The Detection Probability for Emmision Line Objects in Slitless Spectrum Surveys
R. Gratton, Patrick S. Osmer · Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific · 1987
We present a simple model for the detectability of emission lines in slitless spectrum surveys. The model introduces the concept of detection probability for emission lines superposed on a continuum. We illustrate the detection probabilities for different equivalent widths and continuum magnitudes in the original CTIO Curtis Schmidt and 4-m surveys; they indicate that strong-lined quasars can be detected at magnitudes significantly fainter than what would normally be the limit of completeness. The model provides a useful framework for future work based on surveys which utilize digital detectors or digitized scans of photographic plates.