Clustering redshift distribution calibration of weak lensing surveys using the DESI-DR1 spectroscopic dataset
We estimate the source redshift distribution of current weak lensing surveys by applying the clustering-based redshift calibration technique, using the galaxy redshift sample provided by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Data Release 1 (DESI-DR1). We cross-correlate the Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS), Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) and Emission Line Galaxies (ELGs) from DESI, within the redshift range 0.1 < z < 1.6 , with overlapping tomographic source samples from the Dark Energy Survey (DES), Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS), and Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey. Using realistic mock catalogues, we test the stability of the clustering redshift signal to fitting scale, reference-sample choice, and the evolution of source galaxy bias. We calibrate a source galaxy bias correction from simulations with conservative (factor-of-two inflated) priors to account for modelling uncertainties, and we explicitly model and marginalise over magnification contributions, which become non-negligible at z ≳ 1 due to the depth of the DESI ELG sample. We then compare the resulting bias-weighted redshift distributions to previously calibrated redshift distributions from the literature, based on self-organising map (SOM) techniques, finding agreement within uncertainties for all surveys and tomographic bins. Our results demonstrate that clustering redshifts enabled by DESI’s unprecedented spectroscopic sample provide a robust, complementary, and independent constraint capable of reducing one of the dominant systematic uncertainties in weak lensing cosmology.
Authors
- S. Heydenreich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7273-4076)
- Will J. Percival (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0644-5727)
- Agne Semenaite (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4219-3707)
- C. García-Quintero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1481-4294)
- A. Cuceu
- Michael S. Schubnell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9504-2059)
- Ann Elliott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6537-6453)
- G Rossi
- Francisco Javier Castander (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7316-4573)
- D. Huterer
- S. Nadathur (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9070-3102)
- H. K. Herrera-Alcantar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9136-9609)
- Jeffrey A. Newman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8684-2222)
- Gregory Tarlé (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1704-0781)
- Kyle Dawson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0553-3805)
- Andreu Font-Ribera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3033-7312)
- N Emas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8097-6019)
- A. Porredon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2762-2024)
- David Sprayberry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7583-6441)
- Shahab Joudaki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8820-673X)
- D. Bianchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9712-0006)
- David J. Schlegel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5042-5088)
- Ignasi Pérez-Ràfols (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6979-0125)
- Axel de la Macorra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1769-1640)
- Alex Krolewski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2183-7021)
- M. E. Levi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1887-1018)
- Rossana Ruggeri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0394-0896)
- H. Zou
- Marc Manera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4962-8934)
- J. Guy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9822-6793)
- Eusebio Sanchez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9646-8198)
- Satya Gontcho A Gontcho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3142-233X)
- Alexie Leauthaud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3677-3617)
- Christoph Saulder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0408-5633)
- ENRIQUE GAZTAÑAGA (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9632-0815)
- G. Gutierrez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0825-0517)
- O. Lahav
- Cullan Howlett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1081-9410)
- J. E. Forero-Romero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2890-3725)
- Steven P. Ahlen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6098-7247)
- Aaron Meisner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1125-7384)
- Pauline Zarrouk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7305-9578)
- D. Brooks
- John Moustakas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2733-4559)
- Claire Poppett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0512-5489)
- Mustapha Ishak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6024-466X)
- Rong Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0322-9199)
- T. Claybaugh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5024-6987)
- Boryana Hadzhiyska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2312-3121)
- P. Doel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6397-4457)
- Simone Ferraro
- F. Prada (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7145-8674)
- B. A. Weaver
- R. Miquel
- K. Honscheid
- J. Silber
- B. Dey
- J. Aguilar
- C. Blake
- H. Seo
- C. Lamman
- A. Robertson
- J. U. Lange
- D. Kirkby
- M. Landriau
- R. Joyce
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Open Journal of Astrophysics
- Published
- 2026-11-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.33232/001c.173639
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.16
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
- Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
- Office of Science
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación
- Division of Astronomical Sciences