Speaker
Description
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is set to revolutionize astronomical research by providing unprecedented optical data. However, integrating near-infrared observations is key to unlocking the full potential of LSST, particularly for studying dusty environments and older stellar populations. The LSST-IR pipeline has been developed to combine LSST’s optical data with near-infrared observations from VISTA surveys, which extensively cover the southern hemisphere with various depth surveys, including VHS, VIKING, SHARKS, VIDEO, VEILS, KEDFS, and more. VISTA data effectively bridges the gap between IR datasets like Euclid (YJH bands) and Spitzer/WISE ($> 3.6μm$), providing essential K-band coverage for comprehensive studies.
LSST’s flexible science pipelines, designed for multi-instrument use, can be extended to other telescopes with custom obs packages. The obs-vista package and LSST-IR pipeline have already been successfully tested with Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) data, producing pixel-matched images and multi-band catalogues. The pipeline is now ready to run on LSST’s commissioning data, supporting a broad range of astronomy science projects.
This presentation will emphasize the significance of multiwavelength analysis using LSST-IR, the role of K-band and VISTA surveys, and the pipeline’s readiness for LSST commissioning data. The development enables various science projects, underscoring the pipeline’s versatility and its future impact on astronomical research. We also aim to engage early career researchers in accessing and utilizing these datasets, providing practical insights into working with combined optical and near-infrared data.
