The Deep Lens Survey

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AST-0307714TysonThe Deep Lens Survey (DLS) is a deep multi-band imaging survey of seven, four-square-degree fields, with all data made public. The primary scientific driver is weak gravitational lensing, but the survey also enables other investigations, such as optical transient phenomena, whose existence is publicized within about an hour of the observation. It allows the definition of mass-selected clusters of galaxies and of mass concentrations in three dimensions, and the final combination of cosmic shear and cluster counting will place sharp limits on cosmological parameters, and is complementary to other probes. The DLS is the first NOAO Survey to release both images and calibrated photometric catalogs, is 70% complete, and so far has been largely privately funded. This specific public support is for otherwise un-funded team members to complete the Survey and release the final products, building on the progress so far.Algorithms developed for the DLS have wider applicability, and the released data products are already in use for both formal and informal education at several levels, including high schools and museums. The DLS is also a useful learning tool for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, a priority in the decadal survey report summarizing the astronomical community's consensus of priorities.***