The-wiZZ: Clustering redshift estimation for everyone

TL;DR

The-wiZZ is an accessible open-source tool that simplifies the process of estimating galaxy redshift distributions through clustering redshifts, making it easier for non-experts to analyze photometric survey data efficiently.

Contribution

It introduces a user-friendly software that separates correlation calculations from redshift estimation, enabling quick and accessible clustering redshift analysis for any user.

Findings

Results with KiDS data are consistent with previous cosmic shear analyses.

The software can produce accurate redshift distributions rapidly.

Hybrid machine learning-clustering methods enable galaxy-specific redshift estimates.

Abstract

We present The-wiZZ, an open source and user-friendly software for estimating the redshift distributions of photometric galaxies with unknown redshifts by spatially cross-correlating them against a reference sample with known redshifts. The main benefit of The-wiZZ is in separating the angular pair finding and correlation estimation from the computation of the output clustering redshifts allowing anyone to create a clustering redshift for their sample without the intervention of an "expert". It allows the end user of a given survey to select any sub-sample of photometric galaxies with unknown redshifts, match this sample's catalog indices into a value-added data file, and produce a clustering redshift estimation for this sample in a fraction of the time it would take to run all the angular correlations needed to produce a clustering redshift. We show results with this software using photometric data from the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) and spectroscopic redshifts from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The results we present for KiDS are consistent with the redshift distributions used in a recent cosmic shear analysis from the survey. We also present results using a hybrid machine learning-clustering redshift analysis that enables the estimation of clustering redshifts for individual galaxies. The-wiZZ can be downloaded at http://github.com/morriscb/The-wiZZ/.