Phase-space shapes of clusters and rich groups of galaxies

Clusters and groups of galaxies are highly aspherical, with shapes approximated by nearly prolate ellipsoids of revolution. An equally fundamental property is the shape of these objects in velocity space which is the anisotropy of the global velocity dispersion tensor. Here we make use of kinematical data comprising around 600 nearby clusters and rich groups of galaxies from the SDSS to place constraints on the phase-space shapes of these objects, i.e. their shapes in both position and velocity space. We show that the line of sight velocity dispersion normalised by a mass dependent velocity scale correlates with the apparent elongation, with circular (elongated) clusters exhibiting an excessive (decremental) normalised velocity dispersion. This correlation holds for dynamically young or old clusters and, therefore, it originates from projecting their intrinsic phase-space shapes rather than from dynamical evolution. It signifies that clusters are preferentially prolate not only in position space, but also in velocity space. The distribution of the axial ratios in position space is found to be well approximated by a Gaussian with a mean 0.66+/-0.01 and a dispersion 0.07+/-0.008. The velocity ellipsoids representing the shapes in velocity space are more spherical, with a mean axial ratio of 0.78+/-0.03. This finding has important implications for mass measurements based on the line of sight velocity dispersion profiles in individual clusters. For typical axial ratios of the velocity ellipsoids in the analysed cluster sample, systematic errors on the mass estimates inferred from the line of sight velocity dispersions become comparable to statistical uncertainties for galaxy clusters with as few as 40 spectroscopic redshifts.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures; published in A&A; typo in eq. 5 correcte

Redshift remapping and cosmic acceleration in dark-matter-dominated cosmological models

The standard relation between the cosmological redshift and cosmic scale factor underlies cosmological inference from virtually all kinds of cosmological observations, leading to the emergence of the LambdaCDM cosmological model. This relation is not a fundamental theory and thus observational determination of this function (redshift remapping) should be regarded as an insightful alternative to holding its standard form in analyses of cosmological data. Here we present non-parametric reconstructions of redshift remapping in dark-matter-dominated models and constraints on cosmological parameters from a joint analysis of all primary cosmological probes including the local measurement of the Hubble constant, Type Ia supernovae, baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO), Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation (temperature power spectrum) and cosmic chronometers. The reconstructed redshift remapping points to an additional boost of redshift operating in late epoch of cosmic evolution, but affecting both low-redshift observations and the CMB. The model predicts a significant difference between the actual Hubble constant, h=0.48+/-0.02, and its local determination, h_obs=0.73+/-0.02. The ratio of these two values coincides closely with the maximum expansion rate inside voids formed in the corresponding open cosmological model with Omega_m=0.87+/-0.03, whereas the actual value of the Hubble constant implies the age of the Universe that is compatible with the Planck LambdaCDM cosmology. The new dark-matter-dominated model with redshift remapping provides excellent fits to all data and eliminates recently reported tensions between the Planck LambdaCDM cosmology, the local determination of the Hubble constant and the BAO measurements from the Ly-alpha forest of high-redshift quasars.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables; accepted for publication in MNRA

Testing the mapping between redshift and cosmic scale factor

The canonical redshift-scale factor relation, 1/a=1+z, is a key element in the standard LambdaCDM model of the big bang cosmology. Despite its fundamental role, this relation has not yet undergone any observational tests since Lemaitre and Hubble established the expansion of the Universe. It is strictly based on the assumption of the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metric describing a locally homogeneous and isotropic universe and that photons move on null geodesics of the metric. Thus any violation of this assumption, within general relativity or modified gravity, can yield a different mapping between the model redshift z=1/a-1 and the actually observed redshift z_obs, i.e. z_obs neq z. Here we perform a simple test of consistency for the standard redshift-scale factor relation by determining simultaneous observational constraints on the concordance LambdaCDM cosmological parameters and a generalized redshift mapping z=f(z_obs). Using current baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and Type Ia supernova (SN) data we demonstrate that the generalized redshift mapping is strongly degenerated with dark energy. Marginalization over a class of monotonic functions f(z_obs) changes substantially degeneracy between matter and dark energy density: the density parameters become anti correlated with nearly vertical axis of degeneracy. Furthermore, we show that current SN and BAO data, analysed in a framework with the generalized redshift mapping, do not constrain dark energy unless the BAO data include the measurements from the Ly-alpha forest of high-redshift quasars.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables; accepted for publication in MNRA

Voids in cosmological simulations over cosmic time

We study evolution of voids in cosmological simulations using a new method for tracing voids over cosmic time. The method is based on tracking watershed basins (contiguous regions around density minima) of well developed voids at low redshift, on a regular grid of density field. It enables us to construct a robust and continuous mapping between voids at different redshifts, from initial conditions to the present time. We discuss how the new approach eliminates strong spurious effects of numerical origin when voids evolution is traced by matching voids between successive snapshots (by analogy to halo merger trees). We apply the new method to a cosmological simulation of a standard LambdaCDM cosmological model and study evolution of basic properties of typical voids (with effective radii between 6Mpc/h and 20Mpc/h at redshift z=0) such as volumes, shapes, matter density distributions and relative alignments. The final voids at low redshifts appear to retain a significant part of the configuration acquired in initial conditions. Shapes of voids evolve in a collective way which barely modifies the overall distribution of the axial ratios. The evolution appears to have a weak impact on mutual alignments of voids implying that the present state is in large part set up by the primordial density field. We present evolution of dark matter density profiles computed on iso-density surfaces which comply with the actual shapes of voids. Unlike spherical density profiles, this approach enables us to demonstrate development of theoretically predicted bucket-like shape of the final density profiles indicating a wide flat core and a sharp transition to high-density void walls.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures; accepted for publication in MNRA

Cosmological Parameters From Supernovae Associated With Gamma-ray Bursts

We report estimates of the cosmological parameters $\Omega_m$ and $\Omega_{\Lambda}$ obtained using supernovae (SNe) associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at redshifts up to 0.606. Eight high-fidelity GRB-SNe with well-sampled light curves across the peak are used. We correct their peak magnitudes for a luminosity-decline rate relation to turn them into accurate standard candles with dispersion $\sigma = 0.18$ mag. We also estimate the peculiar velocity of the low-redshift host galaxy of SN 1998bw, using constrained cosmological simulations. In a flat universe, the resulting Hubble diagram leads to best-fit cosmological parameters of $(\Omega_m, \Omega_{\Lambda}) = (0.58^{+0.22}_{-0.25},0.42 ^{+0.25}_{-0.22})$. This exploratory study suggests that GRB-SNe can potentially be used as standardizable candles to high redshifts to measure distances in the universe and constrain cosmological parameters.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ

Low-redshift measurement of the sound horizon through gravitational time-delays

The matter sound horizon can be inferred from the cosmic microwave background within the Standard Model. Independent direct measurements of the sound horizon are then a probe of possible deviations from the Standard Model. We aim at measuring the sound horizon $r_s$ from low-redshift indicators, which are completely independent of CMB inference. We used the measured product $H(z)r_s$ from baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) together with supernovae~\textsc{I}a to constrain $H(z)/H_{0}$ and time-delay lenses analysed by the H0LiCOW collaboration to anchor cosmological distances ($\propto H_{0}^{-1}$). {Additionally, we investigated the influence of adding a sample of quasars with higher redshift with standardisable UV-Xray luminosity distances. We adopted polynomial expansions in $H(z)$ or in comoving distances} so that our inference was completely independent of any cosmological model on which the expansion history might be based. Our measurements are independent of Cepheids and systematics from peculiar motions {to within percent-level accuracy.} The inferred sound horizon $r_s$ varies between $(133 \pm 8)$~Mpc and $(138 \pm 5)$~Mpc across different models. The discrepancy with CMB measurements is robust against model choice. Statistical uncertainties are comparable to systematics. The combination of time-delay lenses, supernovae, and BAO yields a distance ladder that is independent of cosmology (and of Cepheid calibration) and a measurement of $r_s$ that is independent of the CMB. These cosmographic measurements are then a competitive test of the Standard Model, regardless of the hypotheses on which the cosmology is based.Comment: 2019A&A...632A..91A (subm. 28/05/2019), 6 pages, 3 figure

Językowa i stylistyczna wielogłosowość publicystyki okolicznościowej

Artykuł jest pomyślany jako próba charakterystyki konkretnej publikacji prasowej, mającej kształt gatunkowej kolekcji. Jest to bowiem dodatek do „Tygodnika Powszechnego” (nr 29 z 2018 roku) pt. Festiwal Stolica Języka Polskiego. Publikacja ta powiela formę magazynu prasowego, gdyż oprócz programu festiwalu zawiera: editorial, wywiady, recenzje, teksty komentujące i biogramy wybranych uczestników festiwalu. Mamy zatem do czynienia z typowym dla kolekcji współwystępowaniem konkretnych wypowiedzi w określonym miejscu i czasie. Całości przypisać można funkcję powiadamiania o wydarzeniu kulturalnym (festiwalu) oraz funkcję promowania imprezy. Autorka analizuje wspomnianą publikację w perspektywie dyskursywnej, a więc zwraca uwagę na określone, typowe dla współczesnej prasy praktyki komunikacyjne, tworzące skomplikowaną siatkę strategii, celów i form komunikacji, składających się na kształt współczesnej publicystyki. Analitycznym celem artykułu jest pokazanie komunikacyjnej polimorficzności konkretnego zbioru wypowiedzi publicystycznych, a więc interpretujących określoną rzeczywistość i służących przekonaniu czytelników do tej interpretacji. Poszczególne wypowiedzi są traktowane jako głosy, czyli komunikacyjnie (pragmatycznie) i formalnie ukształtowane typy działań językowych.The article has been conceived as an attempt to characterize a particular press publication in the shape of a genre collection. It is an extra to „Tygodnik Powszechny” (No. 29, 2018) under the title “Festiwal Stolica Języka Polskiego” (“Festival the Capital of the Polish Language)”. The publication reproduces a form of press magazine, since apart from the festival program, it includes: an editorial, interviews, reviews, commentaries and silhouettes of selected participants of the festival. Therefore, we deal with a co-occurrence of particular utterances at a specific place and time, typical for a collection. The function of notification about a cultural event (the festival) and the function of promoting the event can be ascribed to the whole issue. The author analyzes the abovementioned publication in the discursive perspective, and so she draws attention to specified communication practices, typical of contemporary press that create a complicated network of strategies, goals and forms of communication, contributing to the shape of contemporary journalism. The analytic purpose of the article is to present a communication polymorphism of a particular set of press utterances that interpret a specified reality and aim at convincing the readers to this interpretation. Particular utterances are treated as voices, i.e. communicatively (pragmatically) and formally shaped types of language activities

Effect of asphericity in caustic mass estimates of galaxy clusters

The caustic technique for measuring mass profiles of galaxy clusters relies on the assumption of spherical symmetry. When applied to aspherical galaxy clusters, the method yields mass estimates affected by the cluster orientation. Here we employ mock redshift catalogues generated from cosmological simulations to study the effect of clusters intrinsic shape and surrounding filamentary structures on the caustic mass estimates. To this end, we develop a new method for removing perturbations from large-scale structures, modelled as the two-halo term, in a caustic analysis of stacked cluster data. We find that the cluster masses inferred from kinematical data of ~10^14 Msun clusters observed along the major axis are larger than masses from those observed along the minor axis by a factor of 1.7 within the virial radius, increasing to 1.8 within three virial radii. This discrepancy increases by 20% for the most massive clusters. In addition a smaller but still significant mass discrepancy arises when filamentary structures are present near a galaxy cluster. We find that the mean cluster mass from random sightlines is unbiased at all radii and their scatter ranges from 0.14 to 0.17 within one and three virial radii, with a 40% increase for the most massive clusters. We provide tables which estimate the caustic mass bias given observational constraints on the cluster orientation.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA