The Science Case for Multi-Object Spectroscopy on the European ELT
Chris Evans
,
Mathieu Puech
(1)
,
Jose Afonso
,
Omar Almaini
,
Philippe Amram
,
Hervé Aussel
,
Beatriz Barbuy
,
Alistair Basden
,
Nate Bastian
,
Giuseppina Battaglia
,
Beth Biller
,
Piercarlo Bonifacio
(1)
,
Nicholas Bouché
,
Andy Bunker
,
Elisabetta Caffau
(1)
,
Stephane Charlot
,
Michele Cirasuolo
,
Yann Clenet
(2)
,
Francoise Combes
(3)
,
Chris Conselice
,
Thierry Contini
,
Jean-Gabriel Cuby
,
Gavin Dalton
,
Ben Davies
,
Alex de Koter
,
Karen Disseau
,
Jim Dunlop
,
Benoît Epinat
,
Fabrizio Fiore
,
Sofia Feltzing
,
Annette Ferguson
,
Hector Flores
(1)
,
Adriano Fontana
,
Thierry Fusco
,
Dimitri Gadotti
,
Anna Gallazzi
,
Jesus Gallego
,
Emanuele Giallongo
,
Thiago Gonçalves
,
Damien Gratadour
(2)
,
Eike Guenther
,
Francois Hammer
(1)
,
Vanessa Hill
,
Marc Huertas-Company
(1)
,
Roridgo Ibata
,
Lex Kaper
,
Andreas Korn
,
Søren Larsen
,
Olivier Le Fèvre
,
Bertrand Lemasle
,
Claudia Maraston
,
Simona Mei
(1)
,
Yannick Mellier
,
Simon Morris
,
Göran Östlin
,
Thibaut Paumard
(2)
,
Roser Pello
,
Laura Pentericci
,
Celine Peroux
,
Patrick Petitjean
,
Myriam Rodrigues
(1)
,
Lucía Rodríguez-Muñoz
,
Daniel Rouan
(2)
,
Hugues Sana
,
Daniel Schaerer
,
Eduardo Telles
,
Scott Trager
,
Laurence Tresse
,
Niraj Welikala
,
Stefano Zibetti
,
Bodo Ziegler
Chris Evans
- Function : Author
Jose Afonso
- Function : Author
Omar Almaini
- Function : Author
Philippe Amram
- Function : Author
- PersonId : 1237027
Hervé Aussel
- Function : Author
Beatriz Barbuy
- Function : Author
Alistair Basden
- Function : Author
Nate Bastian
- Function : Author
Giuseppina Battaglia
- Function : Author
Beth Biller
- Function : Author
Nicholas Bouché
- Function : Author
Andy Bunker
- Function : Author
Elisabetta Caffau
- Function : Author
- PersonId : 772584
- ORCID : 0000-0001-6011-6134
- IdRef : 14550266X
Stephane Charlot
- Function : Author
Michele Cirasuolo
- Function : Author
Chris Conselice
- Function : Author
Thierry Contini
- Function : Author
Jean-Gabriel Cuby
- Function : Author
Gavin Dalton
- Function : Author
Ben Davies
- Function : Author
Alex de Koter
- Function : Author
Karen Disseau
- Function : Author
Jim Dunlop
- Function : Author
Benoît Epinat
- Function : Author
Fabrizio Fiore
- Function : Author
Sofia Feltzing
- Function : Author
Annette Ferguson
- Function : Author
Adriano Fontana
- Function : Author
Thierry Fusco
- Function : Author
Dimitri Gadotti
- Function : Author
Anna Gallazzi
- Function : Author
Jesus Gallego
- Function : Author
Emanuele Giallongo
- Function : Author
Thiago Gonçalves
- Function : Author
Damien Gratadour
- Function : Author
- PersonId : 1308516
- IdHAL : dgratadour
- ORCID : 0000-0003-2080-7189
- IdRef : 119639130
Eike Guenther
- Function : Author
Vanessa Hill
- Function : Author
Roridgo Ibata
- Function : Author
Lex Kaper
- Function : Author
Andreas Korn
- Function : Author
Søren Larsen
- Function : Author
Olivier Le Fèvre
- Function : Author
Bertrand Lemasle
- Function : Author
Claudia Maraston
- Function : Author
Yannick Mellier
- Function : Author
Simon Morris
- Function : Author
Göran Östlin
- Function : Author
Roser Pello
- Function : Author
Laura Pentericci
- Function : Author
Celine Peroux
- Function : Author
Patrick Petitjean
- Function : Author
Lucía Rodríguez-Muñoz
- Function : Author
Hugues Sana
- Function : Author
Daniel Schaerer
- Function : Author
Eduardo Telles
- Function : Author
Scott Trager
- Function : Author
Laurence Tresse
- Function : Author
Niraj Welikala
- Function : Author
Stefano Zibetti
- Function : Author
Bodo Ziegler
- Function : Author
Abstract
This White Paper presents the scientific motivations for a multi-object spectrograph (MOS) on the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). The MOS case draws on all fields of contemporary astronomy, from extra-solar planets, to the study of the halo of the Milky Way and its satellites, and from resolved stellar populations in nearby galaxies out to observations of the earliest 'first-light' structures in the partially-reionised Universe. The material presented here results from thorough discussions within the community over the past four years, building on the past competitive studies to agree a common strategy toward realising a MOS capability on the E-ELT. The cases have been distilled to a set of common requirements which will be used to define the MOSAIC instrument, entailing two observational modes ('high multiplex' and 'high definition'). When combined with the unprecedented sensitivity of the E-ELT, MOSAIC will be the world's leading MOS facility. In analysing the requirements we also identify a high-multiplex MOS for the longer-term plans for the E-ELT, with an even greater multiplex (>1000 targets) to enable studies of large-scale structures in the high-redshift Universe. Following the green light for the construction of the E-ELT the MOS community, structured through the MOSAIC consortium, is eager to realise a MOS on the E-ELT as soon as possible. We argue that several of the most compelling cases for ELT science, in highly competitive areas of modern astronomy, demand such a capability. For example, MOS observations in the early stages of E-ELT operations will be essential for follow-up of sources identified by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In particular, multi-object adaptive optics and accurate sky subtraction with fibres have both recently been demonstrated on sky, making fast-track development of MOSAIC feasible.