The wiggleZ dark energy survey

M. J. Drinkwater; C. Blake; K. A. Pimbblet; T. M. Davis; S. Brough; M. Colless; W. J. Couch; S. Croom; K. Foster; K. Glazebrook; R. J. Jurek; B. Madore; D. C. Martin; G. B. Poole; M. Pracy; R. Sharp; D. Woods; T. Wyder

The wiggleZ dark energy survey

M. J. Drinkwater, C. Blake, K. A. Pimbblet, T. M. Davis, S. Brough, M. Colless, W. J. Couch, S. Croom, K. Foster, K. Glazebrook, R. J. Jurek, B. Madore, D. C. Martin, G. B. Poole, M. Pracy, R. Sharp, D. Woods, T. Wyder

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The Wigglez Dark Energy Survey is an Australian-led project, which will measure some 240,000 spectroscopic redshifts of distant emission-line galaxies with the AAOmega spectrograph of the 3.9-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope. The aim of the project is to measure the scale of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) imprinted on the spatial distribution of the galaxies. The BAO scale can be used as a standard ruler to measure cosmic distances. Our BAO measurement will be accurate to 2 per cent and will constrain theories of dark energy. In this article we describe the design and initial results of the project, which started in 2006 and is scheduled to finish observations in 2010. The target galaxies are selected by detecting the Lyman break in ultraviolet photometry from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite. We show that our selection process is very effective in choosing galaxies with strong emission lines and high redshifts; the strong lines allow reliable redshift measurements in relatively short exposures on the telescope.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	106-109
Number of pages	4
Journal	Physicist
Volume	46
Issue number	4
Publication status	Published - Jul 2009
Externally published	Yes

Cite this

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title = "The wiggleZ dark energy survey",

abstract = "The Wigglez Dark Energy Survey is an Australian-led project, which will measure some 240,000 spectroscopic redshifts of distant emission-line galaxies with the AAOmega spectrograph of the 3.9-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope. The aim of the project is to measure the scale of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) imprinted on the spatial distribution of the galaxies. The BAO scale can be used as a standard ruler to measure cosmic distances. Our BAO measurement will be accurate to 2 per cent and will constrain theories of dark energy. In this article we describe the design and initial results of the project, which started in 2006 and is scheduled to finish observations in 2010. The target galaxies are selected by detecting the Lyman break in ultraviolet photometry from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite. We show that our selection process is very effective in choosing galaxies with strong emission lines and high redshifts; the strong lines allow reliable redshift measurements in relatively short exposures on the telescope.",

author = "Drinkwater, {M. J.} and C. Blake and Pimbblet, {K. A.} and Davis, {T. M.} and S. Brough and M. Colless and Couch, {W. J.} and S. Croom and K. Foster and K. Glazebrook and Jurek, {R. J.} and B. Madore and Martin, {D. C.} and Poole, {G. B.} and M. Pracy and R. Sharp and D. Woods and T. Wyder",

year = "2009",

month = jul,

language = "English",

volume = "46",

pages = "106--109",

journal = "Physicist",

issn = "1036-3831",

publisher = "Australian Institute of Physics",

number = "4",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - The wiggleZ dark energy survey

AU - Drinkwater, M. J.

AU - Blake, C.

AU - Pimbblet, K. A.

AU - Davis, T. M.

AU - Brough, S.

AU - Colless, M.

AU - Couch, W. J.

AU - Croom, S.

AU - Foster, K.

AU - Glazebrook, K.

AU - Jurek, R. J.

AU - Madore, B.

AU - Martin, D. C.

AU - Poole, G. B.

AU - Pracy, M.

AU - Sharp, R.

AU - Woods, D.

AU - Wyder, T.

PY - 2009/7

Y1 - 2009/7

N2 - The Wigglez Dark Energy Survey is an Australian-led project, which will measure some 240,000 spectroscopic redshifts of distant emission-line galaxies with the AAOmega spectrograph of the 3.9-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope. The aim of the project is to measure the scale of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) imprinted on the spatial distribution of the galaxies. The BAO scale can be used as a standard ruler to measure cosmic distances. Our BAO measurement will be accurate to 2 per cent and will constrain theories of dark energy. In this article we describe the design and initial results of the project, which started in 2006 and is scheduled to finish observations in 2010. The target galaxies are selected by detecting the Lyman break in ultraviolet photometry from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite. We show that our selection process is very effective in choosing galaxies with strong emission lines and high redshifts; the strong lines allow reliable redshift measurements in relatively short exposures on the telescope.

AB - The Wigglez Dark Energy Survey is an Australian-led project, which will measure some 240,000 spectroscopic redshifts of distant emission-line galaxies with the AAOmega spectrograph of the 3.9-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope. The aim of the project is to measure the scale of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) imprinted on the spatial distribution of the galaxies. The BAO scale can be used as a standard ruler to measure cosmic distances. Our BAO measurement will be accurate to 2 per cent and will constrain theories of dark energy. In this article we describe the design and initial results of the project, which started in 2006 and is scheduled to finish observations in 2010. The target galaxies are selected by detecting the Lyman break in ultraviolet photometry from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite. We show that our selection process is very effective in choosing galaxies with strong emission lines and high redshifts; the strong lines allow reliable redshift measurements in relatively short exposures on the telescope.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=69949095379&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

SN - 1036-3831

VL - 46

SP - 106

EP - 109

JO - Physicist

JF - Physicist

IS - 4

ER -

The wiggleZ dark energy survey

Abstract

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