The dark energy survey

Abstract

The Dark Energy Survey (DES) is a next generation optical and near infrared survey that will image 5000 deg2 of the South Galactic Cap in five broad bandpass filters. In order to perform such a survey, a CCD camera of 3 deg2 field of view is being assembled at Fermilab and will be mounted on the Blanco 4m telescope at Cerro Tololo (Chile). The survey will start in the fall of 2011 and will study the dark energy properties using four independent methods: galaxy clusters counts and distributions, weak gravitational lensing tomography, baryon acoustic oscillations and supernovae Ia distances. Obtaining the four measurements from the same data set will allow a strict control of the systematic uncertainties to obtain a robust and precise determination of the cosmological parameters. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.