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; e.g., Ivezic et al. 2019). 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!