GAME: GAlaxy Machine learning for Emission lines. Issue 2 (28th March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ucci, G; Ferrara, A; Pallottini, A; Gallerani, S
• Is Part Of: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Volume 477:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 1484
• Page End: 1494
• Publication Date: 2018-03-28
• Subjects: methods: data analysis -- galaxies: ISM -- ISM: general; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/sty804
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0035-8711

Abstract

Abstract: We present an updated, optimized version of game (GAlaxy Machine learning for Emission lines), a code designed to infer key interstellar medium physical properties from emission line intensities of ultraviolet /optical/far-infrared galaxy spectra. The improvements concern (a) an enlarged spectral library including Pop III stars, (b) the inclusion of spectral noise in the training procedure, and (c) an accurate evaluation of uncertainties. We extensively validate the optimized code and compare its performance against empirical methods and other available emission line codes (pyqz and hii-chi-mistry ) on a sample of 62 SDSS stacked galaxy spectra and 75 observed Hii regions. Very good agreement is found for metallicity. However, ionization parameters derived by game tend to be higher. We show that this is due to the use of too limited libraries in the other codes. The main advantages of game are the simultaneous use of all the measured spectral lines and the extremely short computational times. We finally discuss the code potential and limitations.