SDSS Data Release 12

SDSS Data Release 12 is a major release of data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), a redshift survey that has been mapping the universe since 2000, led by Daniel Eisenstein and involving Harvard University, University of Chicago, and Johns Hopkins University. The release includes data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) and the Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS), which are part of the SDSS-III project, a collaboration between University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Irvine, and Yale University. The data release is the result of the efforts of many scientists, including David Schlegel, Daniel Eisenstein, and Jon Holtzman, from institutions such as Princeton University, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University.

Introduction

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is a redshift survey that has been mapping the universe since 2000, with the goal of understanding the large-scale structure of the universe and the properties of galaxies and quasars, in collaboration with NASA, National Science Foundation, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The survey has been led by Daniel Eisenstein and has involved many institutions, including Harvard University, University of Chicago, and Johns Hopkins University, as well as University of California, Los Angeles, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and University of Wisconsin–Madison. The SDSS has made several data releases, each providing more data and improved analysis, including SDSS Data Release 7, SDSS Data Release 8, and SDSS Data Release 9, which have been used by researchers from California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University.

Overview of SDSS Data Release 12

SDSS Data Release 12 is a major release of data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and includes data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) and the Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS), which are part of the SDSS-III project, a collaboration between University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Irvine, and Yale University. The release includes over 470,000 galaxy spectra, 180,000 quasar spectra, and 100,000 stellar spectra, which have been used by researchers from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London. The data release also includes improved redshift measurements and galaxy classifications, which have been developed in collaboration with European Southern Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and Space Telescope Science Institute.

Data Products and Improvements

The data products included in SDSS Data Release 12 are the result of the efforts of many scientists, including David Schlegel, Daniel Eisenstein, and Jon Holtzman, from institutions such as Princeton University, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University. The release includes galaxy spectra, quasar spectra, and stellar spectra, as well as photometric data from the SDSS imaging survey, which have been used by researchers from University of Tokyo, University of Toronto, and McGill University. The data release also includes improved redshift measurements and galaxy classifications, which have been developed in collaboration with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, Hubble Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory. The improved data reduction and data analysis techniques used in the release were developed by researchers from University of California, San Diego, University of Washington, and New York University.

Survey Strategy and Coverage

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) uses a survey strategy that involves imaging the sky in five photometric bands, and then selecting galaxies and quasars for spectroscopic follow-up, in collaboration with National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and Apache Point Observatory. The survey has covered over 14,000 square degrees of the sky, and has obtained spectra for over 2 million galaxies and quasars, which have been used by researchers from University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and Australian National University. The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) and the Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS) are part of the SDSS-III project, which has been led by Rita Tojeiro and has involved many institutions, including University of St Andrews, University of Edinburgh, and University of Glasgow.

Data Access and Usage

The data from SDSS Data Release 12 are available through the SDSS data archive, which is hosted by Johns Hopkins University and University of Utah, and can be accessed using the SDSS data access tools, which have been developed in collaboration with NASA, National Science Foundation, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The data release includes a range of data products, including galaxy spectra, quasar spectra, and stellar spectra, as well as photometric data from the SDSS imaging survey, which have been used by researchers from University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Hawaii, and University of Arizona. The data release also includes improved redshift measurements and galaxy classifications, which have been developed in collaboration with European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, and Australian Space Agency.

Scientific Impact and Results

The data from SDSS Data Release 12 have been used to make a range of scientific discoveries, including the detection of baryon acoustic oscillations in the large-scale structure of the universe, and the measurement of the expansion history of the universe, in collaboration with CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research, and International Astronomical Union. The data release has also been used to study the properties of galaxies and quasars, and to search for exoplanets and dark matter, which have been used by researchers from University of Geneva, University of Zurich, and ETH Zurich. The results from the data release have been published in a range of scientific journals, including The Astrophysical Journal, The Astronomical Journal, and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, and have been presented at conferences such as American Astronomical Society and International Astronomical Union General Assembly. Category:Astronomical surveys