The Vera Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time and the Low Surface Brightness Universe

TL;DR

The Vera Rubin Observatory LSST will conduct a decade-long survey starting in 2023, significantly advancing low surface brightness astronomy by studying faint galaxy features, discovering new galaxies, and measuring intracluster light across various clusters.

Contribution

This paper outlines the LSST's potential to revolutionize low surface brightness astronomy through comprehensive observations and new statistical measurements.

Findings

Enhanced understanding of galaxy evolution through low surface brightness features

Discovery of new low surface brightness galaxies

First statistical measurements of intracluster light across different clusters

Abstract

The 8.4m Vera Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will start a ten-year survey of the southern hemisphere sky in 2023. LSST will revolutionise low surface brightness astronomy. It will transform our understanding of galaxy evolution, through the study of low surface brightness features around galaxies (faint shells, tidal tails, halos and stellar streams), discovery of low surface brightness galaxies and the first set of statistical measurements of the intracluster light over a significant range of cluster masses and redshifts.