168 research outputs found
Interloper bias in future large-scale structure surveys
Next-generation spectroscopic surveys will map the large-scale structure of
the observable universe, using emission line galaxies as tracers. While each
survey will map the sky with a specific emission line, interloping emission
lines can masquerade as the survey's intended emission line at different
redshifts. Interloping lines from galaxies that are not removed can contaminate
the power spectrum measurement, mixing correlations from various redshifts and
diluting the true signal. We assess the potential for power spectrum
contamination, finding that an interloper fraction worse than 0.2% could bias
power spectrum measurements for future surveys by more than 10% of statistical
errors, while also biasing power spectrum inferences. We also construct a
formalism for predicting cosmological parameter bias, demonstrating that a
0.15%-0.3% interloper fraction could bias the growth rate by more than 10% of
the error, which can affect constraints on gravity upcoming surveys. We use the
COSMOS Mock Catalog (CMC), with the emission lines re-scaled to better
reproduce recent data, to predict potential interloper fractions for the Prime
Focus Spectrograph (PFS) and the Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST).
We find that secondary line identification, or confirming galaxy redshifts by
finding correlated emission lines, can remove interlopers for PFS. For WFIRST,
we use the CMC to predict that the 0.2% target can be reached for the WFIRST
H survey, but sensitive optical and near-infrared photometry will be
required. For the WFIRST [OIII] survey, the predicted interloper fractions
reach several percent and their effects will have to be estimated and removed
statistically (e.g. with deep training samples). (Abridged)Comment: Matches version accepted by PAS
Lyman- \u3b1 Forest Constraints on Primordial Black Holes as Dark Matter
The renewed interest in the possibility that primordial black holes (PBHs) may constitute a significant part of dark matter has provided motivation for revisiting old observational constraints, as well as developing new ones. We present new limits on the PBH abundance, from a comprehensive analysis of high-resolution high-redshift Lyman-\u3b1 forest data. Poisson fluctuations in the PBH number density induce a small-scale power enhancement which departs from the standard cold dark matter prediction. Using a grid of hydrodynamic simulations exploring different values of astrophysical parameters, we obtain a marginalized upper limit on the PBH mass of fPBHMPBH 3c60M at 2\u3c3, when a Gaussian prior on the reionization redshift is imposed, preventing its posterior distribution from peaking on very high values, which are disfavored by the most recent estimates obtained both through cosmic microwave background and intergalactic medium observations. Such a bound weakens to fPBHMPBH 3c170M when a conservative flat prior is instead assumed. Both limits significantly improve on previous constraints from the same physical observable. We also extend our predictions to nonmonochromatic PBH mass distributions, ruling out large regions of the parameter space for some of the most viable PBH extended mass functions
Cross-correlation of WISE Galaxies with the Cosmic Microwave Background
We estimated the cross-power spectra of a galaxy sample from the Wide-field
Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) survey with the 7-year Wilkinson Microwave
Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) temperature anisotropy maps. A conservatively-selected
galaxy sample covers ~13000sq.deg, with a median redshift of z=0.15.
Cross-power spectra show correlations between the two data sets with no
discernible dependence on the WMAP Q, V and W frequency bands. We interpret
these results in terms of the the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect: for the
|b|>20 deg sample at l=6-87, we measure the amplitude (normalized to be 1 for
vanilla LambdaCDM expectation) of the signal to be 3.4+-1.1, i.e., 3.1 sigma
detection. We discuss other possibilities, but at face value, the detection of
the linear ISW effect in a flat universe is caused by large scale decaying
potentials, a sign of accelerated expansion driven by Dark Energy.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Cosmology from HI galaxy surveys with the SKA
The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) has the potential to produce galaxy redshift surveys which will be competitive with other state of the art cosmological experiments in the next decade. In this chapter we summarise what capabilities the first and the second phases of the SKA will be able to achieve in its current state of design. We summarise the different cosmological experiments which are outlined in further detail in other chapters of this Science Book. The SKA will be able to produce competitive Baryonic Oscillation (BAOs) measurements in both its phases. The first phase of the SKA will provide similar measurements as optical and IR experiments with completely different systematic effects whereas the second phase being transformational in terms of its statistical power. The SKA will produce very accurate Redshift Space Distortions (RSD) measurements, being superior to other experiments at lower redshifts, due to the large number of galaxies. Cross correlations of the galaxy redshift data from the SKA with radio continuum surveys and optical surveys will provide extremely good calibration of photometric redshifts as well as extremely good bounds on modifications of gravity. Basing on a Principle Component Analysis (PCA) approach, we find that the SKA will be able to provide competitive constraints on dark energy and modified gravity models. Due to the large area covered the SKA it will be a transformational experiment in measuring physics from the largest scales such as non-Gaussian signals from . Finally, the SKA might produce the first real time measurement of the redshift drift. The SKA will be a transformational machine for cosmology as it grows from an early Phase 1 to its full power
Cosmology on the Largest Scales with the SKA
Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array
June 8-13, 2014
Giardini Naxos, ItalyThe study of the Universe on ultra-large scales is one of the major science cases for the Square
Kilometre Array (SKA). The SKA will be able to probe a vast volume of the cosmos, thus representing
a unique instrument, amongst next-generation cosmological experiments, for scrutinising
the Universe’s properties on the largest cosmic scales. Probing cosmic structures on extremely
large scales will have many advantages. For instance, the growth of perturbations is well understood
for those modes, since it falls fully within the linear régime. Also, such scales are unaffected
by the poorly understood feedback of baryonic physics. On ultra-large cosmic scales, two key effects
become significant: primordial non-Gaussianity and relativistic corrections to cosmological
observables. Moreover, if late-time acceleration is driven not by dark energy but by modifications
to general relativity, then such modifications should become apparent near and above the horizon
scale. As a result, the SKA is forecast to deliver transformational constraints on non-Gaussianity
and to probe gravity on super-horizon scales for the first time
The BOOMERANG North America Instrument: a balloon-borne bolometric radiometer optimized for measurements of cosmic background radiation anisotropies from 0.3 to 4 degrees
We describe the BOOMERANG North America (BNA) instrument, a balloon-borne
bolometric radiometer designed to map the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)
radiation with 0.3 deg resolution over a significant portion of the sky. This
receiver employs new technologies in bolometers, readout electronics,
millimeter-wave optics and filters, cryogenics, scan and attitude
reconstruction. All these subsystems are described in detail in this paper. The
system has been fully calibrated in flight using a variety of techniques which
are described and compared. It has been able to obtain a measurement of the
first peak in the CMB angular power spectrum in a single balloon flight, few
hours long, and was a prototype of the BOOMERANG Long Duration Balloon (BLDB)
experiment.Comment: 40 pages, 22 figures, submitted to Ap
Probing the accelerating Universe with radio weak lensing in the JVLA Sky Survey
We outline the prospects for performing pioneering radio weak gravitational
lensing analyses using observations from a potential forthcoming JVLA Sky
Survey program. A large-scale survey with the JVLA can offer interesting and
unique opportunities for performing weak lensing studies in the radio band, a
field which has until now been the preserve of optical telescopes. In
particular, the JVLA has the capacity for large, deep radio surveys with
relatively high angular resolution, which are the key characteristics required
for a successful weak lensing study. We highlight the potential advantages and
unique aspects of performing weak lensing in the radio band. In particular, the
inclusion of continuum polarisation information can greatly reduce noise in
weak lensing reconstructions and can also remove the effects of intrinsic
galaxy alignments, the key astrophysical systematic effect that limits weak
lensing at all wavelengths. We identify a VLASS "deep fields" program (total
area ~10-20 square degs), to be conducted at L-band and with high-resolution
(A-array configuration), as the optimal survey strategy from the point of view
of weak lensing science. Such a survey will build on the unique strengths of
the JVLA and will remain unsurpassed in terms of its combination of resolution
and sensitivity until the advent of the Square Kilometre Array. We identify the
best fields on the JVLA-accessible sky from the point of view of overlapping
with existing deep optical and near infra-red data which will provide crucial
redshift information and facilitate a host of additional compelling
multi-wavelength science.Comment: Submitted in response to NRAO's recent call for community white
papers on the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS
A new approach to cosmological perturbations in f(R) models
We propose an analytic procedure that allows to determine quantitatively the
deviation in the behavior of cosmological perturbations between a given f(R)
modified gravity model and a LCDM reference model. Our method allows to study
structure formation in these models from the largest scales, of the order of
the Hubble horizon, down to scales deeply inside the Hubble radius, without
employing the so-called "quasi-static" approximation. Although we restrict our
analysis here to linear perturbations, our technique is completely general and
can be extended to any perturbative order.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures; Revised version according to reviewer's
suggestions; Typos corrected; Added Reference
- …