Identifying RR Lyrae variable stars in six years of the Dark Energy Survey

DES Collaboration; K. M. Stringer; A. Drlica-Wagner; L. Macri; C. E. Martínez-Vázquez; A. K. Vivas; P. Ferguson; A. B. Pace; A. R. Walker; E. Neilsen; K. Tavangar; W. Wester; T. M. C. Abbott; M. Aguena; S. Allam; D. Bacon; K. Bechtol; E. Bertin; D. Brooks; D. L. Burke; A. Carnero Rosell; M. Carrasco Kind; J. Carretero; M. Costanzi; M. Crocce; L. N. da Costa; M. E. S. Pereira; J. De Vicente; S. Desai; H. T. Diehl; P. Doel; I. Ferrero; J. García-Bellido; E. Gaztanaga; D. W. Gerdes; D. Gruen; R. A. Gruendl; J. Gschwend; G. Gutierrez; S. R. Hinton; D. L. Hollowood; K. Honscheid; B. Hoyle; D. J. James; K. Kuehn; N. Kuropatkin; T. S. Li; M. A. G. Maia; J. L. Marshall; F. Menanteau; R. Miquel; R. Morgan; R. L. C. Ogando; A. Palmese; F. Paz-Chinchón; A. A. Plazas; A. Roodman; E. Sanchez; M. Schubnell; S. Serrano; I. Sevilla-Noarbe; M. Smith; M. Soares-Santos; E. Suchyta; G. Tarle; D. Thomas; C. To; T. N. Varga; R. D. Wilkinson; Y. Zhang

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abe873

Identifying RR Lyrae variable stars in six years of the Dark Energy Survey

DES Collaboration, K. M. Stringer^*, A. Drlica-Wagner, L. Macri, C. E. Martínez-Vázquez, A. K. Vivas, P. Ferguson, A. B. Pace, A. R. Walker, E. Neilsen, K. Tavangar, W. Wester, T. M. C. Abbott, M. Aguena, S. Allam, D. Bacon, K. Bechtol, E. Bertin, D. Brooks, D. L. BurkeA. Carnero Rosell, M. Carrasco Kind, J. Carretero, M. Costanzi, M. Crocce, L. N. da Costa, M. E. S. Pereira, J. De Vicente, S. Desai, H. T. Diehl, P. Doel, I. Ferrero, J. García-Bellido, E. Gaztanaga, D. W. Gerdes, D. Gruen, R. A. Gruendl, J. Gschwend, G. Gutierrez, S. R. Hinton, D. L. Hollowood, K. Honscheid, B. Hoyle, D. J. James, K. Kuehn, N. Kuropatkin, T. S. Li, M. A. G. Maia, J. L. Marshall, F. Menanteau, R. Miquel, R. Morgan, R. L. C. Ogando, A. Palmese, F. Paz-Chinchón, A. A. Plazas, A. Roodman, E. Sanchez, M. Schubnell, S. Serrano, I. Sevilla-Noarbe, M. Smith, M. Soares-Santos, E. Suchyta, G. Tarle, D. Thomas, C. To, T. N. Varga, R. D. Wilkinson, Y. Zhang

^*Corresponding author for this work

Australian Astronomical Optics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present a search for RR Lyrae stars using the full six-year data set from the Dark Energy Survey covering ∼5000 deg² of the southern sky. Using a multistage multivariate classification and light-curve template-fitting scheme, we identify RR Lyrae candidates with a median of 35 observations per candidate. We detect 6971 RR Lyrae candidates out to ∼335 kpc, and we estimate that our sample is >70% complete at ∼150 kpc. We find excellent agreement with other wide-area RR Lyrae catalogs and RR Lyrae studies targeting the Magellanic Clouds and other Milky Way satellite galaxies. We fit the smooth stellar halo density profile using a broken-power-law model with fixed halo flattening (q = 0.7), and we find strong evidence for a break at R₀= 32.1^+1.1_-0.9 kpc with an inner slope of n₁= - 2.54^+0.09_-0.09 and an outer slope of n₂= -5.42^+0.13_-0.14. We use our catalog to perform a search for Milky Way satellite galaxies with large sizes and low luminosities. Using a set of simulated satellite galaxies, we find that our RR Lyrae-based search is more sensitive than those using resolved stellar populations in the regime of large (rh ≳ 500 pc), low-surface-brightness dwarf galaxies. A blind search for large, diffuse satellites yields three candidate substructures. The first can be confidently associated with the dwarf galaxy Eridanus II. The second has a distance and proper motion similar to the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Tucana II but is separated by ∼5 deg. The third is close in projection to the globular cluster NGC 1851 but is ∼10 kpc more distant and appears to differ in proper motion.

Original language	English
Article number	109
Pages (from-to)	1-26
Number of pages	26
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	911
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abe873
Publication status	Published - 20 Apr 2021

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10.3847/1538-4357/abe873

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DES Collaboration, Stringer, K. M., Drlica-Wagner, A., Macri, L., Martínez-Vázquez, C. E., Vivas, A. K., Ferguson, P., Pace, A. B., Walker, A. R., Neilsen, E., Tavangar, K., Wester, W., Abbott, T. M. C., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Bacon, D., Bechtol, K., Bertin, E., Brooks, D., ... Zhang, Y. (2021). Identifying RR Lyrae variable stars in six years of the Dark Energy Survey. Astrophysical Journal, 911(2), 1-26. Article 109. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abe873

@article{061e0147363143f89d6ae528a7ea872d,

title = "Identifying RR Lyrae variable stars in six years of the Dark Energy Survey",

abstract = "We present a search for RR Lyrae stars using the full six-year data set from the Dark Energy Survey covering ∼5000 deg2 of the southern sky. Using a multistage multivariate classification and light-curve template-fitting scheme, we identify RR Lyrae candidates with a median of 35 observations per candidate. We detect 6971 RR Lyrae candidates out to ∼335 kpc, and we estimate that our sample is >70% complete at ∼150 kpc. We find excellent agreement with other wide-area RR Lyrae catalogs and RR Lyrae studies targeting the Magellanic Clouds and other Milky Way satellite galaxies. We fit the smooth stellar halo density profile using a broken-power-law model with fixed halo flattening (q = 0.7), and we find strong evidence for a break at R0 = 32.1+1.1-0.9 kpc with an inner slope of n1= - 2.54+0.09-0.09 and an outer slope of n2 = -5.42+0.13-0.14. We use our catalog to perform a search for Milky Way satellite galaxies with large sizes and low luminosities. Using a set of simulated satellite galaxies, we find that our RR Lyrae-based search is more sensitive than those using resolved stellar populations in the regime of large (rh ≳ 500 pc), low-surface-brightness dwarf galaxies. A blind search for large, diffuse satellites yields three candidate substructures. The first can be confidently associated with the dwarf galaxy Eridanus II. The second has a distance and proper motion similar to the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Tucana II but is separated by ∼5 deg. The third is close in projection to the globular cluster NGC 1851 but is ∼10 kpc more distant and appears to differ in proper motion.",

author = "{DES Collaboration} and Stringer, {K. M.} and A. Drlica-Wagner and L. Macri and Mart{\'i}nez-V{\'a}zquez, {C. E.} and Vivas, {A. K.} and P. Ferguson and Pace, {A. B.} and Walker, {A. R.} and E. Neilsen and K. Tavangar and W. Wester and Abbott, {T. M. C.} and M. Aguena and S. Allam and D. Bacon and K. Bechtol and E. Bertin and D. Brooks and Burke, {D. L.} and {Carnero Rosell}, A. and {Carrasco Kind}, M. and J. Carretero and M. Costanzi and M. Crocce and {da Costa}, {L. N.} and Pereira, {M. E. S.} and {De Vicente}, J. and S. Desai and Diehl, {H. T.} and P. Doel and I. Ferrero and J. Garc{\'i}a-Bellido and E. Gaztanaga and Gerdes, {D. W.} and D. Gruen and Gruendl, {R. A.} and J. Gschwend and G. Gutierrez and Hinton, {S. R.} and Hollowood, {D. L.} and K. Honscheid and B. Hoyle and James, {D. J.} and K. Kuehn and N. Kuropatkin and Li, {T. S.} and Maia, {M. A. G.} and Marshall, {J. L.} and F. Menanteau and R. Miquel and R. Morgan and Ogando, {R. L. C.} and A. Palmese and F. Paz-Chinch{\'o}n and Plazas, {A. A.} and A. Roodman and E. Sanchez and M. Schubnell and S. Serrano and I. Sevilla-Noarbe and M. Smith and M. Soares-Santos and E. Suchyta and G. Tarle and D. Thomas and C. To and Varga, {T. N.} and Wilkinson, {R. D.} and Y. Zhang",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

day = "20",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/abe873",

language = "English",

volume = "911",

pages = "1--26",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

number = "2",

}

DES Collaboration, Stringer, KM, Drlica-Wagner, A, Macri, L, Martínez-Vázquez, CE, Vivas, AK, Ferguson, P, Pace, AB, Walker, AR, Neilsen, E, Tavangar, K, Wester, W, Abbott, TMC, Aguena, M, Allam, S, Bacon, D, Bechtol, K, Bertin, E, Brooks, D, Burke, DL, Carnero Rosell, A, Carrasco Kind, M, Carretero, J, Costanzi, M, Crocce, M, da Costa, LN, Pereira, MES, De Vicente, J, Desai, S, Diehl, HT, Doel, P, Ferrero, I, García-Bellido, J, Gaztanaga, E, Gerdes, DW, Gruen, D, Gruendl, RA, Gschwend, J, Gutierrez, G, Hinton, SR, Hollowood, DL, Honscheid, K, Hoyle, B, James, DJ, Kuehn, K, Kuropatkin, N, Li, TS, Maia, MAG, Marshall, JL, Menanteau, F, Miquel, R, Morgan, R, Ogando, RLC, Palmese, A, Paz-Chinchón, F, Plazas, AA, Roodman, A, Sanchez, E, Schubnell, M, Serrano, S, Sevilla-Noarbe, I, Smith, M, Soares-Santos, M, Suchyta, E, Tarle, G, Thomas, D, To, C, Varga, TN, Wilkinson, RD & Zhang, Y 2021, 'Identifying RR Lyrae variable stars in six years of the Dark Energy Survey', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 911, no. 2, 109, pp. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abe873

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identifying RR Lyrae variable stars in six years of the Dark Energy Survey

AU - DES Collaboration

AU - Stringer, K. M.

AU - Drlica-Wagner, A.

AU - Macri, L.

AU - Martínez-Vázquez, C. E.

AU - Vivas, A. K.

AU - Ferguson, P.

AU - Pace, A. B.

AU - Walker, A. R.

AU - Neilsen, E.

AU - Tavangar, K.

AU - Wester, W.

AU - Abbott, T. M. C.

AU - Aguena, M.

AU - Allam, S.

AU - Bacon, D.

AU - Bechtol, K.

AU - Bertin, E.

AU - Brooks, D.

AU - Burke, D. L.

AU - Carnero Rosell, A.

AU - Carrasco Kind, M.

AU - Carretero, J.

AU - Costanzi, M.

AU - Crocce, M.

AU - da Costa, L. N.

AU - Pereira, M. E. S.

AU - De Vicente, J.

AU - Desai, S.

AU - Diehl, H. T.

AU - Doel, P.

AU - Ferrero, I.

AU - García-Bellido, J.

AU - Gaztanaga, E.

AU - Gerdes, D. W.

AU - Gruen, D.

AU - Gruendl, R. A.

AU - Gschwend, J.

AU - Gutierrez, G.

AU - Hinton, S. R.

AU - Hollowood, D. L.

AU - Honscheid, K.

AU - Hoyle, B.

AU - James, D. J.

AU - Kuehn, K.

AU - Kuropatkin, N.

AU - Li, T. S.

AU - Maia, M. A. G.

AU - Marshall, J. L.

AU - Menanteau, F.

AU - Miquel, R.

AU - Morgan, R.

AU - Ogando, R. L. C.

AU - Palmese, A.

AU - Paz-Chinchón, F.

AU - Plazas, A. A.

AU - Roodman, A.

AU - Sanchez, E.

AU - Schubnell, M.

AU - Serrano, S.

AU - Sevilla-Noarbe, I.

AU - Smith, M.

AU - Soares-Santos, M.

AU - Suchyta, E.

AU - Tarle, G.

AU - Thomas, D.

AU - To, C.

AU - Varga, T. N.

AU - Wilkinson, R. D.

AU - Zhang, Y.

PY - 2021/4/20

Y1 - 2021/4/20

N2 - We present a search for RR Lyrae stars using the full six-year data set from the Dark Energy Survey covering ∼5000 deg2 of the southern sky. Using a multistage multivariate classification and light-curve template-fitting scheme, we identify RR Lyrae candidates with a median of 35 observations per candidate. We detect 6971 RR Lyrae candidates out to ∼335 kpc, and we estimate that our sample is >70% complete at ∼150 kpc. We find excellent agreement with other wide-area RR Lyrae catalogs and RR Lyrae studies targeting the Magellanic Clouds and other Milky Way satellite galaxies. We fit the smooth stellar halo density profile using a broken-power-law model with fixed halo flattening (q = 0.7), and we find strong evidence for a break at R0 = 32.1+1.1-0.9 kpc with an inner slope of n1= - 2.54+0.09-0.09 and an outer slope of n2 = -5.42+0.13-0.14. We use our catalog to perform a search for Milky Way satellite galaxies with large sizes and low luminosities. Using a set of simulated satellite galaxies, we find that our RR Lyrae-based search is more sensitive than those using resolved stellar populations in the regime of large (rh ≳ 500 pc), low-surface-brightness dwarf galaxies. A blind search for large, diffuse satellites yields three candidate substructures. The first can be confidently associated with the dwarf galaxy Eridanus II. The second has a distance and proper motion similar to the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Tucana II but is separated by ∼5 deg. The third is close in projection to the globular cluster NGC 1851 but is ∼10 kpc more distant and appears to differ in proper motion.

AB - We present a search for RR Lyrae stars using the full six-year data set from the Dark Energy Survey covering ∼5000 deg2 of the southern sky. Using a multistage multivariate classification and light-curve template-fitting scheme, we identify RR Lyrae candidates with a median of 35 observations per candidate. We detect 6971 RR Lyrae candidates out to ∼335 kpc, and we estimate that our sample is >70% complete at ∼150 kpc. We find excellent agreement with other wide-area RR Lyrae catalogs and RR Lyrae studies targeting the Magellanic Clouds and other Milky Way satellite galaxies. We fit the smooth stellar halo density profile using a broken-power-law model with fixed halo flattening (q = 0.7), and we find strong evidence for a break at R0 = 32.1+1.1-0.9 kpc with an inner slope of n1= - 2.54+0.09-0.09 and an outer slope of n2 = -5.42+0.13-0.14. We use our catalog to perform a search for Milky Way satellite galaxies with large sizes and low luminosities. Using a set of simulated satellite galaxies, we find that our RR Lyrae-based search is more sensitive than those using resolved stellar populations in the regime of large (rh ≳ 500 pc), low-surface-brightness dwarf galaxies. A blind search for large, diffuse satellites yields three candidate substructures. The first can be confidently associated with the dwarf galaxy Eridanus II. The second has a distance and proper motion similar to the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Tucana II but is separated by ∼5 deg. The third is close in projection to the globular cluster NGC 1851 but is ∼10 kpc more distant and appears to differ in proper motion.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105347376&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/abe873

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/abe873

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85105347376

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 911

SP - 1

EP - 26

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 109

ER -

Identifying RR Lyrae variable stars in six years of the Dark Energy Survey

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