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At least 127 records · Page 7

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: The Two-season ACTPol Sunyaev–Zel’dovich Effect Selected Cluster Catalog

We introduce a catalog of 182 galaxy clusters detected through the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) effect by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope in a contiguous 987.5 deg 2 field. The clusters were detected as SZ decrements by applying a matched filter to 148 GHz maps that combine the original ACT equatorial survey with data from the first two observing seasons using the ACTPol receiver. Optical/IR confirmation and redshift measurements come from a combination of large public surveys and our own follow-up observations. Where necessary, we calculated photometric redshifts for clusters using a pipeline that achieves accuracy Δz/(1 + z) = 0.015 when tested on Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. Under the assumption that clusters can be described by the so-called universal pressure profile (UPP) and its associated mass scaling law, the full signal-to-noise ratio > 4 sample spans the mass range $1.6\lt {M}_{500{\rm{c}}}^{\mathrm{UPP}}/{10}^{14}\,{M}_{\odot }\lt 9.1$, with median ${M}_{500{\rm{c}}}^{\mathrm{UPP}}=3.1\times {10}^{14}\,{M}_{\odot }$. The sample covers the redshift range 0.1 < z < 1.4 (median z = 0.49), and 28 clusters are new discoveries (median z = 0.80). We compare our catalog with other overlapping cluster samples selected using the SZ, optical, and X-ray wavelengths. We find that the ratio of the UPP-based SZ mass to richness-based weak-lensing mass is $\langle {M}_{500{\rm{c}}}^{\mathrm{UPP}}\rangle /\langle {M}_{500{\rm{c}}}^{\lambda \mathrm{WL}}\rangle =0.68\pm 0.11$. After applying this calibration, the mass distribution for clusters with M 500c > 4 × 10 14 M ⊙ is consistent with the number of such clusters found in the South Pole Telescope SZ survey.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

RTN-124: Photometric Redshifts for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Data Preview

We present the photometric redshifts (photo-z) inferred using algorithms implemented in the Redshift Assessment Infrastructure Layers (RAIL) for the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Data Preview 2 (DP2). We produce a compilation of reference redshift catalog using spectroscopic, grism and many band photometric redshift dataset hosted on the LIneA Photo-z Server. We curate training and testing set for assessing the scientific and technical performance of Rubin photo-z. The algorithm applied to the object catalog are FlexZBoost, BPZ, kNN, GPz, DNF and TPz; with a combination of 6-band and 4-band photo-z depending on availability of u and y photometry. The redshift point estimates and uncertainty estimation in tabular format through the Large Survey DataBase (LSDB).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Photometric redshift estimation of BASS DR3 quasars by machine learning

ABSTRACT Correlating Beijing–Arizona Sky Survey (BASS) data release 3 (DR3) catalogue with the ALLWISE data base, the data from optical and infrared information are obtained. The quasars from Sloan Digital Sky Survey are taken as training and test samples while those from LAMOST are considered as external test sample. We propose two schemes to construct the redshift estimation models with XGBoost, CatBoost, and Random Forest. One scheme (namely one-step model) is to predict photometric redshifts directly based on the optimal models created by these three algorithms; the other scheme (namely two-step model) is to first classify the data into low- and high-redshift data sets, and then predict photometric redshifts of these two data sets separately. For one-step model, the performance of these three algorithms on photometric redshift estimation is compared with different training samples, and CatBoost is superior to XGBoost and Random Forest. For two-step model, the performances of these three algorithms on the classification of low and high redshift subsamples are compared, and CatBoost still shows the best performance. Therefore, CatBoost is regarded as the core algorithm of classification and regression in two-step model. In contrast to one-step model, two-step model is optimal when predicting photometric redshift of quasars, especially for high-redshift quasars. Finally, the two models are applied to predict photometric redshifts of all quasar candidates of BASS DR3. The number of high-redshift quasar candidates is 3938 (redshift ≥3.5) and 121 (redshift ≥4.5) by two-step model. The predicted result will be helpful for quasar research and follow-up observation of high-redshift quasars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Testing isotropy in the local Universe

We test the isotropy of the local distribution of galaxies using the 2MASS extended source catalogue. By decomposing the full sky survey into distinct patches and using a combination of photometric and spectroscopic redshift data, we use both parametric and non-parametric methods to obtain the shape of the luminosity function in each patch. We use the shape of the luminosity function to test the statistical isotropy of the underlying galaxy distribution. The parametric estimator shows some evidence of a hemispherical asymmetry in the north/south Galactic plane. However the non-parametric estimator exhibits no significant anisotropy, with the galaxy distribution being consistent with the assumption of isotropy in all regions considered. The parametric asymmetry is attributed to the relatively poor fit of the functional form to the underlying data. When using the non-parametric estimator, we do find a dipole in the shape of the luminosity function, with maximal deviation from isotropy at galactic coordinate (b,l)=(30{sup o},315{sup o}). However we can ascribe no strong statistical significance to this observation.

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Using Modeling and Simulation to Complement Testing for Increased Understanding of Weapon Subassembly Response.

As part of Sandia’s nuclear deterrence mission, the B61-12 Life Extension Program (LEP) aims to modernize the aging weapon system. Modernization requires requalification and Sandia is using high performance computing to perform advanced computational simulations to better understand, evaluate, and verify weapon system performance in conjunction with limited physical testing. The Nose Bomb Subassembly (NBSA) of the B61-12 is responsible for producing a fuzing signal upon ground impact. The fuzing signal is dependent upon electromechanical impact sensors producing valid electrical fuzing signals at impact. Computer generated models were used to assess the timing between the impact sensor’s response to the deceleration of impact and damage to major components and system subassemblies. The modeling and simulation team worked alongside the physical test team to design a large-scale reverse ballistic test to not only assess system performance, but to also validate their computational models. The reverse ballistic test conducted at Sandia’s sled test facility sent a rocket sled with a representative target into a stationary B61-12 (NBSA) to characterize the nose crush and functional response of NBSA components. Data obtained from data recorders and high-speed photometrics were integrated with previously generated computer models in order to refine and validate the model’s ability to reliably simulate real-world effects. Large-scale tests are impractical to conduct for every single impact scenario. By creating reliable computer models, we can perform simulations that identify trends and produce estimates of outcomes over the entire range of required impact conditions. Sandia’s HPCs enable geometric resolution that was unachievable before, allowing for more fidelity and detail, and creating simulations that can provide insight to support evaluation of requirements and performance margins. As computing resources continue to improve, researchers at Sandia are hoping to improve these simulations so they provide increasingly credible analysis of the system response and performance over the full range of conditions.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Stellar LOCI. III. Photometric metallicities for half million FGK stars of Stripe 82

We develop a method to estimate photometric metallicities by simultaneously fitting the dereddened colors u−g, g−r, r−i, and i−z from the SDSS with those predicted by the metallicity-dependent stellar loci. The method is tested with a spectroscopic sample of main-sequence stars in Stripe 82 selected from the SDSS DR9 and three open clusters. With 1% photometry, the method is capable of delivering photometric metallicities precise to about 0.05, 0.12, and 0.18 dex at metallicities of 0.0, −1.0, and −2.0, respectively, comparable to the precision achievable with low-resolution spectroscopy at a signal-to-noise ratio of 10. We apply this method to the re-calibrated Stripe 82 catalog and derive metallicities for about 0.5 million stars of colors 0.3<g−i<1.6 mag and distances between 0.3 and 18 kpc. Potential systematics in the metallicities thus derived, due to the contamination of giants and binaries, are investigated. Photometric distances are also calculated. About 91%, 72%, and 53% of the sample stars are brighter than r = 20.5, 19.5, and 18.5 mag, respectively. The median metallicity errors are around 0.19, 0.16, 0.11, and 0.085 dex for the whole sample, and for stars brighter than r = 20.5, 19.5, and 18.5 mag, respectively. The median distance errors are 8.8%, 8.4%, 7.7%, and 7.3% for the aforementioned four groups of stars, respectively. The data are publicly available. Potential applications of the data in studies of the distribution, (sub) structure, and chemistry of the Galactic stellar populations, are briefly discussed. The results will be presented in future papers.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

TESTING THE ASTEROSEISMIC SCALING RELATIONS FOR RED GIANTS WITH ECLIPSING BINARIES OBSERVED BY KEPLER

Given the potential of ensemble asteroseismology for understanding fundamental properties of large numbers of stars, it is critical to determine the accuracy of the scaling relations on which these measurements are based. From several powerful validation techniques, all indications so far show that stellar radius estimates from the asteroseismic scaling relations are accurate to within a few percent. Eclipsing binary systems hosting at least one star with detectable solar-like oscillations constitute the ideal test objects for validating asteroseismic radius and mass inferences. By combining radial velocity (RV) measurements and photometric time series of eclipses, it is possible to determine the masses and radii of each component of a double-lined spectroscopic binary. We report the results of a four-year RV survey performed with the échelle spectrometer of the Astrophysical Research Consortium’s 3.5 m telescope and the APOGEE spectrometer at Apache Point Observatory. We compare the masses and radii of 10 red giants (RGs) obtained by combining radial velocities and eclipse photometry with the estimates from the asteroseismic scaling relations. We find that the asteroseismic scaling relations overestimate RG radii by about 5% on average and masses by about 15% for stars at various stages of RG evolution. Systematic overestimation of mass leads to underestimation of stellar age, which can have important implications for ensemble asteroseismology used for Galactic studies. As part of a second objective, where asteroseismology is used for understanding binary systems, we confirm that oscillations of RGs in close binaries can be suppressed enough to be undetectable, a hypothesis that was proposed in a previous work.

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SITCOMTN-154: Initial studies of photometric redshifts with LSSTComCam from DP1

This technote holds reports based on the first analyses of the Data Preview 1 (DP1) data by the Science Unit for photometric redshifts. Although photometric redshifts are not an official DP1 data product, the "Photo-z Science Unit" generated photo-z estimates for every galaxy in DP1 using the available multi-band imaging on a best-effort basis. This work included developing training and test datasets by matching DP1 data to high-quality reference redshifts obtained with spectroscopy, Grism data, and multi-band photometry. The Science Unit used the RAIL software package to make photometric redshift estimates using eight different algorithms, developed simple scientific performance metrics, used those metrics to explore how the performance of the algorithms varied with configuration changes, derived more optimized configurations of the algorithms and tested the performance of those configurations. This work, the resulting data products and expected data distribution mechanism are all described there.

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Multiple Populations in NGC 1851: Abundance Variations and UV Photometric Synthesis in the Washington and HST /WFC3 Systems

The analysis of multiple populations (MPs) in globular clusters (GCs), both spectroscopically and photometrically, is key in understanding their formation and evolution. The relatively narrow Johnson U, F336W, and Stromgren and Sloan u filters have been crucial in exhibiting these MPs photometrically, but in Paper I we showed that the broader Washington C filter can more efficiently detect MPs in the test case GC NGC 1851. Additionally, In Paper I we detected a double main sequence (MS) that has not been detected in previous observations of NGC 1851. We now match this photometry to NGC 1851's published RGB abundances and find that the two RGB branches observed in C generally exhibit different abundance characteristics in a variety of elements (e.g., Ba, Na, and O) and in CN band strengths, but no single element can define the two RGB branches. However, simultaneously considering [Ba/Fe] or CN strength with either [Na/Fe], [O/Fe], or CN strength can separate the two photometric RGB branches into two distinct abundance groups. Matches of NGC 1851's published SGB and HB abundances to the Washington photometry shows consistent characterizations of the MPs, which can be defined as an O-rich/N-normal population and an O-poor/N-rich population. Photometric synthesis for both the Washington C filter and the F336W filter finds that these abundance characteristics, with appropriate variations in He, can reproduce for both filters the photometric observations in both the RGB and the MS. This photometric synthesis also confirms the throughput advantages that the C filter has in detecting MPs.

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Combining Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data with near-infrared data from the ESO VISTA Hemisphere Survey

We present the combination of optical data from the Science Verification phase of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) with near-infrared (NIR) data from the European Southern Observatory VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS). The deep optical detections from DES are used to extract fluxes and associated errors from the shallower VHS data. Joint seven-band ( grizYJK ) photometric catalogues are produced in a single 3 sq-deg dedicated camera field centred at 02h26m-04d36m where the availability of ancillary multiwavelength photometry and spectroscopy allows us to test the data quality. Dual photometry increases the number of DES galaxies with measured VHS fluxes by a factor of ~4.5 relative to a simple catalogue level matching and results in a ~1.5 mag increase in the 80 per cent completeness limit of the NIR data. Almost 70 per cent of DES sources have useful NIR flux measurements in this initial catalogue. Photometric redshifts are estimated for a subset of galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts and initial results, although currently limited by small number statistics, indicate that the VHS data can help reduce the photometric redshift scatter at both z < 0.5 and z > 1. We present example DES+VHS colour selection criteria for high-redshift luminous red galaxies (LRGs) at z ~ 0.7 as well as luminous quasars. Using spectroscopic observations in this field we show that the additional VHS fluxes enable a cleaner selection of both populations with <10 per cent contamination from galactic stars in the case of spectroscopically confirmed quasars and <0.5 per cent contamination from galactic stars in the case of spectroscopically confirmed LRGs. The combined DES+VHS data set, which will eventually cover almost 5000 sq-deg, will therefore enable a range of new science and be ideally suited for target selection for future wide-field spectroscopic surveys.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Using angular two-point correlations to self-calibrate the photometric redshift distributions of DECaLS DR9

Calibrating the redshift distributions of photometric galaxy samples is essential in weak lensing studies. The self-calibration method combines angular auto- and cross-correlations between galaxies in multiple photometric redshift (photo-z) bins to reconstruct the scattering rates matrix between redshift bins. In this paper, we test a recently proposed self-calibration algorithm using the DECaLS Data Release 9 and investigate to what extent the scattering rates are determined. We first mitigate the spurious angular correlations due to imaging systematics by a machine learning based method. We then improve the algorithm for χ 2 minimization and error estimation. Finally, we solve for the scattering matrices, carry out a series of consistency tests, and find reasonable agreements: (1) finer photo-z bins return a high-resolution scattering matrix, and it is broadly consistent with the low-resolution matrix from wider bins; (2) the scattering matrix from the Northern Galactic Cap is almost identical to that from Southern Galactic Cap; (3) the scattering matrices are in reasonable agreement with those constructed from the power spectrum and the weighted spectroscopic subsample. We also evaluate the impact of cosmic magnification. Although it changes little the diagonal elements of the scattering matrix, it affects the off-diagonals significantly. The scattering matrix also shows some dependence on scale cut of input correlations, which may be related to a known numerical degeneracy between certain scattering pairs. In conclusion, this work demonstrates the feasibility of the self-calibration method in real data and provides a practical alternative to calibrate the redshift distributions of photometric samples.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Extinction maps toward the Milky Way bulge: Two-dimensional and three-dimensional tests with apogee

Galactic interstellar extinction maps are powerful and necessary tools for Milky Way structure and stellar population analyses, particularly toward the heavily reddened bulge and in the midplane. However, due to the difficulty of obtaining reliable extinction measures and distances for a large number of stars that are independent of these maps, tests of their accuracy and systematics have been limited. Our goal is to assess a variety of photometric stellar extinction estimates, including both two-dimensional and three-dimensional extinction maps, using independent extinction measures based on a large spectroscopic sample of stars toward the Milky Way bulge. We employ stellar atmospheric parameters derived from high-resolution H-band Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) spectra, combined with theoretical stellar isochrones, to calculate line-of-sight extinction and distances for a sample of more than 2400 giants toward the Milky Way bulge. We compare these extinction values to those predicted by individual near-IR and near+mid-IR stellar colors, two-dimensional bulge extinction maps, and three-dimensional extinction maps. The long baseline, near+mid-IR stellar colors are, on average, the most accurate predictors of the APOGEE extinction estimates, and the two-dimensional and three-dimensional extinction maps derived from different stellar populations along different sightlines show varying degrees of reliability. We present the results of all of the comparisons and discuss reasons for the observed discrepancies. We also demonstrate how the particular stellar atmospheric models adopted can have a strong impact on this type of analysis, and discuss related caveats.

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Luminous red galaxies: selection and classification by combining optical and infrared photometry

We describe a new method of combining optical and infrared photometry to select luminous red galaxies (LRGs) at redshifts z>0.6. We explore this technique using a combination of optical photometry from CFHTLS and Hubble Space Telescope, infrared photometry from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite, and spectroscopic or photometric redshifts from the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey or COSMOS. We present a variety of methods for testing the success of our selection and present methods for optimization given a set of rest-frame color and redshift requirements. We have tested this selection in two different regions of the sky, the COSMOS and Extended Groth Strip (EGS) fields, to reduce the effect of cosmic/sample variance. We have used these methods to assemble large samples of LRGs for two different ancillary programs as a part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-III/Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. This technique is now being used to select ∼600,000 LRG targets for SDSS-IV/Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, which began observations in Fall 2014, and will be adapted for the proposed Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument survey. We have found that these methods can select high-redshift LRGs efficiently with minimal stellar contamination; this is extremely difficult to achieve with selections that rely on optical photometry alone.

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Dark Energy Survey Year 1 results: validation of weak lensing cluster member contamination estimates from P(z) decomposition

Weak lensing source galaxy catalogues used in estimating the masses of galaxy clusters can be heavily contaminated by cluster members, prohibiting accurate mass calibration. In this study, we test the performance of an estimator for the extent of cluster member contamination based on decomposing the photometric redshift P(z) of source galaxies into contaminating and background components. We perform a full scale mock analysis on a simulated sky survey approximately mirroring the observational properties of the Dark Energy Survey Year One observations (DES Y1), and find excellent agreement between the true number profile of contaminating cluster member galaxies in the simulation and the estimated one. We further apply the method to estimate the cluster member contamination for the DES Y1 redMaPPer cluster mass calibration analysis, and compare the results to an alternative approach based on the angular correlation of weak lensing source galaxies. We find indications that the correlation based estimates are biased by the selection of the weak lensing sources in the cluster vicinity, which does not strongly impact the P(z) decomposition method. Collectively, these benchmarks demonstrate the strength of the P(z) decomposition method in alleviating membership contamination and enabling highly accurate cluster weak lensing studies without broad exclusion of source galaxies, thereby improving the total constraining power of cluster mass calibration via weak lensing.

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Initial Results of Accelerated Stress Testing on Single-Channel and Multichannel Drivers: Solid-State Lighting Technology Area

This report is the first in a series of studies on accelerated stress testing (AST) of drivers used for SSL luminaires, such as downlights, troffers, and streetlights. A representative group of two-stage commercial driver products was exposed to an AST environment consisting of 75°C and 75% relative humidity (7575). These drivers were a mix of single-channel drivers (i.e., a single output current for one LED primary) and multichannel drivers (i.e., separate output currents for multiple LED primaries). This AST environment was chosen because previous testing on downlights with integrated drivers demonstrated that 38% of the sample population failed in less than 2,500 hours of testing using this method. In addition to AST test results, the performance of an SSL downlight product incorporating an integrated, multichannel driver during extended room temperature operational life (RTOL) testing is also reported. A battery of measurements was used to evaluate these products during accelerated testing, including full electrical characterization (i.e., power consumption, PF, total harmonic distortion [THD], and inrush current) and photometric characterization of external LED loads attached to the drivers (i.e., flicker performance and lumen maintenance).

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

STELLAR POPULATION SYNTHESIS BASED MODELING OF THE MILKY WAY USING ASTEROSEISMOLOGY OF 13,000 KEPLER RED GIANTS

With current space-based missions it is now possible to obtain age-sensitive asteroseismic information for tens of thousands of red giants. This provides a promising opportunity to study the Galactic structure and evolution. We use asteroseismic data of red giants, observed by Kepler, to test the current theoretical framework of modeling the Galaxy based on population synthesis modeling and the use of asteroseismic scaling relations for giants. We use the open source code Galaxia to model the Milky Way and find the distribution of the masses predicted by Galaxia to be systematically offset with respect to the seismically inferred observed masses. The Galactic model overestimates the number of low-mass stars, and these stars are predominantly old and of low metallicity. Using corrections to the Δν scaling relation suggested by stellar models significantly reduces the disagreement between predicted and observed masses. For a few cases where non-seismic mass estimates are available, the corrections to Δν also improve the agreement between seismic and non-seismic mass estimates. The disagreement between predictions of the Galactic model and the observations is most pronounced for stars with [Fe/H]<−0.5 and [Fe/H]>0 or for T{sub eff}>4700 K. Altering the star formation rate in order to suppress stars older than 10 Gyr improves the agreement for mass but leads to inconsistent color distributions. We also tested the predictions of the TRILEGAL Galactic model. However, unlike Galaxia, it had difficulties in reproducing the photometric properties of the Kepler Input Catalog because it overestimates the number of blue stars. We conclude that either the scaling relations and/or the Galactic models need to be revised to reconcile predictions of theory with asteroseismic observations.

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Photometric Properties of Jupiter Trojans Detected by the Dark Energy Survey

The Jupiter Trojans are a large group of asteroids that are coorbiting with Jupiter near its L4 and L5 Lagrange points. The study of Jupiter Trojans is crucial for testing different models of planet formation that are directly related to our understanding of solar system evolution. In this work, we select known Jupiter Trojans listed by the Minor Planet Center from the full six years data set (Y6) of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) to analyze their photometric properties. The DES data allow us to study Jupiter Trojans with a fainter magnitude limit than previous studies in a homogeneous survey with griz band measurements. We extract a final catalog of 573 unique Jupiter Trojans. Our sample include 547 asteroids belonging to L5. This is one of the largest analyzed samples for this group. By comparing with the data reported by other surveys we found that the color distribution of L5 Trojans is similar to that of L4 Trojans. We find that L5 Trojans’ g − i and g − r colors become less red with fainter absolute magnitudes, a trend also seen in L4 Trojans. Both the L4 and L5 clouds consistently show such a color–size correlation over an absolute magnitude range 11 < H < 18. We also use DES colors to perform taxonomic classifications. C- and P-type asteroids outnumber D-type asteroids in the L5 Trojans DES sample, which have diameters in the 5–20 km range. This is consistent with the color–size correlation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗