Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Measuring the Survey Transfer Function with Balrog

We describe an updated calibration and diagnostic framework, Balrog, used to directly sample the selection and photometric biases of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 3 (Y3) data set. We systematically inject onto the single-epoch images of a random 20% subset of the DES footprint an ensemble of nearly 30 million realistic galaxy models derived from DES Deep Field observations. These augmented images are analyzed in parallel with the original data to automatically inherit measurement systematics that are often too difficult to capture with generative models. The resulting object catalog is a Monte Carlo sampling of the DES transfer function and is used as a powerful diagnostic and calibration tool for a variety of DES Y3 science, particularly for the calibration of the photometric redshifts of distant “source” galaxies and magnification biases of nearer “lens” galaxies. The recovered Balrog injections are shown to closely match the photometric property distributions of the Y3 GOLD catalog, particularly in color, and capture the number density fluctuations from observing conditions of the real data within 1% for a typical galaxy sample. We find that Y3 colors are extremely well calibrated, typically within ∼1–8 mmag, but for a small subset of objects, we detect significant magnitude biases correlated with large overestimates of the injected object size due to proximity effects and blending. We discuss approaches to extend the current methodology to capture more aspects of the transfer function and reach full coverage of the survey footprint for future analyses.

Probing Galaxy Evolution in Massive Clusters Using ACT and DES: Splashback as a Cosmic Clock

We measure the projected number density profiles of galaxies and the splashback feature in clusters selected by the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect from the Advanced Atacama Cosmology Telescope (AdvACT) survey using galaxies observed by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). The splashback radius is consistent with CDM-only simulations and is located at 2.4 − 0.4 + 0.3 Mpc h − 1 . We split the galaxies on color and find significant differences in their profile shapes. Red and green-valley galaxies show a splashback-like minimum in their slope profile consistent with theory, while the bluest galaxies show a weak feature at a smaller radius. We develop a mapping of galaxies to subhalos in simulations and assign colors based on infall time onto their hosts. We find that the shift in location of the steepest slope and different profile shapes can be mapped to the average time of infall of galaxies of different colors. The steepest slope traces a discontinuity in the phase space of dark matter halos. By relating spatial profiles to infall time, we can use splashback as a clock to understand galaxy quenching. We find that red galaxies have on average been in clusters over 3.2 Gyr, green galaxies about 2.2 Gyr, while blue galaxies have been accreted most recently and have not reached apocenter. Using the full radial profiles, we fit a simple quenching model and find that the onset of galaxy quenching occurs after a delay of about a gigayear and that galaxies quench rapidly thereafter with an exponential timescale of 0.6 Gyr.

Measuring the Mass of the Large Magellanic Cloud with Stellar Streams Observed by S 5

Stellar streams are excellent probes of the underlying gravitational potential in which they evolve. In this work, we fit dynamical models to five streams in the Southern Galactic hemisphere, combining observations from the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S 5), Gaia EDR3, and the Dark Energy Survey, to measure the mass of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). With an ensemble of streams, we find a mass of the LMC ranging from ∼14–19 × 1010 M ⊙, probed over a range of closest approach times and distances. With the most constraining stream (Orphan–Chenab), we measure an LMC mass of 18.8 − 4.0 + 3.5 × 10 10 M ⊙ , probed at a closest approach time of 310 Myr and a closest approach distance of 25.4 kpc. This mass is compatible with previous measurements, showing that a consistent picture is emerging of the LMC’s influence on structures in the Milky Way. Using this sample of streams, we find that the LMC’s effect depends on the relative orientation of the stream and LMC at their point of closest approach. To better understand this, we present a simple model based on the impulse approximation and we show that the LMC’s effect depends both on the magnitude of the velocity kick imparted to the stream and the direction of this kick.

Discovery of 178 Giant Radio Galaxies in 1059 deg2 of the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey at 888 MHz

We report the results of a visual inspection of images of the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) in search of extended radio galaxies (ERG) that reach or exceed linear sizes on the order of one Megaparsec. We searched a contiguous area of 1059 deg2 from RAJ = 20h20m to 06h20m, and −50∘<DecJ<−40∘, which is covered by deep multi-band optical images of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and in which previously only three ERGs larger than 1 Mpc had been reported. For over 1800 radio galaxy candidates inspected, our search in optical and infrared images resulted in hosts for 1440 ERG, for which spectroscopic and photometric redshifts from various references were used to convert their largest angular size (LAS) to projected linear size (LLS). This resulted in 178 newly discovered giant radio sources (GRS) with LLS >1 Mpc, of which 18 exceed 2 Mpc and the largest one is 3.4 Mpc. Their redshifts range from 0.02 to ∼2.0, but only 10 of the 178 new GRS have spectroscopic redshifts. For the 146 host galaxies, the median r-band magnitude and redshift are 20.9 and 0.64, while for the 32 quasars or candidates these are 19.7 and 0.75. Merging the six most recent large compilations of GRS results in 458 GRS larger than 1 Mpc, so we were able to increase this number by ∼39% to 636.

A Multiwavelength Dynamical State Analysis of ACT-CL J0019.6+0336

In our study, we show a multiwavelength view of ACT-CL J0019.6+0336 (which hosts a radio halo), to investigate the cluster dynamics, morphology, and ICM. We use a combination of XMM-Newton images, Dark Energy Survey (DES) imaging and photometry, SDSS spectroscopic information, and 1.16 GHz MeerKAT data to study the cluster properties. Various X-ray and optical morphology parameters are calculated to investigate the level of disturbance. We find disturbances in two X-ray parameters and the optical density map shows elongated and axisymmetric structures with the main cluster component southeast of the cluster centre and another component northwest of the cluster centre. We also find a BCG offset of ∼950 km/s from the mean velocity of the cluster, and a discrepancy between the SZ mass, X-ray mass, and dynamical mass (MX,500 and MSZ,500 lies >3σ away from Mdyn,500), showing that J0019 is a merging cluster and probably in a post-merging phase.

DES map shows a smoother distribution of matter than expected: a possible explanation

The largest and most detailed map of the distribution of dark matter in the Universe has been recently created by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) team. The distribution was found to be slightly (by a few percent) smoother and less clumpy than predicted by general relativity. This result was considered as a hint of some new physical laws. In the present paper we offer a relatively simple model that could explain the above result without resorting to any new physical laws. The model deals with the dynamics of a system consisting of a large number of gravitating neutral particles, whose mass is equal to the mass of hydrogen atoms. The central point of the model is a partial inhibition of the gravitation for a relatively small subsystem of the entire system. It would be sufficient for this subsystem to constitute just about a few percent of the total ensemble of particles for explaining the few percent more smooth distribution of dark matter (observed by the DES team) compared to the prediction of general relativity. The most viable candidate for the dark matter particles in this model is the second flavor of hydrogen atoms (SFHA) that has only S-states and therefore does not couple to the electric dipole radiation or even to higher multipole radiation, so that the SFHA is practically dark. The SFHA has experimental confirmation from atomic experiments, it does not go beyond the Standard Model, it is based on standard quantum mechanics and it explains puzzling astrophysical observations of the redshifted line 21 cm from the early Universe. Thus, our model explaining the DES result of a little too smooth distribution of dark matter without resorting to any new physical laws seems to be self-consistent.

Magnetar Models of Superluminous Supernovae from the Dark Energy Survey: Exploring Redshift Evolution

Superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) are luminous transients that can be detected to high redshifts with upcoming optical time-domain surveys such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time. An interesting open question is whether the properties of SLSNe evolve through cosmic time. To address this question, in this paper we model the multicolor light curves of all 21 Type I SLSNe from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) with a magnetar spin-down engine, implemented in the Modular Open-Source Fitter for Transients (MOSFiT). With redshifts up to z ≈ 2, this sample includes some of the highest-redshift SLSNe. We find that the DES SLSNe span a similar range of ejecta and magnetar engine parameters as previous samples of mostly lower-redshift SLSNe (spin period P ≈ 0.79–13.61 ms, magnetic field B ≈ (0.03–7.33) × 1014 G, ejecta mass M ej ≈ 1.54–30.32 M ⊙, and ejecta velocity v ej ≈ (0.55–1.45) × 104 km s−1). The DES SLSN sample by itself exhibits the previously found negative correlation between M ej and P, with a pronounced absence of SLSNe with low ejecta mass and rapid spin. Combining our results for the DES SLSNe with 60 previous SLSNe modeled in the same way, we find no evidence for redshift evolution in any of the key physical parameters.