Joint Modelling of Dust Scattering and Thermal Emission: The Spider Complex

Zhang, Jielai; Martín, P. G.; Cloutier, Ryan; Price-Jones, Natalie; Abraham, Roberto; Dokkum, Pieter van; Merritt, Allison

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/acc177

Cited by 3 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…A comparison with Panel (c) shows that strong similarity exists between the submillimeter dust map and the optical data. This reinforces our assumption that the same dust population emits thermally in the submillimeter and scatters the starlight in the optical (as expected by dust models, Zhang et al 2023; and see discussion in Section 8.2). This correlation is also supported by observations in various other studies (e.g., Ienaka et al 2013;Miville-Deschênes et al 2016;Román et al 2020;Marchuk et al 2021;Lim et al 2022;Smirnov et al 2023).…”

Section: Dust Priors: a Better Path For Background Modeling?supporting

confidence: 87%

“…The central region of the Spider field was previously observed by Dragonfly in 2014 and 2017, with earlier configurations of the array (Zhang et al 2023). In Zhang et al (2023), the Dragonfly Spider data is investigated jointly with Herschel data to test dust and scattering models.…”

Section: Field 1: the Spider Field (Extreme Cirrus Emission)mentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Located at a height z = 205 pc above the Galactic Plane, the Spider field is at the top of the arch of the North Celestial Pole Loop (Martin et al 2015;Blagrave et al 2017;Taank et al 2022;Marchal & Martin 2023). The central region of the Spider field was previously observed by Dragonfly in 2014 and 2017, with earlier configurations of the array (Zhang et al 2023). In Zhang et al (2023), the Dragonfly Spider data is investigated jointly with Herschel data to test dust and scattering models.…”

Section: Field 1: the Spider Field (Extreme Cirrus Emission)mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…One person's trash is another's treasure. The Galactic cirrus contaminant in extragalactic science is of great interest to researchers interested in the interstellar dust at visible wavelengths in the Milky Way, particularly those seeking to constrain their physical properties and conditions (e.g., Ienaka et al 2013;Miville-Deschênes et al 2016;Marchuk et al 2021;Lim et al 2022;Smirnov et al 2023;Zhang et al 2023). Historically, using Galactic cirrus complexes at visible wavelengths as diagnostics has been difficult because of the low surface brightness nature of the structures and their large angular sizes, which can span many degrees on the sky.…”

Section: Challenges To Obtaining Unbiased Sky Background Estimatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Recipe for Unbiased Background Modeling in Deep Wide-field Astronomical Images

Liu

Abraham

Martín

et al. 2023

ApJ

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Unbiased sky background modeling is crucial for the analysis of deep wide-field images, but it remains a major challenge in low surface brightness astronomy. Traditional image processing algorithms are often designed to produce artificially flat backgrounds, erasing astrophysically meaningful structures. In this paper, we present three ideas that can be combined to produce wide-field astronomical data that preserve accurate representations of the background sky: (1) Use of all-sky infrared/submillimeter data to remove the large-scale time-varying components while leaving the scattered light from Galactic cirrus intact, with the assumptions of (a) the underlying background has little power on small scales, and (b) the Galactic cirrus in the field is optically thin on large scales; (2) Censoring of frames contaminated by anomalously prominent wings in the wide-angle point-spread function; and (3) Incorporation of spatial covariance in image stacking that controls the local background consistency. We demonstrate these methods using example data sets obtained with the Dragonfly Telephoto Array, but these general techniques are prospective to be applied to improve sky models in data obtained from other wide-field imaging surveys, including those from the upcoming Vera Rubin Telescope.

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Section: Dust Priors: a Better Path For Background Modeling?supporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Field 1: the Spider Field (Extreme Cirrus Emission)mentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Field 1: the Spider Field (Extreme Cirrus Emission)mentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Challenges To Obtaining Unbiased Sky Background Estimatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Recipe for Unbiased Background Modeling in Deep Wide-field Astronomical Images

Liu

Abraham

Martín

et al. 2023

ApJ

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“…Sandage (1976) identified the nature of these faint optical diffuse cloud structures, which are called integrated flux nebulae (IFN) because they are illuminated not by the light of a single star but by the ISRF of the Galaxy. Zhang et al (2023) demonstrated the benefits of joint modeling of the intensity of scattered light and thermal emission from dust, focusing for illustration on an optically thin IFN and infrared cirrus called the Spider.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnostics from Polarization of Scattered Optical Light from Galactic Infrared Cirrus

Bowes,

Martin

2023

ApJ

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We propose polarization of scattered optical light from intermediate Galactic latitude infrared cirrus as a new diagnostic to constrain models of interstellar dust and the anisotropic interstellar radiation field (aISRF). For single scattering by a sphere, with Mie scattering phase functions for intensity and polarized intensity for a dust model at a given wavelength (Sloan r and g bands), and with models of anisotropic illumination from the entire sky (represented in HEALPix), we develop the formalism for calculating useful summary parameters for an integrated flux nebula (IFN): the average of the phase function weighted by the illumination, polarization angle (ψ), and polarization fraction (p). To demonstrate the diagnostic discrimination of polarization from scattered light, we report on the effects of different anisotropic illumination models and different dust models on the summary parameters for the Spider IFN. The summary parameters are also sensitive to the IFN location, as we illustrate using FRaNKIE illumination models. For assessing the viability of dust and aISRF models, we find that observations of ψ and p of scattered light are indeed powerful new diagnostics to complement joint modeling of the intensity of scattered light (related to the average phase function) and the intensity of thermal dust emission. However, optically thin IFNs that can be modeled using single scattering are faint and p is not large, as it could be with Rayleigh scattering, and so these observations need to be carried out with care and precision. Results for the Draco nebula compared to the Spider illustrate the challenge.

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CAVITY, Calar Alto Void Integral-field Treasury surveY and project extension

Pérez,

Verley,

Sánchez-Menguiano

et al. 2024

A&A

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We have learnt in the last decades that the majority of galaxies belong to high density regions interconnected in a sponge-like fashion. This large-scale structure is characterised by clusters, filaments, and walls, where most galaxies concentrate, but also under-dense regions called voids. The void regions and the galaxies within represent an ideal place for the study of galaxy formation and evolution, as they are largely unaffected by the complex physical processes that transform galaxies in high-density environments. The void galaxies may hold the key to answer current challenges to the Lambda CDM paradigm as well. The CAVITY survey is a Legacy project approved by the Calar Alto Observatory to obtain spatially resolved spectroscopic information of $ void galaxies in the Local Universe (0.005 < z < 0.050), covering -17.0 to -21.5 in $ r$ band absolute magnitude. It officially started in January 2021 and has been awarded 110 useful dark observing nights at the 3.5 m telescope using the PMAS spectrograph. Complementary follow-up projects, including deep optical imaging, integrated as well as resolved CO data, and integrated HI spectra, have joined the PMAS observations and naturally complete the scientific aim of characterising galaxies in cosmic voids. The extension data has been named CAVITY+. The data will be available to the whole community in different data releases, the first of which is planned for July 2024, and it will provide the community with PMAS datacubes for around 100 void galaxies through a user friendly and well documented database platform. Here, we present the survey, sample selection, data reduction, quality control schemes, science goals, and some examples of the scientific power of the CAVITY and CAVITY+ data.

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Joint Modelling of Dust Scattering and Thermal Emission: The Spider Complex

Cited by 3 publications

References 69 publications

A Recipe for Unbiased Background Modeling in Deep Wide-field Astronomical Images

A Recipe for Unbiased Background Modeling in Deep Wide-field Astronomical Images

Diagnostics from Polarization of Scattered Optical Light from Galactic Infrared Cirrus

CAVITY, Calar Alto Void Integral-field Treasury surveY and project extension

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