20 research outputs found
Cosmological Parameters Degeneracies and Non-Gaussian Halo Bias
We study the impact of the cosmological parameters uncertainties on the
measurements of primordial non-Gaussianity through the large-scale non-Gaussian
halo bias effect. While this is not expected to be an issue for the standard
LCDM model, it may not be the case for more general models that modify the
large-scale shape of the power spectrum. We consider the so-called local
non-Gaussianity model and forecasts from planned surveys, alone and combined
with a Planck CMB prior. In particular, we consider EUCLID- and LSST-like
surveys and forecast the correlations among and the running of the
spectral index , the dark energy equation of state , the effective
sound speed of dark energy perturbations , the total mass of massive
neutrinos , and the number of extra relativistic degrees of
freedom . Neglecting CMB information on and scales /Mpc, we find that, if is assumed to be known, the
uncertainty on cosmological parameters increases the error on by
10 to 30% depending on the survey. Thus the constraint is
remarkable robust to cosmological model uncertainties. On the other hand, if
is simultaneously constrained from the data, the
error increases by . Finally, future surveys which provide a large
sample of galaxies or galaxy clusters over a volume comparable to the Hubble
volume can measure primordial non-Gaussianity of the local form with a
marginalized 1-- error of the order , after
combination with CMB priors for the remaining cosmological parameters. These
results are competitive with CMB bispectrum constraints achievable with an
ideal CMB experiment.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure added, typos corrected, comments added, matches
the published versio
Cosmological distance indicators
We review three distance measurement techniques beyond the local universe:
(1) gravitational lens time delays, (2) baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO), and
(3) HI intensity mapping. We describe the principles and theory behind each
method, the ingredients needed for measuring such distances, the current
observational results, and future prospects. Time delays from strongly lensed
quasars currently provide constraints on with < 4% uncertainty, and with
1% within reach from ongoing surveys and efforts. Recent exciting discoveries
of strongly lensed supernovae hold great promise for time-delay cosmography.
BAO features have been detected in redshift surveys up to z <~ 0.8 with
galaxies and z ~ 2 with Ly- forest, providing precise distance
measurements and with < 2% uncertainty in flat CDM. Future BAO
surveys will probe the distance scale with percent-level precision. HI
intensity mapping has great potential to map BAO distances at z ~ 0.8 and
beyond with precisions of a few percent. The next years ahead will be exciting
as various cosmological probes reach 1% uncertainty in determining , to
assess the current tension in measurements that could indicate new
physics.Comment: Review article accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews
(Springer), 45 pages, 10 figures. Chapter of a special collection resulting
from the May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in
the Space Ag
Testable anthropic predictions for dark energy
In the context of models where the dark energy density \rD is a random
variable, anthropic selection effects may explain both the "old" cosmological
constant problem and the "time coincidence". We argue that this type of
solution to both cosmological constant problems entails a number of definite
predictions, which can be checked against upcoming observations. In particular,
in models where the dark energy density is a discrete variable, or where it is
a continuous variable due to the potential energy of a single scalar field, the
anthropic approach predicts that the dark energy equation of state is
with a very high accuracy. It is also predicted that the dark
energy density is greater than the currently favored value . Another prediction, which may be testable with an improved understanding
of galactic properties, is that the conditions for civilizations to emerge
arise mostly in galaxies completing their formation at low redshift, . Finally, there is a prediction which may not be easy to test
observationally: our part of the universe is going to recollapse eventually.
However, the simplest models predict that it will take more than a trillion
years of accelerated expansion before this happens.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures. Two errors in the published version are pointed
out and corrected. Further typos correcte
Cosmological constraints from galaxy clustering
In this manuscript I review the mathematics and physics that underpins recent
work using the clustering of galaxies to derive cosmological model constraints.
I start by describing the basic concepts, and gradually move on to some of the
complexities involved in analysing galaxy redshift surveys, focusing on the 2dF
Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) and the Sloan Digital Sky survey (SDSS).
Difficulties within such an analysis, particularly dealing with redshift space
distortions and galaxy bias are highlighted. I then describe current
observations of the CMB fluctuation power spectrum, and consider the importance
of measurements of the clustering of galaxies in light of recent experiments.
Finally, I provide an example joint analysis of the latest CMB and large-scale
structure data, leading to a set of parameter constraints.Comment: 30 pages, 13 figures. Lecture given at Third Aegean Summer School,
The invisible universe: Dark matter and Dark energ
On the spin distributions of CDM haloes
We used merger trees realizations, predicted by the extended Press-Schechter
theory, in order to study the growth of angular momentum of dark matter haloes.
Our results showed that: 1) The spin parameter resulting from the
above method, is an increasing function of the present day mass of the halo.
The mean value of varies from 0.0343 to 0.0484 for haloes with
present day masses in the range of to
. 2)The distribution of is close to
a log-normal, but, as it is already found in the results of N-body simulations,
the match is not satisfactory at the tails of the distribution. A new
analytical formula that approximates the results much more satisfactorily is
presented. 3) The distribution of the values of depends only weakly
on the redshift. 4) The spin parameter of an halo depends on the number of
recent major mergers. Specifically the spin parameter is an increasing function
of this number.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
Measuring the metric: a parametrized post-Friedmanian approach to the cosmic dark energy problem
We argue for a ``parametrized post-Friedmanian'' approach to linear
cosmology, where the history of expansion and perturbation growth is measured
without assuming that the Einstein Field Equations hold. As an illustration, a
model-independent analysis of 92 type Ia supernovae demonstrates that the curve
giving the expansion history has the wrong shape to be explained without some
form of dark energy or modified gravity. We discuss how upcoming lensing,
galaxy clustering, cosmic microwave background and Lyman alpha forest
observations can be combined to pursue this program, which generalizes the
quest for a dark energy equation of state, and forecast the accuracy that the
proposed SNAP satellite can attain.Comment: Replaced to match accepted PRD version. References and another
example added, section III omitted since superceded by astro-ph/0207047. 11
PRD pages, 7 figs. Color figs and links at
http://www.hep.upenn.edu/~max/gravity.html or from [email protected]
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