Preparing for low surface brightness science with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory: Characterization of tidal features from mock images
Open accessAbstract
Tidal features in the outskirts of galaxies yield unique information about their past interactions and are a key prediction of the hierarchical structure formation paradigm. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is poised to deliver deep observations for potentially millions of objects with visible tidal features, but the inference of galaxy interaction histories from such features is not straightforward. Utilizing automated techniques and human visual classification in conjunction with realistic mock images produced using the NewHorizon cosmological simulation, we investigate the nature, frequency, and visibility of tidal features and debris across a range of environments and stellar masses. In our simulated sample, around 80 per cent of the flux in the tidal features around Milky Way or greater mass galaxies is detected at the 10-yr depth of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (30–31 mag arcsec−2), falling to 60 per cent assuming a shallower final depth of 29.5 mag arcsec−2. The fraction of total flux found in tidal features increases towards higher masses, rising to 10 per cent for the most massive objects in our sample (M⋆ ∼ 1011.5 M⊙). When observed at sufficient depth, such objects frequently exhibit many distinct tidal features with complex shapes. The interpretation and characterization of such features varies significantly with image depth and object orientation, introducing significant biases in their classification. Assuming the data reduction pipeline is properly optimized, we expect the Rubin Observatory to be capable of recovering much of the flux found in the outskirts of Milky Way mass galaxies, even at intermediate redshifts (z < 0.2).
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LSST is predicted to reach a limiting surface brightness of μ_r ∼ 30.3 mag arcsec^-2.
“which is predicted to reach 𝜇 𝑟 ∼ 30.3 mag arcsec -2 (Martin et al. 2022)”
From Detecting galaxy tidal features using self-supervised representation learning (2024) · cites this paper as Martin et al. 2022
Section 2.3.3 (page unavailable) reports predictions for LSST’s final limiting surface brightness ranging from approximately 29.5 to 31 mag arcsec⁻². That supports a limit around 30.3 mag arcsec⁻², but the paper does not identify 30.3 as a specific prediction; it also says the achieved depth depends on data reduction. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe tendency of high classifier scores for brighter, larger, lower redshift galaxies is likely not entirely due to bias within the model, since tidal features are more likely to be visible for brighter, larger, lower redshift galaxies.
“This is likely not entirely due to bias within the model, since tidal features are more likely to be visible for brighter, larger, lower redshift galaxies (e.g. Kado-Fong et al. 2018; Martin et al. 2022)”
From Detecting galaxy tidal features using self-supervised representation learning (2024) · cites this paper as Martin et al. 2022
Section 4.2.1 reports that fewer tidal features are identified at higher redshift as objects become dimmer and smaller in apparent size. Sections 3.3 and 4.2.1 also report easier detection in more massive galaxies with stronger, brighter tidal features. The paper does not separately establish that physically larger galaxies have more visible tidal features; the statement about model bias is the citing authors’ inference. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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References 230 · Cited by 76
Research works printed but not linked: 7
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- Authors
- Martin, G., Bazkiaei, A. E., Spavone, M., Iodice, E., Mihos, J. C., Montes, M., Benavides, J. A., Brough, S., Carlin, J. L., Collins, C. A., Duc, P. A., Gómez, F. A., Galaz, G., Hernández-Toledo, H. M., Jackson, R. A., Kaviraj, S., Knapen, J. H., Martínez-Lombilla, C., McGee, S., O’Ryan, D., Prole, D. J., Rich, R. M., Román, J., Shah, E. A., Starkenburg, T. K., Watkins, A. E., Zaritsky, D., Pichon, C., Armus, L., Bianconi, M., Buitrago, F., Busá, I., Davis, F., Demarco, R., Desmons, A., García, P., Graham, A. W., Holwerda, B., Hon, D. S. H., Khalid, A., Klehammer, J., Klutse, D. Y., Lazar, I., Nair, P., Noakes-Kettel, E. A., Rutkowski, M., Saha, K., Sahu, N., Sola, E., Vázquez-Mata, J. A., Vera-Casanova, A., & Yoon, I.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- Australian Research Council (AU)
- Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte (IT)
- Case Western Reserve University (US)
- Space Telescope Science Institute (US)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- NSF NOIRLab (US)
- Liverpool John Moores University (GB)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of La Serena (CL)
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (CL)
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
- Yonsei University (KR)
- University of Hertfordshire (GB)
- Universidad de La Laguna (ES)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Lancaster University (GB)
- Macquarie University (AU)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Northwestern University (US)
- Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KR)
- California Institute of Technology (US)
- Universidad de Valladolid (ES)
- INAF - Catania Astrophysical Observatory , Via S. Sofia, 78, I-95123 Catania, Italy
- University of Concepción (CL)
- Valencian International University (ES)
- Swinburne University of Technology (AU)
- University of Louisville (US)
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA)
- University of Alabama (US)
- Minnesota State University, Mankato (US)
- Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IN)
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (AU)
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory (US)
- Corresponding author
- Martin, G
- Bazkiaei, A E
- ORCID
- Martin, G
- Bazkiaei, A E
- Spavone, M
- Iodice, E
- Mihos, J C
- Montes, M
- Benavides, J A
- Brough, S
- Carlin, J L
- Duc, P A
- Gómez, F A
- Galaz, G
- Hernández-Toledo, H M
- Jackson, R A
- Kaviraj, S
- Knapen, J H
- Martínez-Lombilla, C
- McGee, S
- O’Ryan, D
- Prole, D J
- Rich, R M
- Román, J
- Starkenburg, T K
- Watkins, A E
- Zaritsky, D
- Pichon, C
- Armus, L
- Bianconi, M
- Buitrago, F
- Busá, I
- Davis, F
- Demarco, R
- Desmons, A
- Graham, A W
- Holwerda, B
- Hon, D S -H
- Khalid, A
- Lazar, I
- Nair, P
- Rutkowski, M
- Saha, K
- Sahu, N
- Sola, E
- Vázquez-Mata, J A
- Vera-Casanova, A
- Yoon, I
- Venue
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2022-04-11
- Volume
- 513
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1459-1487
- ISSN
- 0035-8711 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2966
- OpenAlex
- W4223438513
- Cited by
- 76
- References
- 230
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 5
- FWCI
- 6.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
- Locations
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (publishedVersion)
- Liverpool John Moores University (acceptedVersion)
- UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) (acceptedVersion)
- University of Hertfordshire Research Archive (University of Hertfordshire) (acceptedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) (submittedVersion)
- University of Hertfordshire Research Archive (University of Hertfordshire) (submittedVersion)
- CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Funders
- CONICET (PIP 11220170100527CO)
- National Science Foundation (AST-1816196, #1829740)
- Science and Technology Research Council (ST/S006095/1, ST/V506709/1)
- LJMU
- FONDECYT
- Max Planck Society
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/S00615X/1, ST/N021702/1, ST/V506709/1, PID2020-116188GA-I00, PID2019-107427GB-C32)
- European Union
- Horizon 2020 (721463)
- AEI
- Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
- IAC (P/300724)
- Ministry of Science and Innovation
- Australian Research Council (DP190102448)
- Moore Foundation
- 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 › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
- Keywords
- tidal features, galaxy interactions, Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Legacy Survey of Space and Time, low surface brightness, galaxy outskirts, tidal debris, image depth, automatic classification, stellar mass, intermediate-redshift galaxies
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