Seminar by David Nidever, Montana State
Wide-field spectroscopic surveys have transformed our understanding of the Milky Way and the broader universe by linking stellar chemistry, kinematics, and variability across vast spatial and temporal scales. In this talk, I will present the scientific vision for After SDSS-V (AS5), a proposed next-generation, dual-hemisphere survey designed to extend the Sloan Digital Sky Survey into the 2030s.
AS5 will deliver unique all-sky capabilities, including high-resolution, dust-penetrating near-infrared spectroscopy, wide-field optical and integral field unit (IFU) mapping, and long-baseline time-domain spectroscopy. These tools enable four flagship programs: (1) the Hidden Galaxy Explorer, which will uncover the structure and dynamics of the dust-obscured inner Milky Way; (2) the Dynamic Universe Explorer, which will provide systematic spectroscopic characterization of transients and variable sources; (3) the Local Group Explorer, which will map stars and gas in nearby galaxies at star-formation scales; and (4) Atomic Genesis Explorer, a high-precision abundance initiative aimed at advancing chemical tagging and nucleosynthesis studies.
I will highlight how AS5 unifies Galactic archaeology, time-domain astrophysics, and resolved galaxy evolution within a single, community-driven survey framework, and outline synergies with Roman and Rubin and the long-term scientific legacy of open data releases.
Host: Mary Putman