Addressing Decadal Survey Science through Community Access to Highly
  Multiplexed Spectroscopy with BigBOSS on the KPNO Mayall Telescope
  This document summarizes the results of a community-based discussion of the
potential science impact of the Mayall+BigBOSS highly multiplexed multi-object
spectroscopic capability. The KPNO Mayall 4m telescope equipped with the DOE-
and internationally-funded BigBOSS spectrograph offers one of the most
cost-efficient ways of accomplishing many of the pressing scientific goals
identified for this decade by the "New Worlds, New Horizons" report. The
BigBOSS Key Project will place unprecedented constraints on cosmological
parameters related to the expansion history of the universe. With the addition
of an open (publicly funded) community access component, the scientific impact
of BigBOSS can be extended to many important astrophysical questions related to
the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars, and the IGM. Massive spectroscopy
is the critical missing ingredient in numerous ongoing and planned ground- and
space-based surveys, and BigBOSS is unique in its ability to provide this to
the US community. BigBOSS data from community-led projects will play a vital
role in the education and training of students and in maintaining US leadership
in these fields of astrophysics. We urge the NSF-AST division to support
community science with the BigBOSS multi-object spectrograph through the period
of the BigBOSS survey in order to ensure public access to the extraordinary
spectroscopic capability.
