K -Corrections and Filter Transformations in the Ultraviolet, Optical, and Near-Infrared
Open accessAbstract
Template fits to observed galaxy fluxes allow calculation of K -corrections and conversions among observations of galaxies at various wavelengths. We present a method for creating model-based template sets given a set of heterogeneous photometric and spectroscopic galaxy data. Our technique, nonnegative matrix factorization, is akin to principal component analysis (PCA), except that it is constrained to produce nonnegative templates, it can use a basis set of models (rather than the delta-function basis of PCA), and it naturally handles uncertainties, missing data, and heterogeneous data (including broadband fluxes at various redshifts). The particular implementation we present here is suitable for ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared observations in the redshift range 0 < z < 1.5. Since we base our templates on stellar population synthesis models, the results are interpretable in terms of approximate stellar masses and star formation histories. We present templates fitted with this method to data from Galaxy Evolution Explorer , Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopy and photometry, the Two Micron All Sky Survey, the Deep Extragalactic Evolutionary Probe, and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey. In addition, we present software for using such data to estimate K -corrections.
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The BCG of MACSJ0138 has a V-band absolute luminosity of 4.94 × 10^11 L⊙ and a stellar mass-to-light ratio Υ∗,V of 2.05.
“This yields a V-band absolute luminosity of 4 . 94 × 10 11 L ⊙ with a corresponding Υ ∗ ,V of 2 . 05.”
From Constraint on dark matter self-interaction from combined strong lensing and stellar kinematics in MACS J0138-2155 (2026) · cites this paper as [51]
Section 6 describes tools for calculating solar absolute magnitudes and converting between filters, and Figure 18 discusses V-band mass-to-light ratios for galaxies generally. Searches for MACSJ0138, its BCG, and the quoted values found no passage reporting a V-band luminosity of 4.94 × 10^11 L⊙ or a stellar mass-to-light ratio of 2.05. The indexed passages provide no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Photometric System
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BackgroundMaraston, C. (2005) · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09270.x · Cited by 1,907 · see citing works
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THE AVERAGE STAR FORMATION HISTORIES OF GALAXIES IN DARK MATTER HALOS FROM <i>z</i> = 0-8
Behroozi, P. S., Wechsler, R. H., & Conroy, C. (2013) · The Astrophysical Journal · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/770/1/57 · Cited by 2,167 · see citing works
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Spectroscopic needs for imaging dark energy experiments
Newman, J. A., Abate, A., Abdalla, F. B., Allam, S., Allen, S. W., Ansari, R., Bailey, S., Barkhouse, W. A., Beers, T. C., Blanton, M. R., et al. (2015) · Astroparticle Physics · doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2014.06.007 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Blanton, M. R., & Roweis, S.
- Affiliations
- New York University (US)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- ORCID
- Blanton, Michael R.
- Venue
- The Astronomical Journal
- Publisher
- American Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2007-01-16
- Volume
- 133
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 734-754
- ISSN
- 0004-6256 (ISSN-L)
- 1538-3881
- OpenAlex
- W2028715663
- Cited by
- 1,579
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 37 · 2025: 58 · 2024: 68 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 55 · 2021: 75 · 2020: 81 · 2019: 77 · 2018: 84 · 2017: 108 · 2016: 107 · 2015: 107 · 2014: 100 · 2013: 108 · 2012: 116
- FWCI
- 40.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Astronomical Journal (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- CERN Document Server (European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- Princeton University
- University of Washington
- Johns Hopkins University
- New Mexico State University
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie
- U.S. Naval Observatory
- Fermilab
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Instrumentation › Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
- Keywords
- K-correction, filter transformation, non-negative matrix factorization, stellar population synthesis, star formation history, stellar mass, ultraviolet photometry, near-infrared photometry, optical photometry, template fitting, GALEX, Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey, 2MASS, Sloan Digital Sky Survey
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