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We present the photometric redshift characterization and calibration for the Dark Energy Camera All Data Everywhere (DECADE) weak lensing dataset: a catalog of 107 million galaxies observed by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) in the northern Galactic cap. The redshifts are estimated from a combination of wide-field photometry, deep-field photometry with associated redshift estimates, and a transfer function between the wide field and deep field that is estimated using a source injection catalog. We construct four tomographic bins for the galaxy catalog, and estimate the redshift distribution, , within each one using the Self-organizing Map Photo-Z (SOMPZ) methodology. Our estimates include the contributions from sample variance, zeropoint calibration uncertainties, and redshift biases, as quantified for the deep-field dataset. The total uncertainties on the mean redshifts are . The SOMPZ estimates are then compared to those from the clustering redshift method, obtained by cross-correlating our source galaxies with galaxies in spectroscopic surveys, and are shown to be consistent with each other.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available October 22, 2026
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Abstract The metallicity distribution function (MDF) and internal chemical variations of a galaxy are fundamental to understand its formation and assembly history. In this work, we analyze photometric metallicities for 3883 stars over 7 half-light radii (rh) in the Sculptor (Scl) dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, using new narrowband imaging data from the Mapping the Ancient Galaxy in CaHK (MAGIC) survey conducted with the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) at the 4 m Blanco Telescope. This work demonstrates the scientific potential of MAGIC using the Scl dSph galaxy, one of the most well-studied satellites of the Milky Way. Our sample ranges from [Fe/H] ≈ –4.0 to [Fe/H] ≈ –0.6, includes six new extremely metal-poor candidates ([Fe/H] ≤ –3.0), and is almost 3 times larger than the largest spectroscopic metallicity data set in the Scl dSph. Our spatially unbiased sample of metallicities provides a more accurate representation of the MDF, revealing a more metal-rich peak than observed in the most recent spectroscopic sample. It also reveals a break in the metallicity gradient, with a strong change in the slope: from −3.26 ± 0.18 dex deg−1for stars inside ∼1rhto −0.55 ± 0.26 dex deg−1for the outer part of the Scl dSph. Our study demonstrates that combining photometric metallicity analysis with the wide field of view of DECam offers an efficient and unbiased approach for studying the stellar populations of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available October 24, 2026
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We present the Dark Energy Camera All Data Everywhere (DECADE) weak lensing dataset: a catalog of 107 million galaxies observed by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) in the northern Galactic cap. This catalog was assembled from public DECam data including survey and standard observing programs. These data were consistently processed with the Dark Energy Survey Data Management pipeline as part of the DECADE campaign and serve as the basis of the DECam Local Volume Exploration survey (DELVE) Early Data Release 3 (EDR3). We apply the Metacalibration measurement algorithm to generate and calibrate galaxy shapes. After cuts, the resulting cosmology-ready galaxy shape catalog covers a region of 5,412 deg2 with an effective number density of 4.59 arcmin−2. The coadd images used to derive this data have a median limiting magnitude of r=23.6, i=23.2, and z=22.6, estimated at S/N=10 in a 2 arcsecond aperture. We present a suite of detailed studies to characterize the catalog, measure any residual systematic biases, and verify that the catalog is suitable for cosmology analyses. In parallel, we build an image simulation pipeline to characterize the remaining multiplicative shear bias in this catalog, which we measure to be m=(−2.454±0.124)×10−2 for the full sample. Despite the significantly inhomogeneous nature of the data set, due to it being an amalgamation of various observing programs, we find the resulting catalog has sufficient quality to yield competitive cosmological constraints.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available October 22, 2026
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We present cosmological constraints from the Dark Energy Camera All Data Everywhere (DECADE) cosmic shear analysis. This work uses shape measurements for 107 million galaxies measured through Dark Energy Camera (DECam) imaging of deg of sky that is outside the Dark Energy Survey (DES) footprint. We derive constraints on the cosmological parameters and for the CDM model, which are consistent with those from other weak lensing surveys and from the cosmic microwave background. We combine our results with cosmic shear results from DES Y3 at the likelihood level, since the two datasets span independent areas on the sky. The combined measurements, which cover deg , prefer and under the CDM model. These results are the culmination of a series of rigorous studies that characterize and validate the DECADE dataset and the associated analysis methodologies (Anbajagane et. al 2025a,b,c). Overall, the DECADE project demonstrates that the cosmic shear analysis methods employed in Stage-III weak lensing surveys can provide robust cosmological constraints for fairly inhomogeneous datasets. This opens the possibility of using data that have been previously categorized as ``unusable’’ for cosmic shear analyses, thereby increasing the statistical power of upcoming weak lensing surveys.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available October 22, 2026
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Abstract We present UV–optical–near-infrared observations and modeling of supernova (SN) 2024ggi, a type II supernova (SN II) located in NGC 3621 at 7.2 Mpc. Early-time (“flash”) spectroscopy of SN 2024ggi within +0.8 days of discovery shows emission lines of Hi, Hei, Ciii, and Niiiwith a narrow core and broad, symmetric wings (i.e., “IIn-like”) arising from the photoionized, optically thick, unshocked circumstellar material (CSM) that surrounded the progenitor star at shock breakout (SBO). By the next spectral epoch at +1.5 days, SN 2024ggi showed a rise in ionization as emission lines of Heii, Civ, Niv/v, and Ovbecame visible. This phenomenon is temporally consistent with a blueward shift in the UV–optical colors, both likely the result of SBO in an extended, dense CSM. The IIn-like features in SN 2024ggi persist on a timescale oftIIn= 3.8 ± 1.6 days, at which time a reduction in CSM density allows the detection of Doppler-broadened features from the fastest SN material. SN 2024ggi has peak UV–optical absolute magnitudes ofMw2= −18.7 mag andMg= −18.1 mag, respectively, that are consistent with the known population of CSM-interacting SNe II. Comparison of SN 2024ggi with a grid of radiation hydrodynamics and non–local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative-transfer simulations suggests a progenitor mass-loss rate of yr−1(vw= 50 km s−1), confined to a distance ofr< 5 × 1014cm. Assuming a wind velocity ofvw= 50 km s−1, the progenitor star underwent an enhanced mass-loss episode in the last ∼3 yr before explosion.more » « less
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ABSTRACT The current and next observation seasons will detect hundreds of gravitational waves (GWs) from compact binary systems coalescence at cosmological distances. When combined with independent electromagnetic measurements, the source redshift will be known, and we will be able to obtain precise measurements of the Hubble constant H0 via the distance–redshift relation. However, most observed mergers are not expected to have electromagnetic counterparts, which prevents a direct redshift measurement. In this scenario, one possibility is to use the dark sirens method that statistically marginalizes over all the potential host galaxies within the GW location volume to provide a probabilistic source redshift. Here we presented H0 measurements using two new dark sirens compared to previous analyses using DECam data: GW190924$$\_$$021846 and GW200202$$\_$$154313. The photometric redshifts of the possible host galaxies of these two events are acquired from the DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey (DELVE) carried out on the Blanco telescope at Cerro Tololo. The combination of the H0 posterior from GW190924$$\_$$021846 and GW200202$$\_$$154313 together with the bright siren GW170817 leads to $$H_{0} = 68.84^{+15.51}_{-7.74}\, \rm {km\, s^{-1}\, Mpc^{-1}}$$. Including these two dark sirens improves the 68 per cent confidence interval (CI) by 7 per cent over GW170817 alone. This demonstrates that the addition of well-localized dark sirens in such analysis improves the precision of cosmological measurements. Using a sample containing 10 well-localized dark sirens observed during the third LIGO/Virgo observation run, without the inclusion of GW170817, we determine a measurement of $$H_{0} = 76.00^{+17.64}_{-13.45}\, \rm {km\, s^{-1}\, Mpc^{-1}}$$.more » « less
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Abstract We report the discovery of six ultra-faint Milky Way satellites identified through matched-filter searches conducted using Dark Energy Camera (DECam) data processed as part of the second data release of the DECam Local Volume Exploration (DELVE) survey. Leveraging deep Gemini/GMOS-N imaging (for four candidates) as well as follow-up DECam imaging (for two candidates), we characterize the morphologies and stellar populations of these systems. We find that these candidates all share faint absolute magnitudes ( M V ≥ −3.2 mag) and old, metal-poor stellar populations ( τ > 10 Gyr, [Fe/H] < −1.4 dex). Three of these systems are more extended ( r 1/2 > 15 pc), while the other three are compact ( r 1/2 < 10 pc). From these properties, we infer that the former three systems (Boötes V, Leo Minor I, and Virgo II) are consistent with ultra-faint dwarf galaxy classifications, whereas the latter three (DELVE 3, DELVE 4, and DELVE 5) are likely ultra-faint star clusters. Using data from the Gaia satellite, we confidently measure the proper motion of Boötes V, Leo Minor I, and DELVE 4, and tentatively detect a proper-motion signal from DELVE 3 and DELVE 5; no signal is detected for Virgo II. We use these measurements to explore possible associations between the newly discovered systems and the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal, the Magellanic Clouds, and the Vast Polar Structure, finding several plausible associations. Our results offer a preview of the numerous ultra-faint stellar systems that will soon be discovered by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and highlight the challenges of classifying the faintest stellar systems.more » « less
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Abstract We report the discovery of Pegasus IV, an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy found in archival data from the Dark Energy Camera processed by the DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey. Pegasus IV is a compact, ultra-faint stellar system ( r 1 / 2 = 41 − 6 + 8 pc; M V = −4.25 ± 0.2 mag) located at a heliocentric distance of 90 − 6 + 4 kpc . Based on spectra of seven nonvariable member stars observed with Magellan/IMACS, we confidently resolve Pegasus IV’s velocity dispersion, measuring σ v = 3.3 − 1.1 + 1.7 km s −1 (after excluding three velocity outliers); this implies a mass-to-light ratio of M 1 / 2 / L V , 1 / 2 = 167 − 99 + 224 M ⊙ / L ⊙ for the system. From the five stars with the highest signal-to-noise spectra, we also measure a systemic metallicity of [Fe/H] = − 2.63 − 0.30 + 0.26 dex, making Pegasus IV one of the most metal-poor ultra-faint dwarfs. We tentatively resolve a nonzero metallicity dispersion for the system. These measurements provide strong evidence that Pegasus IV is a dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy, rather than a star cluster. We measure Pegasus IV’s proper motion using data from Gaia Early Data Release 3, finding ( μ α * , μ δ ) = (0.33 ± 0.07, −0.21 ± 0.08) mas yr −1 . When combined with our measured systemic velocity, this proper motion suggests that Pegasus IV is on an elliptical, retrograde orbit, and is currently near its orbital apocenter. Lastly, we identify three potential RR Lyrae variable stars within Pegasus IV, including one candidate member located more than 10 half-light radii away from the system’s centroid. The discovery of yet another ultra-faint dwarf galaxy strongly suggests that the census of Milky Way satellites is still incomplete, even within 100 kpc.more » « less
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We report results from a systematic wide-area search for faint dwarf galaxies at heliocentric distances from 0.3 to 2 Mpc using the full 6 yr of data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Unlike previous searches over the DES data, this search specifically targeted a field population of faint galaxies located beyond the Milky Way virial radius. We derive our detection efficiency for faint, resolved dwarf galaxies in the Local Volume with a set of synthetic galaxies and expect our search to be complete to M V ∼ (‑7, ‑10) mag for galaxies at D = (0.3, 2.0) Mpc. We find no new field dwarfs in the DES footprint, but we report the discovery of one high-significance candidate dwarf galaxy at a distance of $${2.2}_{-0.12}^{+0.05}\,\mathrm{Mpc}$$ , a potential satellite of the Local Volume galaxy NGC 55, separated by 47' (physical separation as small as 30 kpc). We estimate this dwarf galaxy to have an absolute V-band magnitude of $$-{8.0}_{-0.3}^{+0.5}\,\mathrm{mag}$$ and an azimuthally averaged physical half-light radius of $${2.2}_{-0.4}^{+0.5}\,\mathrm{kpc}$$ , making this one of the lowest surface brightness galaxies ever found with $$\mu =32.3\,\mathrm{mag}\,{\mathrm{arcsec}}^{-2}$$. This is the largest, most diffuse galaxy known at this luminosity, suggesting possible tidal interactions with its host.more » « less
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Context. The Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS) is a project to map ~9300 sq deg of the sky using twelve bands (seven narrow and five broadbands). Observations are performed with the T80-South telescope, a robotic telescope located at the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile. The survey footprint consists of several large contiguous areas, including fields at high and low galactic latitudes, and towards the Magellanic Clouds. S-PLUS uses fixed exposure times to reach point source depths of about 21 mag in the 𝑔riɀ and 20 mag in theuand the narrow filters. Aims. This paper describes the S-PLUS Data Release 4 (DR4), which includes calibrated images and derived catalogues for over 3000 sq deg, covering the aforementioned area. The catalogues provide multi-band photometry performed with the toolsDoPHOTandSExtractor– point spread function (PSF) and aperture photometry, respectively. In addition to the characterization, we also present the scientific potential of the data. Methods. We use statistical tools to present and compare the photometry obtained through different methods. Overall we find good agreement between the different methods, with a slight systematic offset of 0.05 mag between ourPSFand aperture photometry. We show that the astrometry accuracy is equivalent to that obtained in previous S-PLUS data releases, even in very crowded fields where photometric extraction is challenging. The depths of main survey (MS) photometry for a minimum signal-to-noise ratioS/N= 3 reach from ~19.5 for the bluer bands to ~21.5 mag on the red. The range of magnitudes over which accuratePSFphotometry is obtained is shallower, reaching ~19 to ~20.5 mag depending on the filter. Based on these photometric data, we provide star-galaxy-quasar classification and photometric redshift for millions of objects. Results. We demonstrate the versatility of the data by presenting the results of a project to identify members of four Abell galaxy clusters in the Local Universe. The S-PLUS DR4 data allow for a reliable assessment of cluster membership out to a large radius corresponding to 5 ×r200. The S-PLUS DR4 can be accessed through the survey data portal. All the software used to generate the catalogues for this release and the scientific investigation presented is available in the collaboration GitHub repository. Conclusions. The S-PLUS DR4 consists of a large, calibrated public dataset, providing powerful ways for studying Galactic and extra-galactic objects through an extensive set of (broad and narrow) filters.more » « less
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