Construction of Vera C. Rubin Observatory under the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) Account

大型综合巡天望远镜（LSST）不仅仅是另一个望远镜，而是一种新的巡天科学和基于数据的天文学方法。 现有的6米至10米地面望远镜都具有相对较小的视场，并且以传统模式运行，即一次进行几个晚上的给定项目，之后不同的天文学家可能使用不同的仪器追求针对不同科学目标的数据。 虽然这种方法可以取得很大的进步，但有一些关键的科学问题需要像物理实验一样解决，即在有限的时间内使用专用仪器来解决明确的目标。 这是LSST：一种大型巡天望远镜，使用宽视场照相机在十年内反复拍摄可接近的天空，直到非常微弱的极限。 LSST的数据产品将改变天文学研究的各个领域，从太阳系内部到宇宙的大尺度结构。LSST将绘制太阳系内部和外部的地图，研究银河系和附近星系的恒星种群，揭示银河系盘和晕以及其他局部天体的结构，发现低和高红移的瞬变和可变天体，考察正常星系和活动星系在高红移和低红移时的性质。 至于远场宇宙学主题，LSST将探索超新星的性质，以红移为1，揭示强透镜和弱透镜，星系和重子振荡的大尺度分布，并显示如何将这些不同的探测器结合起来约束宇宙学模型和暗能量的物理学，LSST将建立在智利北方Cerro Pachón的El Peñón峰。 LSST的有效孔径为6.7米，成像相机的视场为9.6平方度，并将致力于在+15度以南20，000平方度进行为期十年的成像调查。 每个指向将被成像2000次，在波长从0.35到1.1微米的六个宽带中曝光15秒，以达到r~27.5量级的总点源深度。 LSST的三个大反射镜被主动控制以最大限度地减少失真，望远镜结构特别紧凑和坚固，以减少图像运动，并能够快速穿越天空，最大限度地提高观测占空比。 该项目是一个跨部门的公私合作伙伴关系，能源部负责世界领先的相机，而NSF作为整体牵头机构将支持现场设施，望远镜以及广泛而复杂的数据管理。 私人捐款支持了初步建设工作，大大降低了项目风险，包括创新的初级-三级反射镜，早期现场工作和相机传感器的开发。 LSST将平均每晚产生15 TB的原始数据，并为整个10年的调查产生约200 PB的未压缩数据集。 专用设施将以接近真实的时间处理图像数据。图像档案和由此产生的目录将广泛和免费提供。 一个复杂的数据管理系统将使工作范围从个人用户的简单查询到可能使用整个数据集的计算密集型科学调查。 LSST项目处于信息技术革命的最前沿，包括对技术、网络基础设施、教育和推广的投资。 作为现有最大的科学数据库之一，LSST项目为数据库架构和数据挖掘的研究提供了具有挑战性的机会。 教育和公共宣传计划与研究计划完全整合，包括非专业人士的参与经验，与博物馆，学校和行业的合作伙伴关系，以及挑战和鼓励未来创新者的机会。

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is not just another telescope, but a new approach to survey science and data-based astronomy. Existing 6-meter to 10-meter ground-based telescopes all have relatively small fields of view and are operated in the traditional mode where a given project is pursued for a few nights at a time, after which different astronomers pursue data addressing a different scientific goal, possibly with a different instrument. Although this approach can make great advances, there are some crucial scientific problems that need to be tackled more like a physics experiment, whereby a dedicated instrument is used for a finite period of time to address well-defined objectives. This is the LSST: a large survey telescope using a wide field camera to image the accessible sky repeatedly to very faint limits over a ten-year period. The LSST data products will change every field of astronomical study, from the inner Solar System to the large scale structure of the Universe.LSST will map the inner and outer Solar System, study stellar populations in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, reveal the structure of the Milky Way disk and halo and other local objects, find transient and variable objects at both low and high redshift, and survey the properties of normal and active galaxies at low and high redshift. Turning to far-field cosmological topics, LSST will explore the properties of supernovae to redshifts around one, uncover strong and weak lensing, the large-scale distribution of galaxies and baryon oscillations, and show how these different probes may be combined to constrain cosmological models and the physics of dark energy.LSST will be built on the El Peñón peak on Cerro Pachón in northern Chile. LSST will have an effective aperture of 6.7 meters and an imaging camera with field of view 9.6 square degrees, and will be devoted to a ten-year imaging survey over 20,000 square degrees south of +15 deg. Each pointing will be imaged 2000 times with fifteen second exposures in six broad bands at wavelengths from 0.35 to 1.1 microns, to a total point-source depth of r~27.5 magnitudes. LSST's three large mirrors are actively controlled to minimize distortion, and the telescope structure is especially compact and stiff to reduce image motion and to enable rapid travel across the sky, maximizing the observing duty cycle. The project is an interagency public-private partnership, with the Department of Energy accepting responsibility for the world-leading camera, while NSF as overall lead agency will support the site facility, the telescope, and the extensive and sophisticated data management. Private donations have supported initial construction work that significantly reduces project risk, including the innovative primary-tertiary mirror, early site work, and development of sensors for the camera. LSST will produce on average 15 terabytes of raw data per night and an uncompressed data set for the full ten-year survey of some 200 petabytes. Dedicated facilities will process the image data in near real time.The image archive and resulting catalogs will be widely and freely available. A sophisticated data management system will enable work ranging from simple queries from individual users to computationally intensive scientific investigations that could use the entire data set. The LSST Project is at the forefront of the information technology revolution and includes investments in technology, cyber-infrastructure, education, and outreach. With one of the largest scientific databases in existence, the LSST project presents challenging opportunities for research into database architecture and data mining. Education and public outreach programs are fully integrated with the research program and include engaging experiences for non-specialists, partnerships with museums, schools, and industry, and opportunities to challenge and encourage tomorrow's innovators.