SHELA: The Spitzer-HETDEX Exploratory Large Area Survey
Abstract
We present an overview of our Spitzer Exploratory survey to obtain IRAC imaging in a 28 sq deg field with deep optical imaging lying within the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) Survey. Our goal is to explore the relationship between galaxy stellar mass, dark-matter halo mass, and environment during the important cosmic epoch (redshifts 2<z<3) where the star formation and AGN activity in galaxies peak. The combination of HETDEX spectroscopy and deep IRAC and optical imaging in our program will provide a uniquely powerful dataset enabling these goals. Working in blind spectroscopic mode, HETDEX will obtain redshifts in this field for approximately 200,000 galaxies and map out the cosmic web at redshifts 1.9<z<3.5, over a large comoving volume of approximately 0.2 Gpc3, competitive with SDSS at low redshifts.This volume spans a broad range of environments within the cosmic web, representative of field, groups, and proto-clusters. The IRAC data will provide the key missing ingredient by allowing us to measure galaxy stellar masses down to values well below the characteristic mass of the stellar mass function at these redshifts. By combining the IRAC data with the halo mass and local density (environment) measured from clustering statistics in the spectroscopic and associated trained photometric dataset, we will obtain a detailed view of how galaxies grow their stellar mass within different dark matter halos and as a function of environment. Ultimately, this study will advance our understanding of the physical processes that drive the formation of stars in galaxies and the build up of stellar mass over cosmic time. In the spirit of Exploratory programs, SHELA will enable a broad range of scientific explorations beyond our immediate goals by delivering all science products (images, catalogs, spectra, and redshifts) to the public.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #219
- Pub Date:
- January 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012AAS...21942409P