ATLAS Probe: Breakthrough Science of Galaxy Evolution, Cosmology, Milky Way, and the Solar System
Abstract
ATLAS (Astrophysics Telescope for Large Area Spectroscopy) Probe is a concept for a NASA probe-class space mission. It is the follow-up space mission to WFIRST, boosting its scientific return by obtaining deep IR slit spectroscopy for 70% of all galaxies imaged by a 2000 sq deg WFIRST High Latitude Survey at z>0.5. ATLAS will measure accurate and precise redshifts for 200M galaxies out to z < 7, and deliver spectra that enable a wide range of diagnostic studies of the physical properties of galaxies over most of cosmic history. ATLAS Probe science spans four broad categories: (1) Revolutionizing galaxy evolution studies by tracing the relation between galaxies and dark matter from galaxy groups to cosmic voids and filaments, from the epoch of reionization through the peak era of galaxy assembly; (2) Opening a new window into the dark Universe by weighing the dark matter filaments using 3D weak lensing with spectroscopic redshifts, and obtaining definitive measurements of dark energy and modification of General Relativity using galaxy clustering; (3) Probing the Milky Way's dust-enshrouded regions, reaching the far side of our Galaxy; and (4) Exploring the formation history of the outer Solar System by characterizing Kuiper Belt Objects. ATLAS Probe is a 1.5m telescope with a field of view of 0.4 sq deg, and uses Digital Micro-mirror Devices (DMDs) as slit selectors. It has a spectroscopic resolution of R = 1000 over 1-4 microns, and a spectroscopic multiplex factor >5,000. ATLAS is designed to fit within the NASA probe-class space mission cost envelope; it has a single instrument, a telescope aperture that allows for a lighter launch vehicle, and mature technology. ATLAS Probe will lead to transformative science over the entire range of astrophysics: from galaxy evolution to the dark Universe, from Solar System objects to the dusty regions of the Milky Way.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1802.01539,
title = {ATLAS Probe: Breakthrough Science of Galaxy Evolution, Cosmology, Milky Way, and the Solar System},
author = {Yun Wang and Massimo Robberto and Mark Dickinson and Lynne A. Hillenbrand and Wesley Fraser and Peter Behroozi and Jarle Brinchmann and Chia-Hsun Chuang and Andrea Cimatti and Robert Content and Emanuele Daddi and Henry C. Ferguson and Christopher Hirata and Michael J. Hudson and J. Davy Kirkpatrick and Alvaro Orsi and Russell Ryan and Alice Shapley and Mario Ballardini and Robert Barkhouser and James Bartlett and Robert Benjamin and Ranga Chary and Charlie Conroy and Megan Donahue and Olivier Dore and Peter Eisenhardt and Karl Glazebrook and George Helou and Sangeeta Malhotra and Lauro Moscardini and Jeffrey A. Newman and Zoran Ninkov and Michael Ressler and James Rhoads and Jason Rhodes and Daniel Scolnic and Stephen Smee and Francesco Valentino and Risa H. Wechsler},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1802.01539},
year = {2019}
}
Comments
46 pages. Accepted by PASA