VI. Analysis of the 2MASS Second Incremental Release Catalogs


6. PSC Reference Field Characteristics

a. Global Statistics for the PSC

Introduction

These statistics are based on 12,800 queries to the local database for equal area tiles. The statistics are as follows. We made a cut at signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 30. For each of the high and low S/N subsamples we computed at each band:

In addition, we computed the fraction of sources with S/N below 7, 10, 20, 30 (= the cut).

The figures below are Aitoff projections of isovalue maps in galactic coordinates for each of these quantities.

Details

The coordinate space was divided into 160 bins in galactic longitude and 80 bins in x=cos(colatitude). The distribution in each quantity was binned and summed to get the cumulative distribution function along with the sample statistics. The rendering was done using the VTK package. The data blanking facility was not working, so cells with no data are shown as red. There are some edge artifacts where the bins in galactic coordinates very poorly sample the Second Incremental Data Release areas.

Number density of sources

Figures 1 and 2 show true number density, not number per bin, with linear and logarithmic contour levels, respectively. There are no surprises here. The gaps in coverage give the illusion of structure in the plane.

Figure 1Figure 2

Quoted Error

Shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, and 15, 16, and 17 are the mean plots for each 2MASS band for high S/N sources and low S/N sources, respectively. Overall, the error appears very uniform north to south. The error is better in the south than in the north at Ks. This is subtle and only obvious for the high S/N sources. The northern error is more variable than the south. There is a large error feature in the Galactic plane at H (galactic longitude l of about 245°). We are not sure if this is real, or some sort of numerical artifact. For low S/N sources, the trend reverses, which may be an artifact of source density confusion in the plane; only high S/N sources are recovered.

Shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, and 18, 19, and 20 are the standard deviation plots. The Galactic plane is a smaller variance about the mean at J and larger at Ks (again, H is distorted by the big error bump).

Shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11, and 21, 22, and 23 are the 1% tail value. These show, not surprisingly, that the error values in the Galactic plane have a heavy tail (again, H is distorted by the high error feature, or analysis bug)

Shown in Figures 12, 13, and 14, and 24, 25, and 26 are the number per bin value. At low S/N, one sees the lower recovery fraction in the plane of the Galactic disk.

High signal-to-noise ratio data (S/N>30)
J H Ks
Figure 3Figure 4Figure 5
Figure 6Figure 7Figure 8
Figure 9Figure 10Figure 11
Figure 12Figure 13Figure 14

Low signal-to-noise ratio data (S/N<30)
J H Ks
Figure 15Figure 16Figure 17
Figure 18Figure 19Figure 20
Figure 21Figure 22Figure 23
Figure 24Figure 25Figure 26

The tables below show the "Top 10" fields ranked by mean quoted error. All but the top few in some cases are nominal and are included to provide a baseline. The field with galactic longitude and latitude 254.25°< l <254.5° and -1.4° < b <0° is large at both J and Ks, but only contains 7 sources.

High S/N at J Low S/N at J
l1(°)l2(°)b1(°)b2(°) j_sigma_hi_mean l1(°)l2(°)b1(°)b2(°) j_sigma_lo_mean
254.25 256.5-1.43254 0 0.087 184.5186.75-40.5416-38.6822 0.143
290.25 292.5 -44.427-42.4542 0.05 348.75 351 -50.805-48.5904 0.136
267.75 270 67.6684 71.8051 0.046 58.5 60.75-67.6684-64.1581 0.136
42.75 45 1.43254 2.86598 0.0447592 240.75 243-31.6682 -30 0.135
355.5357.75 1.43254 2.86598 0.0445452 51.75 54 26.7437 28.3594 0.134
45 47.25 0 1.43254 0.0439315 254.25 256.5-1.43254 0 0.1224
114.75 117-53.1301 -50.805 0.0433333 36 38.25 36.8699 38.6822 0.118167
51.75 54 26.7437 28.3594 0.043 101.25 103.5-20.4873-18.9656 0.1145
330.75 333-2.86598-1.43254 0.0429486 141.75 144 61.045 64.1581 0.1135
135137.25 0 1.43254 0.0420386 137.25 139.5 64.1581 67.6684 0.112773

High S/N at H Low S/N at H
l1(°)l2(°)b1(°)b2(°) h_sigma_hi_mean l1(°)l2(°)b1(°)b2(°) h_sigma_lo_mean
254.25 256.5-1.43254 0 0.194 348.75 351 -50.805-48.5904 0.209
42.75 45 1.43254 2.86598 0.0552654 254.25 256.5-1.43254 0 0.1718
252254.25 64.1581 67.6684 0.053 308.25 310.5 -44.427-42.4542 0.153
45 47.25 0 1.43254 0.0509786 36 38.25 36.8699 38.6822 0.150583
4.5 6.75 58.2117 61.045 0.0509545 294.75 297-53.1301 -50.805 0.146
51.75 54 26.7437 28.3594 0.0495 153155.25 36.8699 38.6822 0.142429
191.25 193.5 36.8699 38.6822 0.0492357 306308.25 53.1301 55.5885 0.141667
58.5 60.75-22.0243-20.4873 0.0490068 159.75 162 17.4576 18.9656 0.1416
60.75 63-18.9656-17.4576 0.0483095 353.25 355.5 42.4542 44.427 0.138909
67.5 69.75 15.962 17.4576 0.048191 150.75 153 11.537 13.0029 0.133948

High S/N at Ks Low S/N at Ks
l1(°)l2(°)b1(°)b2(°) k_sigma_hi_mean l1(°)l2(°)b1(°)b2(°) k_sigma_lo_mean
153155.25 36.8699 38.6822 0.049 290.25 292.5 30 31.6682 0.197333
193.5195.75 40.5416 42.4542 0.0478305 58.5 60.75-67.6684-64.1581 0.170333
45 47.25 0 1.43254 0.0471634 342344.25 46.4688 48.5904 0.16
45 47.25 33.367 35.0996 0.046 159.75 162 17.4576 18.9656 0.1554
42.75 45 1.43254 2.86598 0.0459062 112.5114.75 30 31.6682 0.155286
171173.25-5.73917-4.30122 0.0458865 36 38.25 36.8699 38.6822 0.139917
47.25 49.5 35.0996 36.8699 0.045579 87.75 90 44.427 46.4688 0.138476
45 47.25 35.0996 36.8699 0.0453898 119.25 121.5-53.1301 -50.805 0.138167
189191.25 40.5416 42.4542 0.0453732 308.25 310.5 -44.427-42.4542 0.1374
60.75 63-20.4873-18.9656 0.0451757 108110.25-25.1507-23.5782 0.134939

Chi-Square 2

Shown in Figures 27, 28, and 29, and 39, 40, and 41 are the mean 2 plots for each 2MASS band for high S/N sources and low S/N sources, respectively, which are consistent with a value of 1 in all bands, except for the higher values realized in the Galactic plane.

Shown in Figures 30, 31, and 32, and 42, 43, and 44 are the standard deviation 2 plots. We see larger variance in the Galactic plane and for Ks in the north. In general, the large variance regions indicate errors not included in the extraction error model.

Shown in Figures 33, 34, and 35, and 45, 46, and 47 are the 1% tail 2 value plots. There is a slightly odd, unexplained feature in the Galactic plane.

Shown in Figures 36, 37, and 38, and 48, 49, and 50 are the number per bin 2 value. There is a similar dip at low S/N near the Galactic plane, as seen in the quoted error plots above.

High signal-to-noise ratio data (S/N>30)
J H Ks
Figure 27Figure 28Figure 29
Figure 30Figure 31Figure 32
Figure 33Figure 34Figure 35
Figure 36Figure 37Figure 38

Low signal-to-noise ratio data (S/N<30)
J H Ks
Figure 39Figure 40Figure 41
Figure 42Figure 43Figure 44
Figure 45Figure 46Figure 47
Figure 48Figure 49Figure 50

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Shown in Figures 51, 52, and 53, and are plots for each 2MASS band for sources with S/N > 7. Shown in Figures 54, 55, and 56, and are plots for each 2MASS band for sources with S/N > 10. Shown in Figures 57, 58, and 59, and are plots for each 2MASS band for sources with S/N > 20. The effect of differing sensitivity between the bands is clear: a small fraction of sources below S/N=7 at J, larger number at H, and even larger at Ks. At Ks, the Galactic plane is clearly "avoided" at these small S/N. Some trends of north vs. south are evident at Ks, especially at S/N < 7. There is a hint of this at S/N < 10 and S/N< 20 as well, but only at Ks.

Shown in Figures 60, 61, and 62, and are plots for each 2MASS band for sources with S/N > 30. We were a bit surprised that 93% of the sources have S/N below 30 at Ks!

J H Ks
SNR < 7
Figure 51Figure 52Figure 53
SNR < 10
Figure 54Figure 55Figure 56
SNR < 20
Figure 57Figure 58Figure 59
SNR < 30
Figure 60Figure 61Figure 62

Global Color Statistics

The goal of this analysis is to look for color changes over the entire sky. This can be accomplished through a narrow cut near the peak in the color-color plane and then compute the statistics in the distribution of J-Ks. Figure 63 shows the color-color (Hess) diagram with color cut 0.30Figure 64 shows the distribution in J-Ks for an out-of-plane Galactic field (l=35°, b=35°). As anticipated, the J-Ks trend follows close to the reddening vector and is, therefore, sensitive to extinction. There is evidence for a color drift of about 1.5% toward the north celestial pole, and evidence for small biases in the northern declination bands.

Figure 63Figure 64

In Figures 65, 66, and 67 are shown the mean in, the standard deviation in, and the number, respectively, of high S/N sources for J-Ks. In Figures 68, 69, and 70 are shown the 20%, 50%, and 80% fraction, respectively, of high S/N sources for J-Ks. In Figures 71, 72, and 73 are shown the mean, 50% fraction, and 60% enclosed width, respectively, of low S/N sources for J-Ks.

Figure 65Figure 66Figure 67
Figure 68Figure 69Figure 70
Figure 71Figure 72Figure 73

We have more closely examined the H-band behavior on the color statistics in Figures 74-97. We compare the J-Ks maps with the H-Ks maps, to show the H-band behavior relative to J and Ks. We also show the pattern orthogonal to J-Ks on the standard two-color plane (J-H, H-Ks), which should be approximately reddening independent. At the spatial scale shown in the figures, there is only weak evidence of slightly poorer H-band stability. The "reddening-free" flux ratio shows a weak dependence at higher galactic latitude. There is clearly a smaller range in this variable towards the plane, but it will be difficult to deconvolve the S/N and sensitivity selection effects from both reddening and population differences.

  J-Ks H-Ks (J-H)-(H-Ks)
High SNR: mean
 Figure 74Figure 75Figure 76
High SNR: std. dev.
 Figure 77Figure 78Figure 79
High SNR: fraction 50%
 Figure 80Figure 81Figure 82
High SNR: width 60%
 Figure 83Figure 84Figure 85
Low SNR: mean
 Figure 86Figure 87Figure 88
Low SNR: std. dev.
 Figure 89Figure 90Figure 91
Low SNR: fraction 50%
 Figure 92Figure 93Figure 94
Low SNR: width 60%
 Figure 95Figure 96Figure 97

Summary

Overall, the data appear to meet the Level 1 specifications on average. Regions with sources with anomalously large error are given in the tables in the "Quoted Errors" subsection, above. The top offender has only seven sources; excluding this one, there are no terrible fields. Ks-band had noticeably higher excursions in the north in quoted error for high S/N sources (excluding the plane).

[Last Updated: 1999 Dec 27 by M. Weinberg. Modified 2000 Sep 13 by S. Van Dyk.]


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