This project brings to fruition DEEP2, a major spectroscopic survey of the Universe and its evolution over the last 10 billion years of cosmic time. DEEP2 focuses on the era during which galaxies attained their present, final forms, and its redshift maps pinpoint each galaxy within the cosmic web of large-scale structure. DEEP2 will compile a basic census of massive galaxies around redshift one, similar to surveys of the local Universe, and will act as a bridge to the present day from still higher redshift surveys. In conjunction with other surveys, these data will sample essentially every aspect of distant galaxies accessible to modern measurement, studying the final assembly and settling phases of galactic disks, halo gas kinematics and gaseous outflows, and the mysteries of active galactic nuclei. The program includes many collaborative studies using DEEP data, led by a network of affiliated theorists and observers.
The DEEP survey is a unique observational resource, whose data and catalogs are released promptly to the community and to the public. Teaching, training, and collaboration are woven seamlessly throughout the project, including mentoring of students chosen for diversity, disabled students, and others, some of whom will be working on theses at various levels. The development of inquiry-based teaching courses, and the strong emphasis on collaborations, both serve to spread the impacts of this research far and wide.
