Spectral-Index Parameters

The spectral indices to be measured by the DAP are divided into two groups: (1) absorption-line indices that measure the equivalent width of an absorption feature and (2) bandhead or color indices that measure the ratio of fluxes is in two passbands. Both sets of indices are measured using SpectralIndices; see Spectral-Index Measurements.

Absorption-line Index Parameters

The table below provides a compilation of absorption-line indices. Recent survey-level runs of the DAP have included all of these measurements.

Name

Main Passband (Å)

Blue Sideband (Å)

Red Sideband (Å)

Frame

Units

Ref

CN1

4142.125 – 4177.125

4080.125 – 4117.625

4244.125 – 4284.125

air

mag

1

CN2

4142.125 – 4177.125

4083.875 – 4096.375

4244.125 – 4284.125

air

mag

1

Ca4227

4222.250 – 4234.750

4211.000 – 4219.750

4241.000 – 4251.000

air

1

G4300

4281.375 – 4316.375

4266.375 – 4282.625

4318.875 – 4335.125

air

1

Fe4383

4369.125 – 4420.375

4359.125 – 4370.375

4442.875 – 4455.375

air

1

Ca4455

4452.125 – 4474.625

4445.875 – 4454.625

4477.125 – 4492.125

air

1

Fe4531

4514.250 – 4559.250

4504.250 – 4514.250

4560.500 – 4579.250

air

1

C24668

4634.000 – 4720.250

4611.500 – 4630.250

4742.750 – 4756.500

air

1

Hb

4847.875 – 4876.625

4827.875 – 4847.875

4876.625 – 4891.625

air

1

Fe5015

4977.750 – 5054.000

4946.500 – 4977.750

5054.000 – 5065.250

air

1

Mg1

5069.125 – 5134.125

4895.125 – 4957.625

5301.125 – 5366.125

air

mag

1

Mg2

5154.125 – 5196.625

4895.125 – 4957.625

5301.125 – 5366.125

air

mag

1

Mgb

5160.125 – 5192.625

5142.625 – 5161.375

5191.375 – 5206.375

air

1

Fe5270

5245.650 – 5285.650

5233.150 – 5248.150

5285.650 – 5318.150

air

1

Fe5335

5312.125 – 5352.125

5304.625 – 5315.875

5353.375 – 5363.375

air

1

Fe5406

5387.500 – 5415.000

5376.250 – 5387.500

5415.000 – 5425.000

air

1

Fe5709

5696.625 – 5720.375

5672.875 – 5696.625

5722.875 – 5736.625

air

1

Fe5782

5776.625 – 5796.625

5765.375 – 5775.375

5797.875 – 5811.625

air

1

NaD

5876.875 – 5909.375

5860.625 – 5875.625

5922.125 – 5948.125

air

1

TiO1

5936.625 – 5994.125

5816.625 – 5849.125

6038.625 – 6103.625

air

mag

1

TiO2

6189.625 – 6272.125

6066.625 – 6141.625

6372.625 – 6415.125

air

mag

1

HDeltaA

4083.500 – 4122.250

4041.600 – 4079.750

4128.500 – 4161.000

air

2

HGammaA

4319.750 – 4363.500

4283.500 – 4319.750

4367.250 – 4419.750

air

2

HDeltaF

4091.000 – 4112.250

4057.250 – 4088.500

4114.750 – 4137.250

air

2

HGammaF

4331.250 – 4352.250

4283.500 – 4319.750

4354.750 – 4384.750

air

2

CaHK

3899.5 – 4003.5

3806.5 – 3833.8

4020.7 – 4052.4

air

3

CaII1

8484.0 – 8513.0

8474.0 – 8484.0

8563.0 – 8577.0

air

4

CaII2

8522.0 – 8562.0

8474.0 – 8484.0

8563.0 – 8577.0

air

4

CaII3

8642.0 – 8682.0

8619.0 – 8642.0

8700.0 – 8725.0

air

4

Pa17

8461.0 – 8474.0

8474.0 – 8484.0

8563.0 – 8577.0

air

4

Pa14

8577.0 – 8619.0

8563.0 – 8577.0

8619.0 – 8642.0

air

4

Pa12

8730.0 – 8772.0

8700.0 – 8725.0

8776.0 – 8792.0

air

4

MgICvD

5165.0 – 5220.0

5125.0 – 5165.0

5220.0 – 5260.0

vac

5

NaICvD

8177.0 – 8205.0

8170.0 – 8177.0

8205.0 – 8215.0

vac

5

MgIIR

8801.9 – 8816.9

8777.4 – 8789.4

8847.4 – 8857.4

vac

5

FeHCvD

9905.0 – 9935.0

9855.0 – 9880.0

9940.0 – 9970.0

vac

5

NaI

8168.500 – 8234.125

8150.000 – 8168.400

8235.250 – 8250.000

air

6

bTiO

4758.500 – 4800.000

4742.750 – 4756.500

4827.875 – 4847.875

air

mag

7

aTiO

5445.000 – 5600.000

5420.000 – 5442.000

5630.000 – 5655.000

air

mag

7

CaH1

6357.500 – 6401.750

6342.125 – 6356.500

6408.500 – 6429.750

air

mag

7

CaH2

6775.000 – 6900.000

6510.000 – 6539.250

7017.000 – 7064.000

air

mag

7

NaISDSS

8180.0 – 8200.0

8143.0 – 8153.0

8233.0 – 8244.0

air

8

TiO2SDSS

6189.625 – 6272.125

6066.625 – 6141.625

6422.0 – 6455.0

air

mag

8

Input Data Format

The parameters that define the absorption-line-index calculations are provided via the AbsorptionIndexDB object, which is built using an SDSS-style parameter file. The core level class that calculates the raw absorption-line indices is AbsorptionLineIndices.

The columns of the parameter file are:

Parameter

Format

Description

index

int

Unique integer identifier of the absorption-line index. Must be unique.

name

str

Name of the index. Must be unique.

primary

float[2]

A two-element vector with the starting and ending wavelength for the primary passband surrounding the absorption feature(s).

blueside

float[2]

A two-element vector with the starting and ending wavelength for a passband to the blue of the primary band.

redside

float[2]

A two-element vector with the starting and ending wavelength for a passband to the red of the primary band.

waveref

str

The reference frame of the wavelengths; must be either ‘air’ for air or ‘vac’ for vacuum.

units

str

Units for the absorption index, which must be either ‘ang’ or ‘mag’.

component

int

Never used: Binary flag (0-false,1-true) that the index is a component of a composite index. If true (1), all components with the same NAME are added together to form the composite index.

and an example file might look like this:

typedef struct {
    int index;
    char name[9];
    double primary[2];
    double blueside[2];
    double redside[2];
    char waveref[3];
    char units[3];
    int component;
} DAPABI;

DAPABI  1  CN1        { 4142.125  4177.125 }  { 4080.125  4117.625 }  { 4244.125  4284.125 }  air  mag  0
DAPABI  2  CN2        { 4142.125  4177.125 }  { 4083.875  4096.375 }  { 4244.125  4284.125 }  air  mag  0

Note that the functionality implied by the component parameter has been a notional future development for the module, but has never been implemented. However, unfortunately, it’s still a required element of the database file.

Changing the absorption-line index parameters

The absorption-line indices are measured by SpectralIndices; see Spectral-Index Measurements. A set of parameter files that define a list of absorption-line index sets are provided with the DAP source distribution and located at $MANGADAP_DIR/mangadap/data/absorption_indices. There are a few methods that you can use to change the set of absorption-line index parameters used by SpectralIndices:

  1. To use one of the existing parameter databases, you can change the absorption_indices keyword in the SpectralIndices configuration file. The keyword should be the capitalized root of the parameter filename. E.g., to use $MANGADAP_DIR/mangadap/data/absorption_indices/lickindx.par, set the keyword to LICKINDX.

  2. To use a new parameter database, write the file and save it in the $MANGADAP_DIR/mangadap/data/absorption_indices/ directory, and then change the relevant configuration file in the same way as described above.

Bandhead or Color Index Parameters

The table below provides a compilation of bandhead and color indices. Recent survey-level runs of the DAP have included all of these measurements.

Name

Blue Sideband (Å)

Red Sideband (Å)

Frame

Integrand

Order

Ref

D4000

3750 – 3950

4050 – 4250

air

\(F_\nu\)

R/B

9

Dn4000

3850 – 3950

4000 – 4100

air

\(F_\nu\)

R/B

10

TiOCvD

8835 – 8855

8870 – 8890

vac

\(F_\lambda\)

B/R

5

Input Data Format

The parameters that define the bandhead index calculations are provided via the BandheadIndexDB object, which is built using an SDSS-style parameter file. The core level class that calculates the raw bandhead indices is BandheadIndices.

The columns of the parameter file are:

Parameter

Format

Description

index

int

Unique integer identifier of the absorption-line index. Must be unique.

name

str

Name of the index. Must be unique.

blueside

float[2]

A two-element vector with the starting and ending wavelength for a passband to the blue of the primary band.

redside

float[2]

A two-element vector with the starting and ending wavelength for a passband to the red of the primary band.

waveref

str

The reference frame of the wavelengths; must be either ‘air’ for air or ‘vac’ for vacuum.

integrand

str

Integrand within the passband for the construction of the index, which must be either ‘fnu’ or ‘flambda’.

order

str

Define the order to use when constructing the index. The options are either a ratio of red-to-blue or blue-to-red, which are respectively selected using ‘r_b’ or ‘b_r’.

and an example file might look like this:

typedef struct {
    int index;
    char name[9];
    double blueside[2];
    double redside[2];
    char waveref[3];
    char integrand[7];
    char order[3];
} DAPBHI;

DAPBHI  1  D4000      { 3750.000  3950.000 }  { 4050.000  4250.000 }  air      fnu  r_b
DAPBHI  2  Dn4000     { 3850.000  3950.000 }  { 4000.000  4100.000 }  air      fnu  r_b
DAPBHI  3  TiOCvD     { 8835.000  8855.000 }  { 8870.000  8890.000 }  vac  flambda  b_r

Changing the bandhead index parameters

The bandhead and color indices are measured by SpectralIndices; see Spectral-Index Measurements. A set of parameter files that define a list of bandhead index sets are provided with the DAP source distribution and located at $MANGADAP_DIR/mangadap/data/bandhead_indices. There are a few methods that you can use to change the set of bandhead-index parameters used by SpectralIndices:

  1. To use one of the existing parameter databases, you can change the bandhead_indices keyword in the SpectralIndices configuration file. The keyword should be the capitalized root of the parameter filename. E.g., to use $MANGADAP_DIR/mangadap/data/bandhead_indices/bhbasic.par, set the keyword to BHBASIC.

  2. To use a new parameter database, write the file and save it in the $MANGADAP_DIR/mangadap/data/bandhead_indices/ directory, and then change the relevant configuration file in the same way as described above.


1(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21)

Trager et al. (1998, ApJS, 116, 1)

2(1,2,3,4)

Worthey & Ottaviani (1997, ApJS, 111, 377)

3

Serven et al. (2005, ApJ, 627, 754)

4(1,2,3,4,5,6)

Cenarro et al. (2001, MNRAS, 326, 959); however, note that each index is considered seperately, which is not the definition provided in Table 4 of their paper.

5(1,2,3,4,5)

Conroy & van Dokkum (2012, ApJ, 747, 69)

6

Spiniello et al. (2012, ApJL, 753, 32)

7(1,2,3,4)

Spiniello et al. (2014, MNRAS, 438, 1483)

8(1,2)

La Barbera et al. (2013, MNRAS, 433, 3017)

9

Bruzual (1983, ApJ, 273, 105)

10

Balogh et al. (1999, ApJ, 527, 54)