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Title

The 2dF-SDSS LRG and QSO (2SLAQ) luminous red galaxy survey

Author(s)

Cannon, Russell;  Drinkwater, Michael;  Edge, Alastair;  Eisenstein, Daniel;  Nichol, Robert;  Outram, Phillip;  Pimbblet, Kevin;  De Propris, Roberto;  Roseboom, Isaac;  Wake, David;  Allen, Paul;  Bland-Hawthorn, Joss;  Bridges, Terry;  Carson, Daniel;  Chiu, Kuenley;  Colless, Matthew;  Couch, Warrick;  Croom, Scott;  Driver, Simon;  Fine, Stephen;  Hewett, Paul;  Loveday, Jon;  Ross, Nicholas;  Sadler, Elaine M.;  Shanks, Tom;  Sharp, Robert;  Smith, J. Allyn;  Stoughton, Chris;  Weilbacher, Peter;  Brunner, Robert J.;  Meiksin, Avery;  Schneider, Donald P.

Abstract

We present a spectroscopic survey of almost 15 000 candidate intermediate-redshift luminous red galaxies (LRGs) brighter than i = 19.8, observed with 2dF on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. The targets were selected photometrically from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and lie along two narrow equatorial strips covering 180 deg2. Reliable redshifts were obtained for 92 per cent of the targets and the selection is very efficient: over 90 per cent have 0.45 < z < 0.8. More than 80 per cent of the ∼11000 red galaxies have pure absorption-line spectra consistent with a passively evolving old stellar population. The redshift, photometric and spatial distributions of the LRGs are described. The 2SLAQ data will be released publicly from mid-2006, providing a powerful resource for observational cosmology and the study of galaxy evolution.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 372, no. 1 (Oct 2006), pp. 425-442

Publication year

2006

FOR Code(s)

0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences

Keyword(s)

2SLAQ;  Anglo-Australian Telescope;  Catalogues;  Cosmological observations;  Galaxy evolution;  High redshift galaxies;  LRGs;  Luminous red galaxies;  SDSS;  Sloan Digital Sky Survey;  Surveys

Publisher

Blackwell

ISSN

0035-8711

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10875.x

Copyright

Copyright © 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2006 Royal Astronomical Society. The accepted manuscript is reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. The definitive publication is available at www.interscience.wiley.com.

Full text

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