EUCLID Phase-A Studies

这项建议是为支助欧几里得的A阶段研究提供资金，欧几里德是欧空局宇宙观方案中一项选定的候选M级使命。欧几里得的目的是以几种互补的方式对暗能量进行最精确的测量，探索它是什么，并精确量化它在宇宙演化中的作用。在目前的宇宙“共识模型”中，四分之三的宇宙由暗能量组成，五分之一的宇宙由暗物质组成：欧几里得也将测量和阐明暗物质的性质。有人担心，我们关于引力的基本观点可能需要修正，而欧几里得将检验许多修正后的引力理论的有效性。除了暗能量和暗物质的研究，欧几里得将提供一个真正巨大的遗产数据集在整个天空，光学成像在0.25角秒的空间分辨率非常微弱的限制（R~24.5），红外成像在3个波段类似的限制，只是稍微差的空间分辨率，光谱和红移的1.5亿星系的H=22。这个数据集只能从太空中获得。它将被世界各地的科学家在广泛的背景下使用，并将具有巨大的公共宣传潜力。欧几里得计划于2017年发射。有效载荷仪器将通过国家供资生产，因此该供资支持该规定的第一部分。英国欧几里得小组将与欧空局合作，制定总体欧几里得有效载荷概念，提供重要的科学投入，以确保采取最佳方法并指导设计权衡。它将通过欧空局为欧空局委托对整个使命进行的工业研究提供投入。该团队还将与其他欧洲同事合作，开发一种具有两个焦平面（一个光学和一个红外）的大视场成像仪和一台红外光谱仪，并在这些领域的每一个领域都有强大的作用。该提案要求支持科学研究、欧几里得水平的系统工程工作和仪器方面的工作：可见光成像仪（特别是探测器和整个电子探测链），以及近红外光谱仪和成像仪的光机概念和设计。联合王国的团体一直在通过宇宙愿景进程进行广泛的工作，通过其前身DUNE和SPACE为欧几里得做出贡献。它们在核心仪器和对使命的科学支持方面发挥了核心作用，并在形成使命概念方面发挥了高度有效的作用。这笔赠款将巩固英国集团的领先地位，到目前为止，通过他们的愿景和承诺实现。

This proposal is for funding to support phase A studies for Euclid, a selected candidate M-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme. Euclid is designed to make the most exquisitely accurate measurements of Dark Energy in several complementary ways, to explore what it is, and to quantify precisely its role in the evolution of the Universe. In the current 'consensus model' of the Universe, three quarters of it consists of Dark Energy, and one fifth of Dark Matter: Euclid will measure and elucidate the nature of Dark Matter too. There is some concern that, instead, our fundamental ideas about gravity may need revision, and Euclid will test the validity of many of these modified gravity theories. Besides Dark Energy and Dark Matter studies, Euclid will provide a truly colossal legacy dataset over the whole sky, with optical imaging at 0.25 arc second spatial resolution to very faint limits (R~24.5), infrared imaging in 3 bands to similar limits and only slightly worse spatial resolution, and spectra and redshifts of 150 million galaxies to H=22. This dataset can only be obtained from space. It will be used by scientists worldwide in a wide range of contexts, and it will have huge public outreach potential. The planned launch of Euclid is 2017. The payload instruments will be produced through national funding, so this funding supports the first part of that provision. The UK Euclid team will work with ESA to develop the overall Euclid payload concept, providing vital scientific inputs to ensure that the optimal approach is taken and to guide design tradeoffs. It will, through ESA, provide inputs to the ESA-commissioned industry studies of the mission as a whole. The team will also work with other European colleagues to develop a large- field imager with two focal planes (one optical and one infrared) and an infrared spectrograph, and has strong roles in each of these areas. The proposal contains requests for supporting the scientific studies, system engineering work at the level of Euclid, and work on the instrumentation: the visible imager (particularly the detectors and entire electronics detection chain), and the optomechanical concept and design for both the near infrared spectrograph and imager. UK groups have been working extensively through the Cosmic Vision process to contribute to Euclid through its precursor, DUNE and SPACE. They have taken central roles in the core instrumentation and in the science support to the mission and have been highly effective in shaping the mission concept. This grant will cement the leading positions for UK groups, realised up to now through their vision and commitment.