Scale-dependent galaxy bias, CMB lensing-galaxy cross-correlation, and neutrino masses
One of the most powerful cosmological datasets when it comes to constraining neutrino masses is represented by galaxy power spectrum measurements, P gg ($k$). The constraining power of P gg ($k$) is however severely limited by uncertainties in the modeling of the scale-dependent galaxy bias b($k$). In this work we present a new proof-of-principle for a method to constrain b($k$) by using the cross-correlation between the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) lensing signal and galaxy maps (C$Kg\atop{l}$) using a simple but theoretically well-motivated parametrization for b($k$). We apply the method using C$Kg\atop{l}$ measured by cross-correlating Planck lensing maps and the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) Data Release 11 (DR11) CMASS galaxy sample, and P gg ($k$) measured from the BOSS DR12 CMASS sample. We detect a non-zero scale-dependence at moderate significance, which suggests that a proper modeling of b($k$) is necessary in order to reduce the impact of non-linearities and minimize the corresponding systematics. The accomplished increase in constraining power of P gg ($k$) is demonstrated by determining a 95% confidence level upper bound on the sum of the three active neutrino masses M $v$ of M $v$ < 0:19 eV. This limit represents a significant improvement over previous bounds with comparable datasets. Our method will prove especially powerful and important as future large-scale structure surveys will overlap more significantly with the CMB lensing kernel providing a large cross-correlation signal.