Adding RR Lyrae $y$-Band Template Light Curves to gatspy

TL;DR

This paper introduces $y$-band template light curves for RR Lyrae stars, complementing existing $ugriz$-band templates, to enhance period-search methods in upcoming sky surveys like LSST.

Contribution

It provides new $y$-band templates for RR Lyrae stars based on SDSS, Pan-STARRS1, and dedicated observations, expanding tools for future astronomical surveys.

Findings

$y$-band templates for RR Lyrae stars created from SDSS, Pan-STARRS1, and Lulin data.

Templates applicable for upcoming surveys like LSST.

Enhances period-search capabilities in the $y$-band.

Abstract

We complement the $y$-band template light curves for RR Lyrae to the well-established template light curves in the $ugriz$-band, where the latter have been adopted in the astroML/gatspy python package as one of the period-search methods for RR Lyrae. These $y$-band template light curves were constructed based on the $z$-band time series data taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the $y$-band light curves from the Pan-STARRS1 survey, and dedicated $y$-band observations using the Lulin One-meter Telescope for RR Lyrae located in the SDSS Stripe 82 region. These $y$-band template light curves, 9 for the ab-type RR Lyrae and 3 for the c-type RR Lyrae, can be applied in conjunction to the $ugriz$-band template light curves for upcoming sky surveys involving the $y$-band, such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).