The wide-field, multiplexed, spectroscopic facility WEAVE: Survey design, overview, and simulated implementation
Authors: Jin Shoko , Trager Scott C , Dalton Gavin B , Aguerri J Alfonso L , Drew J E , Falcón-Barroso Jesús , Gänsicke Boris T , Hill Vanessa , Iovino Angela , Pieri Matthew M , Poggianti Bianca M , Smith D J B , Vallenari Antonella , Abrams Don Carlos , Aguado David S , Antoja Teresa , Aragón-Salamanca Alfonso , Ascasibar Yago , Babusiaux Carine , Balcells Marc , Barrena R , Battaglia Giuseppina , Belokurov Vasily , Bensby Thomas , Bonifacio Piercarlo , Bragaglia Angela , Carrasco Esperanza , Carrera Ricardo , Cornwell Daniel J , Domínguez-Palmero Lilian , Duncan Kenneth J , Famaey Benoit , Fariña Cecilia , Gonzalez Oscar A , Guest Steve , Hatch Nina A , Hess Kelley M , Hoskin Matthew J , Irwin Mike , Knapen Johan H , Koposov Sergey E , Kuchner Ulrike , Laigle Clotilde , Lewis Jim , Longhetti Marcella , Lucatello Sara , Méndez-Abreu Jairo , Mercurio Amata , Molaeinezhad Alireza , Monguió Maria , Morrison Sean , Murphy David N A , Peralta de Arriba Luis , Pérez Isabel , Pérez-Ràfols Ignasi , Picó Sergio , Raddi Roberto , Romero-Gómez Mercè , Royer Frédéric , Siebert Arnaud , Seabroke George M , Som Debopam , Terrett David , Thomas Guillaume , Wesson Roger , Worley C Clare , Alfaro Emilio J , Allende Prieto Carlos , Alonso-Santiago Javier , Amos Nicholas J , Ashley Richard P , Balaguer-Núñez Lola , Balbinot Eduardo , Bellazzini Michele , Benn Chris R , Berlanas Sara R , Bernard Edouard J , Best Philip , Bettoni Daniela , Bianco Andrea , Bishop Georgia , Blomqvist Michael , Boeche Corrado , Bolzonella Micol , Bonoli Silvia , Bosma Albert , Britavskiy Nikolay , Busarello Gianni , Caffau Elisabetta , Cantat-Gaudin Tristan , Castro-Ginard Alfred , Couto Guilherme , Carbajo-Hijarrubia Juan , Carter David , Casamiquela Laia , Conrado Ana M , Corcho-Caballero Pablo , Costantin Luca , Deason Alis , de Burgos Abel , De Grandi Sabrina , Di Matteo Paola , Domínguez-Gómez Jesús , Dorda Ricardo , Drake Alyssa , Dutta Rajeshwari , Erkal Denis , Feltzing Sofia , Ferré-Mateu Anna , Feuillet Diane , Figueras Francesca , Fossati Matteo , Franciosini Elena , Frasca Antonio , Fumagalli Michele , Gallazzi Anna , García-Benito Rubén , Gentile Fusillo Nicola , Gebran Marwan , Gilbert James , Gledhill T M , González Delgado Rosa M , Greimel Robert , Guarcello Mario Giuseppe , Guerra Jose , Gullieuszik Marco , Haines Christopher P , Hardcastle Martin J , Harris Amy , Haywood Misha , Helmi Amina , Hernandez Nauzet , Herrero Artemio , Hughes Sarah , Iršič Vid , Jablonka Pascale , Jarvis Matt J , Jordi Carme , Kondapally Rohit , Kordopatis Georges , Krogager Jens-Kristian , La Barbera Francesco , Lam Man I , Larsen Søren S , Lemasle Bertrand , Lewis Ian J , Lhomé Emilie , Lind Karin , Lodi Marcello , Longobardi Alessia , Lonoce Ilaria , Magrini Laura , Maíz Apellániz Jesús , Marchal Olivier , Marco Amparo , Martin Nicolas F , Matsuno Tadafumi , Maurogordato Sophie , Merluzzi Paola , Miralda-Escudé Jordi , Molinari Emilio , Monari Giacomo , Morelli Lorenzo , Mottram Christopher J , Naylor Tim , Negueruela Ignacio , Oñorbe Jose , Pancino Elena , Peirani Sébastien , Peletier Reynier F , Pozzetti Lucia , Rainer Monica , Ramos Pau , Read Shaun C , Rossi Elena Maria , Röttgering Huub J A , Rubiño-Martín Jose Alberto , Sabater Jose , San Juan José , Sanna Nicoletta , Schallig Ellen , Schiavon Ricardo P , Schultheis Mathias , Serra Paolo , Shimwell Timothy W , Simón-Díaz Sergio , Smith Russell J , Sordo Rosanna , Sorini Daniele , Soubiran Caroline , Starkenburg Else , Steele Iain A , Stott John , Stuik Remko , Tolstoy Eline , Tortora Crescenzo , Tsantaki Maria , Van der Swaelmen Mathieu , van Weeren Reinout J , Vergani Daniela , Verheijen Marc A W , Verro Kristiina , Vink Jorick S , Vioque Miguel , Walcher C Jakob , Walton Nicholas A , Wegg Christopher , Weijmans Anne-Marie , Williams Wendy L , Wilson Andrew J , Wright Nicholas J , Xylakis-Dornbusch Theodora , Youakim Kris , Zibetti Stefano , Zurita Cristina 
Published: March 2023

WEAVE, the new wide-field, massively multiplexed spectroscopic survey facility for the William Herschel Telescope, saw first light in late 2022. WEAVE comprises a new 2-deg field-of-view prime-focus corrector system, a nearly 1000-multiplex fibre positioner, 20 individually deployable ‘mini’ integral field units (IFUs), and a single large IFU. These fibre systems feed a dual-beam spectrograph covering the wavelength range 366–959 nm at R ∼ 5000, or two shorter ranges at $R\sim 20\, 000$. After summarizing the design and implementation of WEAVE and its data systems, we present the organization, science drivers, and design of a five- to seven-year programme of eight individual surveys to: (i) study our Galaxy’s origins by completing Gaia’s phase-space information, providing metallicities to its limiting magnitude for ∼3 million stars and detailed abundances for ∼1.5 million brighter field and open-cluster stars; (ii) survey ∼0.4 million Galactic-plane OBA stars, young stellar objects, and nearby gas to understand the evolution of young stars and their environments; (iii) perform an extensive spectral survey of white dwarfs; (iv) survey ∼400 neutral-hydrogen-selected galaxies with the IFUs; (v) study properties and kinematics of stellar populations and ionized gas in z &lt; 0.5 cluster galaxies; (vi) survey stellar populations and kinematics in ${\sim} 25\, 000$ field galaxies at 0.3 ≲ z ≲ 0.7; (vii) study the cosmic evolution of accretion and star formation using &gt;1 million spectra of LOFAR-selected radio sources; and (viii) trace structures using intergalactic/circumgalactic gas at z &gt; 2. Finally, we describe the WEAVE Operational Rehearsals using the WEAVE Simulator.