Day 223

Friday.  Journal Club yesterday was lame; and I thought I had a good week of reading.  Anyway, next week is Edo.  German class was good yesterday, talked to more people--Adam, Owen, and Lucas.  I think Myung-Ran thinks I'm strange (which I am).  My bad social skills from elementary school is re-surfacing.  I guess now is the time to re-work those skills.  Went running with Peter G. yesterday, seems like our fitness level are the same (not to diss Peter or anything).  The running has made my brain work slower this morning.


1203.3192
The DEEP2 galaxy redshift survey: design, observations, data reduction, and redshifts
Newman, Cooper, Davids, Faber, Coil, Guhathakura, Koo, Phillips, Conroy, Dutton, Finkbeiner, Gerke, Rosario, Weiner, Willmer, Yan, Harker, Kassin, Konidaris, Lai, et al


Design and data sample from DEEP2 galaxy redshift survey: densest and largest precision-redshift survey of galaxies at z~1 completed to date.  Comprehensive census of massive galaxies, properties, environments, and LSS down to M_B=-20 at z~1 via ~90 nights of observation on DEIMOS (R~6000) at Keck.  Covers 2.8 deg. sq. split into 4 fields, observed to a limiting magnitude of R_AB=24.1.  Efficiently target z>0.7 objects with BRI photometry in 3 of the 4 fields.  60% of eligible targets chosen for spectroscopy, 53k spectra and >38k reliable measurements.  Non-secure objects are blue and z>1.45, where OII 3727 doublet lies in the IR.  Extensive ancillary data available, especially in the EGS, one of the richest multi wavelength regions on the sky.  A handbook for DR4; includes spectra and redshifts, data reduction pipelines.  Details of object selection, mask design, bias in target selection and redshift measurements, the spec2d, spec1d pipelines and the spec visual redshift verification process, along with examples of instrumental signatures of other artifacts that in some cases remain after data reduction.  Redshift errors and catastrophic failure rates are assessed through more than 2000 objects with duplicate observations.  Sky subtraction is essentially photo-limited under bright OH sky lines; describe strategies that permitted this, based on high image stability, accurate wavelength solutions, and b-spline modeling methods.  Summary data are given that demonstrate the superiority of DEEP2 over other deep redshift surveys at z~1 in terms of galaxy numbers, redshift accuracy, sample number density, and amount of spectral information.  Overview of scientific highlights of DEEP2 thus far.


1203.3193
QSO 0347-383 and the invariance of m_p/m_e in the course of cosmic time
Wendt, Molaro


Variation in proton to electron mass ratio can be constrained via observation of Lyman and Werner lines of molecular hydrogen in damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs) in the LoS to distant QSOs.  Use high-resolution QSO spectra, dmu/mu = 4.3pm7.2e-6 at z_abs=3.025; apply corrections for the observed offsets between discrete spectra; find indications for inter-order distortions.  Current analysis underestimate the impact of systematic errors.  Based on the scatter of the measured redshifts and the corresponding low significance of z-sensitivity correlation, estimate the limit of accuracy of line position measurements to about 220 m/s, consisting of roughly 150 m/s due to the uncertainty of the absorption line fit, and about 150 m/s allocated to systematics related to instrumentation and calibration.


* what is "inter-order distortions"?


1203.3195
Testing dark energy paradigms with weak gravitational lensing
Vanderveld, Mortonson, Hu, Eifler


Use constraints from existing datasets on cosmic expansion to predict what future probes of structure growth is needed to verify theory invoked to explain cosmic expansion.  Apply method to predict what range of cosmic shear power spectra would be expected if we lived in a LCDM universe, with or without spatial curvature, and what results would be inconsistent and therefore falsify the model.  Explore how uncertainties in the NL matter power spectrum (from approximate fitting formulas such as Halofit, WDM or baryons) impact the limits.


1203.3199
The spectral energy distributions and infrared luminosities of z ~ 2 dust obscured galaxies from Herschel and Sptizer
Melbourne, Soifer, Desai, Pope, Armus, Dey, Bussmann, Jannuzi, Alberts


Take IR photometry of spectroscopically confirmed high-z (~2) dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs; a subset of optically faint ULIRGS), 113 of them.  60% of sample detected in the far IR.  Compare with (rest-frame) photometry of local ULIRGs (Mrk231--with quasar, NGC6240--with starburst, Arp 220), to find similarities.  ...other IR characteristics.