Jundan Nie

The 0.1 <z < 1.65 evolution of the bright end of the [O ii] luminosity function

We present the [Oii] (λλ3729,3726) luminosity function measured in the redshift range 0.1 <z< 1.65 with unprecedented depth and accuracy. Our measurements are based on medium resolution flux-calibrated spectra of emission line galaxies with the visual and near UV FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph (FORS2) for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and with the SDSS-III/BOSS spectrograph. The FORS2 spectra and the corresponding catalog containing redshifts and line fluxes are released along with this paper. In this work we use a novel method to combine these surveys with GAMA, zCOSMOS, and VVDS, which have different target selection, producing a consistent weighting scheme to derive the [Oii] luminosity function. The[Oii] luminosity function is in good agreement with previous independent estimates. The comparison with two state-of-the-art semi-analytical models is good, which is encouraging for the production of mock catalogs of [Oii] flux limited surveys. We observe the bright end evolution over 8.5 Gyr: we measure the decrease of log L∗ from 42.4 erg/s at redshift 1.44 to 41.2 at redshift 0.165 and we find that the faint end slope flattens when redshift decreases. This measurement confirms the feasibility of the target selection of future baryonic acoustic oscillation surveys aiming at observing [Oii] flux limited samples.

A newly discovered stellar type: dusty post-red giant branch stars in the Magellanic Clouds.

Context: We present a newly discovered class of low-luminosity, dusty, evolved objects in the Magellanic Clouds. These objects have dust excesses, stellar parameters, and spectral energy distributions similar to those of dusty post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars. However, they have lower luminosities and hence lower masses. We suggest that they have evolved off the red giant branch (RGB) instead of the AGB as a result of binary interaction. Aims: In this study we aim to place these objects in an evolutionary context and establish an evolutionary connection between RGB binaries (such as the sequence E variables) and our new sample of objects. Methods: We compared the theoretically predicted birthrates of the progeny of RGB binaries to the observational birthrates of the new sample of objects. Results: We find that there is order-of-magnitude agreement between the observed and predicted birthrates of post-RGB stars. The sources of uncertainty in the birthrates are discussed; the most important sources are probably the observational incompleteness factor and the post-RGB evolution rates. We also note that mergers are relatively common low on the RGB and that stars low on the RGB with mid-IR excesses may recently have undergone a merger. Conclusions: Our sample of dusty post-RGB stars most likely provides the first observational evidence for a newly discovered phase in binary evolution: post-RGB binaries with circumstellar dust.

The SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: selecting emission line galaxies using the Fisher discriminant

We present a new selection technique to produce spectroscopic target catalogues for massive spectroscopic surveys for cosmology. This work was conducted in the context of the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), which will use∼200,000 emission line galaxies (ELGs) at 0.6 ≤ zspec ≤ 1.0 to obtain a precise Baryonic Acoustic Oscillation measurement. Our proposed selection technique is based on optical and near-infrared broad-band filter photometry. We use a training sample to defin e a quantity, the Fisher discriminant (linear combination of colours), which correlates best with the desired properties of the targ et: redshift and [Oii] flux. The proposed selections are simply done by applying a c ut on magnitudes and this Fisher discriminant. We used public data and dedicated SDSS spectroscopy to quantify the redshift distribution and [Oii] flux of our ELG target selections. We demonstrate that two of our selections fulfill the initial eBOSS /ELG redshift requirements: for a target density of 180 deg −2 ,∼70% of the selected objects have 0.6 ≤ zspec ≤ 1.0 and only∼1% of those galaxies in the range 0.6 ≤ zspec ≤ 1.0 are expected to have a catastrophic zspec estimate. Additionnaly, the stacked spectra and stacked deep images for those two selections show characteristic features of star-forming galaxies. The proposed approach using Fisher discriminant could however be used to effi ciently select other galaxy populations, based on multi-band photometry, providing that spectroscopic information is available. This technique could thus be useful for other future massive spectroscopic surveys such as PFS, DESI, and 4MOST.

Estimation of absolute magnitude-dependent Galactic model parameters in intermediate latitude with SDSS and SCUSS

Based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and South Galactic Cap of u-band Sky Survey (SCUSS) early data, we use a star count method to estimate the Galactic structure parameters in an intermediate latitude with 10 180 main-sequence (MS) stars in an absolute magnitude interval of 4 <= M-r <= 13. We divide the absolute magnitude into five intervals, 4 <= M-r < 5, 5 <= M-r < 6, 6 <= M-r < 8, 8 <= M-r < 10 and 10 <= M-r <= 13, and estimate the Galactic structure parameters in each absolute magnitude interval to explore their possible variation with the absolute magnitude. Our study shows that the parameters depend on absolute magnitude. For the thin disc, the intrinsic faint MS stars have large local space density and they tend to stay close to the Galactic plane. A plausible explanation is that faint MS stars with long lifetime experience and long gravitational interaction time result in a short scaleheight. However, for the thick disc, the parameters show a complex trend with absolute magnitude, which may imply the complicated original of the thick disc. For the halo, the intrinsic faint MS stars have large local density and small axial ratio, which indicate a flattened inner halo and a more spherical outer halo.

SOUTH GALACTIC CAP u-BAND SKY SURVEY (SCUSS): DATA REDUCTION

The South Galactic Cap u-band Sky Survey (SCUSS) is a deep u-band imaging survey in the Southern Galactic Cap, using the 90Prime wide-field imager on the 2.3 Bok telescope at Kitt Peak. The survey observations started in 2010 and ended in 2013. The final survey area is about 5000 deg(2) with a median 5s point source limiting magnitude of similar to 23.2. This paper describes the survey data reduction process, which includes basic imaging processing, astrometric and photometric calibrations, image stacking, and photometric measurements. Survey photometry is performed on objects detected both on SCUSS u-band images and in the SDSS database. Automatic, aperture, point-spread function (PSF), and model magnitudes are measured on stacked images. Co-added aperture, PSF, and model magnitudes are derived from measurements on single-epoch images. We also present comparisons of the SCUSS photometric catalog with those of the SDSS and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy surveys.

Capability of Quasar Selection by Combining SCUSS and SDSS Observations

The South Galactic Cap u-band Sky Survey (SCUSS) provides a deep u-band imaging of about 5000 deg(2) in south Galactic cap. It is about 1.5 mag deeper than the SDSS u-band. In this article, we evaluate the capability of quasar selection using both SCUSS and SDSS data, based on considerations of the deep SCUSS u-band imaging and two-epoch u-band variability. We find that the combination of the SCUSS u-band and the SDSS griz-band allows us to select more faint quasars and more quasars at redshift around 2.2 than the selection that uses only the SDSS ugriz data. Quasars have significant u-band variabilities. The fraction of quasars with large two-epoch variability is much higher than that of stars. The selection by variability can select both low-redshift quasars with ultraviolet excess and mid-redshift (2 < z < 3.5) quasars where quasar selection by optical colors is inefficient. The above two selections are complementary and make full use of the SCUSS u-band advantages.

Photometric metallicity calibration with SDSS and SCUSS and its application to distant stars in the south Galactic cap

Based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g, r and South Galactic Cap of u-band Sky Survey (SCUSS) u photometry, we develop a photometric calibration for estimating the stellar metallicity from u - g and g - r colours by using the SDSS spectra of 32 542 F-and G-type main-sequence stars, which cover almost 3700 deg(2) in the south Galactic cap. The rms scatter of the photometric metallicity residuals relative to spectrum-based metallicity is 0.14 dex when g - r 0.4. Because of the deeper and more accurate magnitude of SCUSS u band, the estimate can be used up to the faint magnitude of g = 21. This application range of photometric metallicity calibration is wide enough so that it can be used to study metallicity distribution of distant stars. In this study, we select the Sagittarius (Sgr) stream and its neighbouring field halo stars in south Galactic cap to study their metallicity distribution. We find that the Sgr stream at the cylindrical Galactocentric coordinate of R similar to 19 kpc, vertical bar z vertical bar similar to 14 kpc exhibits a relative rich metallicity distribution, and the neighbouring field halo stars in our studied fields can be modelled by two-Gaussian model, with peaks, respectively, at [Fe/H] = -1.9 and -1.5.

AN EXTENDED VIEW OF THE PISCES OVERDENSITY FROM THE SCUSS SURVEY

SCUSS is a u-band photometric survey covering about 4000 square degree of the South Galactic Cap, reaching depths of up to 23 mag. By extending around 1.5 mag deeper than SDSS single-epoch u data, SCUSS is able to probe much a larger volume of the outer halo, i.e. with SCUSS data blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars can trace the outer halo of the Milky Way as far as 100-150 kpc. Utilizing this advantage we combine SCUSS u band with SDSS DR9 gri photometric bands to identify BHB stars and explore halo substructures. We confirm the existence of the Pisces overdensity, which is a structure in the outer halo (at around 80 kpc) that was discovered using RR Lyrae stars. For the first time we are able to determine its spatial extent, finding that it appears to be part of a stream with a clear distance gradient. The stream, which is ~5 degrees wide and stretches along ~25 degrees, consists of 20-30 BHBs with a total significance of around 6sigma over the background. Assuming we have detected the entire stream and that the progenitor has fully disrupted, then the number of BHBs suggests the original system was similar to smaller classical or a larger ultra-faint dwarf galaxy. On the other hand, if the progenitor still exists, it can be hunted for by reconstructing its orbit from the distance gradient of the stream. This new picture of the Pisces overdensity sheds new light on the origin of this intriguing system.

An Investigation of the Absolute Proper Motions of the SCUSS Catalog

Absolute proper motions for

Project Overview of the Beijing-Arizona Sky Survey

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