The FLoridA Multi-object Imaging Near-Infrared Grism Observational Spectrometer (FLAMINGOS) is an instrument built by the University of Florida and operated at various sites, including telescopes at the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). The FLAMINGOS Extragalactic Survey is a deep near infrared imaging study located within the regions of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey (NDWFS). This project will yield the first large sample of galaxy clusters at redshifts beyond one. The properties of this cluster population will enable a precision constraint on the mean matter density of the Universe, and on the cosmological constant. All of the data will be made public.
Continued support of FLAMINGOS will benefit all users of the instrument. Because of the NDWFS, those regions of the sky will soon have available unprecedented multi-wavelength coverage, from radio to X-rays, of which this survey is a vital part. In addition to the specific cosmological goals of this project, the survey will therefore assist a wide range of other science, on topics ranging from brown dwarves to active galactic nuclei.
