Article

The Farmer: A Reproducible Profile-fitting Photometry Package for Deep Galaxy Surveys

J. R. WeaverCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), DenmarkL. ZaleskyInstitute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USAVasily KokorevCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), DenmarkConor McPartlandCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), DenmarkNima ChartabDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USAKatriona M. L. GouldCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), DenmarkMarko ShuntovInstitut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, and Sorbonne Université, 98 bis boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris, FranceI. DavidzonCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), DenmarkAndreas L. FaisstInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USANathaniel R. StickleyInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAP. CapakSune ToftCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), DenmarkDaniel MastersInfrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAB. MobasherDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USAD. B. SandersInstitute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USAO. B. KauffmannAix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LAM, Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, Marseille, FranceH. J. McCrackenInstitut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, and Sorbonne Université, 98 bis boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris, FranceO. IlbertAix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LAM, Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, Marseille, FranceGabriel BrammerCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), DenmarkA. MonetiInstitut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, and Sorbonne Université, 98 bis boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris, France

2023en

ABI

Abstract

Abstract While space-borne optical and near-infrared facilities have succeeded in delivering a precise and spatially resolved picture of our Universe, their small survey area is known to underrepresent the true diversity of galaxy populations. Ground-based surveys have reached comparable depths but at lower spatial resolution, resulting in source confusion that hampers accurate photometry extractions. What once was limited to the infrared regime has now begun to challenge ground-based ultradeep surveys, affecting detection and photometry alike. Failing to address these challenges will mean forfeiting a representative view into the distant Universe. We introduce The Farmer : an automated, reproducible profile-fitting photometry package that pairs a library of smooth parametric models from The Tractor with a decision tree that determines the best-fit model in concert with neighboring sources. Photometry is measured by fitting the models on other bands leaving brightness free to vary. The resulting photometric measurements are naturally total, and no aperture corrections are required. Supporting diagnostics (e.g., χ 2 ) enable measurement validation. As fitting models is relatively time intensive, The Farmer is built with high-performance computing routines. We benchmark The Farmer on a set of realistic COSMOS-like images and find accurate photometry, number counts, and galaxy shapes. The Farmer is already being utilized to produce catalogs for several large-area deep extragalactic surveys where it has been shown to tackle some of the most challenging optical and near-infrared data available, with the promise of extending to other ultradeep surveys expected in the near future. The Farmer is available to download from GitHub ( https://github.com/astroweaver/the_farmer ) and Zenodo ( https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8205817 ).

Identifiers

DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/acf850

Citations and references

Cited by 10 references

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