Scientic Analysis of Grism Data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys

Caryl Gronwall and Narciso Bentez

Grism data will account for a signicant portion of the ACS science team GTO data (50 WFC
orbits). While ST-ECF will provide software to eciently extract 1-d spectra, we will need to
construct a scientic analysis pipeline for the grism data. The goal of the grism science pipeline is
to eciently process the extracted spectra (from ECF software) in order to produce scientically
useful parameters while maintaining an automated approach where feasible. We forsee the following
steps (note the rst two may be included in the nal ECF software but are not part of the current
ECF requirements).

1. Deblend overlapping spectrum

We assume the ECF software will identify objects with overlapping spectra. We will want
to deblend overlapping spectrum so as to utilize all the information in the grism image. (In
our cluster elds, many of the spectra will be overlapping. Simulations are required to esti-
mate the magnitude of this problem.) This can be done automatically utilizing knowledge of
the relative uxes (from direct images) and spectral shape of the overlapping objects (taken
from a set of spectral templates). Such deblending has been implemented by ST-ECF for the
extraction of NICMOS grism data and the algorithms used should be translatable to ACS (see
http://ecf.hq.eso.org/nicmos/grism software.html for more information.)

2. Identify emission-line sources

The identication of strong emission line sources after 1-d spectra have been extracted is
straightforward. One possible procedure (following that used for the KPNO International Spec-
troscopic Survey, Salzer et al. 2000) is the following. The extracted spectrum should be smoothed
using a median lter algorithm. This lters out any strong emission lines. The smoothed spec-
trum is then tted by a low-order polynomial. The polynomial t is then subtracted from the
original, unsmoothed object spectrum to create a continuum-subtracted spectrum. This spectrum
is then divided by a noise spectrum which is calculated pixel by pixel given the ux level in the
spectrum, assuming Poisson statistics apply, and including terms for sky background and read-out
noise. Thus, the nal output spectrum is in units of the local noise level (a "-spectrum) which
can then be searched for pixels above a certain user-specied threshold (e.g., a 5 detection).
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3. Identify strong breaks

Another characteristic spectral feature of galaxies is a strong spectral break such as 4000

Abreak in early-type galaxies, and the Lyman continuum break exhibited by high redshift (z > 3)
galaxies in the optical. Probably the best way to accomplish this task is via cross-correlation with
a set of template galaxy spectra. See the description in Section 4 for further information.

4. Measure redshifts
The best way to automatically measure spectroscopic redshifts is through cross-correlation
analysis (e.g., Glazebrook et al. 1998) with a set of template spectra. The cross-correlation function
is equivalent to a redshift likelihood which is quite similar to the Bayesian approach of determining
photometric redshifts (Benitez 2000a, BPZ). Benitez (2000b) has proposed an extension of BPZ,
called "Bayesian Automatic Redshifts" (BAZ) which will use the photometric information to create
prior information on the most probably galaxy types and colors which can be used to automatically
measure redshifts. Additional output of this program will include an estimate of the galaxy type
(or best-tting template spectra) which provides information on the presence of strong spectral
breaks and the stellar population of the galaxy. We note that Glazebrook et al. used a set of
eigen-templates (e.g., Connolly et al. 1995) which can be linearly combined to form a best-tting
match to the observed spectra. We will probably want to adopt this technique as well.

5. Measure line ux(s), EW(s)

Once strong emission-line sources have been identied, we will want to measure the line ux
and equivalent width of these objects. This should be a straightforward task involving the tting
of a Gaussian prole to the emission line in question.

6. Stellar population t
Another interesting piece of information we can derive from the grism spectra is the best-tting
galaxy spectral type. This should be a by-product of the automated redshift scheme described in
Section 4.

7. Additional software
While our goal is to do much of this analysis automatically, software will be required to
visually inspect interesting sources to verify the classication and measurements described above.
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We envision this as simultaneously displaying relevant sections of the direct image and grism image
along with the extracted 1-d spectra along with the tted continuum and emission line proles..
The grism image should have marked on it the expected location of zero, rst, and second order
spectra derived from objects detected on the direct image.

REFERENCES
Benitez, N. 2000a, ApJ, 536, 571 (BPZ)
Benitez, N. 2000b, private communication (BAZ)
Connolly, A.J., Szalay, A.S., Bershady, M.A., Kinney, A.L., & Calzetti, D. 1995, AJ, 110, 1071
Glazebrook, K., Oer, A.R., & Deeley, K. 1998, ApJ, 492, 98
Salzer, J.J., Gronwall, C., et al. 2000, AJ, 120, 80

This preprint was prepared with the AAS LATEX macros v5.0.