New Quasar Catalogue Enhances Photometric Redshift Estimates

A new catalogue titled "The Quasar Catalogue for S-PLUS DR4 (QuCatS) and the estimation of photometric redshifts" has been released, providing significant advancements in the estimation of photometric redshifts for quasars. The study, authored by L. Nakazono and 14 collaborators, utilizes data from the Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS) DR4, along with additional datasets from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).

The research highlights the effectiveness of incorporating narrow-band photometry alongside broad-band photometry. It was found that including narrow-band data improved the root-mean-square error of photometric redshift estimates by 11% compared to models using only broad-band data. The study indicates that narrow-band information is particularly beneficial for quasars lacking GALEX or WISE counterparts, which represent a significant portion of the S-PLUS dataset.

The catalogue includes predictions of photometric redshifts for 645,980 quasars, with varying probabilities of being classified as quasars based on the quality of the photometry. This resource is expected to enhance the understanding of quasars and their properties, facilitating further research in cosmology and astrophysics.

The full paper can be accessed on arXiv with the identifier arXiv:2404.09925.