The UV, Optical, and IR Properties of SDSS Sources Detected by GALEX

We discuss the UV, optical, and IR properties of the SDSS sources detected by GALEX as part of its All-sky Imaging Survey Early Release Observations. Virtually all of the GALEX sources in the overlap region are detected by SDSS. GALEX sources represent ~2.5% of all SDSS sources within these fields and about half are optically unresolved. Most unresolved GALEX/SDSS sources are bright blue turn-off thick disk stars and are typically detected only in the GALEX near-UV band. The remaining unresolved sources include low-redshift quasars, white dwarfs, and white dwarf/M dwarf pairs, and these dominate the optically unresolved sources detected in both GALEX bands. Almost all the resolved SDSS sources detected by GALEX are fainter than the SDSS 'main' spectroscopic limit. These sources have colors consistent with those of blue (spiral) galaxies (u-r<2.2), and most are detected in both GALEX bands. Measurements of their UV colors allow much more accurate and robust estimates of star-formation history than are possible using only SDSS data. Indeed, galaxies with the most recent (<20 Myr) star formation can be robustly selected from the GALEX data by requiring that they be brighter in the far-UV than in the near-UV band. However, older starburst galaxies have UV colors similar to AGN, and thus cannot be selected unambiguously on the basis of GALEX fluxes alone. With the aid of 2MASS data, we construct and discuss median 10 band UV-optical-IR spectral energy distributions for turn-off stars, hot white dwarfs, low-redshift quasars, and spiral and elliptical galaxies. We point out the high degree of correlation between the UV color and the contribution of the UV flux to the UV-optical-IR flux of galaxies detected by GALEX.Comment: 35 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables; to appear in the AJ. PS with better figures available from http://www.astro.washington.edu/agueros/pub

AVAST Survey 0.4-1.0 {\mu}m Spectroscopy of Igneous Asteroids in the Inner and Middle Main Belt

We present the spectra of 60 asteroids, including 47 V-types observed during the first phase of the Adler V-Type Asteroid (AVAST) Survey. SDSS photometry was used to select candidate V-type asteroids for follow up by nature of their very blue $i-z$ color. 47 of the 61 observed candidates were positively classified as V-type asteroids, while an additional six show indications of a 0.9 $\mu$m feature consistent with V-type spectra, but not sufficient for formal classification. Four asteroids were found to be S-type, all of which had $i-z$ values very near the adopted AVAST selection criteria of $i-z \le -0.2$, including one candidate observed well outside the cut (at a mean $i-z$ of -0.11). Three A-type asteroids were also identified. Six V-type asteroids were observed beyond the 3:1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter, including the identification of two new V-type asteroids (63085 and 105041) at this distance. Six V-type asteroids were observed with low ($<5\deg$) orbital inclination, outside of the normal dynamical range of classic Vestoids, and are suggestive of a non-Vesta origin for at least some of the population.Comment: 1 table, 3 figures, To appear to Icaru

Ensemble Properties of Comets in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We present the ensemble properties of 31 comets (27 resolved and 4 unresolved) observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). This sample of comets represents about 1 comet per 10 million SDSS photometric objects. Five-band (u,g,r,i,z) photometry is used to determine the comets' colors, sizes, surface brightness profiles, and rates of dust production in terms of the Af{\rho} formalism. We find that the cumulative luminosity function for the Jupiter Family Comets in our sample is well fit by a power law of the form N(< H) \propto 10(0.49\pm0.05)H for H < 18, with evidence of a much shallower fit N(< H) \propto 10(0.19\pm0.03)H for the faint (14.5 < H < 18) comets. The resolved comets show an extremely narrow distribution of colors (0.57 \pm 0.05 in g - r for example), which are statistically indistinguishable from that of the Jupiter Trojans. Further, there is no evidence of correlation between color and physical, dynamical, or observational parameters for the observed comets.Comment: 19 pages, 8 tables, 11 figures, to appear in Icaru

Detecting active comets in the SDSS

Using a sample of serendipitously discovered active comets in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we develop well-controlled selection criteria for greatly increasing the efficiency of comet identification in the SDSS catalogs. After follow-up visual inspection of images to reject remaining false positives, the total sample of SDSS comets presented here contains 19 objects, roughly one comet per 10 million other SDSS objects. The good understanding of selection effects allows a study of the population statistics, and we estimate the apparent magnitude distribution to r similar to 18, the ecliptic latitude distribution, and the comet distribution in SDSS color space. The most surprising results are the extremely narrow range of colors for comets in our sample (e.g. root-mean-square scatter of only similar to 0.06 mag for the g - r color), and the similarity of comet colors to those of jovian Trojans. We discuss the relevance of our results for upcoming deep multi-epoch optical surveys such as the Dark Energy Survey, Pan-STARRS, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), and estimate that LSST may produce a sample of about 10,000 comets over its 10-year lifetime. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Ensemble properties of comets in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We present the ensemble properties of 31 comets (27 resolved and 4 unresolved) observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). This sample of comets represents about 1 comet per 10 million SDSS photometric objects. Five-band (u,g,r,i,z) photometry is used to determine the comets' colors, sizes, surface brightness profiles, and rates of dust production in terms of the Af rho formalism. We find that the cumulative luminosity function for the Jupiter Family Comets in our sample is well fit by a power law of the form N

The Scientific Impact of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) for Solar System Science

Vera C. Rubin Observatory will be a key facility for small body science in planetary astronomy over the next decade. It will carry out the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), observing the sky repeatedly in u, g, r, i, z, and y over the course of ten years using a 6.5 m effective diameter telescope with a 9.6 square degree field of view, reaching approximately r = 24.5 mag (5-{\sigma} depth) per visit. The resulting dataset will provide extraordinary opportunities for both discovery and characterization of large numbers (10--100 times more than currently known) of small solar system bodies, furthering studies of planetary formation and evolution. This white paper summarizes some of the expected science from the ten years of LSST, and emphasizes that the planetary astronomy community should remain invested in the path of Rubin Observatory once the LSST is complete.Comment: White paper submitted to the 2020 Planetary Astronomy Decadal Survey (7 pages, 1 figure

Detecting Active Comets in the SDSS

Using a sample of serendipitously discovered active comets in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we develop well-controlled selection criteria for greatly increasing the efficiency of comet identification in the SDSS catalogs. After follow-up visual inspection of images to reject remaining false positives, the total sample of SDSS comets presented here contains 19 objects, roughly one comet per 10 million other SDSS objects. The good understanding of selection effects allows a study of the population statistics, and we estimate the apparent magnitude distribution to r {approx} 18, the ecliptic latitude distribution, and the comet distribution in SDSS color space. The most surprising results are the extremely narrow range of colors for comets in our sample (e.g. root-mean-square scatter of only {approx}0.06 mag for the g-r color), and the similarity of comet colors to those of jovian Trojans. We discuss the relevance of our results for upcoming deep multi-epoch optical surveys such as the Dark Energy Survey, Pan-STARRS, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), and estimate that LSST may produce a sample of about 10,000 comets over its 10-year lifetime

Tuning the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Observing Strategy for Solar System Science

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to start the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) in early to mid-2025. This multiband wide-field synoptic survey will transform our view of the solar system, with the discovery and monitoring of over five million small bodies. The final survey strategy chosen for LSST has direct implications on the discoverability and characterization of solar system minor planets and passing interstellar objects. Creating an inventory of the solar system is one of the four main LSST science drivers. The LSST observing cadence is a complex optimization problem that must balance the priorities and needs of all the key LSST science areas. To design the best LSST survey strategy, a series of operation simulations using the Rubin Observatory scheduler have been generated to explore the various options for tuning observing parameters and prioritizations. We explore the impact of the various simulated LSST observing strategies on studying the solar system's small body reservoirs. We examine what are the best observing scenarios and review what are the important considerations for maximizing LSST solar system science. In general, most of the LSST cadence simulations produce +/- 5% or less variations in our chosen key metrics, but a subset of the simulations significantly hinder science returns with much larger losses in the discovery and light-curve metrics.Peer reviewe