The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). I. Survey Description, Science Questions, and Technical Demonstration

David E. Trilling; David W. Gerdes; Mario Jurić; Chadwick A. Trujillo; Pedro H. Bernardinelli; Kevin J. Napier; Hayden Smotherman; Ryder Strauss; Cesar Fuentes; Matthew J. Holman; Hsing Wen Lin; Larissa Markwardt; Andrew McNeill; Michael Mommert; William J. Oldroyd; Matthew J. Payne; Darin Ragozzine; Andrew S. Rivkin; Hilke Schlichting; Scott S. Sheppard; Fred C. Adams; Colin Orion Chandler

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad1529

The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). I. Survey Description, Science Questions, and Technical Demonstration

David E. Trilling, David W. Gerdes, Mario Jurić, Chadwick A. Trujillo, Pedro H. Bernardinelli, Kevin J. Napier, Hayden Smotherman, Ryder Strauss, Cesar Fuentes, Matthew J. Holman, Hsing Wen Lin, Larissa Markwardt, Andrew McNeill, Michael Mommert, William J. Oldroyd, Matthew J. Payne, Darin Ragozzine, Andrew S. Rivkin, Hilke Schlichting, Scott S. SheppardFred C. Adams, Colin Orion Chandler

Astronomy and Planetary Sciences

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

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present here the DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP), a 3 yr NOAO/NOIRLab Survey that was allocated 46.5 nights to discover and measure the properties of thousands of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) to magnitudes as faint as VR ∼ 27 mag, corresponding to sizes as small as 20 km diameter. In this paper we present the science goals of this project, the experimental design of our survey, and a technical demonstration of our approach. The core of our project is “digital tracking,” in which all collected images are combined at a range of motion vectors to detect unknown TNOs that are fainter than the single exposure depth of VR ∼ 23 mag. Through this approach, we reach a depth that is approximately 2.5 mag fainter than the standard LSST “wide fast deep” nominal survey depth of 24.5 mag. DEEP will more than double the number of known TNOs with observational arcs of 24 hr or more, and increase by a factor of 10 or more the number of known small (<50 km) TNOs. We also describe our ancillary science goals, including measuring the mean shape distribution of very small main-belt asteroids, and briefly outline a set of forthcoming papers that present further aspects of and preliminary results from the DEEP program.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	132
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	167
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad1529
State	Published - Mar 1 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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Trilling, D. E., Gerdes, D. W., Jurić, M., Trujillo, C. A., Bernardinelli, P. H., Napier, K. J., Smotherman, H., Strauss, R., Fuentes, C., Holman, M. J., Lin, H. W., Markwardt, L., McNeill, A., Mommert, M., Oldroyd, W. J., Payne, M. J., Ragozzine, D., Rivkin, A. S., Schlichting, H., ... Chandler, C. O. (2024). The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). I. Survey Description, Science Questions, and Technical Demonstration. Astronomical Journal, 167(3), Article 132. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad1529

Trilling, DE, Gerdes, DW, Jurić, M, Trujillo, CA, Bernardinelli, PH, Napier, KJ, Smotherman, H, Strauss, R, Fuentes, C, Holman, MJ, Lin, HW, Markwardt, L, McNeill, A, Mommert, M, Oldroyd, WJ, Payne, MJ, Ragozzine, D, Rivkin, AS, Schlichting, H, Sheppard, SS, Adams, FC & Chandler, CO 2024, 'The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). I. Survey Description, Science Questions, and Technical Demonstration', Astronomical Journal, vol. 167, no. 3, 132. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad1529

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title = "The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). I. Survey Description, Science Questions, and Technical Demonstration",

abstract = "We present here the DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP), a 3 yr NOAO/NOIRLab Survey that was allocated 46.5 nights to discover and measure the properties of thousands of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) to magnitudes as faint as VR ∼ 27 mag, corresponding to sizes as small as 20 km diameter. In this paper we present the science goals of this project, the experimental design of our survey, and a technical demonstration of our approach. The core of our project is “digital tracking,” in which all collected images are combined at a range of motion vectors to detect unknown TNOs that are fainter than the single exposure depth of VR ∼ 23 mag. Through this approach, we reach a depth that is approximately 2.5 mag fainter than the standard LSST “wide fast deep” nominal survey depth of 24.5 mag. DEEP will more than double the number of known TNOs with observational arcs of 24 hr or more, and increase by a factor of 10 or more the number of known small (<50 km) TNOs. We also describe our ancillary science goals, including measuring the mean shape distribution of very small main-belt asteroids, and briefly outline a set of forthcoming papers that present further aspects of and preliminary results from the DEEP program.",

author = "Trilling, {David E.} and Gerdes, {David W.} and Mario Juri{\'c} and Trujillo, {Chadwick A.} and Bernardinelli, {Pedro H.} and Napier, {Kevin J.} and Hayden Smotherman and Ryder Strauss and Cesar Fuentes and Holman, {Matthew J.} and Lin, {Hsing Wen} and Larissa Markwardt and Andrew McNeill and Michael Mommert and Oldroyd, {William J.} and Payne, {Matthew J.} and Darin Ragozzine and Rivkin, {Andrew S.} and Hilke Schlichting and Sheppard, {Scott S.} and Adams, {Fred C.} and Chandler, {Colin Orion}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2024",

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doi = "10.3847/1538-3881/ad1529",

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AU - Trilling, David E.

AU - Gerdes, David W.

AU - Jurić, Mario

AU - Trujillo, Chadwick A.

AU - Bernardinelli, Pedro H.

AU - Napier, Kevin J.

AU - Smotherman, Hayden

AU - Strauss, Ryder

AU - Fuentes, Cesar

AU - Holman, Matthew J.

AU - Lin, Hsing Wen

AU - Markwardt, Larissa

AU - McNeill, Andrew

AU - Mommert, Michael

AU - Oldroyd, William J.

AU - Payne, Matthew J.

AU - Ragozzine, Darin

AU - Rivkin, Andrew S.

AU - Schlichting, Hilke

AU - Sheppard, Scott S.

AU - Adams, Fred C.

AU - Chandler, Colin Orion

PY - 2024/3/1

Y1 - 2024/3/1

N2 - We present here the DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP), a 3 yr NOAO/NOIRLab Survey that was allocated 46.5 nights to discover and measure the properties of thousands of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) to magnitudes as faint as VR ∼ 27 mag, corresponding to sizes as small as 20 km diameter. In this paper we present the science goals of this project, the experimental design of our survey, and a technical demonstration of our approach. The core of our project is “digital tracking,” in which all collected images are combined at a range of motion vectors to detect unknown TNOs that are fainter than the single exposure depth of VR ∼ 23 mag. Through this approach, we reach a depth that is approximately 2.5 mag fainter than the standard LSST “wide fast deep” nominal survey depth of 24.5 mag. DEEP will more than double the number of known TNOs with observational arcs of 24 hr or more, and increase by a factor of 10 or more the number of known small (<50 km) TNOs. We also describe our ancillary science goals, including measuring the mean shape distribution of very small main-belt asteroids, and briefly outline a set of forthcoming papers that present further aspects of and preliminary results from the DEEP program.

AB - We present here the DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP), a 3 yr NOAO/NOIRLab Survey that was allocated 46.5 nights to discover and measure the properties of thousands of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) to magnitudes as faint as VR ∼ 27 mag, corresponding to sizes as small as 20 km diameter. In this paper we present the science goals of this project, the experimental design of our survey, and a technical demonstration of our approach. The core of our project is “digital tracking,” in which all collected images are combined at a range of motion vectors to detect unknown TNOs that are fainter than the single exposure depth of VR ∼ 23 mag. Through this approach, we reach a depth that is approximately 2.5 mag fainter than the standard LSST “wide fast deep” nominal survey depth of 24.5 mag. DEEP will more than double the number of known TNOs with observational arcs of 24 hr or more, and increase by a factor of 10 or more the number of known small (<50 km) TNOs. We also describe our ancillary science goals, including measuring the mean shape distribution of very small main-belt asteroids, and briefly outline a set of forthcoming papers that present further aspects of and preliminary results from the DEEP program.

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ER -

The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). I. Survey Description, Science Questions, and Technical Demonstration

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