307 research outputs found
A Comparison of Weak Lensing Measurements From Ground- and Space-Based Facilities
We assess the relative merits of weak lensing surveys, using overlapping
imaging data from the ground-based Subaru telescope and the Hubble Space
Telescope (HST). Our tests complement similar studies undertaken with simulated
data. From observations of 230,000 matched objects in the 2 square degree
COSMOS field, we identify the limit at which faint galaxy shapes can be
reliably measured from the ground. Our ground-based shear catalog achieves
sub-percent calibration bias compared to high resolution space-based data, for
galaxies brighter than i'~24.5 and with half-light radii larger than 1.8". This
selection corresponds to a surface density of ~15 galaxies per sq arcmin
compared to ~71 per sq arcmin from space. On the other hand the survey speed of
current ground-based facilities is much faster than that of HST, although this
gain is mitigated by the increased depth of space-based imaging desirable for
tomographic (3D) analyses. As an independent experiment, we also reconstruct
the projected mass distribution in the COSMOS field using both data sets, and
compare the derived cluster catalogs with those from X-ray observations. The
ground-based catalog achieves a reasonable degree of completeness, with minimal
contamination and no detected bias, for massive clusters at redshifts
0.2<z<0.5. The space-based data provide improved precision and a greater
sensitivity to clusters of lower mass or at higher redshift.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, submitted to ApJ, Higher resolution figures
available at http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~mansi/GroundvsSpace.pd
The WFIRST Galaxy Survey Exposure Time Calculator
This document describes the exposure time calculator for the Wide-Field
Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) high-latitude survey. The calculator works
in both imaging and spectroscopic modes. In addition to the standard ETC
functions (e.g. background and S/N determination), the calculator integrates
over the galaxy population and forecasts the density and redshift distribution
of galaxy shapes usable for weak lensing (in imaging mode) and the detected
emission lines (in spectroscopic mode). The source code is made available for
public use.Comment: 44 pages. The current C source code and version history can be found
at http://www.tapir.caltech.edu/~chirata/web/software/space-etc/ ; IPAC
maintains a web interface at
http://wfirst-web.ipac.caltech.edu/wfDepc/wfDepc.js
Noise and Bias In Square-Root Compression Schemes
We investigate data compression schemes for proposed all-sky diffraction-limited visible/NIR sky surveys aimed at the dark-energy problem. We show that lossy square-root compression to 1 bit pixel^(-1) of noise, followed by standard lossless compression algorithms, reduces the images to 2.5–4 bits pixel^(-1), depending primarily upon the level of cosmic-ray contamination of the images. Compression to this level adds noise equivalent to ≤ 10% penalty in observing time. We derive an analytic correction to flux biases inherent to the square-root compression scheme. Numerical tests on simple galaxy models confirm that galaxy fluxes and shapes are measured with systematic biases ≾ 10^-4 induced by the compression scheme, well below the requirements of supernova and weak gravitational lensing dark-energy experiments. In a related investigation, Vanderveld and coworkers bound the shape biases using realistic simulated images of the high-Galactic–latitude sky. The square-root preprocessing step has advantages over simple (linear) decimation when there are many bright objects or cosmic rays in the field, or when the background level will vary
Modeling and Correcting the Time-Dependent ACS PSF
The ability to accurately measure the shapes of faint objects in images taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) depends upon detailed knowledge of the Point Spread Function (PSF). We show that thermal fluctuations cause the PSF of the ACS Wide Field Camera (WFC) to vary over time. We describe a modified version of the TinyTim PSF modeling software to create artificial grids of stars across the ACS field of view at a range of telescope focus values. These models closely resemble the stars in real ACS images. Using 10 bright stars in a real image, we have been able to measure HST s apparent focus at the time of the exposure. TinyTim can then be used to model the PSF at any position on the ACS field of view. This obviates the need for images of dense stellar fields at different focus values, or interpolation between the few observed stars. We show that residual differences between our TinyTim models and real data are likely due to the effects of Charge Transfer Efficiency (CTE) degradation. Furthermore, we discuss stochastic noise that is added to the shape of point sources when distortion is removed, and we present MultiDrizzle parameters that are optimal for weak lensing science. Specifically, we find that reducing the MultiDrizzle output pixel scale and choosing a Gaussian kernel significantly stabilizes the resulting PSF after image combination, while still eliminating cosmic rays/bad pixels, and correcting the large geometric distortion in the ACS. We discuss future plans, which include more detailed study of the effects of CTE degradation on object shapes and releasing our TinyTim models to the astronomical community
Astrometry with the Wide-Field InfraRed Space Telescope
The Wide-Field InfraRed Space Telescope (WFIRST) will be capable of
delivering precise astrometry for faint sources over the enormous field of view
of its main camera, the Wide-Field Imager (WFI). This unprecedented combination
will be transformative for the many scientific questions that require precise
positions, distances, and velocities of stars. We describe the expectations for
the astrometric precision of the WFIRST WFI in different scenarios, illustrate
how a broad range of science cases will see significant advances with such
data, and identify aspects of WFIRST's design where small adjustments could
greatly improve its power as an astrometric instrument.Comment: version accepted to JATI
Solar system science with the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope
We present a community-led assessment of the solar system investigations achievable with NASA’s next-generation space telescope, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). WFIRST will provide imaging, spectroscopic, and coronagraphic capabilities from 0.43 to 2.0  μm and will be a potential contemporary and eventual successor to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Surveys of irregular satellites and minor bodies are where WFIRST will excel with its 0.28  deg^2 field-of-view Wide Field Instrument. Potential ground-breaking discoveries from WFIRST could include detection of the first minor bodies orbiting in the inner Oort Cloud, identification of additional Earth Trojan asteroids, and the discovery and characterization of asteroid binary systems similar to Ida/Dactyl. Additional investigations into asteroids, giant planet satellites, Trojan asteroids, Centaurs, Kuiper belt objects, and comets are presented. Previous use of astrophysics assets for solar system science and synergies between WFIRST, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, JWST, and the proposed Near-Earth Object Camera mission is discussed. We also present the case for implementation of moving target tracking, a feature that will benefit from the heritage of JWST and enable a broader range of solar system observations
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