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Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

Euclid mission: building of a reference survey

J. Amiaux, R. Scaramella, Y. Mellier, B. Altieri, C. Burigana, A. C. da Silva, P. Gomez, J. Hoar, R. J. Laureijs, E. Maiorano, D. M. Oliveira, F. Renk, G. Saavedra-Criado, I. Tereno, J. L. Auguères, J. Brinchmann, M. Cropper, L. Duvet, A. Ealet, P. Franzetti, B. Garilli, P. Gondoin, L. Guzzo, H. Hoekstra, R. Holmes, K. Jahnke, T. D. Kitching, M. Meneghetti, W. J. Percival, S. Warren

Abstract
Euclid is an ESA Cosmic-Vision wide-field-space mission which is designed to explain the origin of the acceleration of Universe expansion. The mission will investigate at the same time two primary cosmological probes: Weak gravitational Lensing (WL) and Galaxy Clustering (in particular Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, BAO). The extreme precision requested on primary science objectives can only be achieved by observing a large number of galaxies distributed over the whole sky in order to probe the distribution of dark matter and galaxies at all scales. The extreme accuracy needed requires observation from space to limit all observational biases in the measurements. The definition of the Euclid survey, aiming at detecting billions of galaxies over 15 000 square degrees of the extragalactic sky, is a key parameter of the mission. It drives its scientific potential, its duration and the mass of the spacecraft. The construction of a Reference Survey derives from the high level science requirements for a Wide and a Deep survey. The definition of a main sequence of observations and the associated calibrations were indeed a major achievement of the Definition Phase. Implementation of this sequence demonstrated the feasibility of covering the requested area in less than 6 years while taking into account the overheads of space segment observing and maneuvering sequence. This reference mission will be used for sizing the spacecraft consumables needed for primary science. It will also set the framework for optimizing the time on the sky to fulfill the primary science and maximize the Euclid legacy.

Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
(Eds.) M. C. Clampin, G. G. Fazio, H. A. MacEwen, J. M. Oschman Jr.

SPIE
Vol. 8442,
2012

>> DOI

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

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