Do satellite galaxies trace matter in galaxy clusters?

The spatial distribution of satellite galaxies encodes rich information of the structure and assembly history of galaxy clusters. In this paper, we select a red-sequence Matched-filter Probabilistic Percolation cluster sample in SDSS Stripe 82 region with 0.1 ≤ z ≤ 0.33, 20 0.7. Using the high-quality weak lensing data from CS82 Survey, we constrain the mass profile of this sample. Then we compare directly the mass density profile with the satellite number density profile. We find that the total mass and number density profiles have the same shape, both well fitted by an NFW profile. The scale radii agree with each other within a 1σ error ( rs,gal=0.34+0.04−0.03  Mpc versus rs=0.37+0.15−0.10  Mpc)

Bayesian distances and extinctions for giants observed by Kepler and APOGEE

International audienc

The XMM Cluster Survey: optical analysis methodology and the first data release

The XMM Cluster Survey (XCS) is a serendipitous search for galaxy clusters using all publicly available data in the XMM–Newton Science Archive. Its main aims are to measure cosmological parameters and trace the evolution of X-ray scaling relations. In this paper we present the first data release from the XMM Cluster Survey (XCS-DR1). This consists of 503 optically confirmed, serendipitously detected, X-ray clusters. Of these clusters, 256 are new to the literature and 357 are new X-ray discoveries. We present 463 clusters with a redshift estimate (0.06 1.0, including a new spectroscopically confirmed cluster at z= 1.01); (ii) 66 clusters with high TX (>5 keV); (iii) 130 clusters/groups with low TX (<2 keV); (iv) 27 clusters with measured TX values in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) ‘Stripe 82’ co-add region; (v) 77 clusters with measured TX values in the Dark Energy Survey region; (vi) 40 clusters detected with sufficient counts to permit mass measurements (under the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium); (vii) 104 clusters that can be used for applications such as the derivation of cosmological parameters and the measurement of cluster scaling relations. The X-ray analysis methodology used to construct and analyse the XCS-DR1 cluster sample has been presented in a companion paper, Lloyd-Davies et al

The STRong lensing Insights into the Dark Energy Survey (STRIDES) 2016 follow-up campaign - II. New quasar lenses from double component fitting

We report upon the follow-up of 34 candidate lensed quasars found in the Dark Energy Survey using NTT EFOSC, Magellan-IMACS, KECK-ESI, and SOAR-SAMI. These candidates were selected by a combination of double component fitting, morphological assessment, and colour analysis. Most systems followed up are indeed composed of at least one quasar image and 13 with two or more quasar images: two lenses, four projected binaries, and seven nearly identical quasar pairs (NIQs). The two systems confirmed as genuine gravitationally lensed quasars are one quadruple at zₛ = 1.713 and one double at zₛ = 1.515. Lens modelling of these two systems reveals that both systems require very little contribution from the environment to reproduce the image configuration. Nevertheless, small flux anomalies can be observed in one of the images of the quad. Further observations of nine inconclusive systems (including seven NIQs) will allow to confirm (or not) their gravitational lens nature.ISSN:0035-8711ISSN:1365-296

DES Science Portal: II- Creating Science-Ready Catalogs

International audienceWe present a novel approach for creating science-ready catalogs through a software infrastructure developed for the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We integrate the data products released by the DES Data Management and additional products created by the DES collaboration in an environment known as DES Science Portal. Each step involved in the creation of a science-ready catalog is recorded in a relational database and can be recovered at any time. We describe how the DES Science Portal automates the creation and characterization of lightweight catalogs for DES Year 1 Annual Release, and show its flexibility in creating multiple catalogs with different inputs and configurations. Finally, we discuss the advantages of this infrastructure for large surveys such as DES and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. The capability of creating science-ready catalogs efficiently and with full control of the inputs and configurations used is an important asset for supporting science analysis using data from large astronomical surveys

OzDES reverberation mapping program: Lag recovery reliability for 6-yr C iv analysis

International audienceWe present the statistical methods that have been developed to analyse the OzDES reverberation mapping sample. To perform this statistical analysis we have created a suite of customizable simulations that mimic the characteristics of each source in the OzDES sample. These characteristics include: the variability in the photometric and spectroscopic light curves, the measurement uncertainties, and the observational cadence. By simulating the sources in the OzDES sample that contain the C iv emission line, we developed a set of criteria that rank the reliability of a recovered time-lag depending on the agreement between different recovery methods, the magnitude of the uncertainties, and the rate at which false positives were found in the simulations. These criteria were applied to simulated light curves and these results used to estimate the quality of the resulting Radius–Luminosity relation. We grade the results using three quality levels (gold, silver, and bronze). The input slope of the R–L relation was recovered within 1σ for each of the three quality samples, with the gold standard having the lowest dispersion with a recovered a R–L relation slope of 0.454 ± 0.016 with an input slope of 0.47. Future work will apply these methods to the entire OzDES sample of 771 AGN

DES Science Portal: Computing Photometric Redshifts

International audienceA significant challenge facing photometric surveys for cosmological purposes is the need to produce reliable redshift estimates. The estimation of photometric redshifts (photo- z s) has been consolidated as the standard strategy to bypass the high production costs and incompleteness of spectroscopic redshift samples. Training-based photo- z methods require the preparation of a high-quality list of spectroscopic redshifts, which needs to be constantly updated. The photo- z training, validation, and estimation must be performed in a consistent and reproducible way in order to accomplish the scientific requirements. To meet this purpose, we developed an integrated web-based data interface that not only provides the framework to carry out the above steps in a systematic way, enabling the ease testing and comparison of different algorithms, but also addresses the processing requirements by parallelizing the calculation in a transparent way for the user. This framework called the Science Portal (hereafter Portal) was developed in the context the Dark Energy Survey (DES) to facilitate scientific analysis. In this paper, we show how the Portal can provide a reliable environment to access vast datasets, provide validation algorithms and metrics, even in the case of multiple photo- z s methods. It is possible to maintain the provenance between the steps of a chain of workflows while ensuring reproducibility of the results. We illustrate how the Portal can be used to provide photo- z estimates using the DES first year (Y1A1) data. While the DES collaboration is still developing techniques to obtain more precise photo- z s, having a structured framework like the one presented here is critical for the systematic vetting of DES algorithmic improvements and the consistent production of photo- z s in future DES releases

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora