Spitzer Space Telescope - General Observer Proposal #60024 SERVS: the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey Principal Investigator: Mark Lacy Institution: Spitzer Science Center Technical Contact: Mark Lacy, Spitzer Science Center Co-Investigators: Duncan Farrah, University of Sussex Matt Jarvis, University of Hertfordshire Seb Oliver, University of Sussex Alastair Edge, University of Durham Alberto Franceschini, University of Padua Andreea Petric, SSC Angela Mortier, Royal Observatory Edinburgh Antonio Cava, IAC Aprajita Verma, University of Oxford Anna Sajina, Haverford College Carol Lonsdale, NRAO Claudia Maraston, University of Portsmouth Dave Alexander, University of Durham David Bonfield, GSFC Eduardo Gonzales, University of Cambridge Eelco van Kampen, ESO Eleanor Dyke, University of Hertfordshire Evanthia Hatziminaoglou, ESO Glen Parish, University of Hertfordshire Harry Ferguson, STScI Huub Rottgering, Leiden Ian Smail, Durham Ismael Perez-Fournon, IAC James Dunlop, UBC Jason Surace, SSC Jim Geach, Durham Jose Afonso, Lisbon Katherine Romer, University of Sussex Kevin Xu, IPAC Mauguerite Pierre, CEA Markos Trichas, Imperial Masami Ouchi, OCIW Mattia Vaccari, Padova Michael Rowan-Robinson, Imperial Nick Seymour, MSSL Nieves Castro, IAC Olivier LeFevre, Marseille Peter Thomas, Sussex Philip Best, Edinburgh Rob Ivison, ROE Ross McLure, ROE Samantha Hickey, Hertfordshire Scott Chapman, Cambridge Sebastian Foucaud, Nottingham Susan Ridgway, CTIO Tony Readhead, Caltech Science Category: high-z galaxies (z>0.5) Observing Modes: IracPostCryoMap Hours Approved: 1400.0 Abstract: We will use warm Spitzer to image 18deg^2 of sky to microJy depth. This is deep enough to undertake a complete census of massive galaxies from z~6 to ~1 in a volume ~0.8Gpc^3, large enough to overcome the effects of cosmic variance, which place severe limitations on the conclusions that can be drawn from smaller fields. We will greatly enhance the diagnostic power of the Spitzer data by performing most of this survey in the region covered by the near-IR VISTA-VIDEO survey, and in other areas covered by near-IR, Herschel and SCUBA2 surveys. We will build complete near-infrared spectral energy distributions using the superb datasets from VIDEO, in conjunction with our Spitzer data, to derive accurate photometric redshifts and the key properties of stellar mass and star formation rates for a large sample of high-z galaxies. Obscured star formation rates and dust-shrouded BH growth phases will be uncovered by combining the Spitzer data with the Herschel and SCUBA2 surveys. We will thus build a complete picture of the formation of massive galaxies from z~6, where only about 1% of the stars in massive galaxies have formed, to z~1 where ~50% of them have. Our large volume will allow us to also find examples of rare objects such as high-z quasars (~10-100 at z>6.5), high-z galaxy clusters (~20 at z>1.5 with dark halo masses >10^14 solar masses), and evaluate how quasar activity and galaxy environment affect star formation. This survey makes nearly optimal use of warm Spitzer; (a) all of the complementary data is either taken or will be taken in the very near future, and will be immediately publicly accessible, (b) the slew overheads are relatively small, (c) the observations are deep enough to detect high redshift galaxies but not so deep that source confusion reduces the effective survey area.