SpecTel: A 10-12 meter class Spectroscopic Survey Telescope

TL;DR

SpecTel is a proposed 11.4-meter class spectroscopic survey telescope designed for massively-multiplexed observations, enabling extensive scientific exploration across Galactic, extragalactic, and cosmological domains by accessing a large fraction of objects from major surveys.

Contribution

This paper presents a conceptual design for a large, multi-object spectroscopic telescope in the southern hemisphere, optimized for high multiplexing and broad wavelength coverage, which is a novel proposal compared to existing facilities.

Findings

Design feasibility using current technology

Potential to access more objects than existing facilities

Enables transformational progress in multiple astronomical fields

Abstract

We recommend a conceptual design study for a spectroscopic facility in the southern hemisphere comprising a large diameter telescope, fiber system, and spectrographs collectively optimized for massively-multiplexed spectroscopy. As a baseline, we propose an 11.4-meter aperture, optical spectroscopic survey telescope with a five square degree field of view. Using current technologies, the facility could be equipped with 15,000 robotically-controlled fibers feeding spectrographs over 360<lambda<1330 nm with options for fiber-fed spectrographs at high resolution and a panoramic IFU at a separate focus. This would enable transformational progress via its ability to access a larger fraction of objects from Gaia, LSST, Euclid, and WFIRST than any currently funded or planned spectroscopic facility. An ESO-sponsored study (arXiv:1701.01976) discussed the scientific potential in ambitious new spectroscopic surveys in Galactic astronomy, extragalactic astronomy, and cosmology. The US community should establish links with European and other international communities to plan for such a powerful facility and maximize the potential of large aperture multi-object spectroscopy given the considerable investment in deep imaging surveys.