UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey
The UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey ( UKIDSS ) is an astronomical sky survey. It is performed by the WFCAM camera of the UKIRT on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The survey was launched in 2005. UKIDSS consists of five different investigations which cover different areas and depths, besides, different combinations of near-IR filter may be used. 5 in addition to the broadband filter Z, Y, J, H, and K 2 the narrowband filters are used. The Z- filter was manufactured by the company Electronic Research Inc. The other filters come from NDC Infrared Engineering.
Description
As a wide- range exploration UKIDSS follows the 2MASS project. The TARGET is the study of 7500 square degrees of the northern sky. The individual areas of research are: the coldest and nearest brown dwarfs, starburst galaxies at high redshift elliptical galaxies and galaxies at redshifts 1 < z < 2 and quasars at the highest redshifts.
The data from UKIDSS are provided for the ESO community, on the entry into the WFCAM Science archives online immediately. After 18 months, are made publicly available.
Explorations
Two of the UKIDSS researches are directed towards galactic goals and three are optimized on extra - galactic observations.
Large Area Survey
The LAS ( extragalactic ) covers an area of 4000 square degrees in YJHK to a depth of K = 18.4 (This is the largest yet recognizable magnitude in the K band, a wavelength region of the near infrared at 2.2 microns ). This area was searched for during the previous SLOAN Digital Sky Survey already in the optical domain. While the higher galactic latitudes which are searched by LAS are suitable for observations from sources outside the Milky Way, which is also aimed at exploring galactic sources including a second passage in J for the measurement of the proper motion of nearby stars.
The Galactic Plane Survey ( galactic ) covers 1800 square degrees in JHK from a depth of K = 19.0, of which 300 square degrees of a narrow-band H2 filter are covered. Intention of the GPS is to get a better view of the Milky Way than is possible with optical wavelengths due to absorption by matter in the galaxy.
Galactic clusters Survey ( GCS)
The GCS ( galactic ) covers an area of 1400 square degrees in JHK from up to a depth of K = 18.7. The area is spread over 10 open clusters. The aim is to measure the mass function in a variety of galactic environments. The ten clusters are the Pleiades, Alpha Persei, Praesepe, IC 4665, Taurus - Auriga, Orion, Scorpio, Perseus OB2, Hyades, Coma Ber -
Deep Extragalaktic Survey
The DXS ( extragalactic ) covers an area of 35 square degrees in JK to a depth of K = 21.0 with 5 square degrees to be included in H. The exploration fields are located in the upper galactic latitudes with a lower absorbance. They overlap with other deep explorations have been made at other wavelengths.
Ultra Deep Survey
The UDS ( extragalactic ) covers an area of 0.77 square degrees in the XMM- Newton field. With a depth of K = 23.0, it is the deepest exploration in the near infrared range which was carried out in such a region of the sky. The aim is to study the formation and evolution of galaxies in the early universe.
Important discoveries
- Wolf 940B A brown dwarf belonging to a surface temperature of 600 Kelvin to the coldest sub-stellar objects.
- ULAS J1120 0641 With about 13 billion light-years of the most distant quasar.