Surveys
UH is a leader in survey astronomy, particularly at optical, near-infrared and submillimetre wavelengths.
We host two of the principal investigators, and European lead of three major public surveys, VMC, VPHAS+ and VVV, that are currently running on ESO's survey telescopes, VISTA and VST, at Paranal in Chile. We also lead three further surveys approaching completion in the northern hemisphere at the UK Infrared Telescope in Hawaii, and at the Isaac Newton Telescope in La Palma. A fourth northern-based survey now underway using SCUBA-2 on the JCMT is also lead from UH.
The science focus of the surveys we lead range from searches for exo-planets through comprehensive surveys of the Milky Way, out to an in-depth study of the Magellanic Clouds. Our staff also participate in many more large programmes including some using facilities in space (e.g. Herschel.) We also participate in the Gaia-ESO Survey, carrying out spectroscopy in preparation for the Gaia mission launching in 2013.
Illustration of the public surveys being conducted with VISTA and VST in Chile. CAR staff have lead roles in three of these surveys (VMC, VPHAS+ and VVV - see below), and have significant involvement in VIDEO, VIKING and VHS. Also shown in the northern hemisphere are UKIDSS/GPS and IPHAS, which we lead. Right - the VISTA telescope at Paranal in Chile.
Other Surveys
Members of the Centre for Astrophysics Research are also active in many other large international surveys covering the whole of the electromagnetic spectrum. These include prominent positions in all of the other UKIDSS and VISTA near-infrared surveys, large surveys with eMERLIN and LOFAR and eventually the SKA, the SCUBA-2 cosmology survey, Herschel GT programme HerMES, Methanol Multi-Beam Survey, the JCMT Spectral Legacy Survey and the Herschel Galactic Plane Survey.