Redshift Measurements Research Articles

Stellar kinematics of dwarf galaxies from multi-epoch spectroscopy: application to Triangulum II

ABSTRACT We present new MMT/Hectochelle spectroscopic measurements for 257 stars observed along the line of sight to the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Triangulum II (Tri II). Combining results from previous Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy, we obtain a sample that includes 16 likely members of Tri II, with up to 10 independent redshift measurements per star. To this multi-epoch kinematic data set, we apply methodology that we develop in order to infer binary orbital parameters from sparsely sampled radial velocity curves with as few as two epochs. For a previously identified (spatially unresolved) binary system in Tri II, we infer an orbital solution with period $296.0_{-3.3}^{+3.8} \rm ~ d$, semimajor axis $1.12^{+0.41}_{-0.24}\rm ~au$, and systemic velocity $-380.0 \pm 1.7 \rm ~km ~s^{-1}$ that we then use in the analysis of Tri II’s internal kinematics. Despite this improvement in the modelling of binary star systems, the current data remain insufficient to resolve the velocity dispersion of Tri II. We instead find a 95 per cent confidence upper limit of $\sigma _{v} \lesssim 3.4 \rm ~km~s^{-1}$.

Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: calibration of lens sample redshift distributions using clustering redshifts with BOSS/eBOSS

ABSTRACT We present clustering redshift measurements for Dark Energy Survey (DES) lens sample galaxies used in weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering studies. To perform these measurements, we cross-correlate with spectroscopic galaxies from the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Survey (BOSS) and its extension, eBOSS. We validate our methodology in simulations, including a new technique to calibrate systematic errors that result from the galaxy clustering bias, and we find that our method is generally unbiased in calibrating the mean redshift. We apply our method to the data, and estimate the redshift distribution for 11 different photometrically selected bins. We find general agreement between clustering redshift and photometric redshift estimates, with differences on the inferred mean redshift found to be below |Δz| = 0.01 in most of the bins. We also test a method to calibrate a width parameter for redshift distributions, which we found necessary to use for some of our samples. Our typical uncertainties on the mean redshift ranged from 0.003 to 0.008, while our uncertainties on the width ranged from 4 to 9 per cent. We discuss how these results calibrate the photometric redshift distributions used in companion papers for DES Year 3 results.

Multi-Messenger Constraints on the Hubble Constant through Combination of Gravitational Waves, Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from Neutron Star Mergers

The simultaneous detection of gravitational waves and light from the binary neutron star merger GW170817 led to independent measurements of distance and redshift, providing a direct estimate of the Hubble constant H0 that does not rely on a cosmic distance ladder, nor assumes a specific cosmological model. By using gravitational waves as “standard sirens”, this approach holds promise to arbitrate the existing tension between the H0 value inferred from the cosmic microwave background and those obtained from local measurements. However, the known degeneracy in the gravitational-wave analysis between distance and inclination of the source led to a H0 value from GW170817 that was not precise enough to resolve the existing tension. In this review, we summarize recent works exploiting the viewing-angle dependence of the electromagnetic signal, namely the associated short gamma-ray burst and kilonova, to constrain the system inclination and improve on H0. We outline the key ingredients of the different methods, summarize the results obtained in the aftermath of GW170817 and discuss the possible systematics introduced by each of these methods.

The Hosts of X-Ray Absorption Lines Toward AGNs

Most baryonic matter in the universe exists in gaseous form and can be found in structures such as galactic halos and the low-density intergalactic medium. Proposed X-ray spectroscopy missions such as Athena, Arcus, and Lynx will have the capability to identify absorption lines in spectra toward bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs), which can be used as tools to probe this missing matter. In this study, we examine the optical fields surrounding 15 primary observing targets and identify the foreground galaxies and galaxy groups that are potential hosts of absorption. We record the basic properties of the potential host and their angular and physical separation from the AGN line of sight. This process is done by marking the location of various galaxies and groups in optical images of the field surrounding the target and plotting their angular separation versus redshift to gauge the physical proximity to the background source. We identify the surrounding objects according to those with measured redshifts and those that require accurate redshift measurements.

Galaxy correlation function and local density from photometric redshifts using the stochastic order redshift technique (SORT)

ABSTRACT The stochastic order redshift technique (sort) is a simple, efficient, and robust method to improve cosmological redshift measurements. The method relies upon having a small (∼10 per cent) reference sample of high-quality redshifts. Within pencil-beam-like sub-volumes surrounding each galaxy, we use the precise dN/dz distribution of the reference sample to recover new redshifts and assign them one-to-one to galaxies such that the original rank order of redshifts is preserved. Preserving the rank order is motivated by the fact that random variables drawn from Gaussian probability density functions with different means but equal standard deviations satisfy stochastic ordering. This process is repeated for sub-volumes surrounding each galaxy in the survey. This results in every galaxy being assigned multiple ‘recovered’ redshifts from which a new redshift estimate is determined. An earlier paper applied sort to a mock Sloan Digital Sky Survey at z ≲ 0.2 and accurately recovered the two-point correlation function (2PCF) on scales ≳ 4 h−1Mpc. In this paper, we test the performance of sort in surveys spanning the redshift range 0.75 < z < 2.25. We used two mock surveys extracted from the Small MultiDark–Planck and Bolshoi–Planck N-body simulations with dark matter haloes that were populated by the Santa Cruz semi-analytic model. We find that sort overall improves redshift estimates, accurately recovers the redshift-space 2PCF ξ(s) on scales ≳ 2.5 h−1Mpc, and provides improved local density estimates in regions of average or higher density, which may allow for improved understanding of how galaxy properties relate to their environments.

On the Single-event-based Identification of Primordial Black Hole Mergers at Cosmological Distances

The existence of primordial black holes (PBHs), which may form from the collapse of matter overdensities shortly after the Big Bang, is still under debate. Among the potential signatures of PBHs are gravitational waves (GWs) emitted from binary black hole (BBH) mergers at redshifts z ≳ 30, where the formation of astrophysical black holes is unlikely. Future ground-based GW detectors, the Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope, will be able to observe equal-mass BBH mergers with total mass of at such distances. In this work, we investigate whether the redshift measurement of a single BBH source can be precise enough to establish its primordial origin. We simulate BBHs of different masses, mass ratios and orbital orientations. We show that for BBHs with total masses between 20 M ⊙ and 40 M ⊙ merging at z ≥ 40, one can infer z > 30 at up to 97% credibility, with a network of one Einstein Telescope, one 40 km Cosmic Explorer in the US, and one 20 km Cosmic Explorer in Australia. This number reduces to 94% with a smaller network made of one Einstein Telescope and one 40 km Cosmic Explorer in the US. We also analyze how the measurement depends on the Bayesian priors used in the analysis and verify that priors that strongly favor the wrong model yield smaller Bayesian evidences.

The Bulk Properties of Isolated Neutron Stars Inferred from the Gravitational Redshift Measurements

The measurements of the bulk properties of most isolated neutron stars (INSs) are challenging tasks. Tang et al. have developed a new method, based on the equation of state (EoS) of neutron star (NS) material constrained by the observational data, to infer the gravitational masses of a few INSs whose gravitational redshifts are available. However, in that work, the authors only considered the constraints on the EoS from nuclear experiments/theories and the gravitational wave data of GW170817; the possible phase transition has not been taken into account. In this work, we adopt three EoS models (including the one incorporates a first-order strong phase transition) that are constrained by the latest multimessenger NS data, including in particular the recent mass–radius measurements of two NSs by Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer, to update the estimation of the gravitational masses of RBS 1223, RX J0720.4-3125, and RX J1856.5-3754. In comparison to our previous approach, the new constraints are tighter, and the gravitational masses are larger by about 0.1M ⊙. All the inferred gravitational masses are within the range of the NS masses measured in other ways. We have also calculated the radius, tidal-deformability, and moment of inertia of these sources. The inclusion of the first-order strong phase transition has little influence on modifying the results.

Predicting the Redshift of Gamma-Ray Loud AGNs Using Supervised Machine Learning. II

Abstract Measuring the redshift of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) requires the use of time-consuming and expensive spectroscopic analysis. However, obtaining redshift measurements of AGNs is crucial as it can enable AGN population studies, provide insight into the star formation rate, the luminosity function, and the density rate evolution. Hence, there is a requirement for alternative redshift measurement techniques. In this project, we aim to use the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope’s 4LAC Data Release 2 catalog to train a machine-learning (ML) model capable of predicting the redshift reliably. In addition, this project aims at improving and extending with the new 4LAC Catalog the predictive capabilities of the ML methodology published in Dainotti et al. Furthermore, we implement feature engineering to expand the parameter space and a bias correction technique to our final results. This study uses additional ML techniques inside the ensemble method, the SuperLearner, previously used in Dainotti et al. Additionally, we also test a novel ML model called Sorted L-One Penalized Estimation. Using these methods, we provide a catalog of estimated redshift values for those AGNs that do not have a spectroscopic redshift measurement. These estimates can serve as a redshift reference for the community to verify as updated Fermi catalogs are released with more redshift measurements.

Analyzing the Hubble tension through hidden sector dynamics in the early universe

The recent analysis from the SH0ES collaboration has confirmed the existence of a Hubble tension between measurements at high redshift (z > 1000) and at low redshift (z < 1) at the 5σ level with the low redshift measurement giving a higher value. In this work we propose a particle physics model that can help alleviate the Hubble tension via an out-of-equilibrium hidden sector coupled to the visible sector. The particles that populate the dark sector consist of a dark fermion, which acts as dark matter, a dark photon, a massive scalar and a massless pseudo-scalar. Assuming no initial population of particles in the dark sector, feeble couplings between the visible and the hidden sectors via kinetic mixing populate the dark sector even though the number densities of hidden sector particles never reach their equilibrium distribution and the two sectors remain at different temperatures. A cosmologically consistent analysis is presented where a correlated evolution of the visible and the hidden sectors with coupled Boltzmann equations involving two temperatures, one for the visible sector and the other for the hidden sector, is carried out. The relic density of the dark matter constituted of dark fermions is computed in this two-temperature formalism. As a consequence, BBN predictions are upheld with a minimal contribution to ΔN eff. However, the out-of-equilibrium decay of the massive scalar to the massless pseudo-scalar close to the recombination time causes an increase in ΔN eff that can help weaken the Hubble tension.

Quasar photometric redshifts from incomplete data using deep learning

ABSTRACT Forthcoming astronomical surveys are expected to detect new sources in such large numbers that measuring their spectroscopic redshift measurements will not be practical. Thus, there is much interest in using machine learning to yield the redshift from the photometry of each object. We are particularly interested in radio sources (quasars) detected with the Square Kilometre Array and have found Deep Learning, trained upon a large optically selected sample of quasi-stellar objects, to be effective in the prediction of the redshifts in three external samples of radio-selected sources. However, the requirement of nine different magnitudes, from the near-infrared, optical, and ultra-violet bands, has the effect of significantly reducing the number of sources for which redshifts can be predicted. Here, we explore the possibility of using machine learning to impute the missing features. We find that for the training sample simple imputation is sufficient, particularly replacing the missing magnitude with the maximum for that band, thus presuming that the non-detection is at the sensitivity limit. For the test samples, however, this does not perform as well as multivariate imputation, which suggests that many of the missing magnitudes are not limits, but have indeed not been observed. From extensive testing of the models, we suggest that the imputation is best restricted to two missing values per source. Where the sources overlap on the sky, in the worst case, this increases the fraction of sources for which redshifts can be estimated from 46 per cent to 80 per cent, with &amp;gt;90 per cent being reached for the other samples.

Using Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equations to Predict Redshifts of Active Galactic Nuclei

Redshift measurement of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) remains a time-consuming and challenging task, as it requires follow up spectroscopic observations and detailed analysis. Hence, there exists an urgent requirement for alternative redshift estimation techniques. The use of machine learning (ML) for this purpose has been growing over the last few years, primarily due to the availability of large-scale galactic surveys. However, due to observational errors, a significant fraction of these data sets often have missing entries, rendering that fraction unusable for ML regression applications. In this study, we demonstrate the performance of an imputation technique called Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equations (MICE), which rectifies the issue of missing data entries by imputing them using the available information in the catalog. We use the Fermi-LAT Fourth Data Release Catalog (4LAC) and impute 24% of the catalog. Subsequently, we follow the methodology described in Dainotti et al. (ApJ, 2021, 920, 118) and create an ML model for estimating the redshift of 4LAC AGNs. We present results which highlight positive impact of MICE imputation technique on the machine learning models performance and obtained redshift estimation accuracy.

Statistical strong lensing

Context. Strong lensing mass measurements require the knowledge of the redshift of both the lens and the source galaxy. Traditionally, spectroscopic redshifts are used for this purpose. Upcoming surveys, however, will lead to the discovery of ∼105 strong lenses, and it will be very difficult to obtain spectroscopic redshifts for most of them. Photometric redshift measurements will also be very challenging due to the blending between lens and source light. Aims. The goal of this work is to demonstrate how to carry out an inference of the structural properties of the galaxy population from the analysis of a set of strong lenses with no individual source redshift measurements, and to assess the loss in precision compared to the case in which spectroscopic redshifts are available. Methods. Building on the formalism introduced in Paper III, I developed a method that allows a statistical strong lensing inference to be carried out while marginalising over the source redshifts. This method, which relies on the knowledge of the properties of the unlensed background source population and of the selection function of the survey, generalises an approach known as photogeometric redshift, originally introduced by the Strong Lensing Legacy Survey collaboration. I tested the method on simulated data consisting of a subset of 137 strong lenses that is complete above a cut in observational space. Results. The method recovers the properties of the galaxy population with a precision that is comparable to that attainable in the case in which individual source redshifts are known. Conclusions. The photogeometric redshift method is a viable approach for the analysis of large sets of strong lenses provided that the background source population properties and lens selection function are well known.

Estimating galaxy redshift in radio-selected datasets using machine learning

All-sky radio surveys are set to revolutionise the field with new discoveries. However, the vast majority of the tens of millions of radio galaxies will not have the spectroscopic redshift measurements required for a large number of science cases. Here, we evaluate techniques for estimating redshifts of galaxies from a radio-selected survey. Using a radio-selected sample with broadband photometry at infrared and optical wavelengths, we test the k-Nearest Neighbours (kNN) and Random Forest machine learning algorithms, testing them both in their regression and classification modes. Further, we test different distance metrics used by the kNN algorithm, including the standard Euclidean distance, the Mahalanobis distance and a learned distance metric for both the regression mode (the Metric Learning for Kernel Regression metric) and the classification mode (the Large Margin Nearest Neighbour metric). We find that all regression-based modes fail on galaxies at a redshift z>1. However, below this range, the kNN algorithm using the Mahalanobis distance metric performs best, with an η0.15 outlier rate of 5.85%. In the classification mode, the kNN algorithm using the Mahalanobis distance metric also performs best, with an η0.15 outlier rate of 5.85%, correctly placing 74% of galaxies in the top z>1.02 bin. Finally, we also tested the effect of training in one field and applying the trained algorithm to similar data from another field and found that variation across fields does not result in statistically significant differences in predicted redshifts. Importantly, we find that while we may not be able to predict a continuous value for high-redshift radio sources, we can identify the majority of them using the classification modes of existing techniques.

Calibrating Photometric Redshift Measurements with the Multi-channel Imager (MCI) of the China Space Station Telescope (CSST)

The China Space Station Telescope (CSST) photometric survey aims to perform a high spatial resolution (∼0.″15) photometric imaging for the targets that cover a large sky area (∼17,500 deg2) and wide wavelength range (from NUV to NIR). It expects to explore the properties of dark matter, dark energy, and other important cosmological and astronomical areas. In this work, we evaluate whether the filter design of the Multi-channel Imager (MCI), one of the five instruments of the CSST, can provide accurate photometric redshift (photoz) measurements with its nine medium-band filters to meet the relevant scientific objectives. We generate the mock data based on the COSMOS photometric redshift catalog with astrophysical and instrumental effects. The application of upper limit information of low signal-to-noise ratio data is adopted in the estimation of photoz. We investigate the dependency of photoz accuracy on the filter parameters, such as band position and width. We find that the current MCI filter design can achieve good photoz measurements with accuracy σ z ≃ 0.017 and outlier fraction f c ≃ 2.2%. It can effectively improve the photoz measurements of the main CSST survey using the Survey Camera to an accuracy σ z ≃ 0.015 and outlier fraction f c ≃ 1.5%. This indicates that the original MCI filters are proper for the photoz calibration.

Mapping the cosmic expansion history from LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA in synergy with DESI and SPHEREx

ABSTRACT The measurement of the expansion history of the Universe from the redshift unknown gravitational wave (GW) sources (dark GW sources) detectable from the network of LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) detectors depends on the synergy with the galaxy surveys having accurate redshift measurements over a broad redshift range, large sky coverage, and detectability of fainter galaxies.In this work, we explore the possible synergy of the LVK with the spectroscopic galaxy surveys, such as DESI and SPHEREx, to measure the cosmological parameters which are related to the cosmic expansion history and the GW bias parameters. We show that by using the 3D spatial cross-correlation between the dark GW sources and the spectroscopic galaxy samples, we can measure the value of Hubble constant with about $2{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and $1.5{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ precision from LVK+DESI and LVK+SPHEREx, respectively within the 5 yr of observation time with $50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ duty-cycle. Similarly, the dark energy equation of state can be measured with about $10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and $8{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ precision from LVK+DESI and LVK+SPHEREx, respectively. We find that due to the large sky coverage of SPHEREx than DESI, performance in constraining the cosmological parameters is better from the former than the latter. By combining Euclid along with DESI and SPHEREx, a marginal gain in the measurability of the cosmological parameters is possible from the sources at high redshift (z ≥ 0.9).

The bright extragalactic ALMA redshift survey (BEARS) I: redshifts of bright gravitationally lensed galaxies from the Herschel ATLAS

ABSTRACT We present spectroscopic measurements for 71 galaxies associated with 62 of the brightest high-redshift submillimetre sources from the Southern fields of the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS), while targeting 85 sources which resolved into 142. We have obtained robust redshift measurements for all sources using the 12-m Array and an efficient tuning of ALMA to optimize its use as a redshift hunter, with 73 per cent of the sources having a robust redshift identification. Nine of these redshift identifications also rely on observations from the Atacama Compact Array. The spectroscopic redshifts span a range 1.41 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 4.53 with a mean value of 2.75, and the CO emission line full-width at half-maxima range between $\rm 110\, km\, s^{-1} \lt FWHM \lt 1290\, km\, s^{-1}$ with a mean value of ∼500 km s−1, in line with other high-z samples. The derived CO(1-0) luminosity is significantly elevated relative to line-width to CO(1-0) luminosity scaling relation, which is suggestive of lensing magnification across our sources. In fact, the distribution of magnification factors inferred from the CO equivalent widths is consistent with expectations from galaxy–galaxy lensing models, though there is a hint of an excess at large magnifications that may be attributable to the additional lensing optical depth from galaxy groups or clusters.

Measuring the Hubble constant with black sirens

We investigate a recently proposed method for measuring the Hubble constant from gravitational wave detections of binary black hole coalescences without electromagnetic counterparts. In the absence of a direct redshift measurement, the missing information on the left-hand side of the Hubble-Lema\^{\i}tre law is provided by the statistical knowledge on the redshift distribution of sources. We assume that source distribution in redshift depends on unknown hyperparameters, modeling our ignorance of the astrophysical binary black hole distribution. With tens of thousands of these ``black sirens''---a realistic figure for the third generation detectors Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer---an observational constraint on the value of the Hubble parameter at percent level can be obtained. This method has the advantage of not relying on electromagnetic counterparts, which accompany a very small fraction of gravitational wave detections, nor on often unavailable or incomplete galaxy catalogs.

Probing into emission mechanisms of GRB 190530A using time-resolved spectra and polarization studies: Synchrotron Origin?

Abstract Multi-pulsed GRB 190530A, detected by the GBM and LAT onboard Fermi, is the sixth most fluent GBM burst detected so far. This paper presents the timing, spectral, and polarimetric analysis of the prompt emission observed using AstroSat and Fermi to provide insight into the prompt emission radiation mechanisms. The time-integrated spectrum shows conclusive proof of two breaks due to peak energy and a second lower energy break. Time-integrated (55.43 ± 21.30 %) as well as time-resolved polarization measurements, made by the Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager (CZTI) onboard AstroSat, show a hint of high degree of polarization. The presence of a hint of high degree of polarization and the values of low energy spectral index (αpt) do not run over the synchrotron limit for the first two pulses, supporting the synchrotron origin in an ordered magnetic field. However, during the third pulse, αpt exceeds the synchrotron line of death in few bins, and a thermal signature along with the synchrotron component in the time-resolved spectra is observed. Furthermore, we also report the earliest optical observations constraining afterglow polarization using the MASTER (P &amp;lt; 1.3 %) and the redshift measurement (z= 0.9386) obtained with the 10.4m GTC telescopes. The broadband afterglow can be described with a forward shock model for an ISM-like medium with a wide jet opening angle. We determine a circumburst density of n0 ∼ 7.41, kinetic energy EK ∼ 7.24 × 1054 erg, and radiated γ-ray energy Eγ, iso ∼ 6.05 × 1054 erg, respectively.

Constraining the Circumburst Medium of Gamma-Ray Bursts with X-Ray Afterglows

Abstract Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are considered to originate from core collapse of massive stars. It is believed that the afterglow property is determined by the density of the material in the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). Therefore, the circumburst density can be used to distinguish between an interstellar wind, n(R) ∝ R −k , and a constant-density medium (ISM), n ( R ) = const . Previous studies with different afterglow samples show that the circumburst medium of GRBs is neither simply supported by an interstellar wind nor completely favored by an ISM. In this work, our new sample consists of 39 GRBs with smoothly onset bump-like features in early X-ray afterglows, in which 20 GRBs have the redshift measurements. By using a smooth broken power-law function to fit the bumps of X-ray light curves, we derive the FWHM as the feature width (ω), as well as the rise and decay timescales of the bumps (T r and T d ). The correlations between the timescales of X-ray bumps are similar to those found previously in the optical afterglows. Based on the fireball forward shock model of the thin shell case, we obtain the distribution of the electron spectral index p and further constrain the medium density distribution index k. The new inferred k is found to be concentrated at 1.0, with a range from 0.2 to 1.8. This finding is consistent with previous studies. The conclusion of our detailed investigation for X-ray afterglows suggests that the ambient medium of the selected GRBs is not homogeneous, i.e., neither ISM nor the typical interstellar wind.

Overdensity of SubMillimiter Galaxies in the GJ526 Field mapped with the NIKA2 Camera

Using the NIKA2 dual band millimeter camera installed on the IRAM30m telescope, we have mapped a relatively large field (~ 70 arcmin2) in the direction of the star GJ526 to investigate the nature of the sources found with the MAMBO camera at 1.2 mm ten years earlier. We have found that they must be dust-obscured galaxies (SMGs) in the background beyond the star. The new NIKA2 map at 1.15 mm reveals additional sources and, in fact, an overdensity of SMGs predominantly distributed along a filament-like structure in projection on the sky across the whole observed field. We speculate this might be a cosmic filament at high redshift as revealed in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. Measurement of spectroscopic redshifts of the SMGs in the candidate filament is required now for a definitive confirmation of the nature of the structure.