Quick search Find article
Quick search
Find article

Calibrating Redshift Distributions beyond Spectroscopic Limits with Cross-Correlations

FREE ISSUE

Jeffrey A. Newman1,2

Show affiliations


We describe a new method that can measure the true redshift distribution of any set of objects that are studied only photometrically. Measuring the angular cross-correlation between objects in the photometric sample with objects in some spectroscopic sample as a function of the spectroscopic z, along with other, standard correlation measurements, provides sufficient information to reconstruct the redshift distribution of the photometric sample. The spectroscopic sample need not resemble the photometric sample in galaxy properties, but must fall within its sky coverage. We test this hybrid, photometric-spectroscopic cross-correlation technique with Monte Carlo simulations based on realistic error estimates (including sample variance). The rms errors in recovering both the mean redshift and σ of the redshift distribution for a single photometric redshift bin with true distribution given by a Gaussian are 1.4 × 10−3z/0.1)(Σp/10)−0.3(dNs/dz/25,000)−1/2, where σz is the true Gaussian σ , Σp is the surface density of the photometric sample in galaxies arcmin −2, and dNs/dz is the number of galaxies with a spectroscopic redshift per unit z. We test the impact of non-Gaussian redshift outliers and of systematic errors due to unaccounted-for bias evolution, errors in measuring autocorrelations, photometric zero-point variations, or mistaken cosmological assumptions, and find that none will dominate measurement uncertainties in reasonable scenarios. The true redshift distributions of even arbitrarily faint photometric samples may be determined to the precision required by proposed dark energy experiments (Δlangzrang lesssim 3 × 10−3 at z ~ 1) with this method.

Subject headings

galaxies: distances and redshifts; large-scale structure of universe; methods: miscellaneous; surveys


Dates

Issue 1 (2008 September 1)

Received 2006 October 29, accepted for publication 2008 May 5



  1. Calibrating Redshift Distributions beyond Spectroscopic Limits with Cross-Correlations

    Jeffrey A. Newman 2008 ApJ 684 88

  2. A new integrable differential-difference system and its explicit solutions

    Yong-Tang Wu and Xing-Biao Hu 1999 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 32 1515

  3. Issues in first-principles calculations for defects in semiconductors and oxides

    Risto M Nieminen 2009 Modelling Simul. Mater. Sci. Eng. 17 084001

  4. Time-dependent single-electron transport through quantum dots

    Toshimasa Fujisawa et al 2006 Rep. Prog. Phys. 69 759

  5. Two-way time transfer experiment via the Horizon satellite

    E L Gurevich 1995 Metrologia 32 51

  6. Particle motions in low-Reynolds number pressure-driven flows through converging–diverging microchannels

    Xiangchun Xuan and Dongqing Li 2006 J. Micromech. Microeng. 16 62

  7. Rietveld analysis and superconductivity of compounds

    H-C I Kao et al 1996 Supercond. Sci. Technol. 9 893

  8. Analytic approximation of the Tavis–Cummings ground state via projected states

    Octavio Castaños et al 2009 Phys. Scr. 80 055401

  9. The strong equivalence principle

    B Bertotti and L P Grishchuk 1990 Class. Quantum Grav. 7 1733

  10. A radiation beam and light field plotter for routine use in radiotherapy

    M J Birch 1988 J. Phys. E: Sci. Instrum. 21 712

Users also read

What's this?
This innovative new feature generates a list of articles 'also read' by other users based on them reading the original article. Article abstracts citations and references are all considered and weighted accordingly. We hope that this will help you find relevant papers for your research.

  1. Reconstructing Redshift Distributions with Cross-correlations: Tests and an Optimized Recipe
  2. A Cosmic Variance Cookbook

View by subject




Export








Please login to access our web services, or create an account if you don't yet have one.

You must have cookies enabled in your web browser to be able to login.

Username
Password

Forgotten your password? Get a new one here.