8 research outputs found
Cross-Correlation of the Cosmic Microwave Background with the 2MASS Galaxy Survey: Signatures of Dark Energy, Hot Gas, and Point Sources
We cross-correlate the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature
anisotropies observed by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) with
the projected distribution of extended sources in the Two Micron All Sky Survey
(2MASS). By modelling the theoretical expectation for this signal, we extract
the signatures of dark energy (Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect;ISW), hot gas
(thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect;thermal SZ), and microwave point sources in
the cross-correlation. Our strongest signal is the thermal SZ, at the 3.1-3.7
\sigma level, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction based on
observations of X-ray clusters. We also see the ISW signal at the 2.5 \sigma
level, which is consistent with the expected value for the concordance LCDM
cosmology, and is an independent signature of the presence of dark energy in
the universe. Finally, we see the signature of microwave point sources at the
2.7 \sigma level.Comment: 35 pages (preprint format), 8 figures. In addition to minor revisions
based on referee's comments, after correcting for a bug in the code, the SZ
detection is consistent with the X-ray observations. Accepeted for
publication in Physical Review
Forecasting Cosmic Doomsday from CMB/LSS Cross-Correlations
A broad class of dark energy models, which have been proposed in attempts at
solving the cosmological constant problems, predict a late time variation of
the equation of state with redshift. The variation occurs as a scalar field
picks up speed on its way to negative values of the potential. The negative
potential energy eventually turns the expansion into contraction and the local
universe undergoes a big crunch. In this paper we show that cross-correlations
of the CMB anisotropy and matter distribution, in combination with other
cosmological data, can be used to forecast the imminence of such cosmic
doomsday.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure