413 research outputs found
Photometric Response Functions of the SDSS Imager
The monochromatic illumination system is constructed to carry out in situ
measurements of the response function of the mosaicked CCD imager used in the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The system is outlined and the results of the
measurements, mostly during the first 6 years of the SDSS, are described. We
present the reference response functions for the five colour passbands derived
from these measurements, and discuss column to column variations and variations
in time, and also their effects on photometry. We also discuss the effect
arising from various, slightly different response functions of the associated
detector systems that were used to give SDSS photometry. We show that the
calibration procedures of SDSS remove these variations reasonably well with the
resulting final errors from variant response functions being unlikely to be
larger than 0.01 mag for g, r, i, and z bands over the entire duration of the
survey. The considerable aging effect is uncovered in the u band, the response
function showing a 30% decrease in the throughput in the short wavelength side
during the survey years, which potentially causes a systematic error in
photometry. The aging effect is consistent with variation of the instrumental
sensitivity in u-band, which is calibrated out. The expected colour variation
is consistent with measured colour variation in the catalog of repeated
photometry. The colour variation is delta (u-g) ~ 0.01 for most stars, and at
most delta (u-g) ~ 0.02 mag for those with extreme colours. We verified in the
final catalogue that no systematic variations in excess of 0.01 mag are
detected in the photometry which can be ascribed to aging and/or seasonal
effects except for the secular u-g colour variation for stars with extreme
colours.Comment: 54 pages, 18 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in A
Interior structure models of GJ 436b
GJ 436b is the first extrasolar planet discovered that resembles Neptune in
mass and radius. The particularly interesting property of Neptune-sized planets
is that their mass Mp and radius Rp are close to theoretical M-R relations of
water planets. Given Mp, Rp, and equilibrium temperature, however, various
internal compositions are possible. A broad set of interior structure models is
presented here that illustrates the dependence of internal composition and
possible phases of water occurring in presumably water-rich planets, such as GJ
436b on the uncertainty in atmospheric temperature profile and mean density. We
show how the set of solutions can be narrowed down if theoretical constraints
from formation and model atmospheres are applied or potentially observational
constraints for the atmospheric metallicity Z1 and the tidal Love number k2. We
model the interior by assuming either three layers (hydrogen-helium envelope,
water layer, rock core) or two layers (H/He/H2O envelope, rocky core). For
water, we use the equation of state H2O-REOS based on FT-DFT-MD simulations.
Some admixture of H/He appears mandatory for explaining the measured radius.
For the warmest considered models, the H/He mass fraction can reduce to 10^-3,
still extending over ~0.7 REarth. If water occurs, it will be essentially in
the plasma phase or in the superionic phase, but not in an ice phase.
Metal-free envelope models have 0.02<k2<0.2, and the core mass cannot be
determined from a measurement of k2. In contrast, models with 0.3<k2<0.82
require high metallicities Z1<0.89 in the outer envelope. The uncertainty in
core mass decreases to 0.4 Mp, if k2>0.3, and further to 0.2 Mp, if k2>0.5, and
core mass and Z1 become sensitive functions of k2. To further narrow the set of
solutions, a proper treatment of the atmosphere and the evolution is necessary.Comment: 9 pages, accepted to A&
The Luminosity Function of Galaxies in SDSS Commissioning Data
During commissioning observations, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has
produced one of the largest existing galaxy redshift samples selected from CCD
images. Using 11,275 galaxies complete to r^* = 17.6 over 140 square degrees,
we compute the luminosity function of galaxies in the r^* band over a range -23
< M < -16 (for h=1). The result is well-described by a Schechter function with
parameters phi_* = 0.0146 +/- 0.0012 h^3 Mpc^{-3}, M_* = -20.83 +/- 0.03, and
alpha = -1.20 +/- 0.03. The implied luminosity density in r^* is j = (2.6 +/-
0.3) x 10^8 h L_sun Mpc^{-3}. The surface brightness selection threshold has a
negligible impact for M < -18. We measure the luminosity function in the u^*,
g^*, i^*, and z^* bands as well; the slope at low luminosities ranges from
alpha=-1.35 to alpha=-1.2. We measure the bivariate distribution of r^*
luminosity with half-light surface brightness, intrinsic color, and morphology.
High surface brightness, red, highly concentrated galaxies are on average more
luminous than low surface brightness, blue, less concentrated galaxies. If we
synthesize results for R-band or b_j-band using the Petrosian magnitudes with
which the SDSS measures galaxy fluxes, we obtain luminosity densities 2.0 times
that found by the Las Campanas Redshift Survey in R and 1.4 times that found by
the Two-degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey in b_j. We are able to reproduce
the luminosity functions obtained by these surveys if we also mimic their
isophotal limits for defining galaxy magnitudes, which are shallower and more
redshift dependent than the Petrosian magnitudes used by the SDSS. (Abridged)Comment: 49 pages, including 23 figures, accepted by AJ; some minor textual
changes, plus an important change in comparison to LCR
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Catalog I. Early Data Release
We present the first edition of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Quasar
Catalog. The catalog consists of the 3814 objects (3000 discovered by the SDSS)
in the initial SDSS public data release that have at least one emission line
with a full width at half maximum larger than 1000 km/s, luminosities brighter
than M_i^* = -23, and highly reliable redshifts. The area covered by the
catalog is 494 square degrees; the majority of the objects were found in SDSS
commissioning data using a multicolor selection technique. The quasar redshifts
range from 0.15 to 5.03. For each object the catalog presents positions
accurate to better than 0.2" rms per coordinate, five band (ugriz) CCD-based
photometry with typical accuracy of 0.05 mag, radio and X-ray emission
properties, and information on the morphology and selection method. Calibrated
spectra of all objects in the catalog, covering the wavelength region 3800 to
9200 Angstroms at a spectral resolution of 1800-2100, are also available. Since
the quasars were selected during the commissioning period, a time when the
quasar selection algorithm was undergoing frequent revisions, the sample is not
homogeneous and is not intended for statistical analysis.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables, accepted by A
The First Hour of Extra-galactic Data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectroscopic Commissioning: The Coma Cluster
On 26 May 1999, one of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) fiber-fed
spectrographs saw astronomical first light. This was followed by the first
spectroscopic commissioning run during the dark period of June 1999. We present
here the first hour of extra-galactic spectroscopy taken during these early
commissioning stages: an observation of the Coma cluster of galaxies. Our data
samples the Southern part of this cluster, out to a radius of 1.5degrees and
thus fully covers the NGC 4839 group. We outline in this paper the main
characteristics of the SDSS spectroscopic systems and provide redshifts and
spectral classifications for 196 Coma galaxies, of which 45 redshifts are new.
For the 151 galaxies in common with the literature, we find excellent agreement
between our redshift determinations and the published values. As part of our
analysis, we have investigated four different spectral classification
algorithms: spectral line strengths, a principal component decomposition, a
wavelet analysis and the fitting of spectral synthesis models to the data. We
find that a significant fraction (25%) of our observed Coma galaxies show signs
of recent star-formation activity and that the velocity dispersion of these
active galaxies (emission-line and post-starburst galaxies) is 30% larger than
the absorption-line galaxies. We also find no active galaxies within the
central (projected) 200 h-1 Kpc of the cluster. The spatial distribution of our
Coma active galaxies is consistent with that found at higher redshift for the
CNOC1 cluster survey. Beyond the core region, the fraction of bright active
galaxies appears to rise slowly out to the virial radius and are randomly
distributed within the cluster with no apparent correlation with the potential
merger of the NGC 4839 group. [ABRIDGED]Comment: Accepted in AJ, 65 pages, 20 figures, 5 table
Colors of 2625 Quasars at 0<z<5 Measured in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Photometric System
We present an empirical investigation of the colors of quasars in the Sloan
Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometric system. The sample studied includes 2625
quasars with SDSS photometry. The quasars are distributed in a 2.5 degree wide
stripe centered on the Celestial Equator covering square degrees.
Positions and SDSS magnitudes are given for the 898 quasars known prior to SDSS
spectroscopic commissioning. New SDSS quasars represent an increase of over
200% in the number of known quasars in this area of the sky. The ensemble
average of the observed colors of quasars in the SDSS passbands are well
represented by a power-law continuum with (). However, the contributions of the bump
and other strong emission lines have a significant effect upon the colors. The
color-redshift relation exhibits considerable structure, which may be of use in
determining photometric redshifts for quasars. The range of colors can be
accounted for by a range in the optical spectral index with a distribution
(95% confidence), but there is a red tail in the
distribution. This tail may be a sign of internal reddening. Finally, we show
that there is a continuum of properties between quasars and Seyfert galaxies
and we test the validity of the traditional division between the two classes of
AGN.Comment: 66 pages, 15 figures (3 color), accepted by A
Sloan Digital Sky Survey Imaging of Low Galactic Latitude Fields: Technical Summary and Data Release
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) mosaic camera and telescope have obtained
five-band optical-wavelength imaging near the Galactic plane outside of the
nominal survey boundaries. These additional data were obtained during
commissioning and subsequent testing of the SDSS observing system, and they
provide unique wide-area imaging data in regions of high obscuration and star
formation, including numerous young stellar objects, Herbig-Haro objects and
young star clusters. Because these data are outside the Survey regions in the
Galactic caps, they are not part of the standard SDSS data releases. This paper
presents imaging data for 832 square degrees of sky (including repeats), in the
star-forming regions of Orion, Taurus, and Cygnus. About 470 square degrees are
now released to the public, with the remainder to follow at the time of SDSS
Data Release 4. The public data in Orion include the star-forming region NGC
2068/NGC 2071/HH24 and a large part of Barnard's loop.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures (3 missing to save space), accepted by AJ, in
press, see http://photo.astro.princeton.edu/oriondatarelease for data and
paper with all figure
Galaxy Clustering in Early SDSS Redshift Data
We present the first measurements of clustering in the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey (SDSS) galaxy redshift survey. Our sample consists of 29,300 galaxies
with redshifts 5,700 km/s < cz < 39,000 km/s, distributed in several long but
narrow (2.5-5 degree) segments, covering 690 square degrees. For the full,
flux-limited sample, the redshift-space correlation length is approximately 8
Mpc/h. The two-dimensional correlation function \xi(r_p,\pi) shows clear
signatures of both the small-scale, ``fingers-of-God'' distortion caused by
velocity dispersions in collapsed objects and the large-scale compression
caused by coherent flows, though the latter cannot be measured with high
precision in the present sample. The inferred real-space correlation function
is well described by a power law, \xi(r)=(r/6.1+/-0.2 Mpc/h)^{-1.75+/-0.03},
for 0.1 Mpc/h < r < 16 Mpc/h. The galaxy pairwise velocity dispersion is
\sigma_{12} ~ 600+/-100 km/s for projected separations 0.15 Mpc/h < r_p < 5
Mpc/h. When we divide the sample by color, the red galaxies exhibit a stronger
and steeper real-space correlation function and a higher pairwise velocity
dispersion than do the blue galaxies. The relative behavior of subsamples
defined by high/low profile concentration or high/low surface brightness is
qualitatively similar to that of the red/blue subsamples. Our most striking
result is a clear measurement of scale-independent luminosity bias at r < 10
Mpc/h: subsamples with absolute magnitude ranges centered on M_*-1.5, M_*, and
M_*+1.5 have real-space correlation functions that are parallel power laws of
slope ~ -1.8 with correlation lengths of approximately 7.4 Mpc/h, 6.3 Mpc/h,
and 4.7 Mpc/h, respectively.Comment: 51 pages, 18 figures. Replaced to match accepted ApJ versio
The Multi-Object, Fiber-Fed Spectrographs for SDSS and the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey
We present the design and performance of the multi-object fiber spectrographs
for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and their upgrade for the Baryon
Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Originally commissioned in Fall 1999
on the 2.5-m aperture Sloan Telescope at Apache Point Observatory, the
spectrographs produced more than 1.5 million spectra for the SDSS and SDSS-II
surveys, enabling a wide variety of Galactic and extra-galactic science
including the first observation of baryon acoustic oscillations in 2005. The
spectrographs were upgraded in 2009 and are currently in use for BOSS, the
flagship survey of the third-generation SDSS-III project. BOSS will measure
redshifts of 1.35 million massive galaxies to redshift 0.7 and Lyman-alpha
absorption of 160,000 high redshift quasars over 10,000 square degrees of sky,
making percent level measurements of the absolute cosmic distance scale of the
Universe and placing tight constraints on the equation of state of dark energy.
The twin multi-object fiber spectrographs utilize a simple optical layout
with reflective collimators, gratings, all-refractive cameras, and
state-of-the-art CCD detectors to produce hundreds of spectra simultaneously in
two channels over a bandpass covering the near ultraviolet to the near
infrared, with a resolving power R = \lambda/FWHM ~ 2000. Building on proven
heritage, the spectrographs were upgraded for BOSS with volume-phase
holographic gratings and modern CCD detectors, improving the peak throughput by
nearly a factor of two, extending the bandpass to cover 360 < \lambda < 1000
nm, and increasing the number of fibers from 640 to 1000 per exposure. In this
paper we describe the original SDSS spectrograph design and the upgrades
implemented for BOSS, and document the predicted and measured performances.Comment: 43 pages, 42 figures, revised according to referee report and
accepted by AJ. Provides background for the instrument responsible for SDSS
and BOSS spectra. 4th in a series of survey technical papers released in
Summer 2012, including arXiv:1207.7137 (DR9), arXiv:1207.7326 (Spectral
Classification), and arXiv:1208.0022 (BOSS Overview
The Fifth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
This paper describes the Fifth Data Release (DR5) of the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey (SDSS). DR5 includes all survey quality data taken through June 2005 and
represents the completion of the SDSS-I project (whose successor, SDSS-II will
continue through mid-2008). It includes five-band photometric data for 217
million objects selected over 8000 square degrees, and 1,048,960 spectra of
galaxies, quasars, and stars selected from 5713 square degrees of that imaging
data. These numbers represent a roughly 20% increment over those of the Fourth
Data Release; all the data from previous data releases are included in the
present release. In addition to "standard" SDSS observations, DR5 includes
repeat scans of the southern equatorial stripe, imaging scans across M31 and
the core of the Perseus cluster of galaxies, and the first spectroscopic data
from SEGUE, a survey to explore the kinematics and chemical evolution of the
Galaxy. The catalog database incorporates several new features, including
photometric redshifts of galaxies, tables of matched objects in overlap regions
of the imaging survey, and tools that allow precise computations of survey
geometry for statistical investigations.Comment: ApJ Supp, in press, October 2007. This paper describes DR5. The SDSS
Sixth Data Release (DR6) is now public, available from http://www.sdss.or
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