Thomas Shanks' Outputs (289)

First Lensed Quasar Systems from the VST-ATLAS Survey: One Quad, Two Doubles, and Two Pairs of Lensless Twins (2017)
Journal Article
Schechter, P., Morgan, N., Chehade, B., Metcalfe, N., Shanks, T., & McDonald, M. (2017). First Lensed Quasar Systems from the VST-ATLAS Survey: One Quad, Two Doubles, and Two Pairs of Lensless Twins. Astronomical Journal, 153(5), Article 219. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aa6899

We have analyzed images from the VST-ATLAS survey to identify candidate gravitationally lensed quasar systems in a sample of WISE sources with $W1-W2\gt 0.7$. Results from follow-up spectroscopy with the Baade 6.5 m telescope are presented for eight... Read More about First Lensed Quasar Systems from the VST-ATLAS Survey: One Quad, Two Doubles, and Two Pairs of Lensless Twins.

First Discoveries of z > 6 Quasars with the DECam Legacy Survey and UKIRT Hemisphere Survey (2017)
Journal Article
Wang, F., Fan, X., Yang, J., Wu, X., Yang, Q., Bian, F., …Shanks, T. (2017). First Discoveries of z > 6 Quasars with the DECam Legacy Survey and UKIRT Hemisphere Survey. Astrophysical Journal, 839(1), Article 27. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa689f

We present the first discoveries from a survey of z gsim 6 quasars using imaging data from the DECam Legacy Survey (DECaLS) in the optical, the UKIRT Deep Infrared Sky Survey (UKIDSS) and a preliminary version of the UKIRT Hemisphere Survey (UHS) in... Read More about First Discoveries of z > 6 Quasars with the DECam Legacy Survey and UKIRT Hemisphere Survey.

A catalogue of white dwarf candidates in VST ATLAS (2017)
Journal Article
Gentile Fusillo, N., Raddi, R., Gänsicke, B., Hermes, J., Pala, A., Fuchs, J., …Shanks, T. (2017). A catalogue of white dwarf candidates in VST ATLAS. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 469(1), 621-629. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx777

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has created a knowledge gap between the Northern and the Southern hemispheres, which is very marked for white dwarfs: Only ≃15 per cent of the known white dwarfs are south of the equator. Here, we make use of the V... Read More about A catalogue of white dwarf candidates in VST ATLAS.

The SAMI Galaxy Survey: the cluster redshift survey, target selection and cluster properties (2017)
Journal Article
Owers, M., Allen, J., Baldry, I., Bryant, J., Cecil, G., Cortese, L., …Tonini, C. (2017). The SAMI Galaxy Survey: the cluster redshift survey, target selection and cluster properties. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 468(2), 1824-1849. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx562

We describe the selection of galaxies targeted in eight low-redshift clusters (APMCC0917, A168, A4038, EDCC442, A3880, A2399, A119 and A85; 0.029 < z < 0.058) as part of the Sydney-AAO Multi-Object Integral field spectrograph Galaxy Survey (SAMI-GS).... Read More about The SAMI Galaxy Survey: the cluster redshift survey, target selection and cluster properties.

Witnessing galaxy assembly in an extended z~3 structure (2017)
Journal Article
Fumagalli, M., Mackenzie, R., Trayford, J., Theuns, T., Cantalupo, S., Christensen, L., …Shanks, T. (2017). Witnessing galaxy assembly in an extended z~3 structure. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 471(3), 3686-3698. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx1896

We present new observations acquired with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer instrument on the Very Large Telescope in a quasar field that hosts a high column density damped Lyα absorber (DLA) at z ≈ 3.25. We detect Lyα emission from a nebula at t... Read More about Witnessing galaxy assembly in an extended z~3 structure.

Digital Sky Surveys from the ground: Status and Perspectives (2016)
Book Chapter
Shanks, T. (2016). Digital Sky Surveys from the ground: Status and Perspectives. In N. R. Napolitano, G. Longo, M. Marconi, M. Paolillo, & E. Iodice (Eds.), The universe of digital sky surveys : a meeting to honour the 70th birthday of Massimo Capaccioli (9-24). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19330-4_2

I first review the status of Digital Sky Surveys. The focus will be on extragalactic surveys with an area of more than 100 deg2. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey is the archetype of such imaging surveys and it is its great success that has prompted great... Read More about Digital Sky Surveys from the ground: Status and Perspectives.

On the connection between the metal-enriched intergalactic medium and galaxies: an O VI–galaxy cross-correlation study at z < 1 (2016)
Journal Article
Finn, C., Morris, S., Tejos, N., Crighton, N., Perry, R., Fumagalli, M., …Bartle, S. (2016). On the connection between the metal-enriched intergalactic medium and galaxies: an O VI–galaxy cross-correlation study at z < 1. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 460(1), 590-616. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw918

We present new results on the auto- and cross-correlation functions of galaxies and O VI absorbers in a ∼18 Gpc3 comoving volume at z < 1. We use a sample of 51 296 galaxies and 140 O VI absorbers in the column density range 13 ≲ log N ≲ 15 to measur... Read More about On the connection between the metal-enriched intergalactic medium and galaxies: an O VI–galaxy cross-correlation study at z < 1.

The 2QDES Pilot : The luminosity and redshift dependence of quasar clustering (2016)
Journal Article
Chehade, B., Shanks, T., Findlay, J., Metcalfe, N., Sawangwit, U., Irwin, M., …Bielby, R. (2016). The 2QDES Pilot : The luminosity and redshift dependence of quasar clustering. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 459(2), 1179-1200. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw616

We present a new redshift survey, the 2dF Quasar Dark Energy Survey pilot (2QDESp), which consists of ≈10 000 quasars from ≈150 deg2 of the southern sky, based on VST-ATLAS imaging and 2dF/AAOmega spectroscopy. Combining our optical photometry with t... Read More about The 2QDES Pilot : The luminosity and redshift dependence of quasar clustering.

The galaxy luminosity function and the Local Hole (2016)
Journal Article
Whitbourn, J., & Shanks, T. (2016). The galaxy luminosity function and the Local Hole. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 459(1), 496-507. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw555

In a previous study Whitbourn & Shanks have reported evidence for a local void underdense by ≈15 per cent extending to 150–300 h−1 Mpc around our position in the Southern Galactic Cap (SGC). Assuming a local luminosity function they modelled K- and r... Read More about The galaxy luminosity function and the Local Hole.

The VLT LBG redshift survey - V. Characterizing the z = 3.1 Lyman α emitter population (2016)
Journal Article
Bielby, R., Tummuangpak, P., Shanks, T., Francke, H., Crighton, N., Bañados, E., …Orsi, A. (2016). The VLT LBG redshift survey - V. Characterizing the z = 3.1 Lyman α emitter population. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 456(4), 4061-4080. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv2914

We present a survey of z ∼ 3 Lyα emitters (LAEs) within the fields of the VLT Lyman break galaxies (LBG) redshift survey. The data encompass five independent survey fields co-spatial with spectroscopic LBG data and covering a larger total area than p... Read More about The VLT LBG redshift survey - V. Characterizing the z = 3.1 Lyman α emitter population.

Counting quasar–radio source pairs to derive the millijansky radio luminosity function and clustering strength to z = 3.5 (2015)
Journal Article
Fine, S., Shanks, T., Johnston, R., Jarvis, M., & Mauch, T. (2015). Counting quasar–radio source pairs to derive the millijansky radio luminosity function and clustering strength to z = 3.5. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 452(3), 2692-2699. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv1193

We apply a cross-correlation technique to infer the S > 3 mJy radio luminosity function (RLF) from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) to z ∼ 3.5. We measure Σ the over density of radio sources around spectroscopically confirmed quasars. Σ is related to t... Read More about Counting quasar–radio source pairs to derive the millijansky radio luminosity function and clustering strength to z = 3.5.

The shell game: a panoramic view of Fornax (2015)
Journal Article
Bate, N., McMonigal, B., Lewis, G., Irwin, M., Gonzalez-Solares, E., Shanks, T., & Metcalfe, N. (2015). The shell game: a panoramic view of Fornax. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 453(1), 690-703. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv1684

We present a panoramic study of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy, using data obtained as part of the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) ATLAS Survey. The data presented here – a subset of the full survey – uniformly cover a region of 25 deg2 centred on the... Read More about The shell game: a panoramic view of Fornax.

The VLT Survey Telescope ATLAS (2015)
Journal Article
Shanks, T., Metcalfe, N., Chehade, B., Findlay, J., Irwin, M., Gonzalez-Solares, E., …Voutsinas, S. (2015). The VLT Survey Telescope ATLAS. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 451(4), 4238-4252. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv1130

The VLT Survey Telescope ATLAS survey is an optical ugriz survey aiming to cover ≈4700 deg2 of the southern sky to similar depths as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). From reduced images and object catalogues provided by the Cambridge Astronomical... Read More about The VLT Survey Telescope ATLAS.

The Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey: Variable Selection and Anticipated Results (2015)
Journal Article
Morganson, E., Green, P., Anderson, S., Ruan, J., Myers, A., Eracleous, M., …Waters, C. (2015). The Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey: Variable Selection and Anticipated Results. Astrophysical Journal, 806(2), https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/806/2/244

We present the selection algorithm and anticipated results for the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS). TDSS is an Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-IV Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) subproject that will provide initial id... Read More about The Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey: Variable Selection and Anticipated Results.

Two bright z > 6 quasars from VST ATLAS and a new method of optical plus mid-infrared colour selection (2015)
Journal Article
Carnall, A., Shanks, T., Chehade, B., Fumagalli, M., Rauch, M., Irwin, M., …Metcalfe, N. (2015). Two bright z > 6 quasars from VST ATLAS and a new method of optical plus mid-infrared colour selection. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 451(1), L16-L20. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slv057

We present the discovery of two z > 6 quasars, selected as i-band dropouts in the Very Large Telescope Survey Telescope ATLAS survey. Our first quasar has redshift, z = 6.31 ± 0.03, z-band magnitude, zAB = 19.63 ± 0.08 and rest frame 1450 Å absolute... Read More about Two bright z > 6 quasars from VST ATLAS and a new method of optical plus mid-infrared colour selection.

The SAMI Galaxy Survey: instrument specification and target selection (2015)
Journal Article
Bryant, J., Owers, M., Robotham, A., Croom, S., Driver, S., Drinkwater, M., …Walcher, C. (2015). The SAMI Galaxy Survey: instrument specification and target selection. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 447(3), 2857-2879. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu2635

The SAMI Galaxy Survey will observe 3400 galaxies with the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral-field spectrograph (SAMI) on the Anglo-Australian Telescope in a 3-yr survey which began in 2013. We present the throughput of the SAMI system, the science ba... Read More about The SAMI Galaxy Survey: instrument specification and target selection.

A neutrino model fit to the CMB power spectrum (2014)
Journal Article
Shanks, T., Johnson, R., Schewtschenko, J., & Whitbourn, J. (2014). A neutrino model fit to the CMB power spectrum. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 445(3), 2836-2841. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu1956

The standard cosmological model, Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM), provides an excellent fit to cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. However, the model has well-known problems. For example, the cosmological constant, Λ, is fine-tuned to 1 part in 10100 a... Read More about A neutrino model fit to the CMB power spectrum.

Metal-enriched, subkiloparsec gas clumps in the circumgalactic medium of a faint z = 2.5 galaxy (2014)
Journal Article
Crighton, N., Hennawi, J., Simcoe, R., Cooksey, K., Murphy, M., Fumagalli, M., …Shanks, T. (2015). Metal-enriched, subkiloparsec gas clumps in the circumgalactic medium of a faint z = 2.5 galaxy. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 446(1), 18-37. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu2088

We report the serendipitous detection of a 0.2 L*, Lyα emitting galaxy at redshift 2.5 at an impact parameter of 50 kpc from a bright background QSO sightline. A high-resolution spectrum of the QSO reveals a partial Lyman-limit absorption system (NHi... Read More about Metal-enriched, subkiloparsec gas clumps in the circumgalactic medium of a faint z = 2.5 galaxy.

The Very Large Telescope Lyman-Break Galaxy Redshift Survey – IV. Gas and galaxies at z ∼ 3 in observations and simulations (2014)
Journal Article
Tummuangpak, P., Bielby, R., Shanks, T., Theuns, T., Crighton, N., Francke, H., & Infante, L. (2014). The Very Large Telescope Lyman-Break Galaxy Redshift Survey – IV. Gas and galaxies at z ∼ 3 in observations and simulations. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 442(3), 2094-2115. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu828

We use a combination of observations and simulation to study the relationship between star-forming galaxies and the intergalactic medium at z ≈ 3. The observed star-forming galaxy sample is based on spectroscopic redshift data taken from a combinatio... Read More about The Very Large Telescope Lyman-Break Galaxy Redshift Survey – IV. Gas and galaxies at z ∼ 3 in observations and simulations.

Discovery of a cold stellar stream in the ATLAS DR1 data (2014)
Journal Article
Koposov, S., Irwin, M., Belokurov, V., Gonzales-Solares, E., Kupcu Yoldas, A., Lewis, J., …Shanks, T. (2014). Discovery of a cold stellar stream in the ATLAS DR1 data. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 442(1), L85-L89. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slu060

We report the discovery of a narrow stellar stream crossing the constellations of Sculptor and Fornax in the Southern celestial hemisphere. The portion of the stream detected in the Data Release 1 photometry of the ATLAS survey is at least 12° long,... Read More about Discovery of a cold stellar stream in the ATLAS DR1 data.