Improving Photometric Redshift Estimation using GPz: size information, post processing and improved photometry

The next generation of large scale imaging surveys (such as those conducted with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and Euclid) will require accurate photometric redshifts in order to optimally extract cosmological information. Gaussian Processes for photometric redshift estimation (GPz) is a promi...

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Main Authors: Gomes, Z, Jarvis, M, Almosallam, I, Roberts, S
Format: Journal article
Published: Oxford University Press 2017
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author Gomes, Z
Jarvis, M
Almosallam, I
Roberts, S
author_facet Gomes, Z
Jarvis, M
Almosallam, I
Roberts, S
author_sort Gomes, Z
collection OXFORD
description The next generation of large scale imaging surveys (such as those conducted with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and Euclid) will require accurate photometric redshifts in order to optimally extract cosmological information. Gaussian Processes for photometric redshift estimation (GPz) is a promising new method that has been proven to provide efficient, accurate photometric redshift estimations with reliable variance predictions. In this paper, we investigate a number of methods for improving the photometric redshift estimations obtained using GPz (but which are also applicable to others). We use spectroscopy from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly Data Release 2 with a limiting magnitude of r<19.4 along with corresponding Sloan Digital Sky Survey visible (ugriz) photometry and the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey Large Area Survey near-IR (YJHK) photometry. We evaluate the effects of adding near-IR magnitudes and angular size as features for the training, validation and testing of GPz and find that these improve the accuracy of the results by ~15-20 per cent. In addition, we explore a post-processing method of shifting the probability distributions of the estimated redshifts based on their Quantile-Quantile plots and find that it improves the bias by ~40 per cent. Finally, we investigate the effects of using more precise photometry obtained from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program Data Release 1 and find that it produces significant improvements in accuracy, similar to the effect of including additional features.
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spelling oxford-uuid:e9a9f4fd-16aa-4a19-aad9-7888beeae69b2022-03-27T10:56:04ZImproving Photometric Redshift Estimation using GPz: size information, post processing and improved photometryJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:e9a9f4fd-16aa-4a19-aad9-7888beeae69bSymplectic Elements at OxfordOxford University Press2017Gomes, ZJarvis, MAlmosallam, IRoberts, SThe next generation of large scale imaging surveys (such as those conducted with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and Euclid) will require accurate photometric redshifts in order to optimally extract cosmological information. Gaussian Processes for photometric redshift estimation (GPz) is a promising new method that has been proven to provide efficient, accurate photometric redshift estimations with reliable variance predictions. In this paper, we investigate a number of methods for improving the photometric redshift estimations obtained using GPz (but which are also applicable to others). We use spectroscopy from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly Data Release 2 with a limiting magnitude of r<19.4 along with corresponding Sloan Digital Sky Survey visible (ugriz) photometry and the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey Large Area Survey near-IR (YJHK) photometry. We evaluate the effects of adding near-IR magnitudes and angular size as features for the training, validation and testing of GPz and find that these improve the accuracy of the results by ~15-20 per cent. In addition, we explore a post-processing method of shifting the probability distributions of the estimated redshifts based on their Quantile-Quantile plots and find that it improves the bias by ~40 per cent. Finally, we investigate the effects of using more precise photometry obtained from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program Data Release 1 and find that it produces significant improvements in accuracy, similar to the effect of including additional features.
spellingShingle Gomes, Z
Jarvis, M
Almosallam, I
Roberts, S
Improving Photometric Redshift Estimation using GPz: size information, post processing and improved photometry
title Improving Photometric Redshift Estimation using GPz: size information, post processing and improved photometry
title_full Improving Photometric Redshift Estimation using GPz: size information, post processing and improved photometry
title_fullStr Improving Photometric Redshift Estimation using GPz: size information, post processing and improved photometry
title_full_unstemmed Improving Photometric Redshift Estimation using GPz: size information, post processing and improved photometry
title_short Improving Photometric Redshift Estimation using GPz: size information, post processing and improved photometry
title_sort improving photometric redshift estimation using gpz size information post processing and improved photometry
work_keys_str_mv AT gomesz improvingphotometricredshiftestimationusinggpzsizeinformationpostprocessingandimprovedphotometry
AT jarvism improvingphotometricredshiftestimationusinggpzsizeinformationpostprocessingandimprovedphotometry
AT almosallami improvingphotometricredshiftestimationusinggpzsizeinformationpostprocessingandimprovedphotometry
AT robertss improvingphotometricredshiftestimationusinggpzsizeinformationpostprocessingandimprovedphotometry