Simulating a dataset of AGN with LSST
Can the simulated data predict how AGN sources would appear with upcoming imaging instruments like LSST?
The goal of this project is to create a mocked photometric catalog of AGN to simulate the observations that will be conducted by the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The final aim of the overall project is testing photometric redshift codes for AGN down to LSST-like depth. This is a key point in the LSST AGN Science Collaboration Roadmap. Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a project operating the 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope built in Chile. LSST aims to conduct a 10-year survey of the Southern Hemisphere sky with the ability to image the entire visible sky every 3 to 4 nights. With its unprecedented scope, the survey will provide crucial advancements in our understanding of galaxies and AGN properties and evolution over cosmic time. So far, I have collected the input photometric and spectroscopic dataset (based on the COSMOS / Marchesi sample, COSMOS2020, and complementary deep surveys) and am reproducing the reference results before extending them with LSST-like simulations. The next steps are to simulate LSST fluxes for the sample, compare SED-fitting and empirical photo-z approaches, and incorporate AGN variability into the redshift estimation. Check back later for updates!
