Lauren P. Miller | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Reference File Updates Following the Application of New Geometric Distortion and Walk Corrections I: Overview

The calibration of Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) data is performed by the data processing pipeline known as CalCOS. CalCOS utilizes several reference files that store information required for data processing (e.g., dispersion solutions), and these reference files can be updated for the purpose of improving calibrated data products. In 2024 a major effort to improve the far-ultraviolet (FUV) geometric distortion, delta-geometric, and walk corrections was completed. Those three corrections occur early in the CalCOS workflow and shift photon events into the corrected reference frame ((XCORR, YCORR) coordinate system) in which subsequent calibration steps-and their reference files-are defined. This change necessitated the re-derivation of all "downstream" reference files in use at the time. Here we summarize the effort to create new versions of 56 reference files applicable to lifetime positions 1 through 6 and intended for use with the new geometric distortion, delta geometric, and walk corrections. The primary outcome of this work is improved wavelength and flux calibrations for COS FUV spectra.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Photoionization-driven Absorption Lines Variability in Balmer Absorption Line Quasar LBQS 1206+1052

In this paper we present an analysis of absorption line variability in mini-BAL quasar LBQS 1206+1052. The SDSS spectrum demonstrates that the absorption troughs can be divided into two components of blueshift velocities of $\sim$700 km s$^{-1}$ and $\sim$1400 km s$^{-1}$ relative to the quasar rest-frame. The former component shows rare Balmer absorption, which is an indicator of high density absorbing gas, thus the quasar is worth follow-up spectroscopic observations. Our follow-up optical and near-infrared spectra using MMT, YFOSC, TripleSpec and DBSP reveal that the strengths of the absorption lines vary for both of the two components, while the velocities do not change. We reproduce all of the spectral data by assuming that only the ionization state of the absorbing gas is variable and that all other physical properties are invariable. The variation of ionization is consistent with the variation of optical continuum from the V-band light-curve. Additionally, we can not interpret the data by assuming that the variability is due to a movement of the absorbing gas. Therefore, our analysis strongly indicates that the absorption line variability in LBQS 1206+1052 is photoionization-driven. As shown from photo-ionization simulations, the absorbing gas with blueshift velocity of $\sim$700 km s$^{-1}$ has a density in the range of $10^9$ to $10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$ and a distance of $\sim$1 pc, and the gas with blueshift velocity of $\sim$1400 km s$^{-1}$ has a density of $10^3$ cm$^{-3}$ and a distance of $\sim$1 kpc.

astro-ph.GA↗