The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). II. Observational Strategy and Design

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

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad1523

The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). II. Observational Strategy and Design

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

Astronomy and Planetary Sciences

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

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP) survey strategy, including observing cadence for orbit determination, exposure times, field pointings and filter choices. The overall goal of the survey is to discover and characterize the orbits of a few thousand Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Blanco 4 m telescope. The experiment is designed to collect a very deep series of exposures totaling a few hours on sky for each of several 2.7 square degree DECam fields-of-view to achieve approximate depths of magnitude 26.2 using a wide V R filter that encompasses both the V and R bandpasses. In the first year, several nights were combined to achieve a sky area of about 34 square degrees. In subsequent years, the fields have been re-visited to allow TNOs to be tracked for orbit determination. When complete, DEEP will be the largest survey of the outer solar system ever undertaken in terms of newly discovered object numbers, and the most prolific at producing multiyear orbital information for the population of minor planets beyond Neptune at 30 au.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	133
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	167
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad1523
State	Published - Mar 1 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.3847/1538-3881/ad1523

Cite this

Trujillo, C. A., Fuentes, C., Gerdes, D. W., Markwardt, L., Sheppard, S. S., Strauss, R., Chandler, C. O., Oldroyd, W. J., Trilling, D. E., Lin, H. W., Adams, F. C., Bernardinelli, P. H., Holman, M. J., Jurić, M., McNeill, A., Mommert, M., Napier, K. J., Payne, M. J., Ragozzine, D., ... Smotherman, H. (2024). The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). II. Observational Strategy and Design. Astronomical Journal, 167(3), Article 133. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad1523

Trujillo, CA, Fuentes, C, Gerdes, DW, Markwardt, L, Sheppard, SS, Strauss, R, Chandler, CO, Oldroyd, WJ, Trilling, DE, Lin, HW, Adams, FC, Bernardinelli, PH, Holman, MJ, Jurić, M, McNeill, A, Mommert, M, Napier, KJ, Payne, MJ, Ragozzine, D, Rivkin, AS, Schlichting, H & Smotherman, H 2024, 'The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). II. Observational Strategy and Design', Astronomical Journal, vol. 167, no. 3, 133. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad1523

@article{66f8f3a37db64824b7b3b1c89eeb3b8d,

title = "The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). II. Observational Strategy and Design",

abstract = "We present the DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP) survey strategy, including observing cadence for orbit determination, exposure times, field pointings and filter choices. The overall goal of the survey is to discover and characterize the orbits of a few thousand Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Blanco 4 m telescope. The experiment is designed to collect a very deep series of exposures totaling a few hours on sky for each of several 2.7 square degree DECam fields-of-view to achieve approximate depths of magnitude 26.2 using a wide V R filter that encompasses both the V and R bandpasses. In the first year, several nights were combined to achieve a sky area of about 34 square degrees. In subsequent years, the fields have been re-visited to allow TNOs to be tracked for orbit determination. When complete, DEEP will be the largest survey of the outer solar system ever undertaken in terms of newly discovered object numbers, and the most prolific at producing multiyear orbital information for the population of minor planets beyond Neptune at 30 au.",

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

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

year = "2024",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-3881/ad1523",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "167",

journal = "Astronomical Journal",

issn = "0004-6256",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). II. Observational Strategy and Design

AU - Trujillo, Chadwick A.

AU - Fuentes, Cesar

AU - Gerdes, David W.

AU - Markwardt, Larissa

AU - Sheppard, Scott S.

AU - Strauss, Ryder

AU - Chandler, Colin Orion

AU - Oldroyd, William J.

AU - Trilling, David E.

AU - Lin, Hsing Wen

AU - Adams, Fred C.

AU - Bernardinelli, Pedro H.

AU - Holman, Matthew J.

AU - Jurić, Mario

AU - McNeill, Andrew

AU - Mommert, Michael

AU - Napier, Kevin J.

AU - Payne, Matthew J.

AU - Ragozzine, Darin

AU - Rivkin, Andrew S.

AU - Schlichting, Hilke

AU - Smotherman, Hayden

PY - 2024/3/1

Y1 - 2024/3/1

N2 - We present the DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP) survey strategy, including observing cadence for orbit determination, exposure times, field pointings and filter choices. The overall goal of the survey is to discover and characterize the orbits of a few thousand Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Blanco 4 m telescope. The experiment is designed to collect a very deep series of exposures totaling a few hours on sky for each of several 2.7 square degree DECam fields-of-view to achieve approximate depths of magnitude 26.2 using a wide V R filter that encompasses both the V and R bandpasses. In the first year, several nights were combined to achieve a sky area of about 34 square degrees. In subsequent years, the fields have been re-visited to allow TNOs to be tracked for orbit determination. When complete, DEEP will be the largest survey of the outer solar system ever undertaken in terms of newly discovered object numbers, and the most prolific at producing multiyear orbital information for the population of minor planets beyond Neptune at 30 au.

AB - We present the DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP) survey strategy, including observing cadence for orbit determination, exposure times, field pointings and filter choices. The overall goal of the survey is to discover and characterize the orbits of a few thousand Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Blanco 4 m telescope. The experiment is designed to collect a very deep series of exposures totaling a few hours on sky for each of several 2.7 square degree DECam fields-of-view to achieve approximate depths of magnitude 26.2 using a wide V R filter that encompasses both the V and R bandpasses. In the first year, several nights were combined to achieve a sky area of about 34 square degrees. In subsequent years, the fields have been re-visited to allow TNOs to be tracked for orbit determination. When complete, DEEP will be the largest survey of the outer solar system ever undertaken in terms of newly discovered object numbers, and the most prolific at producing multiyear orbital information for the population of minor planets beyond Neptune at 30 au.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85186085481&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85186085481&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/1538-3881/ad1523

DO - 10.3847/1538-3881/ad1523

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85186085481

SN - 0004-6256

VL - 167

JO - Astronomical Journal

JF - Astronomical Journal

IS - 3

M1 - 133

ER -

The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). II. Observational Strategy and Design

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this