CLASH-VLT
This page provides information on the VLT Large Programme "Dark Matter Mass Distributions of Hubble Treasury Clusters and the Foundations of ΛCDM Structure Formation Models" (LP186.A-0798, 200 hrs, PI: P. Rosati), a panoramic spectroscopic survey with VIMOS on the VLT of 13 massive clusters at z=0.2-0.6, drawn from the sample of the HST multi-treasury program CLASH (Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble, PI: M. Postman).
The Large Programme was completed in March 2016.
Data reduction is complete, redshift catalogs are being prepared and progressively released here.
The original goals of the survey were to:
obtain ~500 spectroscopic members per cluster, over 3-5 Mpc, for an accurate reconstruction of the cluster mass profile from dynamical analysis
obtain redshifts for high-z magnified galaxies and strong lensing features in the cluster cores out to z~7
provide a full spectro-photometric characterization of the largest sample of cluster galaxies to date, with stellar masses ranging from 108 to 1012 solar masses.
In combination with additional data from Subaru/SupCam, HST, Chandra/XMM, the main scientific objectives of the project are:
derive mass density profiles with unprecedented accuracy with strong+weak lensing, dynamics, X-ray methods over 10-3000 kpc radial range
obtain a census of primordial galaxies, exploring low-luminosity galaxies which are thought to play an important role in the reionization of the Universe
explore galaxy structure and evolution over a range of environments with a spectro-photometric data set of ~6000 cluster galaxies
Observations were completed in March 2016. Several redshift catalogs have progressively been released (more than 15,000 redshifts).
CLASH-VLT cluster sample and progress status
