Citation for published item:fryntD tFtF nd ywersD wFF nd oothmD eFFqF nd groomD FwF nd hriverD FF nd hrinkwterD wFtF nd vorenteD xFFpF nd gorteseD vF nd ottD xF nd gollessD wF nd heferD eF nd ylorD iFxF nd uonstntopoulosD sFF nd ellenD tFF nd fldryD sF nd frnesD vF nd fuerD eFiF nd flndErwthornD tF nd floomD tFF nd frooksD eFwF nd froughD F nd geilD qF nd gouhD F nd grotonD hF nd hviesD F nd illisD F nd pogrtyD vFwFF nd posterD gF nd qlzerookD uF nd qoodwinD wF nd qreenD eF nd qunwrdhnD wFvF nd rmptonD iF nd roD sFEF nd ropkinsD eFwF nd uewleyD vF nd vwreneD tFF nd veonEvlD FqF nd veslieD F nd wilroyD F nd vewisD qF nd viskeD tF nd v¡ opezE¡ nhezD ¡ eFF nd whjnD F nd wedlingD eFwF nd wetlfeD xF nd weyerD wF nd wouldD tF nd yreshkowD hF nd y9ooleD F nd ryD wF nd ihrdsD FxF nd hnksD F nd hrpD F nd weetD FwF nd homsD eFhF nd oniniD gF nd lherD gFtF @PHISA 9he ews qlxy urvey X instrument spei(tion nd trget seletionF9D wonthly noties of the oyl estronomil oietyFD RRU @QAF ppF PVSUEPVUWF Further information on publisher's website: Additional information: Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. ABSTRACTThe SAMI Galaxy Survey will observe 3400 galaxies with the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral-field spectrograph (SAMI) on the Anglo-Australian Telescope in a 3-yr survey which began in 2013. We present the throughput of the SAMI system, the science basis and specifications for the target selection, the survey observation plan and the combined properties of the selected galaxies. The survey includes four volume-limited galaxy samples based on cuts in a proxy for stellar mass, along with low-stellar-mass dwarf galaxies all selected from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. The GAMA regions were selected because of the vast array of ancillary data available, including ultraviolet through to radio bands. These fields are on the celestial equator at 9, 12 and 14.5 h, and cover a total of 144 deg 2 (in GAMA-I). Higher density environments are also included with the addition of eight clusters. The clusters have spectroscopy from 2-degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and photometry in regions covered by the SDSS and/or VLT Survey Telescope/ATLAS. The aim is to cover a broad range in stellar mass and environment, and therefore the primary survey targets cover redshifts 0.004 < z < 0.095, magnitudes r pet < 19.4, stellar masses 10 7 -10 12 M , and environments from isolated field galaxies through groups to clusters of ∼10 15 M .

We demonstrate a novel technology that combines the power of the multi‐object spectrograph with the spatial multiplex advantage of an integral field spectrograph (IFS). The Sydney‐AAO (Australian Astronomical Observatory) Multi‐object IFS (SAMI) is a prototype wide‐field system at the Anglo‐Australian Telescope (AAT) that allows 13 imaging fibre bundles (‘hexabundles’) to be deployed over a 1‐degree diameter field of view. Each hexabundle comprises 61 lightly fused multi‐mode fibres with reduced cladding and yields a 75 per cent filling factor. Each fibre core diameter subtends 1.6 arcsec on the sky and each hexabundle has a field of view of 15 arcsec diameter. The fibres are fed to the flexible AAOmega double‐beam spectrograph, which can be used at a range of spectral resolutions (R=λ/δλ≈ 1700–13 000) over the optical spectrum (3700–9500 Å). We present the first spectroscopic results obtained with SAMI for a sample of galaxies at z≈ 0.05. We discuss the prospects of implementing hexabundles at a much higher multiplex over wider fields of view in order to carry out spatially resolved spectroscopic surveys of 104–105 galaxies.

One of the most important considerations when planning the next generation of ground-based optical astronomical telescopes is to choose a site that has excellent 'seeing'--the jitter in the apparent position of a star that is caused by light bending as it passes through regions of differing refractive index in the Earth's atmosphere. The best mid-latitude sites have a median seeing ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 arcsec (refs 1-5). Sites on the Antarctic plateau have unique atmospheric properties that make them worth investigating as potential observatory locations. Previous testing at the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station has, however, demonstrated poor seeing, averaging 1.8 arcsec (refs 6, 7). Here we report observations of the wintertime seeing from Dome C (ref. 8), a high point on the Antarctic plateau at a latitude of 75 degrees S. The results are remarkable: the median seeing is 0.27 arcsec, and below 0.15 arcsec 25 per cent of the time. A telescope placed at Dome C would compete with one that is 2 to 3 times larger at the best mid-latitude observatories, and an interferometer based at this site could work on projects that would otherwise require a space mission.

We demonstrate the feasibility and potential of using large integral field spectroscopic surveys to investigate the prevalence of galactic-scale outflows in the local Universe. Using integral field data from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph (SAMI) and the Wide Field Spectrograph, we study the nature of an isolated disk galaxy, SDSS J090005.05+000446.7 (z = 0.05386). In the integral field datasets, the galaxy presents skewed line profiles changing with position in the galaxy. The skewed line profiles are caused by different kinematic components overlapping in the line-of-sight direction. We perform spectral decomposition to separate the line profiles in each spatial pixel as combinations of (1) a narrow kinematic component consistent with HII regions, (2) a broad kinematic component consistent with shock excitation, and (3) an intermediate component consistent with shock excitation and photoionisation mixing. The three kinematic components have distinctly different velocity fields, velocity dispersions, line ratios, and electron densities. We model the line ratios, velocity dispersions, and electron densities with our MAPPINGS IV shock and photoionisation models, and we reach remarkable agreement between the data and the models. The models demonstrate that the different emission line properties are caused by major galactic outflows that introduce shock excitation in addition to photoionisation by star-forming activities. Interstellar shocks embedded in the outflows shock-excite and compress the gas, causing the elevated line ratios, velocity dispersions, and electron densities observed in the broad kinematic component. We argue from energy considerations that, with the lack of a powerful active galactic nucleus, the outflows are likely to be driven by starburst activities. Our results set a benchmark of the type of analysis that can be achieved by the SAMI Galaxy Survey on large numbers of galaxies.