A Study of Quasar Selection in the Supernova Fields of the Dark Energy Survey

S. S. Tie; P. Martini; D. Mudd; F. Ostrovski; S. L. Reed; C. Lidman; C. Kochanek; T. M. Davis; R. Sharp; S. Uddin; A. King; W. Wester; B. E. Tucker; D. L. Tucker; E. Buckley-Geer; D. Carollo; M. Childress; K. Glazebrook; S. R. Hinton; G. Lewis; E. Macaulay; C. R. O'Neill; T. M.C. Abbott; F. B. Abdalla; J. Annis; A. Benoit-Lévy; E. Bertin; D. Brooks; A. Carnero Rosell; M. Carrasco Kind; J. Carretero; C. E. Cunha; L. N. Da Costa; D. L. Depoy; S. Desai; P. Doel; T. F. Eifler; A. E. Evrard; D. A. Finley; B. Flaugher; P. Fosalba; J. Frieman; J. García-Bellido; E. Gaztanaga; D. W. Gerdes; D. A. Goldstein; D. Gruen; R. A. Gruendl; G. Gutierrez; K. Honscheid; D. J. James; K. Kuehn; N. Kuropatkin; M. Lima; M. A.G. Maia; J. L. Marshall; F. Menanteau; C. J. Miller; R. Miquel; R. C. Nichol; B. Nord; R. Ogando; A. A. Plazas; A. K. Romer; E. Sanchez; B. Santiago; V. Scarpine; M. Schubnell; I. Sevilla-Noarbe; R. C. Smith; M. Soares-Santos; F. Sobreira; E. Suchyta; M. E.C. Swanson; G. Tarle; D. Thomas; A. R. Walker

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa5b8d

A Study of Quasar Selection in the Supernova Fields of the Dark Energy Survey

S. S. Tie, P. Martini, D. Mudd, F. Ostrovski, S. L. Reed, C. Lidman, C. Kochanek, T. M. Davis, R. Sharp, S. Uddin, A. King, W. Wester, B. E. Tucker, D. L. Tucker, E. Buckley-Geer, D. Carollo, M. Childress, K. Glazebrook, S. R. Hinton, G. LewisE. Macaulay, C. R. O'Neill, T. M.C. Abbott, F. B. Abdalla, J. Annis, A. Benoit-Lévy, E. Bertin, D. Brooks, A. Carnero Rosell, M. Carrasco Kind, J. Carretero, C. E. Cunha, L. N. Da Costa, D. L. Depoy, S. Desai, P. Doel, T. F. Eifler, A. E. Evrard, D. A. Finley, B. Flaugher, P. Fosalba, J. Frieman, J. García-Bellido, E. Gaztanaga, D. W. Gerdes, D. A. Goldstein, D. Gruen, R. A. Gruendl, G. Gutierrez, K. Honscheid, D. J. James, K. Kuehn, N. Kuropatkin, M. Lima, M. A.G. Maia, J. L. Marshall, F. Menanteau, C. J. Miller, R. Miquel, R. C. Nichol, B. Nord, R. Ogando, A. A. Plazas, A. K. Romer, E. Sanchez, B. Santiago, V. Scarpine, M. Schubnell, I. Sevilla-Noarbe, R. C. Smith, M. Soares-Santos, F. Sobreira, E. Suchyta, M. E.C. Swanson, G. Tarle, D. Thomas, A. R. Walker

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Abstract

We present a study of quasar selection using the supernova fields of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We used a quasar catalog from an overlapping portion of the SDSS Stripe 82 region to quantify the completeness and efficiency of selection methods involving color, probabilistic modeling, variability, and combinations of color/probabilistic modeling with variability. In all cases, we considered only objects that appear as point sources in the DES images. We examine color selection methods based on the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mid-IR color, a mixture of WISE and DES colors (g - i and ), and a mixture of Vista Hemisphere Survey and DES colors (g - i and i - K). For probabilistic quasar selection, we used XDQSO, an algorithm that employs an empirical multi-wavelength flux model of quasars to assign quasar probabilities. Our variability selection uses the multi-band χ ²-probability that sources are constant in the DES Year 1 griz-band light curves. The completeness and efficiency are calculated relative to an underlying sample of point sources that are detected in the required selection bands and pass our data quality and photometric error cuts. We conduct our analyses at two magnitude limits, i < 19.8 mag and i < 22 mag. For the subset of sources with W1 and W2 detections, the color or XDQSOz method combined with variability gives the highest completenesses of >85% for both i-band magnitude limits and efficiencies of >80% to the bright limit and >60% to the faint limit; however, the giW1 and giW1+variability methods give the highest quasar surface densities. The XDQSOz method and combinations of W1W2/giW1/XDQSOz with variability are among the better selection methods when both high completeness and high efficiency are desired. We also present the OzDES Quasar Catalog of 1263 spectroscopically confirmed quasars from three years of OzDES observation in the 30 deg² of the DES supernova fields. The catalog includes quasars with redshifts up to z ∼ 4 and brighter than i = 22 mag, although the catalog is not complete up to this magnitude limit.

Original language	English
Article number	107
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	153
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aa5b8d
State	Published - Mar 1 2017
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The DES data management system is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number AST- 1138766. The DES participants from Spanish institutions are partially supported by MINECO under grants AYA2012- 39559, ESP2013-48274, FPA2013-47986, and Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa SEV-2012-0234. Research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Unions Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) including ERC grant agreements 240672, 291329, and 306478.

Funders	Funder number
Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa	SEV-2012-0234
FP7/2007
National Science Foundation	AST- 1138766
Seventh Framework Programme	1138766, 240672, 306478, 291329
Engineering Research Centers
European Research Council
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad	AYA2012- 39559, FPA2013-47986, ESP2013-48274
Seventh Framework Programme

Keywords

quasars: general

Access to Document

10.3847/1538-3881/aa5b8d

Cite this

Tie, S. S., Martini, P., Mudd, D., Ostrovski, F., Reed, S. L., Lidman, C., Kochanek, C., Davis, T. M., Sharp, R., Uddin, S., King, A., Wester, W., Tucker, B. E., Tucker, D. L., Buckley-Geer, E., Carollo, D., Childress, M., Glazebrook, K., Hinton, S. R., ... Walker, A. R. (2017). A Study of Quasar Selection in the Supernova Fields of the Dark Energy Survey. Astronomical Journal, 153(3), Article 107. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aa5b8d

@article{955cf4d0895f44db9649dbeb45cc2b00,

title = "A Study of Quasar Selection in the Supernova Fields of the Dark Energy Survey",

abstract = "We present a study of quasar selection using the supernova fields of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We used a quasar catalog from an overlapping portion of the SDSS Stripe 82 region to quantify the completeness and efficiency of selection methods involving color, probabilistic modeling, variability, and combinations of color/probabilistic modeling with variability. In all cases, we considered only objects that appear as point sources in the DES images. We examine color selection methods based on the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mid-IR color, a mixture of WISE and DES colors (g - i and ), and a mixture of Vista Hemisphere Survey and DES colors (g - i and i - K). For probabilistic quasar selection, we used XDQSO, an algorithm that employs an empirical multi-wavelength flux model of quasars to assign quasar probabilities. Our variability selection uses the multi-band χ 2-probability that sources are constant in the DES Year 1 griz-band light curves. The completeness and efficiency are calculated relative to an underlying sample of point sources that are detected in the required selection bands and pass our data quality and photometric error cuts. We conduct our analyses at two magnitude limits, i < 19.8 mag and i < 22 mag. For the subset of sources with W1 and W2 detections, the color or XDQSOz method combined with variability gives the highest completenesses of >85% for both i-band magnitude limits and efficiencies of >80% to the bright limit and >60% to the faint limit; however, the giW1 and giW1+variability methods give the highest quasar surface densities. The XDQSOz method and combinations of W1W2/giW1/XDQSOz with variability are among the better selection methods when both high completeness and high efficiency are desired. We also present the OzDES Quasar Catalog of 1263 spectroscopically confirmed quasars from three years of OzDES observation in the 30 deg2 of the DES supernova fields. The catalog includes quasars with redshifts up to z ∼ 4 and brighter than i = 22 mag, although the catalog is not complete up to this magnitude limit.",

keywords = "quasars: general",

author = "Tie, {S. S.} and P. Martini and D. Mudd and F. Ostrovski and Reed, {S. L.} and C. Lidman and C. Kochanek and Davis, {T. M.} and R. Sharp and S. Uddin and A. King and W. Wester and Tucker, {B. E.} and Tucker, {D. L.} and E. Buckley-Geer and D. Carollo and M. Childress and K. Glazebrook and Hinton, {S. R.} and G. Lewis and E. Macaulay and O'Neill, {C. R.} and Abbott, {T. M.C.} and Abdalla, {F. B.} and J. Annis and A. Benoit-L{\'e}vy and E. Bertin and D. Brooks and {Carnero Rosell}, A. and {Carrasco Kind}, M. and J. Carretero and Cunha, {C. E.} and {Da Costa}, {L. N.} and Depoy, {D. L.} and S. Desai and P. Doel and Eifler, {T. F.} and Evrard, {A. E.} and Finley, {D. A.} and B. Flaugher and P. Fosalba and J. Frieman and J. Garc{\'i}a-Bellido and E. Gaztanaga and Gerdes, {D. W.} and Goldstein, {D. A.} and D. Gruen and Gruendl, {R. A.} and G. Gutierrez and K. Honscheid and James, {D. J.} and K. Kuehn and N. Kuropatkin and M. Lima and Maia, {M. A.G.} and Marshall, {J. L.} and F. Menanteau and Miller, {C. J.} and R. Miquel and Nichol, {R. C.} and B. Nord and R. Ogando and Plazas, {A. A.} and Romer, {A. K.} and E. Sanchez and B. Santiago and V. Scarpine and M. Schubnell and I. Sevilla-Noarbe and Smith, {R. C.} and M. Soares-Santos and F. Sobreira and E. Suchyta and Swanson, {M. E.C.} and G. Tarle and D. Thomas and Walker, {A. R.}",

year = "2017",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-3881/aa5b8d",

language = "English",

volume = "153",

journal = "Astronomical Journal",

issn = "0004-6256",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

number = "3",

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Tie, SS, Martini, P, Mudd, D, Ostrovski, F, Reed, SL, Lidman, C, Kochanek, C, Davis, TM, Sharp, R, Uddin, S, King, A, Wester, W, Tucker, BE, Tucker, DL, Buckley-Geer, E, Carollo, D, Childress, M, Glazebrook, K, Hinton, SR, Lewis, G, Macaulay, E, O'Neill, CR, Abbott, TMC, Abdalla, FB, Annis, J, Benoit-Lévy, A, Bertin, E, Brooks, D, Carnero Rosell, A, Carrasco Kind, M, Carretero, J, Cunha, CE, Da Costa, LN, Depoy, DL, Desai, S, Doel, P, Eifler, TF, Evrard, AE, Finley, DA, Flaugher, B, Fosalba, P, Frieman, J, García-Bellido, J, Gaztanaga, E, Gerdes, DW, Goldstein, DA, Gruen, D, Gruendl, RA, Gutierrez, G, Honscheid, K, James, DJ, Kuehn, K, Kuropatkin, N, Lima, M, Maia, MAG, Marshall, JL, Menanteau, F, Miller, CJ, Miquel, R, Nichol, RC, Nord, B, Ogando, R, Plazas, AA, Romer, AK, Sanchez, E, Santiago, B, Scarpine, V, Schubnell, M, Sevilla-Noarbe, I, Smith, RC, Soares-Santos, M, Sobreira, F, Suchyta, E, Swanson, MEC, Tarle, G, Thomas, D & Walker, AR 2017, 'A Study of Quasar Selection in the Supernova Fields of the Dark Energy Survey', Astronomical Journal, vol. 153, no. 3, 107. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aa5b8d

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Study of Quasar Selection in the Supernova Fields of the Dark Energy Survey

AU - Tie, S. S.

AU - Martini, P.

AU - Mudd, D.

AU - Ostrovski, F.

AU - Reed, S. L.

AU - Lidman, C.

AU - Kochanek, C.

AU - Davis, T. M.

AU - Sharp, R.

AU - Uddin, S.

AU - King, A.

AU - Wester, W.

AU - Tucker, B. E.

AU - Tucker, D. L.

AU - Buckley-Geer, E.

AU - Carollo, D.

AU - Childress, M.

AU - Glazebrook, K.

AU - Hinton, S. R.

AU - Lewis, G.

AU - Macaulay, E.

AU - O'Neill, C. R.

AU - Abbott, T. M.C.

AU - Abdalla, F. B.

AU - Annis, J.

AU - Benoit-Lévy, A.

AU - Bertin, E.

AU - Brooks, D.

AU - Carnero Rosell, A.

AU - Carrasco Kind, M.

AU - Carretero, J.

AU - Cunha, C. E.

AU - Da Costa, L. N.

AU - Depoy, D. L.

AU - Desai, S.

AU - Doel, P.

AU - Eifler, T. F.

AU - Evrard, A. E.

AU - Finley, D. A.

AU - Flaugher, B.

AU - Fosalba, P.

AU - Frieman, J.

AU - García-Bellido, J.

AU - Gaztanaga, E.

AU - Gerdes, D. W.

AU - Goldstein, D. A.

AU - Gruen, D.

AU - Gruendl, R. A.

AU - Gutierrez, G.

AU - Honscheid, K.

AU - James, D. J.

AU - Kuehn, K.

AU - Kuropatkin, N.

AU - Lima, M.

AU - Maia, M. A.G.

AU - Marshall, J. L.

AU - Menanteau, F.

AU - Miller, C. J.

AU - Miquel, R.

AU - Nichol, R. C.

AU - Nord, B.

AU - Ogando, R.

AU - Plazas, A. A.

AU - Romer, A. K.

AU - Sanchez, E.

AU - Santiago, B.

AU - Scarpine, V.

AU - Schubnell, M.

AU - Sevilla-Noarbe, I.

AU - Smith, R. C.

AU - Soares-Santos, M.

AU - Sobreira, F.

AU - Suchyta, E.

AU - Swanson, M. E.C.

AU - Tarle, G.

AU - Thomas, D.

AU - Walker, A. R.

PY - 2017/3/1

Y1 - 2017/3/1

N2 - We present a study of quasar selection using the supernova fields of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We used a quasar catalog from an overlapping portion of the SDSS Stripe 82 region to quantify the completeness and efficiency of selection methods involving color, probabilistic modeling, variability, and combinations of color/probabilistic modeling with variability. In all cases, we considered only objects that appear as point sources in the DES images. We examine color selection methods based on the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mid-IR color, a mixture of WISE and DES colors (g - i and ), and a mixture of Vista Hemisphere Survey and DES colors (g - i and i - K). For probabilistic quasar selection, we used XDQSO, an algorithm that employs an empirical multi-wavelength flux model of quasars to assign quasar probabilities. Our variability selection uses the multi-band χ 2-probability that sources are constant in the DES Year 1 griz-band light curves. The completeness and efficiency are calculated relative to an underlying sample of point sources that are detected in the required selection bands and pass our data quality and photometric error cuts. We conduct our analyses at two magnitude limits, i < 19.8 mag and i < 22 mag. For the subset of sources with W1 and W2 detections, the color or XDQSOz method combined with variability gives the highest completenesses of >85% for both i-band magnitude limits and efficiencies of >80% to the bright limit and >60% to the faint limit; however, the giW1 and giW1+variability methods give the highest quasar surface densities. The XDQSOz method and combinations of W1W2/giW1/XDQSOz with variability are among the better selection methods when both high completeness and high efficiency are desired. We also present the OzDES Quasar Catalog of 1263 spectroscopically confirmed quasars from three years of OzDES observation in the 30 deg2 of the DES supernova fields. The catalog includes quasars with redshifts up to z ∼ 4 and brighter than i = 22 mag, although the catalog is not complete up to this magnitude limit.

AB - We present a study of quasar selection using the supernova fields of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We used a quasar catalog from an overlapping portion of the SDSS Stripe 82 region to quantify the completeness and efficiency of selection methods involving color, probabilistic modeling, variability, and combinations of color/probabilistic modeling with variability. In all cases, we considered only objects that appear as point sources in the DES images. We examine color selection methods based on the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mid-IR color, a mixture of WISE and DES colors (g - i and ), and a mixture of Vista Hemisphere Survey and DES colors (g - i and i - K). For probabilistic quasar selection, we used XDQSO, an algorithm that employs an empirical multi-wavelength flux model of quasars to assign quasar probabilities. Our variability selection uses the multi-band χ 2-probability that sources are constant in the DES Year 1 griz-band light curves. The completeness and efficiency are calculated relative to an underlying sample of point sources that are detected in the required selection bands and pass our data quality and photometric error cuts. We conduct our analyses at two magnitude limits, i < 19.8 mag and i < 22 mag. For the subset of sources with W1 and W2 detections, the color or XDQSOz method combined with variability gives the highest completenesses of >85% for both i-band magnitude limits and efficiencies of >80% to the bright limit and >60% to the faint limit; however, the giW1 and giW1+variability methods give the highest quasar surface densities. The XDQSOz method and combinations of W1W2/giW1/XDQSOz with variability are among the better selection methods when both high completeness and high efficiency are desired. We also present the OzDES Quasar Catalog of 1263 spectroscopically confirmed quasars from three years of OzDES observation in the 30 deg2 of the DES supernova fields. The catalog includes quasars with redshifts up to z ∼ 4 and brighter than i = 22 mag, although the catalog is not complete up to this magnitude limit.

KW - quasars: general

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85015165261&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/1538-3881/aa5b8d

DO - 10.3847/1538-3881/aa5b8d

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85015165261

SN - 0004-6256

VL - 153

JO - Astronomical Journal

JF - Astronomical Journal

IS - 3

M1 - 107

ER -

A Study of Quasar Selection in the Supernova Fields of the Dark Energy Survey

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