Spitzer Space Telescope - General Observer Proposal #60022 SEDS: The Spitzer Extended Deep Survey Principal Investigator: Giovanni G. Fazio Institution: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Technical Contact: Steven P. Willner, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Co-Investigators: Rick Arendt, NASA/GSFC Matt Ashby, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Pauline Barmby, University of Western Ontario Eric Bell, Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy Rychard Bouwens, UC Santa Cruz Andrea Cattaneo, Astrophysical Institute, Potsdam Thomas J. Cox, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Darren Croton, Swinburne University Romeel Dave, University of Arizona James Dunlop, UBC Vancouver Eiichi Egami, University of Arizona Sandy Faber, UC Santa Cruz Kristian Finlator, University of Arizona Puragra Guhathakurta, UC Santa Cruz Jiasheng Huang, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Lars Hernquist, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA Joseph Hora, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Garth Illingworth, UC Santa Cruz Alexander Kashlinsky, NASA/GSFC Anton Koekemoer, Space Telescope Science Institute David Koo, UC Santa Cruz Ivo Labbe, Carnegie Observatories Kamson Lai, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Yuexing Li, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Lihwai Lin, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia John Mather, NASA/GSFC Houjun Mo, UMass Amherst Harvey Moseley, NASA/GSFC Kirpal Nandra, Imperial College, London Jeffrey Newman, University of Pittsburgh Kai Noeske, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Masami Ouchi, Carnegie Observatories Casey Papovich, Texas A&M University Dimitra Rigopoulou, Oxford University Hans-Walter Rix, Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy Brant Robertson, University of Chicago/KICP Vicki Sarajedini, UF Gainesville Luc Simard, NRC/Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics Howard Smith, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Arjen van der Wel, Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy Risa Wechsler, Stanford University/KIPAC Ben Weiner, University of Arizona Gillian Wilson, UC Riverside Stijn Wuyts, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Toru Yamada, Tohoku University Haojing Yan, Carnegie Observatories Science Category: high-z galaxies (z>0.5) Observing Modes: IracPostCryoMap Hours Approved: 2108.0 Abstract: The Spitzer Extended Deep Survey (SEDS) will provide a unique opportunity to obtain the first complete census of the assembly of stellar mass and black holes as a function of cosmic time back to the era of reionization, yielding unique information on galaxy formation in the early Universe. The survey will also measure galaxy clustering over a wide redshift range, which will provide the critical link between galaxies and their dark matter halos and critical tests of models of early star formation. SEDS will achieve these goals by tracing the stellar mass growth in mass-selected samples of galaxies via their broadband spectral energy distributions. The baseline proposal is an unbiased survey with 12 hours/pointing at 3.6 and 4.5 microns over five well-studied fields of 0.90 square degree total. We expect to find (a) >10,000 galaxies at z = 4--6 (including ~1000 galaxies at z = 6), reaching galaxies down to ~5 x 10^9 Msun at z = 6, necessary to robustly measure M* at that redshift, i.e., the galaxies that dominate the global stellar mass density, and (b) >100 massive galaxies at z = 7, which will firmly anchor the high mass end of the early galaxy populations and provide targets bright enough for future spectroscopic follow-up with 20--30 meter telescopes, JWST, and ALMA. The proposed five-field deep survey will enable several secondary science objectives. These include: (1) galaxy evolution in the redshift range z ~ 1--4, (2) AGN variability, and (3) measurement of the cosmic infrared background spatial fluctuations. SEDS is the most efficient and most highly optimized program that we can imagine to achieve core scientific goals of the warm mission. The opportunity to probe the Universe so widely and at such a depth at mid-IR wavelengths will not come again in the foreseeable future. SEDS is a unique program that will leave an important legacy for years to come.