IMPROVED SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC CALIBRATION of the SDSS-III BOSS QUASAR SAMPLE

Daniel Margala, David Kirkby, Kyle Dawson, Stephen Bailey, Michael Blanton, Donald P. Schneider

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    We present a model for spectrophotometric calibration errors in observations of quasars from the third generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) and describe the correction procedure we have developed and applied to this sample. Calibration errors are primarily due to atmospheric differential refraction and guiding offsets during each exposure. The corrections potentially reduce the systematics for any studies of BOSS quasars, including the measurement of baryon acoustic oscillations using the Lyα forest. Our model suggests that, on average, the observed quasar flux in BOSS is overestimated by ∼19% at 3600 Å and underestimated by ∼24% at 10,000 Å. Our corrections for the entire BOSS quasar sample are publicly available.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Article number157
    JournalAstrophysical Journal
    Volume831
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Nov 10 2016

    Keywords

    • cosmology: observations
    • intergalactic medium
    • quasars: absorption lines
    • quasars: general

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Astronomy and Astrophysics
    • Space and Planetary Science

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