770 research outputs found
Selecting background galaxies in weak-lensing analysis of galaxy clusters
In this paper, we present a new method to select the faint, background
galaxies used to derive the mass of galaxy clusters by weak lensing.
The method is based on the simultaneous analysis of the shear signal, that
should be consistent with zero for the foreground, unlensed galaxies, and of
the colors of the galaxies: photometric data from the COSMic evOlution Survey
are used to train the color selection. In order to validate this methodology,
we test it against a set of state-of-the-art image simulations of mock galaxy
clusters in different redshift [] and mass
[] ranges, mimicking medium-deep multicolor
imaging observations (e.g. SUBARU, LBT).
The performance of our method in terms of contamination by unlensed sources
is comparable to a selection based on photometric redshifts, which however
requires a good spectral coverage and is thus much more observationally
demanding. The application of our method to simulations gives an average ratio
between estimated and true masses of . As a further test,
we finally apply our method to real data, and compare our results with other
weak lensing mass estimates in the literature: for this purpose we choose the
cluster Abell 2219 (), for which multi-band (BVRi) data are publicly
available.Comment: MNRAS, Accepted 2016 February 2
Weak lensing of large scale structure in the presence of screening
A number of alternatives to general relativity exhibit gravitational
screening in the non-linear regime of structure formation. We describe a set of
algorithms that can produce weak lensing maps of large scale structure in such
theories and can be used to generate mock surveys for cosmological analysis. By
analysing a few basic statistics we indicate how these alternatives can be
distinguished from general relativity with future weak lensing surveys.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, accepted by JCAP. v2: references updat
Electrical resistivity tomography for studying liquefaction induced by the May 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake (Mw = 6.1, northern Italy)
Abstract. This work shows the result of an electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey carried out for imaging and characterizing the shallow subsurface affected by the coseismic effects of the Mw = 6.1 Emilia-Romagna (northern Italy) earthquake that occurred on 20 May 2012. The most characteristic coseismic effects were ground failure, lateral spreading and liquefaction that occurred extensively along the paleo-Reno River in the urban areas of San Carlo and Mirabello (southwestern portion of Ferrara Province). In total, six electrical resistivity tomographies were performed and calibrated with surface geological surveys, exploratory boreholes and aerial photo interpretations. This was one of first applications of the electrical resistivity tomography method in investigating coseismic liquefaction
Cosmic voids in modified gravity models with massive neutrinos
Cosmic voids are progressively emerging as a new viable cosmological probe. Their abundance and density profiles are sensitive to modifications of gravity, as well as to dark energy and neutrinos. The main goal of this work is to investigate the possibility of exploiting cosmic void statistics to disentangle the degeneracies resulting from a proper combination of f(R) modified gravity and neutrino mass. We use N-body simulations to analyse the density profiles and size function of voids traced by both dark matter particles and haloes. We find clear evidence of the enhancement of gravity in f(R) cosmologies in the void density profiles at z = 1. However, these effects can be almost completely overridden by the presence of massive neutrinos because of their thermal free streaming. Despite the limited volume of the analysed simulations does not allow us to achieve a statistically relevant abundance of voids larger than 40 Mpc h-1, we find that the void size function at high redshifts and for large voids is potentially an effective probe to disentangle these degenerate cosmological models, which is key in the prospective of the upcoming wide-field redshift surveys
Magnetotelluric investigation in the High Agri Valley (southern Apennine, Italy)
Abstract. In this paper we present the result of a magnetotelluric (MT) investigation carried out across the High Agri Valley (HAV), southern Italy. Several MT soundings were carried out in order to obtain a ~15 km long 2-D resistivity model with an investigation depth of ~10 km. The main aim was to provide valuable data on the geological and structural setting of the HAV. The MT model was compared with pre-existing geological, geophysical and seismic data. The MT model can be schematized as a superposition of three stack lateral varying layers with different thickness and resistivity values: a surficial low–medium resistivity layer associated with the Quaternary deposits and to the allochthonous units; and a deeper high resistivity layer related to the Apulia Platform, separated by a thin layer connected to the mélange zone and to the Pliocene terrigenous marine deposits. Sharp lateral resistivity variations are interpreted as faults that, on the basis of accurate focal mechanism computations, display normal-faulting kinematics
Next Generation Cosmology: Constraints from the Euclid Galaxy Cluster Survey
We study the characteristics of the galaxy cluster samples expected from the
European Space Agency's Euclid satellite and forecast constraints on
cosmological parameters describing a variety of cosmological models. The method
used in this paper, based on the Fisher Matrix approach, is the same one used
to provide the constraints presented in the Euclid Red Book (Laureijs et
al.2011). We describe the analytical approach to compute the selection function
of the photometric and spectroscopic cluster surveys. Based on the photometric
selection function, we forecast the constraints on a number of cosmological
parameter sets corresponding to different extensions of the standard LambdaCDM
model. The dynamical evolution of dark energy will be constrained to Delta
w_0=0.03 and Delta w_a=0.2 with free curvature Omega_k, resulting in a
(w_0,w_a) Figure of Merit (FoM) of 291. Including the Planck CMB covariance
matrix improves the constraints to Delta w_0=0.02, Delta w_a=0.07 and a
FoM=802. The amplitude of primordial non-Gaussianity, parametrised by f_NL,
will be constrained to \Delta f_NL ~ 6.6 for the local shape scenario, from
Euclid clusters alone. Using only Euclid clusters, the growth factor parameter
\gamma, which signals deviations from GR, will be constrained to Delta
\gamma=0.02, and the neutrino density parameter to Delta Omega_\nu=0.0013 (or
Delta \sum m_\nu=0.01). We emphasise that knowledge of the observable--mass
scaling relation will be crucial to constrain cosmological parameters from a
cluster catalogue. The Euclid mission will have a clear advantage in this
respect, thanks to its imaging and spectroscopic capabilities that will enable
internal mass calibration from weak lensing and the dynamics of cluster
galaxies. This information will be further complemented by wide-area
multi-wavelength external cluster surveys that will already be available when
Euclid flies. [Abridged]Comment: submitted to MNRA
Effects of correlation between merging steps on the global halo formation
The excursion set theory of halo formation is modified by adopting the
fractional Brownian motion, to account for possible correlation between merging
steps. We worked out analytically the conditional mass function, halo merging
rate and formation time distribution in the spherical collapse model. We also
developed an approximation for the ellipsoidal collapse model and applied it to
the calculation of the conditional mass function and the halo formation time
distribution. For models in which the steps are positively correlated, the halo
merger rate is enhanced when the accreted mass is less than , while
for the negatively correlated case this rate is reduced. Compared with the
standard model in which the steps are uncorrelated, the models with positively
correlated steps produce more aged population in small mass halos and more
younger population in large mass halos, while for the models with negatively
correlated steps the opposite is true. An examination of simulation results
shows that a weakly positive correlation between successive merging steps
appears to fit best. We have also found a systematic effect in the measured
mass function due to the finite volume of simulations. In future work, this
will be included in the halo model to accurately predict the three point
correlation function estimated from simulations.Comment: 8 pages, submitted to MNRA
Geological and geophysical characterization of the southeastern side of the High Agri Valley (southern Apennines, Italy)
Abstract. In the frame of a national project funded by Eni S.p.A. and developed by three institutes of the National Research Council (the Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, the Institute of Research for Hydrogeological Protection and the Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment), a multidisciplinary approach based on the integration of satellite, aero-photogrammetric and in situ geophysical techniques was applied to investigate an area located in the Montemurro territory in the southeastern sector of the High Agri Valley (Basilicata Region, southern Italy). This paper reports the results obtained by the joint analysis of in situ geophysical surveys, aerial photos interpretation, morphotectonic investigation, geological field survey and borehole data. The joint analysis of different data allowed us (1) to show the shallow geological and structural setting, (2) to detect the geometry of the different lithological units and their mechanical and dynamical properties, (3) to image a previously unmapped fault beneath suspected scarps/warps and (4) to characterize the geometry of an active landslide affecting the study area
Using the ERT method in tectonically active areas: hints from Southern Apennine (Italy)
Abstract. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) method has been used to study two tectonically active areas of southern Apennine (Caggiano Faults and Ufita Basin). The main aim of this job was to study the structural setting of the investigated areas, i.e. the geometry of the basins at depth, the location of active faults at surface, and their geometrical characterization. The comparison between ERT and trench/drilling data allowed us to evaluate the efficacy of the ERT method in studying active faults and the structural setting of seismogenic areas. In the Timpa del Vento intermontane basin, high resolution ERT across the Caggiano Fault scarps, with different arrays, electrode spacing (from 1 to 10 m) and penetration depth (from about 5 to 40 m) was carried out. The obtained resistivity models allowed us to locate the fault planes along the hillslope and to gather information at depth, as later confirmed by paleoseismological trenches excavated across the fault trace. In the Ufita River Valley a 3560-m-long ERT was carried out across the basin, joining 11 roll-along multi-channel acquisition system with an electrode spacing of 20 m and reaching an investigation depth of about 170 m. The ERT allowed us to reconstruct the geometry and thickness of the Quaternary deposits filling the Ufita Valley. Our reconstruction of the depositional setting is in agreement with an interpretative geological section based on borehole data
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