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  1. Abstract Lyα emitters (LAEs) are valuable high-redshift cosmological probes traditionally identified using specialized narrowband photometric surveys. In ground-based spectroscopy, it can be difficult to distinguish the sharp LAE peak from residual sky emission lines using automated methods, leading to misclassified redshifts. We present a Bayesian spectral component separation technique to automatically determine spectroscopic redshifts for LAEs while marginalizing over sky residuals. We use visually inspected spectra of LAEs obtained using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to create a data-driven prior and can determine redshift by jointly inferring sky residual, LAE, and residual components for each individual spectrum. We demonstrate this method on 881 spectroscopically observedz = 2–4 DESI LAE candidate spectra and determine their redshifts with >90% accuracy when validated against visually inspected redshifts. Using the Δχ2value from our pipeline as a proxy for detection confidence, we then explore potential survey design choices and implications for targeting LAEs with medium-band photometry. This method allows for scalability and accuracy in determining redshifts from DESI spectra, and the results provide recommendations for LAE targeting in anticipation of future high-redshift spectroscopic surveys. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available March 6, 2027
  2. Abstract We demonstrate that measurements of the gravitational tidal field made with spectroscopic redshifts can be improved with information from imaging surveys. The average orientation of small groups of galaxies, or “multiplets” is correlated with large-scale structure and is used to measure the direction of tidal forces. Previously, multiplet intrinsic alignment has been measured in DESI using galaxies that have spectroscopic redshifts. The DESI Legacy Imaging catalog can be used to supplement multiplet catalogs. Our findings show that galaxy positions from the imaging catalog produce a measurement similar to the measurements made with only spectroscopic data. This demonstrates that imaging can improve our signal-to-noise ratio for multiplet alignment in DESI. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available November 12, 2026
  3. Abstract We infer the growth of large scale structure over the redshift range 0.4 ≲z≲ 1 from the cross-correlation of spectroscopically calibrated Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) selected from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) legacy imaging survey with CMB lensing maps reconstructed from the latestPlanckand ACT data.We adopt a hybrid effective field theory (HEFT) model that robustly regulates the cosmological information obtainable from smaller scales, such that our cosmological constraints are reliably derived from the (predominantly) linear regime.We perform an extensive set of bandpower- and parameter-level systematics checks to ensure the robustness of our results and to characterize the uniformity of the LRG sample.We demonstrate that our results are stable to a wide range of modeling assumptions, finding excellent agreement with a linear theory analysis performed on a restricted range of scales.From a tomographic analysis of the four LRG photometric redshift bins we find that the rate of structure growth is consistent with ΛCDM with an overall amplitude that is ≃ 5-7% lower than predicted by primary CMB measurements with modest (∼ 2σ) statistical significance.From the combined analysis of all four bins and their cross-correlations withPlanckwe obtainS8= 0.765 ± 0.023, which is less discrepant with primary CMB measurements than previous DESI LRG crossPlanckCMB lensing results.From the cross-correlation with ACT we obtainS8= 0.790+0.024-0.027, while when jointly analyzingPlanckand ACT we findS8= 0.775+0.019-0.022from our data alone andσ8= 0.772+0.020-0.023with the addition of BAO data.These constraints are consistent with the latestPlanckprimary CMB analyses at the ≃ 1.6-2.2σlevel, and are in excellent agreement with galaxy lensing surveys. 
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  4. Abstract We present the discovery of SN 2025mkn, a gravitationally lensed Type II supernova. First detected as a blue transient in Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), 0 .″ 83 from az= 0.42 elliptical galaxy, the follow-up SNIFS/UH2.2 m and LRIS/Keck spectra revealed absorption lines atz= 1.371. Later JWST NIRCam imaging shows that the bright transient is a close pair of point sources separated by ∼0 .″ 07 , and a 30 times fainter counterimage opposite the lens, for which NIRSpec reveals strong Hαemission also atz= 1.371. The lightcurves and spectra are consistent with the Type II supernova source being magnified ≳100 times, with ∼250 required to reconcile its luminosity with that of nearby events such as SN 2023ixf. Lens models are consistent with such high magnifications, and always show that the faint image arrived first (undetected in earlier ZTF imaging), consistent with the later spectral phase of this fainter image. A fourth image is also predicted and possibly detected in the NIRSpec data. Lightcurve-based time-delay measurements are not possible due to the first image being the faintest; however, the resolved NIRSpec spectra offer a future opportunity for time-delay cosmography through supernova phase measurements. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available May 29, 2027
  5. Abstract We use luminous red galaxies selected from the imaging surveys that are being used for targeting by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) in combination with CMB lensing maps from the Planck collaboration to probe the amplitude of large-scale structure over 0.4 ≤  z  ≤ 1. Our galaxy sample, with an angular number density of approximately 500 deg -2 over 18,000 sq.deg., is divided into 4 tomographic bins by photometric redshift and the redshift distributions are calibrated using spectroscopy from DESI. We fit the galaxy autospectra and galaxy-convergence cross-spectra using models based on cosmological perturbation theory, restricting to large scales that are expected to be well described by such models. Within the context of ΛCDM, combining all 4 samples and using priors on the background cosmology from supernova and baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, we find S 8  = σ 8 (Ω m /0.3) 0.5  = 0.73 ± 0.03. This result is lower than the prediction of the ΛCDM model conditioned on the Planck data. Our data prefer a slower growth of structure at low redshift than the model predictions, though at only modest significance. 
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  6. Abstract We report the first results of a high-redshift (z≳ 5) quasar survey using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). As a DESI secondary target program, this survey is designed to carry out a systematic search and investigation of quasars at 4.8 <z< 6.8. The target selection is based on the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys (the Legacy Surveys) DR9 photometry, combined with the Pan-STARRS1 data andJ-band photometry from public surveys. A first quasar sample has been constructed from the DESI Survey Validation 3 (SV3) and first-year observations until 2022 May. This sample includes more than 400 new quasars at redshift 4.7 ≤z< 6.6, down to 21.5 magnitude (AB) in thezband, discovered from 35% of the entire target sample. Remarkably, there are 220 new quasars identified atz≥ 5, more than one-third of existing quasars previously published at this redshift. The observations so far result in an average success rate of 23% atz> 4.7. The current spectral data set has already allowed analysis of interesting individual objects (e.g., quasars with damped Lyαabsorbers and broad absorption line features), and statistical analysis will follow the survey’s completion. A set of science projects will be carried out leveraging this program, including quasar luminosity function, quasar clustering, intergalactic medium, quasar spectral properties, intervening absorbers, and properties of early supermassive black holes. Additionally, a sample of 38 new quasars atz∼ 3.8–5.7 discovered from a pilot survey in the DESI SV1 is also published in this paper. 
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  7. Abstract We present a high-significance cross-correlation of CMB lensing maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6 (DR6) with luminous red galaxies (LRGs) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Survey spectroscopically calibrated by DESI. We detect this cross-correlation at a significance of 38σ; combining our measurement with thePlanck Public Release 4 (PR4) lensing map, we detect the cross-correlation at 50σ. Fitting this jointly with the galaxy auto-correlation power spectrum to break the galaxy bias degeneracy withσ8, we perform a tomographic analysis in four LRG redshift bins spanning 0.4 ≤z≤ 1.0 to constrain the amplitude of matter density fluctuations through the parameter combinationS8×=σ8(Ωm/ 0.3)0.4. Prior to unblinding, we confirm with extragalactic simulations that foreground biases are negligible and carry out a comprehensive suite of null and consistency tests. Using a hybrid effective field theory (HEFT) model that allows scales as small askmax= 0.6 h/ Mpc, we obtain a 3.3% constraint onS8×=σ8(Ωm/ 0.3)0.4= 0.792+0.024-0.028from ACT data, as well as constraints onS8×(z) that probe structure formation over cosmic time.Our result is consistent with the early-universe extrapolation from primary CMB anisotropies measured byPlanck PR4 within 1.2σ. Jointly fitting ACT andPlanck lensing cross-correlations we obtain a 2.7% constraint ofS8×= 0.776+0.019-0.021, which is consistent with the Planck early-universe extrapolation within 2.1σ, with the lowest redshift bin showing the largest difference in mean. The latter may motivate further CMB lensing tomography analyses atz< 0.6 to assess the impact of potential systematics or the consistency of the ΛCDM model over cosmic time. 
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  8. Abstract Over the next 5 yr, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will use 10 spectrographs with 5000 fibers on the 4 m Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory to conduct the first Stage IV dark energy galaxy survey. Atz< 0.6, the DESI Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS) will produce the most detailed map of the universe during the dark-energy-dominated epoch with redshifts of >10 million galaxies spanning 14,000 deg2. In this work, we present and validate the final BGS target selection and survey design. From the Legacy Surveys, BGS will target anr< 19.5 mag limited sample (BGS Bright), a fainter 19.5 <r< 20.175 color-selected sample (BGS Faint), and a smaller low-zquasar sample. BGS will observe these targets using exposure times scaled to achieve homogeneous completeness and cover the footprint three times. We use observations from the Survey Validation programs conducted prior to the main survey along with simulations to show that BGS can complete its strategy and make optimal use of “bright” time. BGS targets have stellar contamination <1%, and their densities do not depend strongly on imaging properties. BGS Bright will achieve >80% fiber assignment efficiency. Finally, BGS Bright and BGS Faint will achieve >95% redshift success over any observing condition. BGS meets the requirements for an extensive range of scientific applications. BGS will yield the most precise baryon acoustic oscillation and redshift-space distortion measurements atz< 0.4. It presents opportunities for new methods that require highly complete and dense samples (e.g.,N-point statistics, multitracers). BGS further provides a powerful tool to study galaxy populations and the relations between galaxies and dark matter. 
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  9. null (Ed.)