10,148 research outputs found
Cosmology with velocity dispersion counts: an alternative to measuring cluster halo masses
The evolution of galaxy cluster counts is a powerful probe of several
fundamental cosmological parameters. A number of recent studies using this
probe have claimed tension with the cosmology preferred by the analysis of the
Planck primary CMB data, in the sense that there are fewer clusters observed
than predicted based on the primary CMB cosmology. One possible resolution to
this problem is systematic errors in the absolute halo mass calibration in
cluster studies, which is required to convert the standard theoretical
prediction (the halo mass function) into counts as a function of the observable
(e.g., X-ray luminosity, Sunyaev-Zel'dovich flux, optical richness). Here we
propose an alternative strategy, which is to directly compare predicted and
observed cluster counts as a function of the one-dimensional velocity
dispersion of the cluster galaxies. We argue that the velocity dispersion of
groups/clusters can be theoretically predicted as robustly as mass but, unlike
mass, it can also be directly observed, thus circumventing the main systematic
bias in traditional cluster counts studies. With the aid of the BAHAMAS suite
of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, we demonstrate the potential of the
velocity dispersion counts for discriminating even similar CDM models.
These predictions can be compared with the results from existing redshift
surveys such as the highly-complete Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, and
upcoming wide-field spectroscopic surveys such as the Wide Area Vista
Extragalactic Survey (WAVES) and the Dark Energy Survey Instrument (DESI).Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. New section
on cosmological forecasts adde
Constraints on a New Post-General Relativity Cosmological Parameter
A new cosmological variable is introduced which characterizes the degree of
departure from Einstein's General Relativity (GR) with a cosmological constant.
The new parameter, \varpi, is the cosmological analog of \gamma, the
parametrized post-Newtonian variable which measures the amount of spacetime
curvature per unit mass. In the cosmological context, \varpi measures the
difference between the Newtonian and longitudinal potentials in response to the
same matter sources, as occurs in certain scalar-tensor theories of gravity.
Equivalently, \varpi measures the scalar shear fluctuation in a dark energy
component. In the context of a "vanilla" LCDM background cosmology, a non-zero
\varpi signals a departure from GR or a fluctuating cosmological constant.
Using a phenomenological model for the time evolution \varpi=\varpi_0
\rho_{DE}/\rho_{M} which depends on the ratio of energy density in the
cosmological constant to the matter density at each epoch, it is shown that the
observed cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies limit the
overall normalization constant to be -0.4 < \varpi_0 < 0.1 at the 95%
confidence level. Existing measurements of the cross-correlations of the CMB
with large-scale structure further limit \varpi_0 > -0.2 at the 95% CL. In the
future, integrated Sachs-Wolfe and weak lensing measurements can more tightly
constrain \varpi_0, providing a valuable clue to the nature of dark energy and
the validity of GR.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures; added reference
High resolution, low temperature photoabsorption cross-section of C2H2 with application to Saturn's atmosphere
New laboratory observations of the VUV absorption cross-section of C2H2, obtained under physical conditions approximating stratospheres of the giant planets, were combined with IUE observations of the albedo of Saturn, for which improved data reduction techniques have been used, to produce new models for that atmosphere. When the effects of C2H2 absorption are accounted for, additional absorption by other molecules is required. The best-fitting model also includes absorption by PH3, H2O, C2H6 and CH4. A small residual disagreement near 1600 A suggests that an additional trace species may be required to complete the model
Plant canopy shape and the influences on UV exposures to the canopy
The solar spectra at selected sites over hemispherical, conical and pinnacle plant canopy models has been evaluated with a dosimetric technique. The irradiance at the sites varies by up to a factor of 0.31 compared to the irradiance on a horizontal plane. The biologically effective (UVBE) exposures evaluated with the dosimetric technique at sites over the plant canopy are up to 19% of that on a horizontal plane. Compared to a spectroradiometer, the technique provides a more practicable method of measuring the UVBE exposures at multiple sites over a plant canopy. Usage of a dosimeter at one site to provide the exposures at that site for different sun angles introduces an error of more than 50%. Knowledge of the spectra allowed the UV and UVBE exposures to be calculated at each site along with the exposures to the entire canopies. These were dependent on the sun angle and the canopy shape. For plant damage, the UVBE was a maximum of about 1.4 mJ cm-2/min. Compared to the hemispherical canopy, the UVBE exposure for generalised plant damage was 45% less for the pinnacle canopy and 23% less for the conical canopy. The canopy exposures could not be determined from measurements of the ambient exposure
Polarization forces in water deduced from single molecule data
Intermolecular polarization interactions in water are determined using a
minimal atomic multipole model constructed with distributed polarizabilities.
Hydrogen bonding and other properties of water-water interactions are
reproduced to fine detail by only three multipoles , , and
and two polarizabilities and , which
characterize a single water molecule and are deduced from single molecule data.Comment: 4 revtex pages, 3 embedded color PS figure
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