This is a collaborative project, lead 0607686/Burles, non-leads 0607541/Eisenstein and 0607701/Blanton.
This project represents the first stage of the PRIsm MUlti-object Survey (PRIMUS), whose ultimate goal is to map a large volume of the Universe around redshift one, a volume comparable to those already mapped in the local Universe. Low-resolution prism spectroscopy in the large field of view allowed by the 6.5m Magellan telescope at Las Campanas, Chile, determines redshifts for faint galaxies at much higher rates than previously possible. This phase covers commissioning the instrument and obtaining about 125,000 galaxy redshifts in regions of the sky with other deep data already available. It will enable measurement of the growth of galaxies, the environmental dependence of morphology, and the correlation function, all as a function of time. In addition to providing a state-of-the-art sample, the PRIMUS commissioning project will test plans for the full PRIMUS.
Both raw and reduced data will be made public as they become available, providing a valuable resource to the astrophysics community. If successful, this project is also likely to influence the design of future large surveys. Since redshifts turn two-dimensional images into three-dimensional maps, the project will also explore the outreach and teaching tools that can be created from cosmic maps of such a tremendous volume of the Universe. Graduate student involvement is critical, and undergraduate involvement will be encouraged.
