THE PAN-STARRS 1 PHOTOMETRIC REFERENCE LADDER, RELEASE 12.01

As of 2012 January 21, the Pan-STARRS 1 3π Survey has observed the 3/4 of the sky visible from Hawaii with a minimum of 2 and mean of 7.6 observations in five filters, g P1, r P1, i P1, z P1, y P1. Now at the end of the second year of the mission, we are in a position to make an initial public release of a portion of this unprecedented data set. This article describes the PS1 Photometric Ladder, Release 12.01. This is the first of a series of data releases to be generated as the survey coverage increases and the data analysis improves. The Photometric Ladder has rungs every hour in right ascension and at four intervals in declination. We will release updates with increased area coverage (more rungs) from the latest data set until the PS1 survey and the final re-reduction are completed. The currently released catalog presents photometry of ~1000 objects per square degree in the rungs of the ladder. Saturation occurs at g P1, r P1, i P1 ~ 13.5; z P1 ~ 13.0; and y P1 ~ 12.0. Photometry is provided for stars down to g P1, r P1, i P1 ~ 19.1 in the AB system. This data release depends on the rigid "Ubercal" photometric calibration using only the photometric nights, with systematic uncertainties of (8.0, 7.0, 9.0, 10.7, 12.4) mmag in (g P1, r P1, i P1, z P1, y P1). Areas covered only with lower quality nights are also included, and have been tied to the Ubercal solution via relative photometry; photometric accuracy of the non-photometric regions is lower and should be used with caution.