VI/116 Digitized First Byurakan Survey plate database (Mickaelian+ 2005)
The Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS) plate database
Mickaelian A.M., Hagen H.-J., Sargsyan L.A., Mikayelyan G.A.
<Byurakan Observatory (2005)>
ADC_Keywords: Observatory log ; Plate data
Keywords:
Summary:
The Markarian or the First Byurakan Survey (FBS) was carried out by
B.E.Markarian, V.A.Lipovetski and J.A.Stepanian in 1965-1980 by means
of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory 1m Schmidt telescope using
1.5 degree objective prism (Markarian et al. 1989). It was the first
large-area objective prism survey, and was aimed at discovery of
UV-excess galaxies. FBS was in fact the first systematic survey for
AGN. 1892 Kodak plates in 1142 fields, 4x4 degree each (16cmx16cm)
have been taken. FBS covers 17,056 sq.deg. of all the Northern Sky and
part of the Southern Sky (Dec>-15) at galactic latitudes |b|>15. The
limiting magnitude is 17.5-18 in V. The scale is 96.8"/mm and the
dispersion is 1800Å/mm near H-gamma. Low-dispersion spectra cover
the range 3400-6900Å, and there is a sensitivity gap near 5300Å,
dividing the spectra into red and blue parts. Each FBS plate contains
spectra of some 15,000-20,000 objects, and there are some 20,000,000
objects in the whole survey. 1500 UV-excess galaxies (Markarian
galaxies), 1100 blue stellar objects and 900 late-type stars have been
discovered on the basis of FBS, as well as 1600 infrared (IRAS)
sources have been optically identified. The Markarian catalog is
available at CDS (Markarian et al. 1997, Catalog VII/172).
The DFBS (Digitized FBS) is a joint project of the Byurakan
Astrophysical Observatory (Armenia), Universita di Roma La Sapienza
(Italy), Cornell University (USA), and Hamburger Sternwarte (Germany)
(Mickaelian et al. 2005). It is aimed at digitization of the whole FBS
material and making a database for free access to the astronomical
community. The DFBS has been created in 2002-2004 as a result of
scanning and reduction of ∼1800 FBS plates. Each plate is 9601x9601
pix, the pixel size being 16mkm. The spectra are 107 pix long and
typically 5-7 pix in width. High-accuracy (1" rms) astrometric
solution has been made. Other software developments are active
(wavelength and flux calibration, automatic classification, etc.). The
DFBS database occupies 360 GB (85 DVDs). Some projects based on the
DFBS have been put forward, including search for new bright QSOs and
other AGN, continuation of the 2nd Part of the FBS (blue stellar
objects), identifications of X-ray, IR, and radio sources, etc. The
DFBS is the basis for the Armenian Virtual Observatory (ArVO), which
is being created at present and will unify all available astronomical
data in Armenia. DFBS web page: http://www.aras.am/dfbs.html.
We present the DFBS plate database, which has been compiled after an
accurate astrometric solution.
File Summary:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FileName Lrecl Records Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ReadMe 80 . This file
dfbs.dat 103 1729 The Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS)
plate database
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description of the table:
The plate data of the Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS) are given
for the first time. Both Byurakan 1m Schmidt telescope journal numbers
and the FBS survey numbers of the plates are given. The plates are
assigned to 28 different zones, each 4 degree high in declination
(with central declinations from +88 to -13). Nominal B1950 central
positions are those used during the survey to cover the whole area
needed. Accurate positions (1 arcsec rms, except of a few plates at
high declinations and a few plates with afocal images) have been
obtained after the astrometric solution of the plates carried out by
means of the dedicated software written by one of the authors (HJH). A
few plates had erroneous nominal coordinates, so that other than
journal field was really observed, and accurate positions should be
accepted. Observing date is given in standard yyyymmdd format. A few
plates have been obtained with other than 1.5 prism (3 or 4), and a
few others, without a prism (direct images). Emulsions (mostly Kodak)
and names of the observers (Markarian/Lipovetski/Stepanian) are given
as well.
Byte-by-byte Description of file: dfbs.dat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 5 A5 --- BYU102 Byurakan 1m Schmidt telescope journal number
9- 11 A3 --- --- [FBS]
13- 18 A6 --- FBS FBS survey plate number
20- 22 A3 --- Zone Central declination of the plate
25- 26 I2 h RA1950h Nominal right ascension (B1950)
28- 29 I2 min RA1950m Nominal right ascension (B1950)
31 A1 --- DE1950- Declination sign
32- 33 I2 deg DE1950d Nominal declination (B1950)
35- 36 I2 arcmin DE1950m Nominal declination (B1950)
39- 40 I2 h RAh Accurate right ascension (J2000)
42- 43 I2 min RAm Accurate right ascension (J2000)
45- 48 F4.1 s RAs Accurate right ascension (J2000)
50 A1 --- DE- Declination sign
51- 52 I2 deg DEd Accurate declination (J2000)
54- 55 I2 arcmin DEm Accurate declination (J2000)
57- 58 I2 arcsec DEs Accurate declination (J2000)
61- 64 F4.2 arcsec rms Plate solution rms accuracy
67- 70 I4 yr Obs.Y ? Date of observation
71- 72 I2 "month" Obs.M ? Date of observation
73- 74 I2 d Obs.D ? Date of observation
78- 80 F3.1 deg Prism ? Prism angle (direct imaging when blank)
85- 89 A5 --- Emulsion Emulsion (Kodak in case of type only)
94-103 A10 --- Observer Observer name
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
Markarian B.E., Lipovetski V.A., Stepanian J.A., Erastova L.K.,
Shapovalova A.I. 1989, Commun. Special Astrophys. Obs., 62, 5
Markarian B.E., Lipovetsky V.A., Stepanian J.A., 1997, Catalog No. VII/172
Mickaelian A.M., Sargsyan L.A., Erastova L.K., Balayan S.K., Gigoyan K.S.,
Hovhannisyan L.R., Nesci R., Gaudenzi S., Massaro E., Rossi C., Sclavi S.,
Trevese D., Weedman D., Houck J., Barry D., Brandl B. 2005, Proc. IAU Symp.
216: Maps of the Cosmos, held July 2003, Sydney, Australia; ASP, (in press).
(End) Areg Mickaelian (Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory) 29-Jul-2005