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At least 127 records · Page 7

Probing the large-scale velocity field with clusters of galaxies

What is the role of clusters of galaxies in probing the large-scale velocity field of the universe? We investigate the distribution of peculiar velocities of clusters of galaxies in the popular low-density (omega = 0.3) flat cold dark matter (CDM) cosmological model, which best fits many large-scale structure observations. An omega = 1 CDM model is also studied for comparison. We find that clusters of galaxies are efficient tracers of the large-scale velocity field. The clusters exhibit a Maxwellian distribution of peculiar velocities, as expected from Gaussian initial density fluctuations. The cluster three-dimensional velocity distribution for the omega = 0.3 model peaks at nu approximately greater than 400 km/s and extends to high velocities of nu approximately 1200 km/s. The rms peculiar velocity of the clusters is 440 km/s. Approximately 10% of all model clusters move with high peculiar velocities nu greater or equal to 700 km/s. The observed velocity distribution of clusters of galaxies is compared with the predictions from cosmological models. The observed data exhibit a larger velocity tail than seen in the model simulations; however, due to the large observational uncertainties, the data are consistent at approximately equal to 3 sigma level with the odel predictions, and with a Gaussian initial density field. The large peculiar velocities reported for some clusters of galaxies (nu approximately greater than 3000 km/s) are likely to be overestimated, if the current model is viable.

Bahcall, Neta A.↗

Cosmology at high redshift — a probe of fundamental physics

An observational program focused on the high redshift (2<z<6) Universe has the opportunity to dramatically improve over upcoming LSS and CMB surveys on measurements of both the standard cosmological model and its extensions. Using a Fisher matrix formalism that builds upon recent advances in Lagrangian perturbation theory, we forecast constraints for future spectroscopic and 21-cm surveys on the standard cosmological model, curvature, neutrino mass, relativistic species, primordial features, primordial non-Gaussianity, dynamical dark energy, and gravitational slip. We compare these constraints with those achievable by current or near-future surveys such as DESI and Euclid, all under the same forecasting formalism, and compare our formalism with traditional linear methods. Here, our Python code FishLSS — used to calculate the Fisher information of the full shape power spectrum, CMB lensing, the cross-correlation of CMB lensing with galaxies, and combinations thereof — is publicly available.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Hubble Parameter Measurement Constraints on The Redshift of The Deceleration–Acceleration Transition, Dynamical Dark Energy, and Space Curvature

We compile an updated list of 38 measurements of the Hubble parameter $H(z)$ between redshifts 0.07 $≤ z ≤$ 2.36 and use them to place constraints on model parameters of constant and time-varying dark energy cosmological models, both spatially flat and curved. We use five models to measure the redshift of the cosmological deceleration–acceleration transition, $z_{da}$, from these H(z) data. Within the error bars, the measured zda are insensitive to the model used, depending only on the value assumed for the Hubble constant $H_0$. The weighted mean of our measurements is $z_{da}$ = 0.72 ± 0.05 (0.84 ± 0.03) for $H_0$ = 68 ± 2.8 (73.24 ± 1.74) km s -1 Mpc -1 and should provide a reasonably model-independent estimate of this cosmological parameter. The H(z) data are consistent with the standard spatially flat ΛCDM cosmological model but do not rule out nonflat models or dynamical dark energy models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Symmetron and de Sitter attractor in a teleparallel model of cosmology

In the teleparallel framework of cosmology, a quintessence with non-minimal couplings to the scalar torsion and a boundary term is considered. A conformal coupling to matter density is also taken into account. It is shown that the model can describe onset of cosmic acceleration after an epoch of matter dominated era, where dark energy is negligible, via Z {sub 2} symmetry breaking. While the conformal coupling holds the Universe in a state with zero dark energy density in the early epoch, the non-minimal couplings lead the Universe to a stable state with de Sitter expansion at late time.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Correcting Type Ia Supernova Distances for Selection Biases and Contamination in Photometrically Identified Samples

We present a new technique to create a bin-averaged Hubble diagram (HD) from photometrically identified SN Ia data. The resulting HD is corrected for selection biases and contamination from core-collapse (CC) SNe, and can be used to infer cosmological parameters. This method, called “BEAMS with Bias Corrections” (BBC), includes two fitting stages. The first BBC fitting stage uses a posterior distribution that includes multiple SN likelihoods, a Monte Carlo simulation to bias-correct the fitted SALT-II parameters, and CC probabilities determined from a machine-learning technique. The BBC fit determines (1) a bin-averaged HD (average distance versus redshift), and (2) the nuisance parameters α and β, which multiply the stretch and color (respectively) to standardize the SN brightness. In the second stage, the bin-averaged HD is fit to a cosmological model where priors can be imposed. We perform high-precision tests of the BBC method by simulating large (150,000 event) data samples corresponding to the Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program. Our tests include three models of intrinsic scatter, each with two different CC rates. In the BBC fit, the SALT-II nuisance parameters α and β are recovered to within 1% of their true values. In the cosmology fit, we determine the dark energy equation of state parameter w using a fixed value of Ω{sub M} as a prior: averaging over all six tests based on 6 × 150,000 = 900,000 SNe, there is a small w-bias of 0.006±0.002. Finally, the BBC fitting code is publicly available in the SNANA package.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

$\mathrm{SageNet}$: Fast Neural Network Emulation of the Stiff-amplified Gravitational Waves from Inflation

Accurate modeling of the inflationary gravitational waves (GWs) requires time-consuming, iterative numerical integrations of differential equations to take into account their backreaction on the expansion history. To improve computational efficiency while preserving accuracy, we present the Stiff-amplified Gravitational-wave Emulator Network (SageNet), a deep learning framework designed to replace conventional numerical solvers (code available at https://github.com/YifangLuo/SageNet). SageNet employs a long short-term memory architecture to emulate the present-day energy density spectrum of the inflationary GWs with possible stiff amplification, Ω GW (f). Trained on a data set of 25,689 numerically generated solutions, SageNet allows accurate reconstructions of Ω GW (f) and generalizes well to a wide range of cosmological parameters; 90.9% of the test emulations with randomly distributed parameters exhibit errors of under 4%. In addition, SageNet demonstrates its ability to learn and reproduce the artificial, adaptive sampling patterns in numerical calculations, which implement denser sampling of frequencies around changes in spectral indices in Ω GW (f). The dual capability of learning both physical and artificial features of the numerical GW spectra establishes SageNet as a robust alternative to exact numerical methods. Finally, our benchmark tests show that SageNet reduces the computation time from tens of seconds to milliseconds, achieving a speedup of ∼10 4 times over standard CPU-based numerical solvers with the potential for further acceleration on GPU hardware. These capabilities make SageNet a powerful tool for accelerating Bayesian inference procedures for extended cosmological models. In a broad sense, the SageNet framework offers a fast, accurate, and generalizable solution to modeling cosmological observables whose theoretical predictions demand costly differential equation solvers.

Astronomy data modeling↗

Testing the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich power spectrum of a halo model using hydrodynamical simulations

Statistical properties of large-scale cosmological structures serve as powerful tools for constraining the cosmological properties of our Universe. Tracing the gas pressure, the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (tSZ) effect is a biased probe of mass distribution and, hence, can be used to test the physics of feedback or cosmological models. Therefore, it is crucial to develop robust modelling of hot gas pressure for applications to tSZ surveys. Since gas collapses into bound structures, it is expected that most of the tSZ signal is within halos produced by cosmic accretion shocks. Hence, simple empirical halo models can be used to predict the tSZ power spectra. In this study, we employed the HMx halo model to compare the tSZ power spectra with those of several hydrodynamical simulations: the Horizon suite and the Magneticum simulation. We examine various contributions to the tSZ power spectrum across different redshifts, including the one- and two-halo term decomposition, the amount of bound gas, the importance of different masses, and the electron pressure profiles. Our comparison of the tSZ power spectrum reveals discrepancies between the halo model and cosmological simulations that increase with redshift. We find a 20% to 50% difference between the measured and predicted tSZ angular power spectrum over the multipole range ℓ = 10 3 − 10 4 . Our analysis reveals that these differences are driven by the excess of power in the predicted two-halo term at low k and in the one-halo term at high k . At higher redshifts ( z ∼ 3), simulations indicate that more power comes from outside the virial radius than from inside, suggesting a limitation in the applicability of the halo model. We also observe differences in the pressure profiles, despite the fair level of agreement on the tSZ power spectrum at low redshift with the default calibration of the halo model. In conclusion, our study suggests that the properties of the halo model need to be carefully controlled against real or mock data to be proven useful for cosmological purposes.

Ayçoberry, Emma (ORCID:0000000292351195)↗

First study of reionization in tilted flat and untilted non-flat dynamical dark energy inflation models

We examine the effects of dark energy dynamics and spatial curvature on cosmic reionization by studying reionization in tilted spatially flat and untilted non-flat XCDM and $\phi$CDM dynamical dark energy inflation models that best fit the Planck 2015 cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy and a large compilation of non-CMB data. We carry out a detailed statistical study, based on a principal component analysis and a Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis of a compilation of lower-redshift reionization data to estimate the uncertainties in the cosmological model reionization histories. We find that, irrespective of the nature of dark energy, there are significant differences between the reionization histories of the spatially flat and non-flat models. Although both the flat and non-flat models can accurately match the low-redshift ( z ≲ 6) reionization observations, there is a clear discrepancy between high-redshift ( z > 7) Lyman-α emitter data and the predictions from non-flat models. This is solely due to the fact that the non-flat models have a significantly larger electron scattering optical depth, τ el , compared to the flat models, which requires an extended and much earlier reionization scenario supported by more high-redshift ionizing sources in the non-flat models. Non-flat models also require strong redshift evolution in the photon escape fraction, which can become unrealistically high (≳1) at some redshifts. However, τ el is about 0.9-σ lower in the tilted flat ΛCDM model when the new Planck 2018 data are used and this reduction will partially alleviate the tension between the non-flat model predictions and the data.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Galileon gravity in light of ISW, CMB, BAO and H {sub 0} data

Cosmological models with Galileon gravity are an alternative to the standard ΛCDM paradigm with testable predictions at the level of its self-accelerating solutions for the expansion history, as well as large-scale structure formation. Here, we place constraints on the full parameter space of these models using data from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) (including lensing), baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) and the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect. We pay special attention to the ISW effect for which we use the cross-spectra, C {sub ℓ}{sup Tg}, of CMB temperature maps and foreground galaxies from the WISE survey. The sign of C {sub ℓ}{sup Tg} is set by the time evolution of the lensing potential in the redshift range of the galaxy sample: it is positive if the potential decays (like in ΛCDM), negative if it deepens. We constrain three subsets of Galileon gravity separately known as the Cubic, Quartic and Quintic Galileons. The cubic Galileon model predicts a negative C {sub ℓ}{sup Tg} and exhibits a 7.8σ tension with the data, which effectively rules it out. For the quartic and quintic models the ISW data also rule out a significant portion of the parameter space but permit regions where the goodness-of-fit is comparable to ΛCDM. The data prefers a non zero sum of the neutrino masses (∑ m {sub ν} ≈ 0.5eV) with ∼ 5σ significance in these models. The best-fitting models have values of H {sub 0} consistent with local determinations, thereby avoiding the tension that exists in ΛCDM. We also identify and discuss a ∼ 2σ tension that Galileon gravity exhibits with recent BAO measurements. Our analysis shows overall that Galileon cosmologies cannot be ruled out by current data but future lensing, BAO and ISW data hold strong potential to do so.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Local gravity and large-scale structure

The magnitude and direction of the observed dipole anisotropy of the galaxy distribution can in principle constrain the amount of large-scale power present in the spectrum of primordial density fluctuations. This paper confronts the data, provided by a recent redshift survey of galaxies detected by the IRAS satellite, with the predictions of two cosmological models with very different levels of large-scale power: the biased Cold Dark Matter dominated model (CDM) and a baryon-dominated model (BDM) with isocurvature initial conditions. Model predictions are investigated for the Local Group peculiar velocity, v(R), induced by mass inhomogeneities distributed out to a given radius, R, for R less than about 10,000 km/s. Several convergence measures for v(R) are developed, which can become powerful cosmological tests when deep enough samples become available. For the present data sets, the CDM and BDM predictions are indistinguishable at the 2 sigma level and both are consistent with observations. A promising discriminant between cosmological models is the misalignment angle between v(R) and the apex of the dipole anisotropy of the microwave background.

Juszkiewicz, Roman↗

Inhomogeneous reionization models in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations

ABSTRACT In this work we present a new hybrid method to simulate the thermal effects of reionization in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. The method improves upon the standard approach used in simulations of the intergalactic medium (IGM) and galaxy formation without a significant increase in the computational cost, thereby allowing for efficient exploration of the parameter space. The method uses a small set of phenomenological input parameters, and combines a seminumerical reionization model to solve for the topology of reionization with an approximate model of how reionization heats the IGM, using the massively parallel Nyx hydrodynamics code which is specifically designed to solve for the structure of diffuse IGM gas. We have produced several medium-scale, high-resolution simulations (20483, Lbox = 40 Mpc h−1) with various instantaneous and inhomogeneous ${\rm H \,{\small I}}$ reionization models that use this new methodology. We study the IGM thermal properties of these models and find that large-scale temperature fluctuations extend well beyond the end of reionization. By analysing the 1D flux power spectrum of these models, we find up to ${\sim } 50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ differences in the large-scale properties (low modes, k ≲ 0.01 s km−1) of the post-reionization power spectrum as a result of the thermal fluctuations. We show that these differences could allow one to distinguish between different reionization scenarios with existing Lyα forest measurements. Finally, we explore the differences in the small-scale cut-off of the power spectrum, finding that, for the same heat input, models show very good agreement provided that the reionization redshift of the instantaneous reionization model occurs at the midpoint of the inhomogeneous model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The amplitude and spectral index of the large angular scale anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background radiation

In many cosmological models, the large angular scale anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background is parameterized by a spectral index, n, and a quadrupolar amplitude, Q. For a Harrison-Peebles-Zel'dovich spectrum, n = 1. Using data from the Far Infrared Survey (FIRS) and a new statistical measure, a contour plot of the likelihood for cosmological models for which -1 less than n less than 3 and 0 equal to or less than Q equal to or less than 50 micro K is obtained. Depending upon the details of the analysis, the maximum likelihood occurs at n between 0.8 and 1.4 and Q between 18 and 21 micro K. Regardless of Q, the likelihood is always less than half its maximum for n less than -0.4 and for n greater than 2.2, as it is for Q less than 8 micro K and Q greater than 44 micro K.

Ganga, Ken↗

Weak Lensing And Cosmology In The Dark Energy Survey

In this PhD Thesis, we present studies which aim at understanding and testing the fundamental assumptions of the $\Lambda$CDM cosmological model. We initially show that weak gravitational lensing can be derived as a consequence of General Relativity, and that it can be applied to astronomical data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) in order to constrain the amplitude of matter fluctuations in the universe. This constraint can be used as an end-to-end cosmological test when it is compared to inferences from the Cosmic Microwave Background. We further extend the cosmological model to account for non-standard parameters which can point to novel physics, and use DES data to assess their statistical significance. We finally show that the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) paradigm can also be fundamentally tested with observational data using morphological signatures of disk galaxies in cluster environments if CDM is self-interacting.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The correlation function for density perturbations in an expanding universe. IV - The evolution of the correlation function

The evolution of the two-point correlation function for the large-scale distribution of galaxies in an expanding universe is studied on the assumption that the perturbation densities lie in a Gaussian distribution centered on any given mass scale. The perturbations are evolved according to the Friedmann equation, and the correlation function for the resulting distribution of perturbations at the present epoch is calculated. It is found that: (1) the computed correlation function gives a satisfactory fit to the observed function in cosmological models with a density parameter (Omega) of approximately unity, provided that a certain free parameter is suitably adjusted; (2) the power-law slope in the nonlinear regime reflects the initial fluctuation spectrum, provided that the density profile of individual perturbations declines more rapidly than the -2.4 power of distance; and (3) both positive and negative contributions to the correlation function are predicted for cosmological models with Omega less than unity.

Mcclelland, J.↗

Ray tracing and Hubble diagrams in post-Newtonian cosmology

On small scales the observable Universe is highly inhomogeneous, with galaxies and clusters forming a complex web of voids and filaments. The optical properties of such configurations can be quite different from the perfectly smooth Friedmann-Lemaȋtre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) solutions that are frequently used in cosmology, and must be well understood if we are to make precise inferences about fundamental physics from cosmological observations. We investigate this problem by calculating redshifts and luminosity distances within a class of cosmological models that are constructed explicitly in order to allow for large density contrasts on small scales. Our study of optics is then achieved by propagating one hundred thousand null geodesics through such space-times, with matter arranged in either compact opaque objects or diffuse transparent haloes. We find that in the absence of opaque objects, the mean of our ray tracing results faithfully reproduces the expectations from FLRW cosmology. When opaque objects with sizes similar to those of galactic bulges are introduced, however, we find that the mean of distance measures can be shifted up from FLRW predictions by as much as 10%. This bias is due to the viable photon trajectories being restricted by the presence of the opaque objects, which means that they cannot probe the regions of space-time with the highest curvature. It corresponds to a positive bias of order 10% in the estimation of Ω{sub Λ} and highlights the important consequences that astronomical selection effects can have on cosmological observables.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Λ( t ) cosmology induced by a slowly varying Elko field

In this work the exact Friedmann-Robertson-Walker equations for an Elko spinor field coupled to gravity in an Einstein-Cartan framework are presented. The torsion functions coupling the Elko field spin-connection to gravity can be exactly solved and the FRW equations for the system assume a relatively simple form. In the limit of a slowly varying Elko spinor field there is a relevant contribution to the field equations acting exactly as a time varying cosmological model Λ( t )=Λ{sub *}+3β H {sup 2}, where Λ{sub *} and β are constants. Observational data using distance luminosity from magnitudes of supernovae constraint the parameters Ω {sub m} and β, which leads to a lower limit to the Elko mass. Such model mimics, then, the effects of a dark energy fluid, here sourced by the Elko spinor field. The density perturbations in the linear regime were also studied in the pseudo-Newtonian formalism.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

BBN-simple: How to bake a universe-sized cake

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), the process of creation of lightest elements in the early universe, is a highly robust, precise, and ultimately successful theory that forms one of the three pillars of the standard hot-Big-Bang cosmological model. Existing theoretical treatments of BBN and the associated computer codes are accurate and flexible, but are typically highly technical and opaque, and not suitable for pedagogical understanding of the BBN. Here we present BBN-simple - a from-scratch numerical calculation of the lightest element abundances pitched at an advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level. We review the physics of the early universe relevant for BBN, provide information about the reaction rates, and discuss computational-mathematics background that is essential in setting up a BBN calculation. Here, we calculate the abundances of the principal nuclear species in a standard cosmological model, and find a reasonably good agreement with public precision-level BBN codes.

Big bang nucleosynthesis↗

Combining Spectroscopic and Imaging Galaxy Surveys for Improved Measurements of Large-Scale Structure

Galaxy imaging surveys represent a promising opportunity for testing cosmological models but suffer from significant challenges associated with galaxy redshift uncertainty. I present improved techniques for the use of spectroscopic redshifts for measurements of large-scale structure with galaxy imaging surveys. I additionally present the results of the application of these techniques to data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Dark Energy Survey (DES). The results of my work are photometric redshift measurements of the approximately 100 million galaxies comprising the the DES Year 3 Weak Lensing Source Galaxy Catalog, constraints on parameters of the Lambda-CDM cosmological model based on the gravitational lensing and clustering of the DES Year 3 source and lens galaxy catalogs, an algorithm for propagating uncertainties measured in simulations to analogous measurements on data, and measurements of the incidence of projection effects in optically detected clusters of galaxies. I argue that continued development of the methods I have worked on is a promising path toward a conclusive test of Lambda-CDM with galaxy surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗