CFHT UM2025 - Presentation Details
Abstract Details
Title: A CFHT/WIRCam Survey of the North Polar Cap
Presenter: Adam Schneider
Abstract:
USNO has been continuing the effort to survey the sky at infrared wavelengths to depths 3-4 magnitudes beyond that of 2MASS at higher spatial resolution. The USNO-led UKIRT Hemisphere Survey (UHS) covers 12,700 square degrees between declinations of 0 deg and 60 deg at Y-, J-, H-, and K-bands, with 5???? sensitivities reaching 19.6 mag (J-band), 19 mag (H-band), and 18 mag (K-band). The Y-band portion of the survey is currently underway (15% complete). Data Release 1 (DR1, J-band) was made available in 2018, DR2 (K-band) was made available in 2023, and DR3 (H-band) is scheduled for public release this year. UHS complements previous large-area UKIRT surveys (UKIDSS) and the southern hemisphere VISTA surveys to provide near-complete near-infrared coverage of the entire sky. However, due to mechanical limitations of UKIRT, declinations > 60 deg remain un-surveyed. Euclid will cover some portion (1050 square degrees) of the Northern Polar Cap (NPC), but is limited to Y-, J-. and H-bands. The combination of CFHT’s photon collecting power and the field of view of WIRCam make it a natural successor to complete observations of the NPC at Y-, J-, H-, and K-band to similar depths as UKIRT and VISTA surveys. We outline the value and time required for a CFHT/WIRCam survey of the northern cap.