Research
The scientific questions that the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) project will address are profound: What is the mysterious dark energy that is driving the acceleration of the cosmic expansion? What is dark matter, how is it distributed, and how do its properties affect the formation of stars, galaxies, and larger structures? How did the Milky Way form, and how has its present configuration been modified by mergers with smaller bodies over cosmic time? What is the nature of the outer regions of the solar system? Is it possible to make a complete inventory of smaller bodies in the solar system, especially the potentially hazardous asteroids that could someday impact the Earth? Are there new exotic and explosive phenomena in the universe that have not yet been discovered?
While the questions are profound, the concept behind the design of the LSST project is remarkably simple: conduct a deep survey over an enormous area of sky; do it with a frequency that results in taking repeat images of every part of the sky every few nights in multiple bands, or segments of the electromagnetic spectrum; and continue in this mode for ten years. The result will be astronomical catalogs thousands of times larger than have ever previously been compiled containing the data necessary to begin searching for answers.
It would be impossible to list all the possible projects that LSST data will enable. However, here we list a few to give a flavor of these studies, and organize them by the four science themes that drive the LSST design (although some span more than one theme).
The Nature of Dark Matter and Understanding Dark Energy
LSST survey will yield a sample of ten billion galaxies, the largest photometric galaxy sample of its time for studies of the large- scale structure of the Universe. The large-scale structure encodes crucial information about the contents of the Universe and the cosmic expansion background in which the structures evolve. It also provides direct evidence for the existence of dark energy.
Big Questions
- How much dark matter exists in the halo of our galaxy?
- What is the temperature of dark matter?
- How does the amount of dark matter in a galaxy constrain its formation?
- What can the distribution of galaxies and galaxy clusters reveal about the nature of dark energy?
- How can studying gravitational lenses add to the measurement of the amount of dark matter in a galaxy or galaxy cluster?
- How can the value of the Hubble Constant be refined through a study of lensed quasars and galaxies?
Science Notebooks
- Studying Dark Matter through a Gravitational Lens
- Supernovae
- Measuring Universal Expansion
- The Large Scale Structure of the Universe
Citizen Science Projects
Cataloging the Solar System
LSST will provide huge advances in our knowledge of millions of astronomical objects "close to home" - the small bodies in our Solar System.
Big Questions
- What is the distribution of small body orbits in our solar system?
- What are the similarities and differences among small body sub-populations?
- What collisional families exist in Main Belt Asteroids? In Trans-Neptunian objects?
- What are the size and mass distributions of Main Belt Asteroids? Of comets?
- What are the rotation rates of small body orbits in our solar system?
- Which objects may be classified as new Near Earth Astreroids?
- Can new dwarf planets be detected?
Science Notebooks
- Determining the Characteristics of Minor Planets
Citizen Science Projects
Exploring the Changing Sky
LSST has a fundamental role in extending our knowledge of transient phenomena. Its cadence is well-suited to the evolution of certain objects in particular, such as novae and supernovae. The combination of all-sky coverage, and consistent long-term monitoring will allow LSST to probe a large unexplored region of space and discover new types of transients.
Big Questions
- What new classes of variable stars, nova and supernovae can be discovered?
- Are there optical counterparts to gravitational wave events?
- What can studying afterglows from gamma ray bursts (GRBs) tell us about the origin of GRBs?
- What new classes of transient objects will be discovered?
- What can microlensing or mesolensing events tell us about the nature of the the systems that create them?
- Can LSST be used to detect exoplanets?
Science Notebooks
- Variable Stars
- Supernovae
- Standard Candle Stars
Citizen Science Projects
Milky Way Structure & Formation
LSST will produce the first maps of the stellar distribution in space reaching throughout the local neighborhood, providing a census of structures and their distribution in space. It will for the first time open the window to a complete picture of the spatial, kinematic, and chemical makeup of our own galaxy. LSST will uniformly cover the Galactic plane, as well as provide up to one thousand epochs of time-domain information. This information holds the promise of becoming a true Rosetta Stone for galactic disk formation and structure.
Big Questions
- What is the distribution of stars and dust in our galaxy?
- What chemical gradients exist within our galaxy?
- Can new clumps and streams of stars be discovered?
- How did the disk and bulge of our galaxy originate and evolve?
- Can new Milky Way dwarf galaxies be detected?
- What will a study of hypervelocity stars within the galaxy reveal about the structure of the galactic center?
- Can new galaxies will be discovered in the local neighborhood?
- How many intergalactic stars and clusters exist between galaxies?
Science Notebooks
- Our place in the Galaxy
- Interacting Galaxies
- Searching for Dwarf Galaxies