LAMOST (Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope) is a Chinese national scientific research facility operated by National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC). After two years of commis-sioning beginning in 2009, the telescope, instruments, software systems and operations are nearly ready to begin the main science survey. Through a spectral survey of millions of objects in much of the northern sky, LAMOST will enable research in a number of contemporary cutting edge topics in astrophysics, such as discovery of the first generation stars in the Galaxy, pinning down the formation and evolution history of galaxies - especially the Milky Way and its central massive black hole, and looking for signatures of the distribution of dark matter and possible sub-structures in the Milky Way halo. To maximize the scientific potential of the facility, wide national participation and international collaboration have been emphasized. The survey has two major components: the LAMOST ExtraGAlactic Survey (LEGAS) and the LAMOST Experiment for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (LEGUE). Until LAMOST reaches its full capability, the LEGUE portion of the survey will use the available ob- serving time, starting in 2012. An overview of the LAMOST project and the survey that will be carried out in the next five to six years is presented in this paper. The sci- ence plan for the whole LEGUE survey, instrumental specifications, site conditions, and the descriptions of the current on-going pilot survey, including its footprints and target selection algorithm, will be presented as separate papers in this volume.
Gang ZhaoYong-Heng ZhaoYao-Quan ChuYi-Peng JingLi-Cai Deng
We describe the current plans for a spectroscopic survey of millions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy using the Guo Shou Jing Telescope (GSJT, formerly called the Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope - LAMOST). The survey will obtain spectra for 2.5 million stars brighter than r < 19 during dark/grey time, and 5 million stars brighter than r < 17 or J < 16 on nights that are moonlit or have low transparency. The survey will begin in the fall of 2012, and will run for at least four years. The telescope's design constrains the optimal declination range for observations to 10 < δ < 50 , and site conditions lead to an emphasis on stars in the direction of the Galactic anticenter. The survey is divided into three parts with different target selection strategies: disk, anticenter, and spheroid. The resulting dataset will be used to study the merger history of the Milky Way, the substructure and evolution of the disks, the nature of the first generation of stars through identification of the lowest metallicity stars, and star formation through study of open clusters and OB associations. Detailed design of the LAMOST Experiment for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (LEGUE) survey will be completed in summer 2012, after a review of the results of the pilot survey.
Li-Cai DengHeidi Jo NewbergChao LiuJeffrey L. CarlinTimothy C. BeersLi ChenHsu-Tai LeeCarl J. GrillmairPuragra Guhathakurta]Zhan-Wen HanJin-Liang HouSebastien LepineJing LiXiao-Wei LiuKai-Ke PanJ. A. SellwoodBo WangHong-Chi WangFan YangBrian YannyHao-Tong ZhangYue-Yang ZhangZheng ZhengZi Zhu
We describe a general target selection algorithm that is applicable to any survey in which the number of available candidates is much larger than the number of objects to be observed. This routine aims to achieve a balance between a smoothly- varying, well-understood selection function and the desire to preferentially select certain types of targets. Some target-selection examples are shown that illustrate different possibilities of emphasis functions. Although it is generally applicable, the algorithm was developed specifically for the LAMOST Experiment for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (LEGUE) survey that will be carried out using the Chinese Guo Shou Jing Telescope. In particular, this algorithm was designed for the portion of LEGUE targeting the Galactic halo, in which we attempt to balance a variety of science goals that require stars at fainter magnitudes than can be completely sampled by LAMOST. This algorithm has been implemented for the halo portion of the LAMOST pilot sur- vey, which began in October 2011.
Jeffrey L. CarlinSebastien LepineHeidi Jo NewbergLi-Cai DengTimothy C. BeersYu-Qin ChenNorbert ChristlieXiao-Ting FuShuang GaoCarl J. GrillmairPuragraGuhathakurtaZhan-Wen HanJin-Liang HouHsu-Tai LeeJing LiChao LiuXiao-Wei LiuKai-Ke PanJ. A. SellwoodHong-Chi WangFan YangBrian YannyYue-Yang ZhanZheng ZhengZi Zhu
The weather at the Xinglong Observing Station, where the Guo Shou Jing Telescope (GSJT) is located, is strongly affected by the monsoon climate in northeast China. The LAMOST survey strategy is constrained by these weather patterns. We present statistics on observing hours from 2004 to 2007, and the sky brightness, seeing, and sky transparency from 1995 to 2011 at the site. We investigate effects of the site conditions on the survey plan. Operable hours each month show a strong correlation with season: on average there are eight operable hours per night available in December, but only one-two hours in July and August. The seeing and the sky trans-parency also vary with season. Although the seeing is worse in windy winters, and the atmospheric extinction is worse in the spring and summer, the site is adequate for the proposed scientific program of the LAMOST survey. With a Monte Carlo simulation using historical data on the site condition, we find that the available observation hours constrain the survey footprint from 22 h to 16 h in right ascension; the sky brightness allows LAMOST to obtain a limiting magnitude of V = 19.5 mag with S/N= 10.
Song YaoChao LiuHao-Tong ZhangLi-Cai DengHeidi Jo NewbergYue-Yang ZhangJing LiNian LiuXu ZhouJeffrey L. CarlinLi ChenNorbert ChristliebShuang GaoZhan-Wen HanJin-Liang HouHsu-Tai LeeXiao-Wei LiuKai-Ke PanHong-Chi WangYan XuFan Yang
We outline the design of the dark nights portion of the LAMOST Pilot Survey, which began observations in 2011 October. In particular, we focus on Milky Way stellar candidates that are targeted for the LEGUE (LAMOST Experiment for Galactic Understanding and Exploration) survey. We discuss the regions of sky in which spectroscopic candidates were selected, and the motivations for selecting each of these sky areas. Some limitations due to the unique design of the telescope are discussed, including the requirement that a bright (V < 8) star be placed at the center of each plate for wavefront sensing and active optics corrections. The target selection categories and scientific goals motivating them are briefly discussed, followed by a detailed overview of how these selection functions were implemented. We illustrate the difference between the overall input catalog - Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometry - and the final targets selected for LAMOST observations.
Fan YangJeffrey L. CarlinChao LiuYue-Yang ZhangShuang GaoYan XuLi-Cai DengHeidi Jo NewbergSebastien LepineJin-Liang HouXiao-Wei LiuNorbert ChristliebHao-Tong ZhangHsu-Tai LeeKai-Ke PanZhan-Wen HanHong-Chi Wang
We describe the footprint and input catalog for bright nights in the LAMOST Pilot Survey, which began in October 2011. Targets are selected from two stripes in the north and south Galactic Cap regions, centered at δ = 29 , with 10 width in declination, covering right ascensions of 135 to 290 and 30 to 30 respectively. We selected spectroscopic targets from a combination of the SDSS and 2MASS point source catalogs. The catalog of stars defining the field centers (as required by the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor at the center of the LAMOST field) consists of all V < 8 m stars from the Hipparcos catalog. We employ a statistical selection algorithm that assigns priorities to targets based on their positions in multidimensional color/magnitude space. This scheme overemphasizes rare objects and de-emphasizes more populated regions of magnitude and color phase space, while ensuring a smooth, well-understood selection function. A demonstration of plate design is presented based on the Shack-Hartmann star catalog and an input catalog that was generated by our target selection routines.
Yue-Yang ZhangJeffrey L. CarlinFan YangChao LiuLi-Cai DengHeidi Jo NewbergHao-Tong ZhangSebastien LepineYan XuShuang GaoNorbert Chfi' stliebZhan-Wen HanJin-Liang HouHsu-Tai LeeXiao-Wei LiuKai-Ke PanHong-Chi Wang
A grid of binary evolution models are calculated for the study of a blue straggler(BS) population in intermediate age(log Age = 7.85 8.95) star clusters.The BS formation via mass transfer and merging is studied systematically using our models.Both Case A and B close binary evolutionary tracks are calculated for a large range of parameters.The results show that BSs formed via Case B are generally bluer and even more luminous than those produced by Case A.Furthermore,the larger range in orbital separations of Case B models provides a probability of producing more BSs than in Case A.Based on the grid of models,several Monte-Carlo simulations of BS populations in the clusters in the age range are carried out.The results show that BSs formed via different channels populate different areas in the color magnitude diagram(CMD).The locations of BSs in CMD for a number of clusters are compared to our simulations as well.In order to investigate the influence of mass transfer efficiency in the models and simulations,a set of models is also calculated by implementing a constant mass transfer efficiency,β = 0.5,during Roche lobe overflow(Case A binary evolution excluded).The result shows BSs can be formed via mass transfer at any given age in both cases.However,the distributions of the BS populations on CMD are different.
