SKYSURF. X. A Novel Method for Measuring Integrated Galaxy Light

TL;DR

SKYSURF utilizes a novel drizzling pipeline and extensive Hubble data to measure integrated galaxy light across multiple filters, addressing data processing challenges for large-scale extragalactic background light studies.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new drizzling method and comprehensive data processing pipeline for SKYSURF, enabling precise IGL measurements from a vast Hubble dataset.

Findings

Produced extensive mosaics and source catalogs across 28 filters.

Developed a novel IGL fitting method for large datasets.

Addressed key data processing challenges for future surveys.

Abstract

We describe the drizzling pipeline and contents of the drizzled database for Hubble Space Telescope Cycle 27-29 Archival Legacy project "SKYSURF," the largest archival project ever approved for Hubble. SKYSURF aims to investigate the extragalactic background light using all 143,914 ACSWFC, WFC3UVIS, and WFC3IR images that have been taken by Hubble since its launch in 2002. SKYSURF has produced 38,027 single-visit mosaics and 7,893 multi-visit mosaics across 28 ACSWFC, WFC3UVIS, and WFC3IR filters using nonstandard drizzling methods, which include preserving the lowest sky-level of each visit/group in the drizzled products, applying wider apertures for cosmic-ray rejection, correcting effects caused by charge transfer efficiency degradation, and removing potential light gradients from input images via sky-map subtraction. We generate source catalogs for all drizzled products with SExtractor and provide updated star-galaxy separation parameters and integrated galaxy light (IGL) estimates for 25 of the 28 SKYSURF filters (wavelength range 0.2-1.7 um) using a novel IGL fitting method made possible by the vast SKYSURF dataset. We discuss the data processing and data analysis challenges encountered, detail our solutions, and offer suggestions that may facilitate future large-scale IGL investigations with Webb, SPHEREx, and Roman.