The Blanco DECam Bulge Survey (BDBS): Status and Early Results
Abstract
With a very wide field of view (61 scientifically-active chips in 2013 covering a total of 3 square degrees per pointing) and excellent seeing-limited image quality and multi-filter sensitivity, the the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Blanco 4m is a uniquely capable photometric survey instrument, both in its own right and as a pathfinder for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). We are undertaking a large photometric survey with DECam of the Southern Milky Way Bulge and the core of the Sgr dwarf spheroidal galaxy, with sufficient depth to reach slightly below the main sequence turn-off in SDSS ugrizY filters for just over 200 square degrees over the Southern Bulge (i.e. -10° < l < +10° and -13° < b < -2°). In addition to the main photometric survey with wide dithers, a substantial fraction of our fields are observed with microdithers to enable the use of our dataset in proper motion studies. We present results from our campaign in 2013A (NOAO program N0529-2013A, P.I. Rich), which covers the inner 10°x8° of the bulge as well as a 4°-wide strip along the Bulge minor axis down to b = -13°. We easily reach the main sequence turn-off even in crowded fields < 4° from the mid-plane, and clearly detect bulge horizontal branch stars. Initial analysis suggests that we are achieving sufficient astrometric repeatability to enable useful kinematic investigations through proper motions. We discuss these and other results, and outline the lessons our data suggest for the next generation of wide-and-deep surveys, led by LSST, that are due to come online within the decade.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #223
- Pub Date:
- January 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014AAS...22334619C