Abstract
We present findings of the detection of Magnesium II (Mg
ii
,
λ
= 2796, 2803 Å) absorbers from the early data release of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). DESI is projected to ...obtain spectroscopy of approximately 3 million quasars (QSOs), of which over 99% are anticipated to be at redshifts greater than
z
> 0.3, such that DESI would be able to observe an associated or intervening Mg
ii
absorber illuminated by the background QSO. We have developed an autonomous supplementary spectral pipeline that detects these systems through an initial line-fitting process and then confirms the line properties using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampler. Based upon a visual inspection of the resulting systems, we estimate that this sample has a purity greater than 99%. We have also investigated the completeness of our sample in regard to both the signal-to-noise properties of the input spectra and the rest-frame equivalent width (
W
0
) of the absorber systems. From a parent catalog containing 83,207 quasars, we detect a total of 23,921 Mg
ii
absorption systems following a series of quality cuts. Extrapolating from this occurrence rate of 28.8% implies a catalog at the completion of the five-year DESI survey that will contain over eight hundred thousand Mg
ii
absorbers. The cataloging of these systems will enable significant further research because they carry information regarding circumgalactic medium environments, the distribution of intervening galaxies, and the growth of metallicity across the redshift range 0.3 ≤
z
< 2.5.
ABSTRACT
We report in this paper the test of a plane holographic optical element to be used as an aberration-corrected grating for a slitless spectrograph, inserted in a convergent telescope beam. ...Our long-term objective is the optimization of a specific hologram to switch the auxiliary telescope imager of the Vera Rubin Observatory into an accurate slitless spectrograph, dedicated to the atmospheric transmission measurement. We present and discuss here the promising results of tests performed with prototype holograms at the CTIO $0.9\,$m telescope during a run of 17 nights in 2017 May–June. After their on-sky geometrical characterization, the performances of the holograms as aberration-balanced dispersive optical elements have been established by analysing spectra obtained from spectrophotometric standard stars and narrow-band emitter planetary nebulae. Thanks to their additional optical function, our holographic disperser prototypes allow us to produce significantly better focused spectra within the full visible wavelength domain $370,1050\,$nm than a regular grating, which suffers from strong defocusing and aberrations when used in similar conditions. We show that the resolution of our slitless on-axis spectrograph equipped with the hologram approaches its theoretical performance. While estimating the benefits of a hologram for the spectrum resolution, the roadmap to produce a competitive holographic element for the Vera Rubin Observatory auxiliary telescope has been established.
Aims. The EROS-2 project was designed to test the hypothesis that massive compact halo objects (the so-called "machos") could be a major component of the dark matter halo of the Milky Way galaxy. To ...this end, EROS- 2 monitored over 6.7 years 33\times10 similar to stars in the Magellanic clouds for microlensing events caused by such objects. Methods. In this work, we use only a subsample of 7\times10 similar to bright stars spread over 84\,\rm deg arrow up of the LMC and 9\,\rm deg arrow up of the SMC. The strategy of using only bright stars helps to discriminate against background events due to variable stars and allows a simple determination of the effects of source confusion (blending). The use of a large solid angle makes the survey relatively insensitive to effects that could make the optical depth strongly direction dependent. Results. Using this sample of bright stars, only one candidate event was found, whereas similar to 39 events would have been expected if the Halo were entirely populated by objects of mass M\sim0.4 similar to M_{\odot}. Combined with the results of EROS-1, this implies that the optical depth toward the Large Magellanic Cloud ( LMC) due to such lenses is \tau<0.36\times10 (95% CL), corresponding to a fraction of the halo mass of less than 8%. This optical depth is considerably less than that measured by the MACHO collaboration in the central region of the LMC. More generally, machos in the mass range 0.6\times10 contains as a subset _\odot<M<15 similar to M_{\odot} are ruled out as the primary occupants of the Milky Way Halo.
Abstract
Extremely metal-poor galaxies (XMPGs) at relatively low redshift are excellent laboratories for studying galaxy formation and evolution in the early universe. Much effort has been spent on ...identifying them from large-scale spectroscopic surveys or spectroscopic follow-up observations. Previous work has identified a few hundred XMPGs. In this work, we obtain a large sample of 223 XMPGs at
z
< 1 from the early data of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). The oxygen abundance is determined using the direct
T
e
method based on the detection of the O
iii
λ
4363 line. The sample includes 95 confirmed XMPGs based on the oxygen abundance uncertainty; the remaining 128 galaxies are regarded as XMPG candidates. These XMPGs are only 0.01% of the total DESI observed galaxies. Their coordinates and other properties are provided in the paper. The most XMPGs have an oxygen abundance of ∼1/34
Z
⊙
, a stellar mass of about 1.5 × 10
7
M
⊙,
and a star formation rate of 0.22
M
⊙
yr
−1
. The two most XMPGs present distinct morphologies suggesting different formation mechanisms. The local environmental investigation shows that XMPGs preferentially reside in relatively low-density regions. Many of them fall below the stellar mass–metallicity relations (MZRs) of normal star-forming galaxies. From a comparison of the MZR with theoretical simulations, it appears that XMPGs are good analogs to high-redshift star-forming galaxies. The nature of these XMPG populations will be further investigated in detail with larger and more complete samples from the ongoing DESI survey.
The fossil rift in the North Pyrenean Zone, which underwent high temperature‐low pressure metamorphism and alkaline magmatism during Early Cretaceous hyperextension, was studied to explore the ...geothermal regime at the time of rifting. In this work, we combined Raman lab analysis and thermal numerical modelling to shed light on the distribution of geothermal gradients across the inverted hyperextended Mauléon rift basin during Albian and Cenomanian time, its period of active extension. Data were acquired from a set of 155 samples from densely spaced outcrops and boreholes, analyzed using Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material. The estimated paleogeothermal gradient is strongly related to the structural position along the Albian‐Cenomanian rift, increasing along a proximal‐distal margin transect from ~34°C/km in the European proximal margin to ~37–47°C/km in the two necking zones and 57–60°C/km in the hyperextended domain. This pattern of the paleogeothermal gradient induced a complex interaction between brittle and ductile deformation during crustal extension. A numerical model reproducing the thermal evolution of the North Pyrenees since 120 Ma suggests that mantle heat flow values may have reached 100 mW/m2 during the rifting event. This model reveals that above the thermal pulse, the temperature gradient varied within a small range of 55 to 62°C/km, as inferred from RSCM peak temperatures. We demonstrate that the style of reactivation during subsequent convergence influenced the thermal structure of the inverted rift system.
Key Points
We mapped paleogeothermal gradients in the Mauléon hyperextended rift from Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material in 155 samples
The paleogeothermal gradient increases from cratonal values of 30°C/km in the proximal margin to 60°C/km in the hyperextended domain
Inherited Early Cretaceous rift structure controlled the post collisional thermal history of the Mauléon basin
ABSTRACT There is an overwhelming evidence that white dwarfs host planetary systems; revealed by the presence, disruption, and accretion of planetary bodies. A lower limit on the frequency of white ...dwarfs that host planetary material has been estimated to be ≃ 25–50 per cent; inferred from the ongoing or recent accretion of metals on to both hydrogen-atmosphere and warm helium-atmosphere white dwarfs. Now with the unbiased sample of white dwarfs observed by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey in their Early Data Release (EDR), we have determined the frequency of metal enrichment around cool-helium atmosphere white dwarfs as 21 ± 3 per cent using a sample of 234 systems. This value is in good agreement with values determined from previous studies. With the current samples we cannot distinguish whether the frequency of planetary accretion varies with system age or host-star mass, but the DESI data release 1 will contain roughly an order of magnitude more white dwarfs than DESI EDR and will allow these parameters to be investigated.
ABSTRACT We present initial results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) complete calibration of the colour–redshift relation (DC3R2) secondary target survey. Our analysis uses 230 k ...galaxies that overlap with KiDS-VIKING ugriZYJHKs photometry to calibrate the colour–redshift relation and to inform photometric redshift (photo-z) inference methods of future weak lensing surveys. Together with emission line galaxies (ELGs), luminous red galaxies (LRGs), and the Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS) that provide samples of complementary colour, the DC3R2 targets help DESI to span 56 per cent of the colour space visible to Euclid and LSST with high confidence spectroscopic redshifts. The effects of spectroscopic completeness and quality are explored, as well as systematic uncertainties introduced with the use of common Self-Organizing Maps trained on different photometry than the analysis sample. We further examine the dependence of redshift on magnitude at fixed colour, important for the use of bright galaxy spectra to calibrate redshifts in a fainter photometric galaxy sample. We find that noise in the KiDS-VIKING photometry introduces a dominant, apparent magnitude dependence of redshift at fixed colour, which indicates a need for carefully chosen deep drilling fields, and survey simulation to model this effect for future weak lensing surveys.
We present optical and infrared monitoring data of SN 2012hn collected by the Public European Southern Observatory Spectroscopic Survey for Transient Objects. We show that SN 2012hn has a faint peak ...magnitude (M
R
∼ −15.65) and shows no hydrogen and no clear evidence for helium in its spectral evolution. Instead, we detect prominent Ca ii lines at all epochs, which relates this transient to previously described 'Ca-rich' or 'gap' transients. However, the photospheric spectra (from −3 to +32 d with respect to peak) of SN 2012hn show a series of absorption lines which are unique and a red continuum that is likely intrinsic rather than due to extinction. Lines of Ti ii and Cr ii are visible. This may be a temperature effect, which could also explain the red photospheric colour. A nebular spectrum at +150 d shows prominent Ca ii, O i, C i and possibly Mg i lines which appear similar in strength to those displayed by core-collapse supernovae (SNe). To add to the puzzle, SN 2012hn is located at a projected distance of 6 kpc from an E/S0 host and is not close to any obvious star-forming region. Overall SN 2012hn resembles a group of faint H-poor SNe that have been discovered recently and for which a convincing and consistent physical explanation is still missing. They all appear to explode preferentially in remote locations offset from a massive host galaxy with deep limits on any dwarf host galaxies, favouring old progenitor systems. SN 2012hn adds heterogeneity to this sample of objects. We discuss potential explosion channels including He-shell detonations and double detonations of white dwarfs as well as peculiar core-collapse SNe.
Abstract
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, consisting of 5020 robotic fiber positioners and associated systems on the Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona, is carrying out a survey to ...measure the spectra of 40 million galaxies and quasars and produce the largest 3D map of the universe to date. The primary science goal is to use baryon acoustic oscillations to measure the expansion history of the universe and the time evolution of dark energy. A key function of the online control system is to position each fiber on a particular target in the focal plane with an accuracy of 11
μ
m rms 2D. This paper describes the set of software programs used to perform this function along with the methods used to validate their performance.
We present optical photometry and spectra of the superluminous Type II/IIn supernova (SN) CSS121015:004244+132827 (z = 0.2868) spanning epochs from −30 d (rest frame) to more than 200 d after ...maximum. CSS121015 is one of the more luminous SNe ever found and one of the best observed. The photometric evolution is characterized by a relatively fast rise to maximum (∼40 d in the SN rest frame), and by a linear post-maximum decline. The light curve shows no sign of a break to an exponential tail. A broad Hα is first detected at ∼+40 d (rest frame). Narrow, barely resolved Balmer and O iii 5007 Å lines, with decreasing strength, are visible along the entire spectral evolution. The spectra are very similar to other superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) with hydrogen in their spectrum, and also to SN 2005gj, sometimes considered Type Ia interacting with H-rich circumstellar medium. The spectra are also similar to a subsample of H-deficient SLSNe. We propose that the properties of CSS121015 are consistent with the interaction of the ejecta with a massive, extended, opaque shell, lost by the progenitor decades before the final explosion, although a magnetar-powered model cannot be excluded. Based on the similarity of CSS121015 with other SLSNe (with and without H), we suggest that the shocked-shell scenario should be seriously considered as a plausible model for both types of SLSN.
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