Detection, Size, Measurement, and Structural Analysis Limits for the 2MASS, UKIDSS-LAS, and VISTA VIKING Surveys. (2nd January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Andrews, Stephen K.; Kelvin, Lee S.; Driver, Simon P.; Robotham, Aaron S. G.
• Is Part Of: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. Volume 31(2014)
• Publication Date: 2014-01-02
• Subjects: galaxies: fundamental parameters – infrared: galaxies – surveys; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Southern sky (Astronomy) -- Periodicals; Astrophysics -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1017/pasa.2013.41
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1323-3580

Abstract

Abstract: The 2MASS, UKIDSS-LAS, and VISTA VIKING surveys have all now observed the GAMA 9hr region in the Ks band. Here we compare the detection rates, photometry, basic size measurements, and single-componentGALFIT structural measurements for a sample of 37 591 galaxies. We explore the sensitivity limits where the data agree for a variety of issues including: detection, star–galaxy separation, photometric measurements, size and ellipticity measurements, and Sérsic measurements. We find that 2MASS fails to detect at least 20% of the galaxy population within all magnitude bins, however for those that are detected we find photometry is robust (± 0.2 mag) to 14.7 AB mag and star–galaxy separation to 14.8 AB mag. For UKIDSS-LAS we find incompleteness starts to enter at a flux limit of 18.9 AB mag, star–galaxy separation is robust to 16.3 AB mag, and structural measurements are robust to 17.7 AB mag. VISTA VIKING data are complete to approximately 20.0 AB mag and structural measurements appear robust to 18.8 AB mag.