Toledo, Elena Jiménez-Bailón, Yair Krongold, Divakara Mayya, Juan Meza, Takamitsu Miyaji, Raúl Mújica, Peter Nugent, Alicia Porras, Dovi Poznanski, Alejandro Raga, Michael Richer, Lino Rodríguez, Daniel Rosa, Adam Stanford, Andrew Szentgyorgyi, Guillermo Tenorio-Tagle, Rollin Thomas, Octavio Valenzuela, Alan M. Watson, Peter Wehinger. 2009-07-31. The Synoptic All-Sky Infrared (SASIR) Survey. https://arxiv.org/abs/0905.1965

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