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AstronomyNiche
intermediate

The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). I. Survey Description, Science Questions, and Technical Demonstration

Trilling, David E. et al. (2024)

Published
Mar 1, 2024
DOI
10.3847/1538-3881/ad1529

At a GlanceAI

DEEP survey design: digital tracking on DECam to reach TNOs about 2.5 mag fainter than LSST's nominal depth.

SummaryAI

The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project is a 3-year NOIRLab survey (46.5 nights) aiming at thousands of TNOs down to VR about 27, i.e. sizes of about 20 km. Its core technique, digital tracking, stacks images along many motion vectors to find objects fainter than single exposures. The authors expect to more than double the number of TNOs with 24 hr arcs and increase small (<50 km) TNOs tenfold. The paper describes goals and design and demonstrates the method; results come in later papers.

Method SnapshotAI

Survey design and technical demonstration of shift-and-stack (digital tracking) detection.

BackgroundAI

Basic observational astronomy; TNO size distribution as a science goal.