Preliminary Target Selection for the DESI Quasar (QSO) Sample

Abstract

The DESI survey will measure large-scale structure using quasars as direct tracers of dark matter in the redshift range $0.9<z<2.1$ and using quasar Ly-$\hat{I}\pm$ forests at $z>2.1$. We present two methods to select candidate quasars for DESI based on imaging in three optical ($g,r,z$) and two infrared ($W1,W2$) bands. The first method uses traditional color cuts and the second utilizes a machine-learning algorithm.

3 pages, 1 figure