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Gaia Data Release 3 : Gaia scan-angle-dependent signals and spurious periods

Holl, B. LU ; Fabricius, C. ; Portell, J. ; Lindegren, L. LU orcid ; Panuzzo, P. ; Bernet, M. ; Castañeda, J. ; Jevardat De Fombelle, G. ; Audard, M. and Ducourant, C. , et al. (2023) In Astronomy and Astrophysics 674.
Abstract

Context. Gaia Data Release 3 (Gaia DR3) time series data may contain spurious signals related to the time-dependent scan angle. Aims. We aim to explain the origin of scan-angle-dependent signals and how they can lead to spurious periods, provide statistics to identify them in the data, and suggest how to deal with them in Gaia DR3 data and in future releases. Methods. Using real Gaia (DR3) data alongside numerical and analytical models, we visualise and explain the features observed in the data. Results. We demonstrated with Gaia (DR3) data that source structure (multiplicity or extendedness) or pollution from close-by bright objects can cause biases in the image parameter determination from which photometric, astrometric, and... (More)

Context. Gaia Data Release 3 (Gaia DR3) time series data may contain spurious signals related to the time-dependent scan angle. Aims. We aim to explain the origin of scan-angle-dependent signals and how they can lead to spurious periods, provide statistics to identify them in the data, and suggest how to deal with them in Gaia DR3 data and in future releases. Methods. Using real Gaia (DR3) data alongside numerical and analytical models, we visualise and explain the features observed in the data. Results. We demonstrated with Gaia (DR3) data that source structure (multiplicity or extendedness) or pollution from close-by bright objects can cause biases in the image parameter determination from which photometric, astrometric, and (indirectly) radial velocity time series are derived. These biases are a function of the time-dependent scan direction of the instrument and thus can introduce scan-angle-dependent signals, which due to the scanning-law-induced sampling of Gaia can result in specific spurious periodic signals. Numerical simulations in which a period search is performed on Gaia time series with a scan-angle-dependent signal qualitatively reproduce the general structure observed in the spurious period distribution of photometry and astrometry, and the associated spatial distributions on the sky. A variety of statistics allows for the deeper understanding and identification of affected sources. Conclusions. The origin of the scan-angle-dependent signals and subsequent spurious periods is well understood and is mostly caused by fixed-orientation optical pairs with a separation < 0.5'' (including binaries with P ≈ 5 y) and (cores of) distant galaxies. Although most of the sources with affected derived parameters have been filtered out from the Gaia archive nss-two-body-orbit and several vari-tables, Gaia DR3 data remain that should be treated with care (no sources were filtered from gaia-source). Finally, the various statistics discussed in the paper can be used to identify and filter affected sources and also reveal new information about them that is not available through other means, especially in terms of binarity on sub-arcsecond scale.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Astrometry, Methods: data analysis, Methods: numerical, Techniques: photometric, Techniques: radial velocities
in
Astronomy and Astrophysics
volume
674
article number
A25
publisher
EDP Sciences
external identifiers
  • scopus:85163592065
ISSN
0004-6361
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202245353
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6678fa58-90ec-43c6-817a-d456e385d01d
date added to LUP
2023-09-15 14:09:59
date last changed
2024-03-22 00:16:33
@article{6678fa58-90ec-43c6-817a-d456e385d01d,
  abstract     = {{<p>Context. Gaia Data Release 3 (Gaia DR3) time series data may contain spurious signals related to the time-dependent scan angle. Aims. We aim to explain the origin of scan-angle-dependent signals and how they can lead to spurious periods, provide statistics to identify them in the data, and suggest how to deal with them in Gaia DR3 data and in future releases. Methods. Using real Gaia (DR3) data alongside numerical and analytical models, we visualise and explain the features observed in the data. Results. We demonstrated with Gaia (DR3) data that source structure (multiplicity or extendedness) or pollution from close-by bright objects can cause biases in the image parameter determination from which photometric, astrometric, and (indirectly) radial velocity time series are derived. These biases are a function of the time-dependent scan direction of the instrument and thus can introduce scan-angle-dependent signals, which due to the scanning-law-induced sampling of Gaia can result in specific spurious periodic signals. Numerical simulations in which a period search is performed on Gaia time series with a scan-angle-dependent signal qualitatively reproduce the general structure observed in the spurious period distribution of photometry and astrometry, and the associated spatial distributions on the sky. A variety of statistics allows for the deeper understanding and identification of affected sources. Conclusions. The origin of the scan-angle-dependent signals and subsequent spurious periods is well understood and is mostly caused by fixed-orientation optical pairs with a separation &lt; 0.5'' (including binaries with P ≈ 5 y) and (cores of) distant galaxies. Although most of the sources with affected derived parameters have been filtered out from the Gaia archive nss-two-body-orbit and several vari-tables, Gaia DR3 data remain that should be treated with care (no sources were filtered from gaia-source). Finally, the various statistics discussed in the paper can be used to identify and filter affected sources and also reveal new information about them that is not available through other means, especially in terms of binarity on sub-arcsecond scale.</p>}},
  author       = {{Holl, B. and Fabricius, C. and Portell, J. and Lindegren, L. and Panuzzo, P. and Bernet, M. and Castañeda, J. and Jevardat De Fombelle, G. and Audard, M. and Ducourant, C. and Harrison, D. L. and Evans, D. W. and Busso, G. and Sozzetti, A. and Gosset, E. and Arenou, F. and De Angeli, F. and Riello, M. and Eyer, L. and Rimoldini, L. and Gavras, P. and Mowlavi, N. and Nienartowicz, K. and Lecoeur-Taïbi, I. and García-Lario, P. and Pourbaix, D.}},
  issn         = {{0004-6361}},
  keywords     = {{Astrometry; Methods: data analysis; Methods: numerical; Techniques: photometric; Techniques: radial velocities}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{EDP Sciences}},
  series       = {{Astronomy and Astrophysics}},
  title        = {{Gaia Data Release 3 : Gaia scan-angle-dependent signals and spurious periods}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202245353}},
  doi          = {{10.1051/0004-6361/202245353}},
  volume       = {{674}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}