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arXiv · 2606.16507

Deep Learning Segmentation of Spiral Arms and Bars for 600,000 Galaxies in DESI

Ashley Spindler·Mike Walmsley·Karen L. Masters·Tobias Géron·Izzy L. Garland·B. D. Simmons·Jürgen J. Popp
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Abstract

We present a catalogue of segmentation maps identifying the extent of spiral arms and bars of 639,636 galaxies in the DESI Legacy Survey. To produce these maps, we have trained a deep U-net-style neural network using the pixel masks from the Galaxy Zoo: 3D citizen science project. The resulting data products are "soft" segmentation maps, which show the confidence of the model that a pixel lies within the spiral arms or bars of a galaxy. In this paper we detail the sample selection from DESI-LS using the machine classifications from Galaxy Zoo: DESI, the architecture of the U-net model--dubbed ZooBot:3D. We demonstrate the ability of the model to identify spiral arms and bars in a wide range of face-on disks, and identify an emergent ability to identify rings--despite only a small number of ring-type galaxies being present in the training data. Finally, we discuss the practical application of these data products to photometric imaging and IFU spectroscopy. The ZooBot:3D dataset is available for use publicly, and contains the full catalogue presented in this paper, along with cross-matched subsamples for the MaNGA and SAMI IFU surveys.

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Ashley Spindler, Mike Walmsley, Karen L. Masters, Tobias Géron, Izzy L. Garland, B. D. Simmons, Jürgen J. Popp. 2026-06-15. Deep Learning Segmentation of Spiral Arms and Bars for 600,000 Galaxies in DESI. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.16507

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