189 research outputs found
Gravity and Large-Scale Non-local Bias
The relationship between galaxy and matter overdensities, bias, is most often
assumed to be local. This is however unstable under time evolution, we provide
proofs under several sets of assumptions. In the simplest model galaxies are
created locally and linearly biased at a single time, and subsequently move
with the matter (no velocity bias) conserving their comoving number density (no
merging). We show that, after this formation time, the bias becomes unavoidably
non-local and non-linear at large scales. We identify the non-local
gravitationally induced fields in which the galaxy overdensity can be expanded,
showing that they can be constructed out of the invariants of the deformation
tensor (Galileons). In addition, we show that this result persists if we
include an arbitrary evolution of the comoving number density of tracers. We
then include velocity bias, and show that new contributions appear, a dipole
field being the signature at second order. We test these predictions by
studying the dependence of halo overdensities in cells of fixed matter density:
measurements in simulations show that departures from the mean bias relation
are strongly correlated with the non-local gravitationally induced fields
identified by our formalism. The effects on non-local bias seen in the
simulations are most important for the most biased halos, as expected from our
predictions. The non-locality seen in the simulations is not fully captured by
assuming local bias in Lagrangian space. Accounting for these effects when
modeling galaxy bias is essential for correctly describing the dependence on
triangle shape of the galaxy bispectrum, and hence constraining cosmological
parameters and primordial non-Gaussianity. We show that using our formalism we
remove an important systematic in the determination of bias parameters from the
galaxy bispectrum, particularly for luminous galaxies. (abridged)Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures. v2: improved appendix
Discovery of Four Gravitationally Lensed Quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
We present the discovery of four gravitationally lensed quasars selected from
the spectroscopic quasar catalog of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We describe
imaging and spectroscopic follow-up observations that support the lensing
interpretation of the following four quasars: SDSS J0832+0404 (image separation
\theta=1.98", source redshift z_s=1.115, lens redshift z_l=0.659); SDSS
J1216+3529 (\theta=1.49", z_s=2.012); SDSS J1322+1052 (\theta=2.00",
z_s=1.716); and SDSS J1524+4409 (\theta=1.67", z_s=1.210, z_l=0.320). Each
system has two lensed images. We find that the fainter image component of SDSS
J0832+0404 is significantly redder than the brighter component, perhaps because
of differential reddening by the lensing galaxy. The lens potential of SDSS
J1216+3529 might be complicated by the presence of a secondary galaxy near the
main lensing galaxy.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in A
Epostatic connections between microphthalmia-associated trancecription factor and endothelin signaling in Waardenburg syndrome and other pigmentary disorders
Division of Stem Cell Medicin
Large-Scale Anisotropic Correlation Function of SDSS Luminous Red Galaxies
We study the large-scale anisotropic two-point correlation function using
46,760 luminous red galaxies at redshifts 0.16 -- 0.47 from the Sloan Digital
Sky Survey. We measure the correlation function as a function of separations
parallel and perpendicular to the line-of-sight in order to take account of
anisotropy of the large-scale structure in redshift space. We find a slight
signal of baryonic features in the anisotropic correlation function, i.e., a
``baryon ridge'' which corresponds to a baryon acoustic peak in the spherically
averaged correlation function which has already been reported using the same
sample. The baryon ridge has primarily a spherical structure with a known
radius in comoving coordinates. It enables us to divide the redshift distortion
effects into dynamical and geometrical components and provides further
constraints on cosmological parameters, including the dark energy
equation-of-state. With an assumption of a flat cosmology, we find
the best-fit values of and
(68% C.L.) when we use the overall
shape of the anisotropic correlation function of 40 including a
scale of baryon acoustic oscillations. When an additional assumption
is adopted, we obtain and . These constraints
are estimated only from our data of the anisotropic correlation function, and
they agree quite well with values both from the cosmic microwave background
(CMB) anisotropies and from other complementary statistics using the LRG
sample. With the CMB prior from the 3 year WMAP results, we give stronger
constraints on those parameters.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, typo corrected, references added with
respect to published versio
The mass density field in simulated non-Gaussian scenarios
In this work we study the properties of the mass density field in the
non-Gaussian world models simulated by Grossi et al. 2007. In particular we
focus on the one-point density probability distribution function of the mass
density field in non-Gausian models with quadratic non-linearities quantified
by the usual parameter f_NL. We find that the imprints of primordial
non-Gaussianity are well preserved in the negative tail of the probability
function during the evolution of the density perturbation. The effect is
already noticeable at redshifts as large as 4 and can be detected out to the
present epoch. At z=0 we find that the fraction of the volume occupied by
regions with underdensity delta < -0.9, typical of voids, is about 1.3 per cent
in the Gaussian case and increases to ~2.2 per cent if f_NL=-1000 while
decreases to ~0.5 per cent if f_NL=+1000. This result suggests that void-based
statistics may provide a powerful method to detect non-Gaussianity even at low
redshifts which is complementary to the measurements of the higher-order
moments of the probability distribution function like the skewness or the
kurtosis for which deviations from the Gaussian case are detected at the 25-50
per cent level.Comment: revised version, 9 Pages, 8 figures, MNRAS in pres
Measuring our universe from galaxy redshift surveys
Galaxy redshift surveys have achieved significant progress over the last
couple of decades. Those surveys tell us in the most straightforward way what
our local universe looks like. While the galaxy distribution traces the bright
side of the universe, detailed quantitative analyses of the data have even
revealed the dark side of the universe dominated by non-baryonic dark matter as
well as more mysterious dark energy (or Einstein's cosmological constant). We
describe several methodologies of using galaxy redshift surveys as cosmological
probes, and then summarize the recent results from the existing surveys.
Finally we present our views on the future of redshift surveys in the era of
Precision Cosmology.Comment: 82 pages, 31 figures, invited review article published in Living
Reviews in Relativity, http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2004-
Recommended from our members
Ensemble clustering in deterministic ensemble Kalman filters
Ensemble clustering (EC) can arise in data assimilation with ensemble square root filters (EnSRFs) using non-linear models: an M-member ensemble splits into a single outlier and a cluster of M−1 members. The stochastic Ensemble Kalman Filter does not present this problem. Modifications to the EnSRFs by a periodic resampling of the ensemble through random rotations have been proposed to address it. We introduce a metric to quantify the presence of EC and present evidence to dispel the notion that EC leads to filter failure. Starting from a univariate model, we show that EC is not a permanent but transient phenomenon; it occurs intermittently in non-linear models. We perform a series of data assimilation experiments using a standard EnSRF and a modified EnSRF by a resampling though random rotations. The modified EnSRF thus alleviates issues associated with EC at the cost of traceability of individual ensemble trajectories and cannot use some of algorithms that enhance performance of standard EnSRF. In the non-linear regimes of low-dimensional models, the analysis root mean square error of the standard EnSRF slowly grows with ensemble size if the size is larger than the dimension of the model state. However, we do not observe this problem in a more complex model that uses an ensemble size much smaller than the dimension of the model state, along with inflation and localisation. Overall, we find that transient EC does not handicap the performance of the standard EnSRF
The Hyper Suprime-Cam SSP Survey: Overview and Survey Design
Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) is a wide-field imaging camera on the prime focus of
the 8.2m Subaru telescope on the summit of Maunakea in Hawaii. A team of
scientists from Japan, Taiwan and Princeton University is using HSC to carry
out a 300-night multi-band imaging survey of the high-latitude sky. The survey
includes three layers: the Wide layer will cover 1400 deg in five broad
bands (), with a point-source depth of . The
Deep layer covers a total of 26~deg in four fields, going roughly a
magnitude fainter, while the UltraDeep layer goes almost a magnitude fainter
still in two pointings of HSC (a total of 3.5 deg). Here we describe the
instrument, the science goals of the survey, and the survey strategy and data
processing. This paper serves as an introduction to a special issue of the
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, which includes a large
number of technical and scientific papers describing results from the early
phases of this survey.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables. Corrected for a typo in the
coordinates of HSC-Wide spring equatorial field in Table
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Lens Search. III. Constraints on Dark Energy from the Third Data Release Quasar Lens Catalog
We present cosmological results from the statistics of lensed quasars in the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Quasar Lens Search. By taking proper account of
the selection function, we compute the expected number of quasars lensed by
early-type galaxies and their image separation distribution assuming a flat
universe, which is then compared with 7 lenses found in the SDSS Data Release 3
to derive constraints on dark energy under strictly controlled criteria. For a
cosmological constant model (w=-1) we obtain
\Omega_\Lambda=0.74^{+0.11}_{-0.15}(stat.)^{+0.13}_{-0.06}(syst.). Allowing w
to be a free parameter we find
\Omega_M=0.26^{+0.07}_{-0.06}(stat.)^{+0.03}_{-0.05}(syst.) and
w=-1.1\pm0.6(stat.)^{+0.3}_{-0.5}(syst.) when combined with the constraint from
the measurement of baryon acoustic oscillations in the SDSS luminous red galaxy
sample. Our results are in good agreement with earlier lensing constraints
obtained using radio lenses, and provide additional confirmation of the
presence of dark energy consistent with a cosmological constant, derived
independently of type Ia supernovae.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A
Erroneous selection of a non-target item improves subsequent target identification in rapid serial visual presentations
The second of two targets (T2) embedded in a rapid serial visual presentation
(RSVSVP) is often missed even though the first (T1) is correctly reported
(attentional blink). The rate of correct T2 identification is quite high,
however, when T2 comes immediately after T1 (lag-1 sparing). This study
investigated whether and how non-target items induce lag-1 sparing. One T1 and
two T2s comprising letters were inserted in distractors comprising symbols in
each of two synchronised RSVSVPs. A digit (dummy) was presented with T1 in
another stream. Lag-1 sparing occurred even at the location where the dummy was
present (Experiment 1). This distractor-induced sparing effect was also obtained
even when a Japanese katakana character (Experiment 2) was used as the dummy.
The sparing effect was, however, severely weakened when symbols (Experiment 3)
and Hebrew letters (Experiment 4) served as the dummy. Our findings suggest a
tentative hypothesis that attentional set for item nameability is
meta-categorically created and adopted to the dummy only when the dummy is
nameable
- …