QUEST1 Variability Survey. II. Variability Determination Criteria and 200k Light Curve Catalog

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 617; no. 1; pp. 184 - 191
• Main Authors: Rengstorf, A. W, Mufson, S. L, Andrews, P, Honeycutt, R. K, Vivas, A. K, Abad, C, Adams, B, Bailyn, C, Baltay, C, Bongiovanni, A, Briceño, C, Bruzual, G, Coppi, P, Della Prugna, F, Emmet, W, Ferrín, I, Fuenmayor, F, Gebhard, M, Hernández, J, Magris, G, Musser, J, Naranjo, O, Oemler, A, Rosenzweig, P, Sabbey, C. N, Sánchez, Ge, Sánchez, Gu, Schaefer, B, Schenner, H, Sinnott, J, Snyder, J. A, Sofia, S, Stock, J, van Altena, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL IOP Publishing 10.12.2004; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Astronomy; Catalogues, atlases, databases, retrieval systems, etc; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental astronomy and astrophysics. Instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations; Quasars; Quasars. Active or peculiar galaxies, objects, and systems; Stellar systems. Galactic and extragalactic objects and systems. The universe; Quasars; Data analysis; Light curves; Astronomical catalogues; Sky surveys; Photometry; Data reduction
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.1086/425246

The QUEST (QUasar Equatorial Survey Team) Phase 1 camera has collected multibandpass photometry on a large strip of high Galactic latitude sky over a period of 26 months. This robust data set has been reduced and nightly catalogs compared to determine the photometric variability of the ensemble objects. Subsequent spectroscopic observations have confirmed a subset of the photometric variables as quasars, as previously reported. This paper reports on the details of the data reduction and analysis pipeline and presents multiple bandpass light curves for 198,213 QUEST1 objects, along with global variability information and matched Sloan photometry.