English

A Global 7% Systemic Sensitivity Floor in Gaia DR3: Multi-Wavelength Validation using 2MASS, Pan-STARRS and the 0.75-Magnitude Offset

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2026-05-04 v1 Astrophysics of Galaxies Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Abstract

This study performs a multi-wavelength astrometric and photometric examination of a high-confidence sample (N=120,418)(N = 120,418) derived from a parent population of 2.36 million unique WDSS-seeded systems. By establishing an empirical polynomial ridge line for the broader Gaia-2MASS-Pan-STARRS subset, we calculated magnitude residuals (ΔG)(\Delta G) to probe the systemic limits of the Gaia single-star model. Results reveal a distinct "Detection Gap" manifested as a tri-modal distribution: 14,705 stars (12%)(12\%) were identified as overt Astrometric Discordance failures (RUWE>1.4)(\mathrm{RUWE} > 1.4), while a significant subset of candidates exhibits signs of Astrometric Suppression -- where dual-flux profiles are absorbed into a stable single-star solution (RUWE<1.4)(\mathrm{RUWE} < 1.4) despite the physical presence of a companion. Crucially, while the raw failure rate reaches 12%12\% globally, we identify an asymptotic Intrinsic Binary Residual (IBR) of 7.0%\approx 7.0\% (8,429(\approx 8,429 sources) that persists independently of stellar density. Utilizing a "Triple Constraint" framework -- astrometric noise (RUWE), photometric excess (ΔG)(\Delta G), and the absence of official Non-Single Star (NSS) classification -- we identify a 5.9%5.9\% Detection Gap subset within the Gaia-2MASS audit chain that is consistent with a population of "orphaned" binaries clustered near the theoretical -0.75 magnitude "Binary Ridge." This 7%7\% floor is interpreted here as an apparent global sensitivity limit in the Gaia pipeline, suggesting that local stellar mass density models -- which rely on single-star mass-to-light ratios -- may require a quantifiable correction to accurately reflect the local baryonic mass budget.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2605.00792,
  title  = {A Global 7% Systemic Sensitivity Floor in Gaia DR3: Multi-Wavelength Validation using 2MASS, Pan-STARRS and the 0.75-Magnitude Offset},
  author = {Andrew Soon},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.00792},
  year   = {2026}
}