Mock Surveys Research Articles

Inferring the Mass Content of Galaxy Clusters with Satellite Kinematics and Jeans Anisotropic Modeling

Satellite galaxies can be used to indicate the dynamic mass of galaxy groups and clusters. In this study, we apply the axisymmetric Jeans Anisotropic Multi-Gaussian Expansion (JAM) modeling to satellite galaxies in 28 galaxy clusters selected from the TNG300-1 simulation with halo masses of log10M200/M⊙>14.3 . If using true bound satellites as tracers, the best constrained total mass within the half-mass radius of satellites, M(<r half), and the virial mass, M 200, have average biases of −0.01 and 0.03 dex, with average scatters of 0.11 dex and 0.15 dex. If selecting companions in the redshift space with a line-of-sight depth of 2000 km s−1, the biases are −0.06 and 0.01 dex, while the scatters are 0.12 and 0.18 dex for M(<r half) and M 200. By comparing the best-fitting and actual density profiles, we find that ∼29% of the best-fitting density profiles show very good agreement with the truth, ∼32% display over/underestimates at most of the radial range with biased M(<r half), and 39% show under/overestimates in central regions and over/underestimates in the outskirts, with good constraints on M(<r half); yet most of the best constraints are still consistent with the true profiles within 1σ statistical uncertainties for the three circumstances. Using a mock DESI Bright Galaxy Survey catalog with the effect of fiber incompleteness, we find DESI fiber assignments and the choice of flux limits barely modify the velocity dispersion profiles and are thus unlikely to affect the dynamical modeling outcomes. Our results show that with current and future deep spectroscopic surveys, JAM can be a powerful tool to constrain the underlying density profiles of individual massive galaxy clusters.

Measuring the Conditional Luminosity and Stellar Mass Functions of Galaxies by Combining the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Imaging Surveys Data Release 9, Survey Validation 3, and Year 1 Data

In this investigation, we leverage the combination of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys Data Release 9, Survey Validation 3, and Year 1 data sets to estimate the conditional luminosity functions and conditional stellar mass functions (CLFs and CSMFs) of galaxies across various halo mass bins and redshift ranges. To support our analysis, we utilize a realistic DESI mock galaxy redshift survey (MGRS) generated from a high-resolution Jiutian simulation. An extended halo-based group finder is applied to both MGRS catalogs and DESI observation. By comparing the r- and z-band luminosity functions (LFs) and stellar mass functions (SMFs) derived using both photometric and spectroscopic data, we quantified the impact of photometric redshift (photo-z) errors on the galaxy LFs and SMFs, especially in the low-redshift bin at the low-luminosity/mass end. By conducting prior evaluations of the group finder using MGRS, we successfully obtain a set of CLF and CSMF measurements from observational data. We find that at low redshift, the faint-end slopes of CLFs and CSMFs below ∼109 h −2 L ⊙ (or h −2 M ⊙) evince a compelling concordance with the subhalo mass functions. After correcting the cosmic variance effect of our local Universe following Chen et al., the faint-end slopes of the LFs/SMFs turn out to also be in good agreement with the slope of the halo mass function.

Bayesian Multi-line Intensity Mapping

Line intensity mapping (LIM) has emerged as a promising tool for probing the 3D large-scale structure through the aggregate emission of spectral lines. The presence of interloper lines poses a crucial challenge in extracting the signal from the target line in LIM. In this work, we introduce a novel method for LIM analysis that simultaneously extracts line signals from multiple spectral lines, utilizing the covariance of native LIM data elements defined in the spectral–angular space. We leverage correlated information from different lines to perform joint inference on all lines simultaneously, employing a Bayesian analysis framework. We present the formalism, demonstrate our technique with a mock survey setup resembling the SPHEREx deep-field observation, and consider four spectral lines within the SPHEREx spectral coverage in the near-infrared: Hα, [O iii], Hβ, and [O ii]. We demonstrate that our method can extract the power spectrum of all four lines at the ≳10σ level at z < 2. For the brightest line, Hα, the 10σ sensitivity can be achieved out to z ∼ 3. Our technique offers a flexible framework for LIM analysis, enabling simultaneous inference of signals from multiple line emissions while accommodating diverse modeling constraints and parameterizations.

A mock redshift catalogue of the dusty star-forming galaxy population with intrinsic clustering and lensing for deep millimetre surveys

ABSTRACT We present a new cosmologically motivated mock redshift survey of the dusty star-forming galaxy population. Our mock survey is based on the Bolshoi–Planck dark matter halo simulation and covers an area of 5.3 deg2. Using a semi-empirical approach, we generate a light-cone and populate the dark matter haloes with galaxies. Infrared properties are assigned to the galaxies based on theoretical and empirical relations from the literature. Additionally, background galaxies are gravitationally lensed by dark matter haloes along the line of sight assuming a point-mass model approximation. We characterize the mock survey by measuring the star formation rate density, integrated number counts, redshift distribution, and infrared luminosity function. When compared with single-dish and interferometric observations, the predictions from our mock survey closely follow the compiled results from the literature. We have also directed this study towards characterizing one of the extragalactic legacy surveys to be observed with the TolTEC camera at the Large Millimeter Telescope: the 0.8 sq. degree Ultra Deep Survey, with expected depths of 0.025, 0.018, and 0.012 mJy beam−1 at 1.1, 1.4, and 2.0 mm. Exploiting the clustering information in our mock survey, we investigate its impact on the effect of flux boosting by the fainter population of dusty galaxies, finding that clustering can increase the median boosting by 0.5 per cent at 1.1 mm, 0.8 per cent at 1.4 mm, and 2.0 per cent at 2.0 mm, and with higher dispersion.

The informativeness of [C ii] line-intensity mapping as a probe of the H i content and metallicity of galaxies at the end of reionization

ABSTRACT Line-intensity mapping (LIM) experiments coming online now will survey fluctuations in aggregate emission in the [C ii] ionized carbon line from galaxies at the end of reionization. Experimental progress must be matched by theoretical reassessments of approaches to modelling and the information content of the signal. We present a new model for the halo–[C ii] connection, building upon results from the Feedback In Realistic Environments simulations suggesting that gas mass and metallicity most directly determine [C ii] luminosity. Applying our new model to an ensemble of peak-patch halo light-cones, we generate new predictions for the [C ii] LIM signal at z ≳ 6. We expect a baseline 4000-h LIM survey from the Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope facility to have the fundamental sensitivity to detect the [C ii] power spectrum at a significance of 5σ at z ∼ 6, with an extended or successor Stage 2 experiment improving significance to 48σ at z ∼ 6 and achieving 11σ at z ∼ 7.5. Cross-correlation through stacking, simulated against a mock narrow-band Lyman-break galaxy survey, would yield a strong detection of the radial profile of cosmological [C ii] emission surrounding star-forming galaxies. We also analyse the role of a few of our model’s parameters through the pointwise relative entropy (PRE) of the distribution of [C ii] intensities. While the PRE signature of different model parameters can become degenerate or diminished after factoring in observational distortions, various parameters do imprint themselves differently on the one-point statistics of the intrinsic signal. Further work can pave the way to access this information and distinguish different sources of non-Gaussianity in the [C ii] LIM observation.

Correction to: CSST large-scale structure analysis pipeline: I. Constructing reference mock galaxy redshift surveys

Correction to: CSST large-scale structure analysis pipeline: I. Constructing reference mock galaxy redshift surveys

Large-scale motions and growth rate from forward-modelling Tully–Fisher peculiar velocities

ABSTRACT Peculiar velocities are an important probe of the mass distribution in the Universe and the growth rate of structure, directly measuring the effects of gravity on the largest scales and providing a test for theories of gravity. Comparing peculiar velocities predicted from the density field mapped by a galaxy redshift survey with peculiar velocities measured using a distance estimator such as the Tully–Fisher relation yields the growth factor for large-scale structure. We present a method for forward modelling a sample of galaxy magnitudes and velocity widths that simultaneously determines the parameters of the Tully–Fisher relation and the peculiar velocity field. We apply this to the Cosmicflows-4 Tully–Fisher data set, using the peculiar velocities predicted from the 2M++ redshift survey. After validating the method on mock surveys, we measure the product of the growth rate and mass fluctuation amplitude to be fσ8 = 0.35 ± 0.03 at an effective redshift of z = 0.017. This is consistent at 3σ with the Planck CMB prediction, even though the uncertainty does not fully account for all sources of sample variance. We find the residual bulk flow from gravitational influences outside the 2M++ survey volume to be |V| = 227 ± 11 km s−1, (l, b) = (303°, −1°) in Galactic polar coordinates and the CMB frame. Using simulations, we show that applying our methodology to the large new sample of Tully–Fisher peculiar velocities expected from the WALLABY H I survey of the southern sky can improve the constraints on the growth rate by a factor of 2–3.

Cosmological parameters estimated from peculiar velocity–density comparisons: calibrating 2M++

ABSTRACT Cosmological parameters can be measured by comparing peculiar velocities with those predicted from a galaxy density field. Previous work has tested the accuracy of this approach with N-body simulations, but generally on idealized mock galaxy surveys. However, systematic biases may arise solely due to survey selection effects such as flux-limited samples, edge-effects, and complications due to the obscuration of the Galactic plane. In this work, we explore the impact of each of these effects individually as well as collectively using the semi-analytic models from numerical simulations to generate mock catalogues that mimic the 2M++ density field. We find the reconstruction and analysis methods used for our 2M++ mocks produce a value of fσ8 that is biased high by a factor 1.04 ± 0.01 compared to the true value. Moreover, a cosmic volume matching that of 2M++ has a cosmic variance uncertainty in fσ8 of $\sim 5~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. The systematic bias is a function of distance: it is unbiased close to the origin but is biased slightly high for distances in the range 100–180 h−1 Mpc. Correcting for this small bias, we find that recent peculiar velocity samples yield $f\sigma _8^{\textrm {lin}} = 0.362\pm 0.023$, a value that is in tension with the extrapolations from cosmic microwave background measurements. The predicted peculiar velocities from 2M++ have an error of 170 km s−1 that slowly increases with distance, exceeding 200 km s−1 only at distances of 180–200 h−1Mpc. Finally, the residual bulk flow speeds found in previous work are shown to be not in conflict with those expected in the Λ cold dark matter model.

All-sky Guide Star Catalog for CSST

The China Space Station Telescope (CSST) is a two-meter space telescope with multiple back-end instruments. The Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) is an essential subsystem of the CSST Precision Image Stability System to ensure the required absolute pointing accuracy and line-of-sight stabilization. In this study, we construct the Main Guide Star Catalog for FGS. To accomplish this, we utilize the information about the FGS and object information from the Gaia Data Release 3. We provide an FGS instrument magnitude and exclude variables, binaries, and high proper motion stars from the catalog to ensure uniform FGS guidance capabilities. Subsequently, we generate a HEALPix index, which provides a hierarchical tessellation of the celestial sphere, and employ the Voronoi algorithm to achieve a homogeneous distribution of stars across the catalog. This distribution ensures adequate coverage and sampling of the sky. The performance of the CSST guide star catalog was assessed by simulating the field of view of the FGS according to the CSST mock survey strategy catalog. The analysis of the results indicates that this catalog provides adequate coverage and accuracy. The catalog's performance meets the FGS requirements, ensuring the functioning of the FGS and its guidance capabilities.

CSST large-scale structure analysis pipeline: I. Constructing reference mock galaxy redshift surveys

ABSTRACT In this paper, we set out to construct a set of reference mock galaxy redshift surveys (MGRSs) for the future Chinese Space-station Survey Telescope (CSST) observation, where subsequent survey selection effects can be added and evaluated. This set of MGRSs is generated using the dark matter subhaloes extracted from a high-resolution Jiutian N-body simulation of the standard lambda-cold dark matter cosmogony with Ωm = 0.3111, ΩΛ = 0.6889, and σ8 = 0.8102. The simulation has a box size of 1 h−1Gpc, and consists of 61443 particles with mass resolution $3.723 \times 10^{8} \:h^{-1}\rm M_\odot$. In order to take into account the effect of redshift evolution, we first use all 128 snapshots in the Jiutian simulation to generate a light-cone halo/subhalo catalogue. Next, galaxy luminosities are assigned to the main and subhalo populations using the subhalo abundance matching (SHAM) method with the DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) z-band luminosity functions at different redshifts. Multiband photometries, as well as images, are then assigned to each mock galaxy using a 3D parameter space nearest-neighbour sampling of the DESI LS (Legacy Imaging Survey) observational galaxies and groups. Finally, the CSST and DESI LS survey geometry and magnitude limit cuts are applied to generate the required MGRSs. As we have checked, this set of MGRSs can generally reproduce the observed galaxy luminosity/mass functions within 0.1 dex for galaxies with L &amp;gt; 108 h-2 L⊙ (or M* &amp;gt; 108.5 h-2M⊙) and within 1σ level for galaxies with L &amp;lt; 108 h-2 L⊙ (or M* &amp;lt; 108.5 h-2 M⊙). Together with the CSST slitless spectra and redshifts for our DESI LS seed galaxies that are under construction, we will set out to test various slitless observational selection effects in subsequent probes.

Constraining the growth rate on linear scales by combining SKAO and DESI surveys

In the pursuit of understanding the large-scale structure of the Universe, the synergy between complementary cosmological surveys has proven to be a powerful tool. Using multiple tracers of the large-scale structure can significantly improve the constraints on cosmological parameters. We explore the potential of combining the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) spectroscopic surveys to enhance precision on the growth rate of cosmic structures. We employ a multi-tracer Fisher analysis to estimate precision on the growth rate when using pairs of mock surveys that are based on SKAO and DESI specifications. The pairs are at both low and high redshifts. For SKA-MID, we use the HI galaxy and the HI intensity mapping samples. In order to avoid the complexities and uncertainties at small scales, we confine the analysis to scales where linear perturbations are reliable. The consequent loss of signal in each individual survey is mitigated by the gains from the multi-tracer. After marginalising over cosmological and nuisance parameters, we find a significant improvement in the precision on the growth rate.

Alignments between Galaxies and the Cosmic Web at z ∼ 1–2 in the IllustrisTNG Simulations

Galaxy formation theories predict that galaxy shapes and angular momenta have nonrandom alignments with the cosmic web. This leads to so-called intrinsic alignment between pairs of galaxies, which is important to quantify as a nuisance parameter for weak lensing. We study galaxy–cosmic web alignment in the IllustrisTNG suite of hydrodynamical simulations at redshifts 1 and 2, finding that alignment trends are consistent with previous studies. However, we find that the magnitude of the spin alignment signal is ∼2.4× weaker than seen in previous studies of the Horizon-AGN simulation, suggesting that this signal may have a significant dependence on subgrid physics. Based on IllustrisTNG, we then construct mock observational spectroscopic surveys that can probe shape–cosmic web alignment at z ∼ 1–2, modeled on the low-z galaxy redshift and IGM tomography surveys on the upcoming Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph Galaxy Evolution (PFS GE) survey. However, even over box sizes of L = 205 h −1 Mpc, we find that global anisotropies induce a sample variance in the 2D projected alignment signal that depend on the projected direction; this induces significant errors in the observed alignment. We predict a 5.3σ detection of IllustrisTNG’s shape alignment signal at z ∼ 1 from Subaru PFS GE, although a detection would be challenging at z ∼ 2. However, a rough rescaling of the relative alignment signal strengths between the TNG and Horizon-AGN simulations suggests that PFS GE should be able to more easily constrain the latter’s stronger signal.

Low-surface-brightness Galaxies are Missing in the Observed Stellar Mass Function

We investigate the impact of the surface-brightness (SB) limit on the galaxy stellar mass functions (GSMFs) using galaxy catalogs generated from the Horizon Run 5 (HR5) simulation. We compare the stellar-to-halo-mass relation, GSMF, and size–stellar mass relation of the HR5 galaxies with observational data and other cosmological simulations. The mean SB of simulated galaxies are computed using their effective radii, luminosities, and colors. To examine the cosmic SB dimming effect, we compute k-corrections from the spectral energy distributions of individual simulated galaxy at each redshift, apply the k-corrections to the galaxies, and conduct mock surveys based on the various SB limits. We find that the GSMFs are significantly affected by the SB limits at the low-mass end. This approach can ease the discrepancy between the GSMFs obtained from simulations and observations at 0.6 ≲ z ≤ 2. We also find that a redshift survey with an SB selection limit of 25 mag arcsec−2 will miss 20% of galaxies with at z = 0.625. The missing fraction of low-surface-brightness galaxies increases to 35%, 55%, and 80% at z = 0.9, 1.1, and 1.9, respectively, at the same SB limit.

Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE

We present the first detailed comparison of populations of dwarf galaxy stellar streams in cosmological simulations and the Milky Way. In particular, we compare streams identified around 13 Milky Way analogs in the FIRE-2 simulations to streams observed by the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S 5). For an accurate comparison, we produce mock Dark Energy Survey (DES) observations of the FIRE streams and estimate the detectability of their tidal tails and progenitors. The number and stellar mass distributions of detectable stellar streams is consistent between observations and simulations. However, there are discrepancies in the distributions of pericenters and apocenters, with the detectable FIRE streams, on average, forming at larger pericenters (out to >110 kpc) and surviving only at larger apocenters (≳40 kpc) than those observed in the Milky Way. We find that the population of high-stellar-mass dwarf galaxy streams in the Milky Way is incomplete. Interestingly, a large fraction of the FIRE streams would only be detected as intact satellites in DES-like observations, since their tidal tails have too low surface brightness to be detectable. We thus predict a population of yet-undetected tidal tails around Milky Way satellites, as well as a population of fully undetected low-surface-brightness stellar streams, and estimate their detectability with the Rubin Observatory. Finally, we discuss the causes and implications of the discrepancies between the stream populations in FIRE and the Milky Way, and explore future avenues for tests of satellite disruption in cosmological simulations.

Local Group dwarf galaxy detection limit in the CSST survey

ABSTRACT We predict the dwarf galaxy detection limits for the upcoming Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST) survey that will cover 17 500 ${\rm \, deg}^{2}$ of the sky with a wide field of view of 1.1 deg2. The point-source depth reaches 26.3 mag in the g band and 25.9 mag in the i band. Constructing mock survey data based on the designed photometric bands, we estimate the recovery rate of artificial dwarf galaxies from mock point-source photometric catalogues. The detection of these artificial dwarf galaxies is strongly dependent on their distance, magnitude, and size, in agreement with searches in current surveys. We expect CSST to enable the detection of dwarf galaxies with MV = −3.0 and μ250 = 32.0 mag arcsec−2 (surface brightness limit for a system of half-light radius rh = 250 ${\rm \, pc}$) at $400 {\rm \, kpc}$, and MV = −4.9 and μ250 = 30.5 mag arcsec−2 around the Andromeda galaxy. Beyond the Local Group, the CSST survey will achieve MV = −5.8, and μ250 = 29.7 mag arcsec−2 in the distance range of 1–2 Mpc, opening up an exciting discovery space for faint field dwarf galaxies. With its optical bands, wide survey footprint, and space resolution, CSST will undoubtedly expand our knowledge of low-mass dwarf galaxies to an unprecedented volume.

The north–south asymmetry of the ALFALFA H i velocity width function

ABSTRACT The number density of extragalactic 21-cm radio sources as a function of their spectral line widths – the H i width function (H i WF) – is a sensitive tracer of the dark matter halo mass function (HMF). The Lambda cold dark matter model predicts that the HMF should be identical everywhere provided it is sampled in sufficiently large volumes, implying that the same should be true of the H i WF. The Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) 21-cm survey measured the H i WF in northern and southern Galactic fields and found a systematically higher number density in the north. At face value, this is in tension with theoretical predictions. We use the Sibelius-DARK N-body simulation and the semi-analytical galaxy formation model GALFORM to create a mock ALFALFA survey. We find that the offset in number density has two origins: the sensitivity of the survey is different in the two fields, which has not been correctly accounted for in previous measurements; and the 1/Veff algorithm used for completeness corrections does not fully account for biases arising from spatial clustering in the galaxy distribution. The latter is primarily driven by a foreground overdensity in the northern field within $30\, \mathrm{Mpc}$ , but more distant structure also plays a role. We provide updated measurements of the ALFALFA H i WF (and H i mass function) correcting for the variations in survey sensitivity. Only when systematic effects such as these are understood and corrected for can cosmological models be tested against the H i WF.

Lopsided Satellite Distributions around Isolated Host Galaxies in a ΛCDM Universe

A recent observational study found that the projected spatial distributions of the satellites of bright, isolated host galaxies tend to be lopsided with respect to the locations of the hosts. Here, we examine the spatial distributions of the satellites of a large number of bright, isolated host galaxies that were obtained from mock redshift surveys of a Λ-cold dark matter (ΛCDM) simulation. Host galaxies and their satellites were identified using selection criteria that are identical to those used in the observational study, allowing for a direct comparison of the results for the simulated and observed systems. To characterize the spatial distribution of the satellites, we adopt two statistics: (1) the pairwise clustering of the satellites and (2) the mean resultant length. In agreement with the observational study, we find a strong tendency for satellites in the simulation to be located on the same side of their host, and the signal is most pronounced for the satellites of blue hosts. These lopsided satellite distributions are not solely attributable to incompleteness of the observed satellite catalog or the presence of objects that have been falsely identified as satellites. In addition, satellites that joined their hosts’ halos in the distant past (≳8 Gyr) show a pronounced lopsidedness in their spatial distributions and, therefore, the lopsidedness is not solely attributable to the late-time accretion of satellites.

Enhancing cosmic shear with the multiscale lensing probability density function

ABSTRACT We quantify the cosmological constraining power of the ‘lensing probability density function (PDF)’ – the one-point probability density of weak lensing convergence maps – by modelling this statistic numerically with an emulator trained on w cold dark matter cosmic shear simulations. After validating our methods on Gaussian and lognormal fields, we show that ‘multiscale’ PDFs – measured from maps with multiple levels of smoothing – offer considerable gains over two-point statistics, owing to their ability to extract non-Gaussian information: For a mock Stage-III survey, lensing PDFs yield 33 per cent tighter constraints on the clustering parameter $S_8=\sigma _8\sqrt{\Omega _{\rm m}/0.3}$ than the two-point shear correlation functions. For Stage-IV surveys, we achieve &amp;gt;90 per cent tighter constraints on S8, but also on the Hubble and dark energy equation-of-state parameters. Interestingly, we find improvements when combining these two probes only in our Stage-III set-up; in the Stage-IV scenario the lensing PDFs contain all information from the standard two-point statistics and more. This suggests that while these two probes are currently complementary, the lower noise levels of upcoming surveys will unleash the constraining power of the PDF.

The hot gas distribution, X-ray luminosity, and baryon budget in the L-Galaxies semi-analytic model of galaxy formation

ABSTRACT Hot ionized gas is important in the baryon cycle of galaxies and contributes the majority of their ‘missing baryons’. Until now, most semi-analytic models of galaxy formation have paid little attention to hot gaseous haloes and their X-ray emission. In this paper, we adopt the one-dimensional model from Sharma et al. instead of the isothermal sphere to describe the radial distribution of hot gas in the L-Galaxies semi-analytic model. The hot gas halo can be divided into two parts according to the ratio of the local thermal instability time-scale and the free-fall time-scale: a cool core with tTI/tff = 10 and a stable outer halo with tTI/tff &amp;gt; 10. We update the prescriptions of cooling, feedback, and stripping based on the new hot gas profiles, and then reproduce several X-ray observational results like the radial profiles of hot gas density, and the scaling relations of X-ray luminosity and temperature. We find: (1) Consistent with observations, flatter density profiles in halo centers produce lower X-ray emission than an isothermal sphere; (2) Cool core regions prone to precipitation have higher gas temperature than the virial temperature, and a larger TX/T200 ratio in smaller haloes leads to a steeper slope in the LX–TX relation; (3) The ionized gas in the unbounded reservoir and low-temperature intergalactic gas in low-mass haloes could be the main components of the halo ‘missing baryons’. Our model outputs can predict the observations of hot gas in the nearby universe and produce mock surveys of baryons probed by future X-ray telescopes.

SPARKESX: Single-dish PARKES data sets for finding the uneXpected – a data challenge

ABSTRACT New classes of astronomical objects are often discovered serendipitously. The enormous data volumes produced by recent high-time resolution, radio-telescope surveys imply that efficient algorithms are required for a discovery. Such algorithms are usually tuned to detect specific, known sources. Existing data sets therefore likely contain unknown astronomical sources, which will remain undetected unless algorithms are developed that can detect a more diverse range of signals. We present the Single-dish PARKES data sets for finding the uneXpected (SPARKESX), a compilation of real and simulated high-time resolution observations. SPARKESX comprises three mock surveys from the Parkes ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. A broad selection of simulated and injected expected signals (such as pulsars and fast radio bursts), poorly characterized signals (plausible flare star signatures), and ‘unknown unknowns’ are generated for each survey. The goal of this challenge is to aid in the development of new algorithms that can detect a wide range of source types. We show how successful a typical pipeline based on the standard pulsar search software, presto, is at finding the injected signals. The data set is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.25919/fd4f-0g20 (Yong et al. 2022).