JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Data Release 5: Photometric Catalog

TL;DR

The JADES DR5 photometric catalog provides a comprehensive, multi-instrument dataset with advanced source detection, photometry, and uncertainty modeling, enabling detailed extragalactic studies from deep JWST and HST imaging.

Contribution

This work introduces new algorithms for source detection, deblending, and photometric uncertainty estimation tailored for JWST data, enhancing catalog accuracy and depth.

Findings

High-quality photometric redshifts for numerous sources

Improved source detection and deblending in complex JWST images

Enhanced uncertainty modeling for heterogeneous mosaics

Abstract

JADES Data Release 5 (DR5) photometric catalogs and describes the methodologies used for source detection, deblending, photometry, uncertainty estimation, and catalog curation. The catalogs are constructed from 35 space-based imaging mosaics obtained with JWST/NIRCam, JWST/MIRI, HST/ACS, and HST/WFC3, combining approximately 1250 hours of JADES imaging with extensive additional public JWST and HST observations in the GOODS fields. Sources are identified using custom signal-to-noise-based detection and deblending algorithms optimized for the depth, resolution, and complex point-spread-function structure of JWST imaging. Source centroids, shapes, and photometric apertures are determined using a new fast two-dimensional Gaussian regression method applied to detection-image profiles. We provide forced circular-aperture photometry, ellipsoidal Kron photometry, and curve-of-growth measurements for every source in every band. We introduce a new pixel-level regression framework to model photometric uncertainties as a function of aperture size and local mosaic properties, accounting for correlated noise in heterogeneous JWST mosaics. Photometric redshifts are computed using template-based fitting applied to both small-aperture photometry on unconvolved images and Kron photometry on common-PSF mosaics. The JADES DR5 catalogs supersede previous JADES photometric releases, and are publicly released through the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes and an interactive web interface.