5,276 research outputs found
A Test of Photometric Redshifts for X-ray Selected Sources
We test the effectiveness of photometric redshifts based upon galaxy spectral
template fitting for X-ray luminous objects, using a sample of 65 sources
detected by Chandra in the field of the Caltech Faint Galaxy Redshift Survey
(CFGRS). We find that sources with quasar-dominated spectra (for which galaxy
spectral templates are not appropriate) are easily identified, and that
photometric redshifts are robust for the rest of the sources in our sample.
Specifically, for the 59 sources that are not quasar-dominated at optical
wavelengths, we find that the photometric redshift estimates have scatter
comparable to the field galaxy population in this region. There is no evidence
for a trend of increasing dispersion with X-ray luminosity over the range L_X =
10^39 - 5x10^43 erg/s, nor is there a trend with the ratio of X-ray to optical
flux, f_X/f_R. The practical implication of this work is that photometric
redshifts should be robust for the majority (~90%) of the X-ray sources down to
f_X ~ 10^-16 erg/s/cm^2 that have optical counterparts brighter than R ~ 24.
Furthermore, the same photometry can be easily used to identify the sources for
which the photometric redshifts are likely to fail. Photometric redshift
estimation can thus be utilized as an efficient tool in analyzing the
statistical properties of upcoming large Chandra and XMM-Newton data sets and
identifying interesting subsamples for further study.Comment: To appear in ApJ (6 pages, 6 figures). Replaced with accepted versio
Distant Galaxy Clusters Identified From Optical Background Fluctuations
We present the first high redshift (0.3 < z < 1.1) galaxy clusters found by
systematically identifying optical low surface brightness fluctuations in the
background sky. Using spectra obtained with the Keck telescope and I-band
images from the Palomar 1.5m telescope, we conclude that at least eight of the
ten candidates examined are high redshift galaxy clusters. The identification
of such clusters from low surface brightness fluctuations provides a
complementary alternative to classic selection methods based on overdensities
of resolved galaxies, and enables us to search efficiently for rich high
redshift clusters over large areas of the sky. The detections described here
are the first in a survey that covers a total of nearly 140 sq. degrees of the
sky and should yield, if these preliminary results are representative, over 300
such clusters.Comment: Submitted to ApJ
Malmquist Bias and the Distance to the Virgo Cluster
This paper investigates the impact of Malmquist bias on the distance to the
Virgo cluster determined by the H_0 Key Project using M100, and consequently on
the derived value of H_0. Malmquist bias is a volume-induced statistical effect
which causes the most probable distance to be different from the raw distance
measured. Consideration of the bias in the distance to the Virgo cluster raises
this distance and lowers the calculated value of H_0. Monte Carlo simulations
of the cluster have been run for several possible distributions of spirals
within the cluster and of clusters in the local universe. Simulations
consistent with known information regarding the cluster and the errors of
measurement result in a bias of about 6.5%-8.5%. This corresponds to an
unbiased distance of 17.2-17.4 Mpc and a value of H_0 in the range 80-82
km/s/Mpc.
The problem of determining the bias to Virgo illustrates several key points
regarding Malmquist bias. Essentially all conventional astronomical distance
measurements are subject to this bias. In addition, the bias accumulates when
an attempt is made to construct "distance ladders" from measurements which are
individually biased. As will be shown in the case of Virgo, the magnitude and
direction of the bias are sensitive to the spatial distribution of the parent
poputation from which the observed object is drawn - a distribution which is
often poorly known. This leads to uncertainty in the magnitude of the bias, and
adds to the importance of minimizing the number of steps in "distance ladders".Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, Latex, To appear in Ap
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