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arXiv · 2403.05398

The Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) Science White Paper

Vincenzo Mainieri·Richard I. Anderson·Jarle Brinchmann·Andrea Cimatti·Richard S. Ellis·Vanessa Hill·Jean-Paul Kneib·Anna F. McLeod·Cyrielle Opitom·Martin M. Roth·Paula Sanchez-Saez·Rodolfo Smiljanic·Eline Tolstoy·Roland Bacon·Sofia Randich·Angela Adamo·Francesca Annibali·Patricia Arevalo·Marc Audard·Stefania Barsanti·Giuseppina Battaglia·Amelia M. Bayo Aran·Francesco Belfiore·Michele Bellazzini·Emilio Bellini·Maria Teresa Beltran·Leda Berni·Simone Bianchi·Katia Biazzo·Sofia Bisero·Susanna Bisogni·Joss Bland-Hawthorn·Stephane Blondin·Julia Bodensteiner·Henri M. J. Boffin·Rosaria Bonito·Giuseppe Bono·Nicolas F. Bouche·Dominic Bowman·Vittorio F. Braga·Angela Bragaglia·Marica Branchesi·Anna Brucalassi·Julia J. Bryant·Ian Bryson·Innocenza Busa·Stefano Camera·Carmelita Carbone·Giada Casali·Mark Casali·Viviana Casasola·Norberto Castro·Marcio Catelan·Lorenzo Cavallo·Cristina Chiappini·Maria-Rosa Cioni·Matthew Colless·Laura Colzi·Sofia Contarini·Warrick Couch·Filippo D'Ammando·William d'Assignies D.·Valentina D'Orazi·Ronaldo da Silva·Maria Giovanna Dainotti·Francesco Damiani·Camilla Danielski·Annalisa De Cia·Roelof S. de Jong·Suhail Dhawan·Philippe Dierickx·Simon P. Driver·Ulyana Dupletsa·Stephanie Escoffier·Ana Escorza·Michele Fabrizio·Giuliana Fiorentino·Adriano Fontana·Francesco Fontani·Daniel Forero Sanchez·Patrick Franois·Francisco Jose Galindo-Guil·Anna Rita Gallazzi·Daniele Galli·Miriam Garcia·Jorge Garcia-Rojas·Bianca Garilli·Robert Grand·Mario Giuseppe Guarcello·Nandini Hazra·Amina Helmi·Artemio Herrero·Daniela Iglesias·Dragana Ilic·Vid Irsic·Valentin D. Ivanov·Luca Izzo·Pascale Jablonka·Benjamin Joachimi·Darshan Kakkad
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Abstract

The Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) is proposed as a new facility dedicated to the efficient delivery of spectroscopic surveys. This white paper summarises the initial concept as well as the corresponding science cases. WST will feature simultaneous operation of a large field-of-view (3 sq. degree), a high multiplex (20,000) multi-object spectrograph (MOS) and a giant 3x3 sq. arcmin integral field spectrograph (IFS). In scientific capability these requirements place WST far ahead of existing and planned facilities. Given the current investment in deep imaging surveys and noting the diagnostic power of spectroscopy, WST will fill a crucial gap in astronomical capability and work synergistically with future ground and space-based facilities. This white paper shows that WST can address outstanding scientific questions in the areas of cosmology; galaxy assembly, evolution, and enrichment, including our own Milky Way; origin of stars and planets; time domain and multi-messenger astrophysics. WST's uniquely rich dataset will deliver unforeseen discoveries in many of these areas. The WST Science Team (already including more than 500 scientists worldwide) is open to the all astronomical community. To register in the WST Science Team please visit https://www.wstelescope.com/for-scientists/participate

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Vincenzo Mainieri, Richard I. Anderson, Jarle Brinchmann, Andrea Cimatti, Richard S. Ellis, Vanessa Hill, Jean-Paul Kneib, Anna F. McLeod, Cyrielle Opitom, Martin M. Roth, Paula Sanchez-Saez, Rodolfo Smiljanic, Eline Tolstoy, Roland Bacon, Sofia Randich, Angela Adamo, Francesca Annibali, Patricia Arevalo, Marc Audard, Stefania Barsanti, Giuseppina Battaglia, Amelia M. Bayo Aran, Francesco Belfiore, Michele Bellazzini, Emilio Bellini, Maria Teresa Beltran, Leda Berni, Simone Bianchi, Katia Biazzo, Sofia Bisero, Susanna Bisogni, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Stephane Blondin, Julia Bodensteiner, Henri M. J. Boffin, Rosaria Bonito, Giuseppe Bono, Nicolas F. Bouche, Dominic Bowman, Vittorio F. Braga, Angela Bragaglia, Marica Branchesi, Anna Brucalassi, Julia J. Bryant, Ian Bryson, Innocenza Busa, Stefano Camera, Carmelita Carbone, Giada Casali, Mark Casali, Viviana Casasola, Norberto Castro, Marcio Catelan, Lorenzo Cavallo, Cristina Chiappini, Maria-Rosa Cioni, Matthew Colless, Laura Colzi, Sofia Contarini, Warrick Couch, Filippo D'Ammando, William d'Assignies D., Valentina D'Orazi, Ronaldo da Silva, Maria Giovanna Dainotti, Francesco Damiani, Camilla Danielski, Annalisa De Cia, Roelof S. de Jong, Suhail Dhawan, Philippe Dierickx, Simon P. Driver, Ulyana Dupletsa, Stephanie Escoffier, Ana Escorza, Michele Fabrizio, Giuliana Fiorentino, Adriano Fontana, Francesco Fontani, Daniel Forero Sanchez, Patrick Franois, Francisco Jose Galindo-Guil, Anna Rita Gallazzi, Daniele Galli, Miriam Garcia, Jorge Garcia-Rojas, Bianca Garilli, Robert Grand, Mario Giuseppe Guarcello, Nandini Hazra, Amina Helmi, Artemio Herrero, Daniela Iglesias, Dragana Ilic, Vid Irsic, Valentin D. Ivanov, Luca Izzo, Pascale Jablonka, Benjamin Joachimi, Darshan Kakkad. 2024-03-08. The Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) Science White Paper. https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.05398

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