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At least 361 records · Page 20

Discovering New Strong Gravitational Lenses in the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys

We have conducted a search for new strong gravitational lensing systems in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Imaging Surveys' Data Release 8. We use deep residual neural networks, building on previous work presented by Huang et al. These surveys together cover approximately one-third of the sky visible from the Northern Hemisphere, reaching a z-band AB magnitude of ~22.5. We compile a training sample that consists of known lensing systems as well as non-lenses in the Legacy Surveys and the Dark Energy Survey. After applying our trained neural networks to the survey data, we visually inspect and rank images with probabilities above a threshold. In this work, we present 1210 new strong lens candidates.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Standard Siren Measurement of the Hubble Constant Using Gravitational-wave Events from the First Three LIGO/Virgo Observing Runs and the DESI Legacy Survey

We present a new constraint on the Hubble constant H 0 using a sample of well-localized gravitational-wave (GW) events detected during the first three LIGO/Virgo observing runs as dark standard sirens. In the case of dark standard sirens, a unique host galaxy is not identified, and the redshift information comes from the distribution of potential host galaxies. From the third LIGO/Virgo observing run detections, we add the asymmetric-mass binary black hole GW190412 and the high-confidence GW candidates S191204r, S200129m, and S200311bg to the sample of dark standard sirens analyzed in Palmese et al. Our sample contains the top 20% (based on localization) GW events and candidates to date with significant coverage by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Survey. We combine the H 0 posterior for eight dark siren events, finding H 0 = $79.8^{+19.1}_{-12.8}$ km s -1 Mpc -1 (68% highest density interval) for a prior in H 0 uniform between [20, 140] km s -1 Mpc -1 . This result shows that a combination of eight well-localized dark sirens combined with an appropriate galaxy catalog is able to provide an H 0 constraint that is competitive (~20% versus 18% precision) with a single bright standard siren analysis (i.e., assuming the electromagnetic counterpart) using GW170817. When combining the posterior with that from GW170817, we obtain H 0 = $72.77^{+11.0}_{-7.55}$ km s -1 Mpc -1 . This result is broadly consistent with recent H 0 estimates from both the cosmic microwave background and supernovae.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DESI Survey Validation Data in the COSMOS/Hyper Suprime-Cam Field: Cool Gas Trace Main-sequence Star-forming Galaxies at the Cosmic Noon

We present the first result in exploring the gaseous halo and galaxy correlation using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument survey validation data in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) and Hyper Suprime-Cam field. We obtain multiphase gaseous halo properties in the circumgalactic medium by using 115 quasar spectra (signal-to-noise ratio > 3). We detect Mg ii absorption at redshift 0.6 < z < 2.5, C iv absorption at 1.6 < z < 3.6, and H i absorption associated with the Mg ii and C iv. By crossmatching the COSMOS2020 catalog, we identify the Mg ii and C iv host galaxies in 10 quasar fields at 0.9< z < 3.1. We find that within the impact parameter of 250 kpc, a tight correlation is seen between the strong Mg ii equivalent width and the host galaxy star formation rate. The covering fraction f c of the strong Mg ii selected galaxies, which is the ratio of the absorbing galaxy in a certain galaxy population, shows significant evolution in the main-sequence galaxies and marginal evolution in all the galaxy populations within 250 kpc at 0.9 < z < 2.2. The f c increase in the main-sequence galaxies likely suggests the coevolution of strong Mg ii absorbing gas and the main-sequence galaxies at the cosmic noon. Furthermore, Mg ii and C iv absorbing gas is detected out of the galaxy virial radius, tentatively indicating the feedback produced by the star formation and/or the environmental effects.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Tracing the Evolution of the Cool Gas in CGM and IGM Environments through Mg II Absorption from Redshift z = 0.75 to z = 1.65 Using DESI-Y1 Data

We present a measurement of the mean absorption of cool gas traced by Mg II (λλ2796, 2803) around emission line galaxies (ELGs), spanning spatial scales from 20 kpc to 10 Mpc. The measurement is based on crossmatching the positions ELGs at z = 0.75–1.65 and the metal absorption in the spectra of background quasars with data provided by the Year 1 sample of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. The ELGs are divided into two redshift intervals: 0.75 < z < 1.0 and 1.0 < z < 1.65. We find that the composite quasar spectra constructed by stacking the ELG-QSO pairs evolve with redshift, with z > 1 having a systematically higher signal of Mg II absorption. Within 1 Mpc, the covering fraction of the cool gas at z > 1 is higher than that of z < 1. The enhancement becomes less apparent especially if the projected distance r p > 1 Mpc. ELGs with higher stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) yield higher clustering of Mg ii absorbers at z < 1. For z > 1, the covering fractions with different SFRs show little difference. The higher Mg II absorption at higher redshift supports the observations of higher star formation at cosmic noon. Converting the Mg II absorbers to unsaturated Si II , our estimate indicates that the metal abundance of Si II ranges from 0.7 to 1.2 × 10 −6 from z = 0.9 to 1.3. The growth of low-ionization metal abundance strongly suggests a metal-enriched circumgalactic medium and an increased presence of cool gas in the intergalactic medium toward higher redshifts.

circumgalactic medium↗

Erratum: “Tripling the Census of Dwarf AGN Candidates Using DESI Early Data” (2025, ApJ, 982, 10)

We identified an error in the EmFit code, which was employed to estimate the emission-line fluxes and widths used in the published article. Specifically, the error spectrum was not corrected for Galactic reddening before being incorporated into the fitting process. Although this does not affect the measured fluxes or line widths, it led to underestimated uncertainties. Consequently, the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for individual sources were systematically overestimated, resulting in a larger number of sources satisfying a given SNR threshold.

Pucha, Ragadeepika [University of Utah, Salt Lake ↗

DESI Emission-line Galaxies: Clustering Dependence on Stellar Mass and [O II] Luminosity

We measure the projected two-point correlation functions of emission-line galaxies (ELGs) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument One-Percent Survey and model their dependence on stellar mass and [O II] luminosity. We select ∼180,000 ELGs with redshifts of 0.8 < z < 1.6, and define 27 samples according to cuts in redshift and both galaxy properties. Following a framework that describes the conditional [O II] luminosity–stellar mass distribution as a function of halo mass, we simultaneously model the clustering measurements of all samples at fixed redshift. Based on the modeling result, most ELGs in our samples are classified as central galaxies, residing in halos of a narrow mass range with a typical median of ∼10 12.2−12.4 h −1 M ⊙ . We observe a weak dependence of clustering amplitude on stellar mass, which is reflected in the model constraints and is likely a consequence of the 0.5 dex measurement uncertainty in the stellar mass estimates. The model shows a trend between galaxy bias and [O II] luminosity at high redshift (1.2 < z < 1.6) that is otherwise absent at lower redshifts.

Cosmology↗

Vertical Structure of Local Disk Galaxies Revealed by DESI Imaging Data

The vertical structure of galactic disks is an important probe of the disk assembly history. Here we investigate the vertical structure of a sample of 79 local disk galaxies within 50 Mpc using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Imaging Surveys. Vertical luminosity profiles as a function of radius in the g, r, and z bands are extracted and fitted using a single-component sech2 model to determine scale height and its radial variation (i.e., flaring). Our measurements indicate local galactic disks are overall thin with negligible flaring. The median scale heights at 1 R e are 0.21, 0.22, and 0.22 kpc in the g, r, and z bands, respectively, while the median radial gradients of scale height are −0.006, 0.003, and 0.001 in these bands. These values are consistent with that of the geometric thin disk of the Milky Way represented by metal-rich, low-[α/Fe] populations, confirming the weak flaring of the geometric thin disk. A clear positive correlation of scale height with stellar mass is observed down to the low-mass end of 10 7 M ⊙ . These results provide a homogeneous benchmark for the vertical structure of nearby disk galaxies and establish the cosmological representativeness of the Milky Way thin disk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Velocity Field of Our Milky Way Outer Stellar Halo Based on DESI DR2

Using 64,000 halo K giants from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument second Data Release (DR2), we decompose the Milky Way (MW) stellar halo between 3 and 160 kpc into metal-rich (MR) and metal-poor (MP) components via a Gaussian mixture model. The two populations are nearly equal in number but chemically and kinematically distinct: MR stars occupy highly radial orbits with velocity anisotropy of β ≈ 0.94 and metallicity dispersion σ [Fe/H] ≈ 0.17 dex, without obvious dependence on distance, and are mainly contributed by Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GSE) debris. The MR component dominates the inner 30 kpc and reemerges beyond 50 kpc, implying GSE debris can extend to ∼70–80 kpc. MP stars exhibit a weaker radial bias of β ≈ 0.46, decreasing to −0.5 beyond 80 kpc, and with a larger metallicity dispersion of σ [Fe/H] ≈ 0.46 dex, showing signatures of multiple minor mergers. Both components exhibit net prograde rotation at ∼10–30 kpc with a stronger azimuthal signal in the MP population. The nonequilibrium motions of the outer halo (>50 kpc) are quantified with a dipole-plus-contraction velocity field. We find that the outer halo is simultaneously contracting (μ compr = −19 km s −1 , distance-independent) and subject to reflex motions (μ dipole increases from −19 to −44 km s −1 with radius), reflecting the perturbation from the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We also confirm a linear dependence of mean polar velocity for the outer stellar halo on μ dipole , a direct consequence of the LMC and MW interaction. Our results provide a quantitative distance-resolved description of the MW’s last major accretion event and its ongoing response to the first infall of the LMC.

Li, Songting [Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Shang↗

Disentangling the Distant Stellar Halo Using K Giants in DESI Year 3 Data

We present a sample of 88,959 K giants from Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Milky Way Survey Year 3 data, which we use to characterize the chemo-dynamical properties of the stellar halo at Galactocentric distances of 12 to ∼100 kpc. Using HDBSCAN, we identify five prominent stellar halo substructures: Aleph, the Sagittarius stream, Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus (GSE), Cetus-Palca, and the Orphan–Chenab stream. We present the properties of each of these structures as they appear in our catalog, and examine how uncertainties on distance affect the characterization of substructure with this approach. We also examine regions associated with previously reported overdensities (such as the Virgo Overdensities and the Sagittarius spur) that we do not recover with HDBSCAN. The size and distance range of our catalog allows us to explore in detail the residual stellar halo, comprising stars that we do not associate with any substructure. We find that samples of ∼2000 outer halo stars with both highly prograde and highly retrograde angular momenta have similar metallicity distribution functions (MDFs), which do not resemble the MDFs of either GSE or Sagittarius. Both the prograde and retrograde residual halo MDFs are bimodal, with a metal-poor peak at [Fe/H] ∼ −2 and a metal-rich peak at [Fe/H] ∼ −1.3 (prograde) or −1.5 (retrograde). The MDF for lower-angular-momentum residual halo K giants does not show clear evidence for a metal-poor peak, and broadly resembles the MDF of GSE, even at much lower binding energies than GSE itself. We discuss possible interpretations of these findings for GSE accretion scenarios.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DESI Survey Validation Spectra Reveal an Increasing Fraction of Recently Quenched Galaxies at z ∼ 1

Abstract We utilize ∼17,000 bright luminous red galaxies (LRGs) from the novel Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Survey Validation spectroscopic sample, leveraging its deep (∼2.5 hr galaxy −1 exposure time) spectra to characterize the contribution of recently quenched galaxies to the massive galaxy population at 0.4 < z < 1.3. We use Prospector to infer nonparametric star formation histories and identify a significant population of recently quenched galaxies that have joined the quiescent population within the past ∼1 Gyr. The highest-redshift subset (277 at z > 1) of our sample of recently quenched galaxies represents the largest spectroscopic sample of post-starburst galaxies at that epoch. At 0.4 < z < 0.8, we measure the number density of quiescent LRGs, finding that recently quenched galaxies constitute a growing fraction of the massive galaxy population with increasing look-back time. Finally, we quantify the importance of this population among massive ( log ( M ⋆ / M ⊙ ) > 11.2) LRGs by measuring the fraction of stellar mass each galaxy formed in the gigayear before observation, f 1 Gyr . Although galaxies with f 1 Gyr > 0.1 are rare at z ∼ 0.4 (≲0.5% of the population), by z ∼ 0.8, they constitute ∼3% of massive galaxies. Relaxing this threshold, we find that galaxies with f 1 Gyr > 5% constitute ∼10% of the massive galaxy population at z ∼ 0.8. We also identify a small but significant sample of galaxies at z = 1.1–1.3 that formed with f 1 Gyr > 50%, implying that they may be analogs to high-redshift quiescent galaxies that formed on similar timescales. Future analysis of this unprecedented sample promises to illuminate the physical mechanisms that drive the quenching of massive galaxies after cosmic noon.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The First Identification of Lyα Changing-look Quasars at High Redshift in DESI

We present two cases of Lyα changing-look (CL) quasars (J1306 and J1512) along with two additional candidates (J1511 and J1602), all discovered serendipitously at z > 2 through the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. It is the first time to capture CL events in Lyα at high redshift, which is crucial for understanding the underlying mechanisms driving the CL phenomenon and the evolution of high-redshift quasars and galaxies. We find that the accretion rate in the dim state for these CL objects corresponds to a relatively low value ($\mathop{\,}\limits^{{\mathscr{M}}}\,\approx 2\times 1{0}^{-3}$), which suggests that the inner region of the accretion disk might be in transition between the advection dominated accretion flow ($\dot{\,{\mathscr{M}}}\,\lt 1{0}^{-3}\sim 1{0}^{-2}$) and the canonical accretion disk (optically thick, geometrically thin). However, unlike in C IV CL quasars in which broad Lyα remained, the broad C IV may still persist after a CL event occurs in Lyα, making the physical origin of the CL and ionization mechanism event more puzzling and interesting.

accretion↗

Measuring the Mean Free Path of H i Ionizing Photons at 3.2 ≤ z ≤ 4.6 with DESI Y1 Quasars

The mean free path of ionizing photons in the intergalactic medium (IGM; λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ ) is a crucial quantity in modeling the ionization state of the IGM and the extragalactic ultraviolet background, and it is widely used in hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies and reionization. We construct the largest quasar spectrum data set to date—12,595 signal-to-noise ratio > 3 spectra—using the Y1 observations of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, to make the most precise model-independent measurement of the mean free path at 3.2 ≤ z ≤ 4.6. By stacking the spectra in 17 redshift bins and modeling the Lyman-continuum profile, we get a redshift evolution λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ ∝ ( 1 + z ) − 4.27 at 2 ≤ z ≤ 5, which is much shallower than the previous estimate, λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ ∝ ( 1 + z ) − 5.4 . We then explore the sources of systematic bias, including the choice of the intrinsic quasar continuum, the consideration of Lyman-series opacity and Lyman-limit opacity evolution, and the definition of λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ . Combining our results with estimates of λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ at higher redshifts, we conclude at high confidence that the evolution in λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ steepens at z ≈ 5. We interpret this inflection as the transition from the end of H i reionization to a fully ionized plasma that characterizes the IGM of the past ∼10 billion yr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Tracing the Cosmic Evolution of the Cool Circumgalactic Medium of Luminous Red Galaxies with DESI Year 1 Data

We investigate the properties of the cool circumgalactic medium (CGM) of massive galaxies and their cosmic evolution. By using the year 1 dataset of luminous red galaxies (LRGs) and QSOs from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument survey, we construct a sample of approximately 600,000 galaxy-quasar pairs and measure the radial distribution and kinematics of the cool gas traced by Mg II absorption lines as a function of galaxy properties from redshift 0.4 to redshift 1.2. Our results show that the covering fraction of the cool gas around LRGs increases with redshift, following a trend similar to the global evolution of galaxy star formation rate. At small radii (< 0.3rvir), the covering fraction anti-correlates with stellar mass, suggesting that mass-dependent processes suppress the cool gas content in the inner region. In addition, we measure the gas dispersion by modeling the velocity distribution of absorbers with a narrow and a broad components -- sigma_n ~ 160 and sigma_b ~ 380 km/s -- and quantify their relative contributions. The results show that the broad component becomes more prominent in the outer region, and its relative importance in the central region grows with increasing stellar mass. Finally, we discuss possible origins of the cool gas around massive galaxies, including the contribution of satellite galaxies and the precipitation scenario.

Chang, Yu-Ling [Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.] (ORCID:00↗

Clustering of high-redshift quasars with DESI DR2

We present clustering measurements for high-redshift quasars using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Data Release 2. Our sample consists of quasars with $2.0 < z < 3.5$ in the luminosity range $M_{1450} \leq -19.94$ mag. We measure the mean quasar bias $b_Q(\bar{z} = 2.48) = 3.61 \pm 0.01$ for the full sample of $\sim 715,000$ quasars and quantify the redshift evolution of quasar bias by dividing the sample into four equal redshift bins. There is strong evolution of the quasar bias with redshift that is well fit by the function $b_Q(z) = a [(1 + z)^2 - 6.565] + b$ with $a=0.230 \pm 0.007$ and $b=2.394 \pm 0.035$, and this fit is also a good match to lower redshift measurements in the literature. This bias evolution is consistent with a characteristic halo mass of $\bar{M}_{\mathrm{h}} \sim 10^{12}\,\mathrm{M_\odot}$ that does not vary significantly with redshift. The inferred duty cycles for quasars in our sample are $f_{\mathrm{duty}} \sim 10^{-2}$, staying mostly constant over redshifts. We investigate the luminosity dependence of quasar clustering by dividing each of our four redshift bins into three luminosity bins. The size of our quasar sample permits the first statistically significant measurement of the luminosity dependence of quasar bias at these redshifts. We measure weak dependence of quasar bias on luminosity at fixed redshift, inconsistent with no dependence, but weaker than predicted by a model in which quasar luminosity is tightly correlated with halo mass. These clustering measurements provide a stringent test for models of active black hole light curves and the black hole-halo connection at high redshift.

Charles, M. [Ohio State U.; Chicago U., KICP] (ORC↗

The Target-selection Pipeline for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

Abstract In 2021 May, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) began a 5 yr survey of approximately 50 million total extragalactic and Galactic targets. The primary DESI dark-time targets are emission line galaxies, luminous red galaxies, and quasars. In bright time, DESI will focus on two surveys known as the Bright Galaxy Survey and the Milky Way Survey. DESI also observes a selection of “secondary” targets for bespoke science goals. This paper gives an overview of the publicly available pipeline ( desitarget ) used to process targets for DESI observations. Highlights include details of the different DESI survey targeting phases, the targeting ID ( TARGETID ) used to define unique targets, the bitmasks used to indicate a particular type of target, the data model and structure of DESI targeting files, and examples of how to access and use the desitarget code base. This paper will also describe “supporting” DESI target classes, such as standard stars, sky locations, and random catalogs that mimic the angular selection function of DESI targets. The DESI target-selection pipeline is complex and sizable; this paper attempts to summarize the most salient information required to understand and work with DESI targeting data.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Installation of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument at the Mayall 4-meter telescope

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is a Stage IV ground-based dark energy experiment that will measure the expansion history of the Universe using the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation technique. The spectra of 35 million galaxies and quasars over 14000 square degrees will be measured during the life of the experiment. We describe the installation of the major elements of the instrument at the Mayall 4m telescope, completed in late 2019. The previous prime focus corrector, spider vanes, and upper rings were removed from the Mayall’s Serrurier truss and replaced with the newlyconstructed DESI ring, vanes, cage, hexapod, and optical corrector. The new corrector was optically aligned with the primary mirror using a laser tracker system. The DESI focal plane system was integrated to the corrector, with each of its ten 500-fiber-positioner petal segments installed using custom installation hardware and the laser tracker. Ten DESI spectrographs with 30 cryostats were installed in a newly assembled clean room in the Large Coude Room. The ten cables carrying 5000 optical fibers from the positioners in the focal plane were routed down the telescope through cable wraps at the declination and hour angle axes, and their integral slitheads were integrated with the ten spectrographs. The fiber view camera assembly was installed to the Mayall’s primary mirror cell. Servers for the instrument control system replaced existing computer equipment. The fully integrated instrument has been commissioned and is ready to start its operations phase.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

The construction of large-scale structure catalogs for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

We present the technical details on how large-scale structure (LSS) catalogs are constructed from redshifts measured from spectra observed by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). The LSS catalogs provide the information needed to determine the relative number density of DESI tracers as a function of redshift and celestial coordinates and, e.g., determine clustering statistics. We produce catalogs that are weighted subsamples of the observed data, each matched to a weighted `random' catalog that forms an unclustered sampling of the probability density that DESI could have observed those data at each location. Precise knowledge of the DESI observing history and associated hardware performance allows for a determination of the DESI footprint and the number of times DESI has covered it at sub-arcsecond level precision. This enables the completeness of any DESI sample to be modeled at this same resolution. The pipeline developed to create LSS catalogs has been designed to easily allow robustness tests and enable future improvements. We describe how it allows ongoing work improving the match between galaxy and random catalogs, such as including further information when assigning redshifts to randoms, accounting for fluctuations in target density, accounting for variation in the redshift success rate, and accommodating blinding schemes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Backup Program of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument’s Milky Way Survey

The Milky Way Backup Program (MWBP), a survey currently underway with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4 m Telescope, works at the margins of the DESI Main surveys to obtain spectra of millions of additional stars from the Gaia catalog. Efficiently utilizing times between ∼12° and 18° twilight and poor weather conditions, the MWBP extends the range of stellar sources studied to both brighter magnitudes and lower Galactic latitude and declination than the stars studied in DESI’s Main Milky Way Survey. While the MWBP prioritizes candidate giant stars selected from the Gaia catalog (using color and parallax criteria), it also includes an unbiased sample of bright stars (i.e., 11.2 ≲ G < 16 mag) as well as fainter sources (to G ≲ 19 mag). As of 2025 March 1, the survey had obtained spectra of ∼7 million stars, approximately 1.2 million of which are included in the DESI Data Release 1. The DESI spectra cover the wavelength range from 3600 to 9800 Å at a resolution λ/Δλ varying from 2000 to 5000. The full survey, when completed, will cover an area of more than 21,000 deg 2 and include approximately 10 million Gaia sources, roughly equal to the number of stellar spectra obtained through the DESI Main Survey, while only utilizing ≈9% of all DESI observing time. This paper provides an overview of the MWBP, describing the target selection, observing strategy, and an introduction to the resulting data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗