Hector is the next major dark-time instrument for the AAT and is a multi integral-field-unit spectrograph aimed at obtaining a low-redshift galaxy survey of up to 15,000 galaxies, with ~70% imaged out to 2 effective radii.
Hector will decipher the diversity of galaxies through understanding the physical basis for their individuality.
The key science questions for this instrument include how do galaxies build up mass and angular momentum, how is star formation and nuclear activity affected by environment, what is the role of feedback, and how does large-scale environment modulate galaxy growth through tidal torques and gas accretion.