Spectroscopic Target Selection in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: The Quasar Sample

Details Spectroscopic Target Selection in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: The Quasar Sample Spectroscopic Target Selection in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: The Quasar Sample

2002-02-13

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0202251v1

Astron.J.123:2945,2002

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

62 pages, 15 figures (8 color), 8 tables. Accepted by AJ. For a version with higher quality color figures, see http://archiv

Scientific paper

10.1086/340187

We describe the algorithm for selecting quasar candidates for optical spectroscopy in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Quasar candidates are selected via their non-stellar colors in "ugriz" broad-band photometry, and by matching unresolved sources to the FIRST radio catalogs. The automated algorithm is sensitive to quasars at all redshifts lower than z=5.8. Extended sources are also targeted as low-redshift quasar candidates in order to investigate the evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) at the faint end of the luminosity function. Nearly 95% of previously known quasars are recovered (based on 1540 quasars in 446 square degrees). The overall completeness, estimated from simulated quasars, is expected to be over 90%, whereas the overall efficiency (quasars:quasar candidates) is better than 65%. The selection algorithm targets ultraviolet excess quasars to i^*=19.1 and higher-redshift (z>3) quasars to i^*=20.2, yielding approximately 18 candidates per square degree. In addition to selecting ``normal'' quasars, the design of the algorithm makes it sensitive to atypical AGN such as Broad Absorption Line quasars and heavily reddened quasars.

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