SCORCH (Simulations and Constructions of the Reionization of Cosmic Hydrogen) is a new project to study the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). In this first paper, we probe the connection between observed high-redshift galaxies and simulated dark matter halos in order to better understand the abundance and evolution of the primary source of ionizing radiation. A series of high-resolution N-body simulations is run to quantify the abundance of dark matter halos as a function of mass $M$, accretion rate $\dot{M}$, and redshift $z$. A new fit for the halo mass function $dn/dM$ is $\approx 20\%$ more accurate at the high-mass end where bright galaxies are expected to reside. A novel approach is used to fit the halo accretion rate function $dn/d\dot{M}$ in terms of the halo mass function. Abundance matching against the observed galaxy luminosity function is used to estimate the luminosity-mass relation and the luminosity-accretion-rate relation. The inferred star formation efficiency is not monotonic with $M$ nor $\dot{M}$, but reaches a maximum value at a characteristic mass $\sim 2 \times 10^{11}\ M_\odot$ and a characteristic accretion rate $\sim 6 \times 10^2\ M_\odot/{\rm yr}$ at $z \approx 6$. We find a universal EoR luminosity-accretion-rate relation, which is used to construct a fiducial model for the galaxy luminosity function. The Schechter parameters evolve such that $\phi_\star$ decreases, $M_\star$ is more positive (fainter), and $\alpha$ is more negative (steeper) at higher redshifts. We forecast for the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope and show that with apparent magnitude limit $m_{\rm AB} \approx 31\ (32)$, it can observe $\gtrsim 11\ (24)$ unlensed galaxies per square degree per unit redshift at least down to $M_\star$ at $z \lesssim 13\ (14)$.
This paper presents the Planck 2015 likelihoods, statistical descriptions of the 2-point correlation functions of CMB temperature and polarization. They use the hybrid approach employed previously: pixel-based at low multipoles, $\ell$, and a Gaussian approximation to the distribution of cross-power spectra at higher $\ell$. The main improvements are the use of more and better processed data and of Planck polarization data, and more detailed foreground and instrumental models. More than doubling the data allows further checks and enhanced immunity to systematics. Progress in foreground modelling enables a larger sky fraction, contributing to enhanced precision. Improvements in processing and instrumental models further reduce uncertainties. Extensive tests establish robustness and accuracy, from temperature, from polarization, and from their combination, and show that the {\Lambda}CDM model continues to offer a very good fit. We further validate the likelihood against specific extensions to this baseline, such as the effective number of neutrino species. For this first detailed analysis of Planck polarization, we concentrate at high $\ell$ on E modes. At low $\ell$ we use temperature at all Planck frequencies along with a subset of polarization. These data take advantage of Planck's wide frequency range to improve the separation of CMB and foregrounds. Within the baseline cosmology this requires a reionization optical depth $\tau=0.078\pm0.019$, significantly lower than without high-frequency data for explicit dust monitoring. At high $\ell$ we detect residual errors in E, typically at the {\mu}K$^2$ level; we thus recommend temperature alone as the high-$\ell$ baseline. Nevertheless, Planck high-$\ell$ polarization spectra are already good enough to allow a separate high-accuracy determination of the {\Lambda}CDM parameters, consistent with those established from temperature alone.
Gas motions in galaxy clusters play important roles in determining the properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) and constraining cosmological parameters using X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect observations of galaxy clusters. The upcoming ASTRO-H mission, equipped with high-resolution X-ray spectrometer, will make the first direct measurements of gas motions in galaxy clusters through measurements of Doppler shifting and broadening of emission lines. However, the physical interpretation of the data will be challenging due to the complex thermal and velocity structures of the ICM. In this work, we investigate how well we can measure bulk and turbulent gas motions in the ICM with ASTRO-H, by analyzing mock ASTRO-H simulations of galaxy clusters extracted from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We assess how photon counts, spectral fitting methods, multiphase ICM structure, deprojections, and region selection affect the measurements of gas motions. We show that while ASTRO-H is capable of recovering the underlying spherically averaged velocity profiles to within 20% with reasonable amount of photon counts (>~200) in the 6.7 keV Fe XXV line complex, there are considerable azimuthal variations in the ICM velocities, even in dynamically relaxed systems, which must be taken into account when interpreting data and developing observing strategies. Finally, we show that ASTRO-H should enable direct measurements of the hydrostatic mass bias with an accuracy of <~5%, by accounting for both rotational and random velocities from Doppler shifts and broadening of emission lines. Our results are broadly applicable for future X-ray missions, such as Athena+ and SMART-X.
Using the relation between distance modulus (m-M) and redshift (z), deduced from Friedman-Robertson-Walker (FRW) metric and assuming different values of deceleration parameter (q0). We constrained the Hubble parameter (h). The estimates of the Hubble parameters we obtained using the median values of the data obtained from NASA Extragalactic Database (NED), are: h=0.7+/-0.3 for q0=0, h=0.6+/-0.3, for q0=1 and h=0.8+/-0.3, for q0=-1. The corresponding age ({\tau}) and size (R) of the observable universe were also estimated as: {\tau}=15+/-1 Gyrs, R=(5+/-2)x10^3 Mpc, {\tau}=18+/-1 Gyrs, R=(6+/-2)x10^3 Mpc and {\tau}=13+/-1 Gyrs, R=(4+/-2)x10^3 Mpc for q0=0, q0=1 and q0=-1 respectively.
We introduce a new mechanism for generating magnetic fields in the recombination era. This Harrison-like mechanism utilizes vorticity in baryons that is sourced through the Bose-Einstein condensate of axions via gravitational interactions. The magnetic fields generated are on the galactic scales $\sim 10\,{\rm kpc}$ and have a magnitude of the order of $B\sim10^{-23}\,{\rm G}$ today. The field has a greater magnitude than those generated from other mechanisms relying on second order perturbation theory, and is sufficient to provide a seed for battery mechanisms.
Recently, a new mechanism to generate a naturally small electroweak scale has been proposed. It exploits the coupling of the Higgs to an axion-like field and a long era in the early universe where the axion unchains a dynamical screening of the Higgs mass. We present a new realization of this idea with the new feature that it leaves no signs of new physics up to a rather large scale, 10^9 GeV, except for two very light and weakly coupled axion-like states. One of the scalars can be a viable Dark Matter candidate. Such a cosmological Higgs-axion interplay could be tested with a number of experimental strategies.
We report the discovery of Lyman-alpha emission (Ly$\alpha$) in the bright galaxy EGSY-2008532660 (hereafter EGSY8p7) using the MOSFIRE spectrograph at the Keck Observatory. First reported by Roberts-Borsani et al. (2015), it was selected for spectroscopic observations because of its photometric redshift ($z_{phot}=8.57^{+0.22}_{-0.43}$), apparent brightness (H$_{160}=25.26\pm0.09$) and red Spitzer/IRAC [3.6]-[4.5] color indicative of contamination by strong oxygen emission in the [4.5] band. With a total integration of $\sim4.3$ hours, our data reveal an emission line at $\simeq11776$ {\AA} which we argue is likely Ly$\alpha$ at a redshift $z_{spec}=8.68$, in good agreement with the photometric estimate. The line was detected independently on two nights using different slit orientations and its detection significance is $\sim7.5\sigma$. An overlapping sky line contributes significantly to the uncertainty on the total line flux but not the overall significance. By direct addition and a Gaussian fit, we estimate a 95\% confidence range of 1.0 - 2.5 $\times 10^{-17}$ ergs cm$^{-2}$ sec$^{-1}$, corresponding to a rest-frame equivalent width of 17 - 42 \AA\ . EGSY8p7 is the most distant galaxy confirmed spectroscopically to date, and the third luminous source in the EGS field beyond $z_{phot}\gtrsim7.5$ with detectable Ly$\alpha$ emission viewed at a time when the intergalactic medium is expected to be fairly neutral. Although the reionization process was probably patchy, we discuss whether luminous sources with prominent IRAC color excesses may harbor harder ionizing spectra than the dominant fainter population thereby creating earlier ionized bubbles. Further spectroscopic follow-up of such bright sources promises important insight into the early formation of galaxies.
We demonstrate that current and planned underground neutrino experiments could offer a powerful probe of few-MeV dark matter when combined with a nearby high-intensity low-to-medium energy electron accelerator. This experimental setup, an underground beam-dump experiment, is capable of decisively testing the thermal freeze-out mechanism for several natural dark matter scenarios in this mass range. We present the sensitivity reach in terms of the mass-coupling parameter space of existing and planned detectors, such as Super-K, SNO+, and JUNO, in conjunction with a hypothetical 100 MeV energy accelerator. This setup can also greatly extend the sensitivity of direct searches for new light weakly-coupled force-carriers independently of their connection to dark matter.
We present extensive observations of the Type Ib/c SN2013ge from -13 to +457 days, including spectra and Swift UV-optical photometry beginning 2-4 days post explosion. This makes SN2013ge one of the best observed normal Type Ib/c SN at early times, when the light curve is particularly sensitive to the progenitor configuration and mixing of radioactive elements. These early observations reveal two distinct light curve components in the UV bands. The first component rises over 4-5 days and is visible for a week post-explosion. Spectra of the first component have a blue continuum and show a plethora of high velocity (~14,000 km/s) but narrow (~3500 km/s) features, indicating that the line forming region is restricted. The explosion parameters estimated for the bulk explosion are standard for Type Ib/c SN, while detailed analysis of optical and NIR spectra identify weak He features at early times, and nebular spectra show evidence for mixing and asymmetry in the bulk ejecta. In addition, SN2013ge exploded in a low metallicity environment and we have obtained some of the deepest radio and X-ray limits for a Type Ib/c SN to date that constrain the progenitor mass-loss rate. We are left with two distinct progenitor scenarios for SN2013ge depending on our interpretation of the early emission. If the first component is cooling envelope emission, then the progenitor of SN2013ge possessed a low-mass extended envelope. Alternatively, if the first component is due to outwardly mixed Ni-56 then our observations are consistent with the asymmetric ejection of a small amount of mass ahead of the bulk explosion. Current models for the collision of a SN shock with a binary companion cannot reproduce both the timescale and luminosity of the early emission in SN2013ge. Finally, we find that the spectra of the first component of SN2013ge are similar to those of the rapidly-declining SN2002bj.
The precise measurement of cosmic-ray antiparticles serves as important means for identifying the nature of dark matter. Recent years showed that identifying the nature of dark matter with cosmic-ray positrons and higher energy antiprotons is difficult, and has lead to a significantly increased interest in cosmic-ray antideuteron searches. Antideuterons may also be generated in dark matter annihilations or decays, offering a potential breakthrough in unexplored phase space for dark matter. Low-energy antideuterons are an important approach because the flux from dark matter interactions exceeds the background flux by more than two orders of magnitude in the low-energy range for a wide variety of models. This review is based on the "dbar14 - dedicated cosmic-ray antideuteron workshop", which brought together theorists and experimentalists in the field to discuss the current status, perspectives, and challenges for cosmic-ray antideuteron searches and discusses the motivation for antideuteron searches, the theoretical and experimental uncertainties of antideuteron production and propagation in our Galaxy, as well as give an experimental cosmic-ray antideuteron search status update. This report is a condensed summary of the article "Review of the theoretical and experimental status of dark matter identification with cosmic-ray antideuteron" (arXiv:1505.07785).
The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey has recently determined the luminosity function of galaxies in the core of the Virgo cluster down to unprecedented magnitude and surface brightness limits. Comparing simulations of cluster formation to the derived central stellar mass function, we attempt to estimate the stellar-to-halo-mass ratio (SHMR) for dwarf galaxies, as it would have been before they fell into the cluster. This approach ignores several details and complications, e.g., the contribution of ongoing star formation to the present-day stellar mass of cluster members, and the effects of adiabatic contraction and/or violent feedback on the subhalo and cluster potentials. The final results are startlingly simple, however; we find that the trends in the SHMR determined previously for bright galaxies appear to extend down in a scale-invariant way to the faintest objects detected in the survey. These results extend measurements of the formation efficiency of field galaxies by two decades in halo mass, or five decades in stellar mass, down to some of the least massive dwarf galaxies known, with stellar masses of $\sim 10^5 M_\odot$.
We review some recent proposals for relativistic models of dark matter in the context of bimetric gravity. The aim is to solve the problems of cold dark matter (CDM) at galactic scales, and to reproduce the phenomenology of the modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND), while still being in agreement with the standard cosmological model $\Lambda$-CDM at large scales. In this context a promising alternative is dipolar dark matter (DDM) in which two different species of dark matter particles are separately coupled to the two metrics of bigravity and are linked together by an internal vector field. The phenomenology of MOND then results from a mechanism of gravitational polarization. Probably the best formulation of the model is within the framework of recently developed massive bigravity theories. Then the gravitational sector of the model is safe by construction, but a ghostly degree of freedom in the decoupling limit is still present in the dark matter sector. Future work should analyse the cosmological solutions of the model and check the post-Newtonian parameters in the solar system.
In this study, we propose a new approach to constrain the coupling of axion-like particles (ALPs) to photons. One intriguing property of these ALPs is their mixing with photons within magnetic fields. This mixing allows photons propagating in magnetic fields to convert into ALPs and \textit{vice versa}. Plasma effects can lead to resonant conversion, further enhancing the conversion probability. For suitable ALP masses, this resonant conversion can occur for cosmic microwave background photons transversing galaxy clusters which would distort the CMB spectrum in the direction of galaxy clusters. We compare the predicted distortion with recent measurements of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich Compton parameter to obtain upper limits on the coupling between photons and ALPs. The constraints apply to the mass range of approximately $2\cdot 10^{-14}$ eV $ \lesssim m_\phi \lesssim 3\cdot 10^{-12}$ eV in which resonant photon-ALP conversions can occur. Using simple galaxy cluster models, we obtain new limits for this mass range, which are up to two orders of magnitude stronger than existing ones. These limits also reduce the available parameter space for explaining the soft X-ray excess of the Coma Cluster by photon-ALP conversion.
Whether the new line at ~3.5 keV, recently detected in different samples of galaxy clusters, Andromeda galaxy and central part of our Galaxy, is due to Potassium emission lines, is now unclear. By using the latest astrophysical atomic emission line database AtomDB v. 3.0.2, we show that the most prospective method to directly check its Potassium origin will be the study of K XIX emission line complex at ~3.7 keV with future X-ray imaging spectrometers such as Soft X-ray spectometer on-board Astro-H mission or microcalorimeter on-board Micro-X sounding rocket experiment. To further reduce the remaining (factor ~3-5) uncertainty of the 3.7/3.5 keV ratio one should perform more precise modeling including removal of significant spatial inhomogeneities, detailed treatment of background components, and further extension of the modeled energy range.
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In this talk we present a novel framework that unifies the stunning success of MOND on galactic scales with the triumph of the LambdaCDM model on cosmological scales. This is achieved through the rich and well-studied physics of superfluidity. The dark matter and MOND components have a common origin, representing different phases of a single underlying substance. In galaxies, dark matter thermalizes and condenses to form a superfluid phase. The superfluid phonons couple to baryonic matter particles and mediate a MOND-like force. Our framework naturally distinguishes between galaxies (where MOND is successful) and galaxy clusters (where MOND is not): dark matter has a higher temperature in clusters, and hence is in a mixture of superfluid and normal phase. The rich and well-studied physics of superfluidity leads to a number of striking observational signatures, which we briefly discuss. Remarkably the critical temperature and equation of state of the dark matter superfluid are similar to those of known cold atom systems. Identifying a precise cold atom analogue would give important insights on the microphysical interactions underlying DM superfluidity. Tantalizingly, it might open the possibility of simulating the properties and dynamics of galaxies in laboratory experiments.
We introduce a new project to understand helium reionization using fully coupled $N$-body, hydrodynamics, and radiative transfer simulations. This project aims to capture correctly the thermal history of the intergalactic medium (IGM) as a result of reionization and make predictions about the Lyman-$\alpha$ forest and baryon temperature-density relation. The dominant sources of radiation for this transition are quasars, so modeling the source population accurately is very important for making reliable predictions. In this first paper, we present a new method for populating dark matter halos with quasars. Our set of quasar models include two different light curves, a lightbulb (simple on/off) and symmetric exponential model, and luminosity-dependent quasar lifetimes. Our method self-consistently reproduces an input quasar luminosity function (QLF) given a halo catalog from an $N$-body simulation, and propagates quasars through the merger history of halo hosts. After calibrating quasar clustering using measurements from BOSS, we find that the characteristic mass of quasar hosts is $M_h \sim 2.5 \times 10^{12} M_\odot$ $h^{-1}$ for the lightbulb model, and $M_h \sim 2.3 \times 10^{12} M_\odot$ $h^{-1}$ for the exponential model. In the exponential model, the peak quasar luminosity for a given halo mass is larger than that in the lightbulb model, typically by a factor of 1.5-2. The effective lifetime for quasars in the lightbulb model is 59 Myr, and in the exponential case, the effective time constant is about 15 Myr. We include semi-analytic calculations of helium reionization, and discuss how to include these quasars as sources of ionizing radiation for full hydrodynamics with radiative transfer simulations in order to study helium reionization.
Refined constraints on chameleon theories are calculated for atom-interferometry experiments, using a numerical approach consisting in solving for a four-region model the static and spherically symmetric Klein-Gordon equation for the chameleon field. By modeling not only the test mass and the vacuum chamber but also its walls and the exterior environment, the method allows to probe new effects on the scalar field profile and the induced acceleration of atoms. In the case of a weakly perturbing test mass, the effect of the wall is to enhance the field profile and to lower the acceleration inside the chamber by up to one order of magnitude. In the thin-shell regime, significant deviations from the analytical estimations are found, even when measurements are realized in the immediate vicinity of the test mass. Close to the vacuum chamber wall, the acceleration becomes negative and potentially measurable. This prediction could be used to discriminate between fifth-force effects and systematic experimental uncertainties, by doing the experiment at several key positions inside the vacuum chamber. The influence of the wall thickness and density is also studied. For the chameleon potential $V(\phi) = \Lambda^{4+\alpha} / \phi^\alpha$ and a coupling function $A(\phi) = \exp(\phi /M)$, one finds $M \gtrsim 7 \times 10^{16}$ GeV, independently of the power-law index. For $V(\phi) = \Lambda^4 (1+ \Lambda/ \phi)$ one finds $M \gtrsim 4 \times 10^{16}$ GeV. Future experiments able to measure an acceleration $a \sim 10^{-11} \mathrm{m/s^2}$ would probe the chameleon parameter space up to the Planck scale. Our method can easily be extended to constrain other models with a screening mechanism, such as symmetron, dilaton and f(R) theories.
The unknown nature of dark energy motivates continued cosmological tests of large-scale gravitational physics. We present a new consistency check based on the relative amplitude of non-relativistic galaxy peculiar motions, measured via redshift-space distortion, and the relativistic deflection of light by those same galaxies traced by galaxy-galaxy lensing. We take advantage of the latest generation of deep, overlapping imaging and spectroscopic datasets, combining the Red Cluster Sequence Lensing Survey (RCSLenS), the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS), the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey and the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). We quantify the results using the "gravitational slip" statistic E_G, which we estimate as 0.48 +/- 0.10 at z=0.32 and 0.30 +/- 0.07 at z=0.57, the latter constituting the highest redshift at which this quantity has been determined. These measurements are consistent with the predictions of General Relativity, for a perturbed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric in a Universe dominated by a cosmological constant, which are E_G = 0.41 and 0.36 at these respective redshifts. The combination of redshift-space distortion and gravitational lensing data from current and future galaxy surveys will offer increasingly stringent tests of fundamental cosmology.
We analyze a set of volume limited samples from SDSS DR12 to quantify the degree of inhomogeneity at different length scales using Shannon entropy. We find that the galaxy distributions exhibit a higher degree of inhomogeneity as compared to a Poisson point process at all length scales. Our analysis indicates that signatures of inhomogeneities in the galaxy distributions persist at least upto a length scale of $120 \, h^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}$. The galaxy distributions appear to be homogeneous on a scale of $140 \, h^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}$ and beyond. Analyzing a set of mock galaxy samples from a semi analytic galaxy catalogue from the Millennium simulation we find a scale of transition to homogeneity at $\sim 100 \, h^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}$.
We present a dynamical analysis of the galaxy cluster AC114 based on a catalogue of 524 velocities. Of these, 169 (32%) are newly obtained at ESO (Chile) with the VLT and the VIMOS spectrograph. Data on individual galaxies are presented and the accuracy of the measured velocities is discussed. Dynamical properties of the cluster are derived. We obtain an improved mean redshift value z= 0.31665 +/- 0.0008 and velocity dispersion \sigma= 1893+73-82 \kms. A large velocity dispersion within the core radius and the shape of the infall pattern suggests that this part of the cluster is in a radial phase of relaxation with a very elongated radial filament spanning 12000 \kms. A radial foreground structure is detected within the central 0.5/h Mpc radius, recognizable as a redshift group at the same central redshift value. We analyze the color distribution for this archetype Butcher-Oemler galaxy cluster and identify the separate red and blue galaxy sequences. The latter subset contains 44% of confirmed members of the cluster, reaching magnitudes as faint as R_{f}= 21.1 (1.0 magnitude fainter than previous studies). We derive a mass M_{200}= (4.3 \pm 0.7) x 10^15 Msun/h. In a subsequent paper we will utilize the spectral data presented here to explore the mass-metallicity relation for this intermediate redshift cluster.
The dynamical evolution of the refractive index of the tensor modes of the geometry produces a specific class of power spectra characterized by a blue (i.e. slightly increasing) slope which is directly determined by the competition of the slow-roll parameter and of the rate of variation of the refractive index. Throughout the conventional stages of the inflationary and post-inflationary evolution, the microwave background anisotropies measurements, the pulsar timing limits and the big-bang nucleosythesis constraints set stringent bounds on the refractive index and on its rate of variation. Within the physically allowed region of the parameter space the cosmic background of relic gravitons leads to a potentially large signal for the ground based detectors (in their advanced version) and for the proposed space-borne interferometers. Conversely, the lack of direct detection of the signal will set a qualitatively new bound on the dynamical variation of the refractive index.
Strongly-interacting matter in the form of nuggets of nuclear-density material are not currently excluded as dark matter candidates in the ten gram to hundred kiloton mass range. A recent variation on quark nugget dark matter models postulates that a first-order imbalance between matter and antimatter at the quark-gluon phase transition in the early universe could lead to most of the dark matter bound into heavy (baryon number $B \sim 10^{25}$) anti-quark nuggets in the current epoch, explaining both the dark matter preponderance and the matter-antimatter asymmetry. Interactions of these massive objects with normal matter in the Earth and Sun will lead to annihilation and an associated neutrino flux in the $\sim 20-50$ MeV range. We calculate these fluxes for anti-quark nuggets of sufficient number density to account for the dark matter and find that current neutrino flux limits from Super-Kamiokande exclude these objects as major dark matter candidates at a high confidence level over a very wide range of masses. Anti-quark nuggets in the previously allowed mass range cannot account for more than $\sim 1/5$ of the dark matter flux.
Multiple tracers of the cosmic density field, with different bias, number and luminosity evolution, can be used to measure the large-scale properties of the Universe. We show how an optimal combination of tracers can be used to detect general-relativistic effects in the observed density of sources. We forecast for the detectability of these effects, as well as measurements of primordial non-Gaussianity and large-scale lensing magnification with current and upcoming large-scale structure experiments. In particular we quantify the significance of these detections in the short term with experiments such as the Dark Energy Survey (DES), and in the long term with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). We review the main observational challenges that must be overcome to carry out these measurements.
Light gauge bosons can lead to resonant interactions between high-energy astrophysical neutrinos and the cosmic neutrino background. We study this possibility in detail, considering the ability of IceCube to probe such scenarios. We find the most dramatic effects in models with a very light $Z'$ ($m_{Z'} \lesssim 10$ MeV), which can induce a significant absorption feature at $E_{\nu} \sim\,$5-10$\,{\rm TeV} \times (m_{Z'}/{\rm MeV})^2$. In the case of the inverted hierarchy and a small sum of neutrino masses, such a light $Z'$ can result in a broad and deep spectral feature at $\sim\,$0.1-10$\,{\rm PeV} \times (m_{Z'}/{\rm MeV})^2$. Current IceCube data already excludes this case for a $Z'$ lighter than a few MeV and couplings greater than $g\sim10^{-4}$. We emphasize that the ratio of neutrino flavors observed by IceCube can be used to further increase their sensitivity to $Z'$ models and to other exotic physics scenarios.
The observed value of the Higgs mass indicates the possibility that there is no supersymmetry below the Planck scale and that the Higgs can play the role of the inflaton. We examine the general structure of the saddle point inflation in string-inspired theory without supersymmetry. We point out that the string scale is fixed to be around the GUT scale $\sim10^{16}$GeV in order to realize successful inflation. We find that the inflaton can be naturally identified with the Higgs field.
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Precise measurements of the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) scale as a standard ruler in the clustering pattern of large-scale structure is a central goal of current and future galaxy surveys. The BAO peak may be sharpened using the technique of density-field reconstruction, in which the bulk displacements of galaxies are estimated using a Zel'dovitch approximation. We use numerical simulations to demonstrate how the accuracy of this approximation depends strongly on local environment, and how this information may be used to construct an improved BAO measurement through environmental re-weighting and using higher-order perturbation theory. We outline further applications of the displacement field for testing cosmological models.
We use a non-detection in $\nu = 1.4\,$GHz Green Bank Telescope observations of the ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy Segue I, which could be immersed in a non-negligible halo magnetic field of the Milky Way, to place bounds on particle dark matter properties. We model the galaxy using an Einasto dark matter profile, and compute the expected synchrotron flux from dark matter annihilation as a function of the magnetic field strength $B$, diffusion coefficient $D_0$, and particle mass $m_\chi$ for different annihilation channels. The data strongly disfavor annihilations to $e^+e^-$ for $m_\chi \lesssim 50\,$GeV, but are not sensitive to the $b \bar b$ channel. Adopting a fiducial $B \sim 2\,\mu$G inferred from Segue I's proximity to the Milky Way, our models of annihilation to $\tau^+\tau^-$ with $m_\chi = 30\,$GeV require an intermediate value of $D_0$ for consistency with the data. The most compelling limits are obtained for WIMP annihilation to $\mu^+\mu^-$: we exclude $m_\chi \lesssim 30\,$GeV$\,\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-$ at 95% confidence, unless $D_0$ exceeds the Milky Way value or $B$ is significantly smaller than we have assumed.
A gauge singlet scalar with non-minimal coupling to gravity can drive inflation and later freeze out to become cold dark matter. We explore this idea by revisiting inflation in the singlet direction (S-inflation) and Higgs Portal Dark Matter in light of the Higgs discovery, limits from LUX and observations by Planck. We show that large regions of parameter space remain viable, so that successful inflation is possible and the dark matter relic abundance can be reproduced. Moreover, the scalar singlet can stabilise the electroweak vacuum and at the same time overcome the problem of unitarity-violation during inflation encountered by Higgs Inflation, provided the singlet is a real scalar. The 2-$\sigma$ Planck upper bound on $n_s$ imposes that the singlet mass is below 2 TeV, so that almost the entire allowed parameter range can be probed by XENON1T.
The integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect provides us the information of the time evolution of gravitational potential. The cross-correlation between the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the large scale structure (LSS) is known as a promising way to extract the ISW effect. Compared to CMB, the matter fluctuation can grow non-linearly and this is represented in the gravitational potential. Compared to the linear ISW effect, this non-linear ISW effect known as the Rees-Sciama (RS) effect shows the unique behavior by changing the anti-correlated cross correlation between the CMB and the mass tracer into the positively correlated cross correlation. We show that the dependence of this flipping scale on dark energy models and it might be used as a new method to investigate dark energy models.
The adiabatic component of perturbations is damped during the kinetic decoupling due to the collision with relativistic component on sub-horizon scales. However the isocurvature part is free from the damping and could be large enough to make a substantial contribution to the formation of small scale structure. We explicitly study the weakly interacting massive particles as dark matter with an early matter dominated period before radiation domination and show that the isocurvature perturbation is generated during the phase transition and leaves imprint in the observable signatures for the small scale structure.
We introduce "anamorphic" cosmology, an approach for explaining the smoothness and flatness of the universe on large scales and the generation of a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of adiabatic density perturbations. The defining feature is a smoothing phase that acts like a contracting universe based on some Weyl frame-invariant criteria and an expanding universe based on other frame-invariant criteria. An advantage of the contracting aspects is that it is possible to avoid the multiverse and measure problems that arise in inflationary models. Unlike ekpyrotic models, anamorphic models can be constructed using only a single field and can generate a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of tensor perturbations. Anamorphic models also differ from pre-big bang and matter bounce models that do not explain the smoothness. We present some examples of cosmological models that incorporate an anamorphic smoothing phase.
Galaxy shapes are subject to distortions due to the tidal field of the Universe. The cross-correlation of galaxy lensing with the lensing of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) cannot easily be separated from the cross-correlation of galaxy intrinsic shapes with CMB lensing. Previous work suggested that the intrinsic alignment contamination can be $15\%$ of this cross-spectrum for the CFHT Stripe 82 (CS82) and Atacama Cosmology Telescope surveys. Here we re-examine these estimates using up-to-date observational constraints of intrinsic alignments at a redshift more similar to that of CS82 galaxies. We find a $\approx$ $10\%$ contamination of the cross-spectrum from red galaxies, with $\approx$ $3\%$ uncertainty due to uncertainties in the redshift distribution of source galaxies and the modelling of the spectral energy distribution. Blue galaxies are consistent with being unaligned, but could contaminate the cross-spectrum by an additional $9.5\%$ within current $95\%$ confidence levels. While our fiducial estimate of alignment contamination is similar to previous work, our work suggests that the relevance of alignments for CMB lensing-galaxy lensing cross-correlation remains largely unconstrained. Little information is currently available about alignments at $z>1.2$. We consider the upper limiting case where all $z>1.2$ galaxies are aligned with the same strength as low redshift luminous red galaxies, finding as much as $\approx$ $60\%$ contamination.
Cosmic structures leave an imprint on the microwave background radiation through the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect. We construct a template map of the linear signal using the SDSS-III Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Survey at redshift 0.43 < z < 0.65. We verify the imprint of this map on the Planck CMB temperature map at the 97% confidence level and show consistency with the density-temperature cross-correlation measurement. Using this ISW reconstruction as a template we investigate the presence of ISW sources and further examine the properties of the Granett-Neyrinck-Szapudi supervoid and supercluster catalogue. We characterise the three-dimensional density profiles of these structures for the first time and demonstrate that they are significant structures. Model fits demonstrate that the supervoids are elongated along the line-of-sight and we suggest that this special orientation may be picked out by the void-finding algorithm in photometric redshift space. We measure the mean temperature profiles in Planck maps from public void and cluster catalogues. In an attempt to maximise the stacked ISW signal we construct a new catalogue of super-structures based upon local peaks and troughs of the gravitational potential. However, we do not find a significant correlation between these structures and the CMB temperature.
We calculate the upper bound on the reheating temperature given the non-observation of gravitational waves if the number of efolds during inflation are the minimum number required to address the horizon problem as formulated in terms of entropy. This bound is valid for canonical single field slow roll inflation with a generic potential. Our bound numerically is $T_{\text{reh}}\lesssim1.7\times10^{13}$ GeV, which is a factor of 428 less the usual bound one obtains from the non-observation of gravitational waves alone. If inflation lasted much longer than the minimum number of required efolds, our bound relaxes to coincide with the usual bound. We discuss the relevance for studies of primordial black holes.
We investigate if the hemispherical asymmetry in the CMB is produced from parity-violating excited initial condition. We show that in the limit where the deviations from the Bunch-Davies vacuum is large and the scale of new physics is maximally separated from the inflationary Hubble parameter, the primordial power spectrum is modulated only by dipole and quadrupole terms. Requiring the dipole contribution in the power spectrum accounts for the observed power asymmetry, $A=0.07\pm0.022$, we show that the amount of quadrupole terms is roughly equal to $A^2$, which is still consistent with the bounds from the CMB. The mean local bispectrum which gets enhanced for the excited initial states is within the $1\sigma$ bound of Planck 2015 results, $f_{\rm NL}\simeq 4.17$, but reachable by future CMB experiments. The amplitude of the local non-gaussianity modulates around this mean value, approximately depending on the angle that the short wavelength mode makes with the preferred direction. The amount of variation maximizes for the configurations that are coplanar with the preferred direction. For counterclockwise oriented configurations, maximum and minimum values for the non-gaussianity will occur for the ones in which the short wavelength mode is, respectively, antiparallel and parallel with the preferred direction. The difference of non-gaussianity between these two configurations is as large as $\simeq 1.2$ which can be used to distinguish this scenario from other scenarios that try to explain the observed hemispherical asymmetry. Such modulation in non-gaussianity is minimized for the configurations that are in the equator plane orthogonal to the preferred direction.
We investigate the inflationary implications of extensions of Poincare symmetry. The simplest constructions with local scale invariance lead to universal predictions: the spectral index is $n_s = 1-2/N$, in excellent agreement with Planck data, while the tensor-to-scalar ratio is determined by a free parameter to $r = 12 \alpha / N^2$. For the special value $\alpha=1$ one finds symmetry enhancement to the full conformal group. We show that these findings hold both for two-derivative scalar-tensor theories as well as higher-derivative gravity. Therefore scale invariance underlies a promising set of inflationary models.
We define a generalization of scalar fields with non-canonical kinetic term which we call exotic k-essence or briefly, exotik. These fields are generated by the global description of cosmological models with two interactive fluids in the dark sector and under certain conditions, they correspond to usual k-essences. The formalism is applied to the cases of constant potential and of inverse square potential and also we develop the purely exotik version for the modified holographic Ricci type of dark energy (MHR), where the equations of state are not constant. With the kinetic function $F=1+mx$ and the inverse square potential we recover, through the interaction term, the identification between k-essences and quintessences of exponential potential, already known for Friedmann-Robertson-Walker and Bianchi type I geometries. Worked examples are shown that include the self-interacting MHR and also models with crossing of the phantom divide line (PDL).
The majority of the matter in the universe is still unidentified and under investigation by both direct and indirect means. Many experiments searching for the recoil of dark-matter particles off target nuclei in underground laboratories have established increasingly strong constraints on the mass and scattering cross sections of weakly interacting particles, and some have even seen hints at a possible signal. Other experiments search for a possible mixing of photons with light scalar or pseudo-scalar particles that could also constitute dark matter. Furthermore, annihilation or decay of dark matter can contribute to charged cosmic rays, photons at all energies, and neutrinos. Many existing and future ground-based and satellite experiments are sensitive to such signals. Finally, data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN are scrutinized for missing energy as a signature of new weakly interacting particles that may be related to dark matter. In this review article we summarize the status of the field with an emphasis on the complementarity between direct detection in dedicated laboratory experiments, indirect detection in the cosmic radiation, and searches at particle accelerators.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which have isotropic energy up to $10^{54}$ erg, would be the ideal tool to study the properties of early universe: including dark energy, star formation rate, and the metal enrichment history of the Universe. We will briefly review the progress on the field of GRB cosmology. Meanwhile, X-ray flares, which may have important clues to the central engine, are common phenomena in the GRB afterglows. We present statistical results of X-ray flares, i.e., energy, duration time and waiting time distributions, and compare the results with solar flares. The similarity between the two kinds of flares are found, which may indicates that the physical mechanism of GRB X-ray flares is magnetic reconnection.
Photon imaging for MeV gammas has serious difficulties due to huge backgrounds and unclearness in images, which are originated from incompleteness in determining the physical parameters of Compton scattering in detection, e.g., lack of the directional information of the recoil electrons. The recent major mission/instrument in the MeV band, CGRO/COMPTEL, which was Compton Camera (CC), detected mere $\sim30$ persistent sources. It is in stark contrast with $\sim$2000 sources in the GeV band. Here we report the performance of an Electron-Tracking Compton Camera (ETCC), and prove that it has a good potential to break through this stagnation in MeV gamma-ray astronomy. The ETCC provides all the parameters of Compton-scattering by measuring 3-D recoil electron tracks; then the SPD (Scatter Plane Deviation) lost in CCs is recovered. The energy loss rate (dE/dx), which CCs cannot measure, is also obtained, and is found to be indeed helpful to reduce the background under conditions similar to space. Accordingly the significance in gamma detection is improved severalfold. On the other hand, SPD is essential to determine the Point Spread Function quantitatively. The SPD resolution is improved close to the theoretical limit for multiple scattering of recoil electrons. With such a well-determined PSF, we demonstrate for the first time that it is possible to provide reliable sensitivity in Compton imaging without utilising an optimization algorithm. As such, this study highlights the fundamental weak-points of CCs. In contrast we demonstrate the possibility of ETCC reaching the sensitivity below $1\times10^{-12}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ at 1 MeV.
A gamma-ray burst (GRB) is a strong and fast gamma-ray emission from the explosion of stellar systems (massive stars or coalescing binary compact stellar remnants), happening at any possible redshift, and detected by space missions. Although GRBs are the most energetic events after the Big Bang, systematic search (started after the first localization in 1997) led to only 374 spectroscopic redshift measurements. For less than half, the host galaxy is detected and studied in some detail. Despite the small number of known hosts, their impact on our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution is immense. These galaxies offer the opportunity to explore regions which are observationally hostile, due to the presence of gas and dust, or the large distances reached. The typical long-duration GRB host galaxy at low redshift is small, star-forming and metal poor, whereas, at intermediate redshift, many hosts are massive, dusty and chemically evolved. Going even farther in the past of the Universe, at z > 5, long-GRB hosts have never been identified, even with the deepest NIR space observations, meaning that these galaxies are very small (stellar mass < 10^7 M_sun). We considered the possibility that some high-z GRBs occurred in primordial globular clusters, systems that evolved drastically since the beginning, but would have back then the characteristics necessary to host a GRB. At that time, the fraction of stellar mass contained in proto globular clusters might have been orders of magnitude higher than today. Plus, these objects contained in the past many massive fast rotating binary systems, which are also regarded as a favorable situation for GRBs. The common factor for all long GRBs at any redshift is the stellar progenitor: it is a very massive rare/short-lived star, present in young regions, whose redshift evolution is closely related to the star-formation history of the Universe.
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We present a weak-lensing analysis of the merging {\em Frontier Fields} (FF) cluster Abell~2744 using new Subaru/Suprime-Cam imaging. The wide-field lensing mass distribution reveals this cluster is comprised of four distinct substructures. Simultaneously modeling the two-dimensional reduced shear field using a combination of a Navarro--Frenk--White (NFW) model for the main core and truncated NFW models for the subhalos, we determine their masses and locations. The total mass of the system is constrained as $M_\mathrm{200c} = (2.06\pm0.42)\times10^{15}\,M_\odot$. The most massive clump is the southern component with $M_\mathrm{200c} = (7.7\pm3.4)\times10^{14}\,M_\odot$, followed by the western substructure ($M_\mathrm{200c} = (4.5\pm2.0)\times10^{14}\,M_\odot$) and two smaller substructures to the northeast ($M_\mathrm{200c} = (2.8\pm1.6)\times10^{14}\,M_\odot$) and northwest ($M_\mathrm{200c} = (1.9\pm1.2)\times10^{14}\,M_\odot$). The presence of the four substructures supports the picture of multiple mergers. Using a composite of hydrodynamical binary simulations we explain this complicated system without the need for a "slingshot" effect to produce the northwest X-ray interloper, as previously proposed. The locations of the substructures appear to be offset from both the gas ($87^{+34}_{-28}$ arcsec, 90\% CL) and the galaxies ($72^{+34}_{-53}$ arcsec, 90\% CL) in the case of the northwestern and western subhalos. To confirm or refute these findings, high resolution space-based observations extending beyond the current FF limited coverage to the west and northwestern area are essential.
We analyze the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) temperature and polarization data in order to extract the signal of correlation between l and l+1 multipoles in the multipole ranges, 2-64, 30-64 and 30-100. Such a correlation is predicted by the dipole modulation model proposed on the basis of the observed hemispherical anisotropy in temperature field. An anisotropic or inhomogeneous model of primordial power spectrum which leads to such correlations in temperature field also predicts similar correlations in CMBR polarization. Our results for the case of temperature using the latest PLANCK data agree with those obtained by earlier analysis. We also find a very strong signal of correlation in the polarization data. Surprisingly, however, the preferred direction in the case of polarization points in the direction close to the CMBR dipole which is very different from the corresponding direction in the case of temperature.
On 2014 Dec. 9.61, the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN or "Assassin") discovered ASASSN-14lp just $\sim2$ days after first light using a global array of 14-cm diameter telescopes. ASASSN-14lp went on to become a bright supernova ($V = 11.94$ mag), second only to SN 2014J for the year. We present prediscovery photometry (with a detection less than a day after first light) and ultraviolet through near-infrared photometric and spectroscopic data covering the rise and fall of ASASSN-14lp for more than 100 days. We find that ASASSN-14lp had a broad light curve ($\Delta m_{15}(B) = 0.796 \pm 0.001_{\textrm{stat}}$), a $B$-band maximum at $2457015.823 \pm 0.030_{\textrm{stat}}$, a rise time of $16.94^{+ 0.11 }_{- 0.11 }$ days, and moderate host--galaxy extinction ($E(B-V)_{\textrm{host}} = 0.329 \pm 0.001_{\textrm{stat}}$). Using ASASSN-14lp we derive a distance modulus for NGC 4666 of $\mu = 30.834 \pm 0.003_{\textrm{stat}} \pm 0.16_{\textrm{syst}}$ corresponding to a distance of $14.68 \pm 0.02_{\textrm{stat}} \pm 1.15_{\textrm{syst}}$ Mpc. However, a tip of the red giant branch distance to the host galaxy should be measured to allow ASASSN-14lp to be added to the calibrating sample of Type Ia supernovae. Finally, using our early-time photometric and spectroscopic data along with our derived light curve properties, we rule out red giant secondaries with limits on the radius of a non-degenerate companion as small as $0.34 \rm{R}_\odot$ for favorable viewing angles and estimates of the explosion time.
Non-thermal pressure in galaxy clusters leads to underestimation of the mass of galaxy clusters based on hydrostatic equilibrium with thermal gas pressure. This occurs even for dynamically relaxed clusters that are used for calibrating the mass-observable scaling relations. We show that the analytical model for non-thermal pressure developed in Shi & Komatsu 2014 can correct for this so-called `hydrostatic mass bias', if most of the non-thermal pressure comes from bulk and turbulent motions of gas in the intracluster medium. Our correction works for the sample average irrespective of the mass estimation method, or the dynamical state of the clusters. This makes it possible to correct for the bias in the hydrostatic mass estimates from X-ray surface brightness and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich observations that will be available for clusters in a wide range of redshifts and dynamical states.
We investigate the influence of different analytical parameterizations and fit functions for the local star formation rate in AMR simulations of an isolated disk galaxy with the Nyx code. Such parameterizations express the star formation efficiency as function of the local turbulent Mach number and viral parameter. By employing the method of adaptively refined large eddy simulations, we are able to evaluate these physical parameters from the numerically unresolved turbulent energy associated with the grid scale. We consider both single and multi free-fall variants of star formation laws proposed by Padoan & Nordlund, Hennebelle & Chabrier, and Krumholz & McKee. We find that the global star formation rate and the relation between the local star formation rate and the gas column density is reproduced in agreement with observational constraints by all multi free-fall models of star formation. Some models with obsolete calibration or a single free-fall time scale, however, result in an overly clumpy disk that does not even remotely resemble the structure of observed spirals.
We present weak lensing constraints on the ellipticity of galaxy-scale matter haloes and the galaxy-halo misalignment. Using data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS), we measure the weighted-average ratio of the aligned projected ellipticity components of galaxy matter haloes and their embedded galaxies, $f_\mathrm{h}$, split by galaxy type. We then compare our observations to measurements taken from the Millennium Simulation, assuming different models of galaxy-halo misalignment. Using the Millennium Simulation we verify that the statistical estimator used removes contamination from cosmic shear. We also detect an additional signal in the simulation, which we interpret as the impact of intrinsic shape-shear alignments between the lenses and their large-scale structure environment. These alignments are likely to have caused some of the previous observational constraints on $f_\mathrm{h}$ to be biased high. From CFHTLenS we find $f_\mathrm{h}=-0.04 \pm 0.25$ for early-type galaxies, which is consistent with current models for the galaxy-halo misalignment predicting $f_\mathrm{h}\simeq 0.20$. For late-type galaxies we measure $f_\mathrm{h}=0.69_{-0.36}^{+0.37}$ from CFHTLenS. This can be compared to the simulated results which yield $f_\mathrm{h}\simeq 0.02$ for misaligned late-type models.
The so called $f(X)$ hybrid metric-Palatini gravity presents a unique viable generalisation of the $f(R)$ theories within the metric-affine formalism. Here the cosmology of the $f(X)$ theories is studied using the dynamical system approach. The method consists of formulating the propagation equation in terms of suitable (expansion-normalised) variables as an autonomous system. The fixed points of the system then represent exact cosmological solutions described by power-law or de Sitter expansion. The formalism is applied to two classes of $f(X)$ models, revealing both standard cosmological fixed points and new accelerating solutions that can be attractors in the phase space. In addition, the fixed point with vanishing expansion rate are considered with special care in order to characterise the stability of Einstein static spaces and bouncing solutions.
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We study a two-parameter extension of the cosmological standard model $\Lambda$CDM in which cold dark matter interacts with a new form of dark radiation. The two parameters correspond to the energy density in the dark radiation $\Delta N_\mathrm{eff}$ and the interaction strength between the dark matter and dark radiation fluids. The interactions give rise to a very weak "dark matter drag" which damps the growth of matter density perturbations throughout radiation domination, allowing to reconcile the tension between predictions of large scale structure from the CMB and direct measurements of $\sigma_8$. We perform a precision fit to Planck CMB data, BAO, large scale structure, and direct measurements of the expansion rate of the universe today. Our model lowers the $\chi$-squared relative to $\Lambda$CDM by about 11, corresponding to a preference for non-zero dark matter drag by more than $3 \sigma$. Particle physics models which naturally produce a dark matter drag of the required form include the recently proposed non-Abelian dark matter model in which the dark radiation corresponds to massless dark gluons.
Current and future large redshift surveys, as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (SDSS-IV/eBOSS) or the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), will use Emission-Line Galaxies (ELG) to probe cosmological models by mapping the large-scale structure of the Universe in the redshift range $0.6 < z < 1.7$. With current data, we explore the halo-galaxy connection by measuring three clustering properties of $g$-selected ELGs as matter tracers in the redshift range $0.6 < z < 1$: (i) the redshift-space two-point correlation function using spectroscopic redshifts from the BOSS ELG sample and VIPERS; (ii) the angular two-point correlation function on the footprint of the CFHT-LS; (iii) the galaxy-galaxy lensing signal around the ELGs using the CFHTLenS. We interpret these observations by mapping them onto the latest high-resolution MultiDark Planck N-body simulation, using a novel (Sub)Halo-Abundance Matching technique that accounts for the ELG incompleteness. ELGs at $z\sim0.8$ live in halos of $(1\pm 0.5)\times10^{12}\,h^{-1}$M$_{\odot}$ and 22.5$\pm2.5$% of them are satellites belonging to a larger halo. The halo occupation distribution of ELGs indicates that we are sampling the galaxies in which stars form in the most efficient way, according to their stellar-to-halo mass ratio.
Cosmic voids in the large-scale structure of the Universe affect the peculiar motions of objects in their vicinity. Although these motions are difficult to observe directly, the clustering pattern of their surrounding tracers in redshift space is influenced in a unique way. This allows to investigate the interplay between densities and velocities around voids, which is solely dictated by the laws of gravity. With the help of N-body simulations and derived mock-galaxy catalogs we calculate the average density fluctuations inside and outside voids identified with a watershed algorithm in redshift space and compare the results with the expectation from general relativity and the LCDM model of cosmology. We find that simple linear-theory predictions work remarkably well in describing the dynamics of voids even on relatively small scales. Adopting a Bayesian inference framework, we determine the full posterior probability distribution of our model parameters and forecast the achievable accuracy on measurements of the growth rate of structure and the geometric distortion through the Alcock-Paczy\'nski effect. Their relative uncertainties in galaxy surveys with number densities comparable to the SDSS MAIN (CMASS) sample that probe a volume of $1h^{-3}{\rm Gpc}^3$ yield $\sigma_{f/b}/(f/b)\sim40\%$ ($60\%$) and $\sigma_{D_AH}/D_AH\sim5\%$ ($8\%$), respectively. The presented method is highly model independent; its viability lies in the underlying assumption of statistical isotropy of the Universe.
Measurements of the galaxy power spectrum contain a wealth of information about the Universe. Its optimal extraction is vital if we are to truly understand the micro-physical nature of dark matter and dark energy. In Smith & Marian (2015) we generalized the power spectrum methodology of Feldman et al. (1994) to take into account the key tenets of galaxy formation: galaxies form and reside exclusively in dark matter haloes; a given dark matter halo may host galaxies of various luminosities; galaxies inherit the large-scale bias associated with their host halo. In this paradigm we derived the optimal weighting and reconstruction scheme for maximizing the signal-to-noise on a given band power estimate. For a future all-sky flux-limited galaxy redshift survey of depth b_J ~22, we now demonstrate that the optimal weighting scheme does indeed provide improved S/N at the level of ~20% when compared to Feldman et al. (1994) and ~60% relative to Percival et al. (2003), for scales of order k~0.5 Mpc/h. Using a Fisher matrix approach, we show that the cosmological information yield is also increased relative to these alternate methods -- especially the primordial power spectrum amplitude and dark energy equation of state.
We present a comprehensive analysis of strong-lensing, weak-lensing shear and magnification data for a sample of 16 X-ray-regular and 4 high-magnification galaxy clusters selected from the CLASH survey. Our analysis combines constraints from 16-band HST observations and wide-field multi-color imaging taken primarily with Subaru/Suprime-Cam. We reconstruct surface mass density profiles of individual clusters from a joint analysis of the full lensing constraints, and determine masses and concentrations for all clusters. We find internal consistency of the ensemble mass calibration to be $\le 5\% \pm 6\%$ by comparison with the CLASH weak-lensing-only measurements of Umetsu et al. For the X-ray-selected subsample, we examine the concentration-mass relation and its intrinsic scatter using a Bayesian regression approach. Our model yields a mean concentration of $c|_{z=0.34} = 3.95 \pm 0.35$ at $M_{200c} \simeq 14\times 10^{14}M_\odot$ and an intrinsic scatter of $\sigma(\ln c_{200c}) = 0.13 \pm 0.06$, in excellent agreement with LCDM predictions when the CLASH selection function based on X-ray morphological regularity and the projection effects are taken into account. We also derive an ensemble-averaged surface mass density profile for the X-ray-selected subsample by stacking their individual profiles. The stacked mass profile is well described by a family of density profiles predicted for cuspy dark-matter-dominated halos, namely, the NFW, Einasto, and DARKexp models, whereas the single power-law, cored isothermal and Burkert density profiles are disfavored by the data. We show that cuspy halo models that include the two-halo term provide improved agreement with the data. For the NFW halo model, we measure a mean concentration of $c_{200c} = 3.79^{+0.30}_{-0.28}$ at $M_{200c} = 14.1^{+1.0}_{-1.0}\times 10^{14}M_\odot$, demonstrating robust consistency between complementary analysis methods.
We present weak-lensing mass measurements of 50 X-ray luminous galaxy clusters at $0.15\le z\le0.3$, based on high quality observations with Suprime-Cam mounted on the 8.2-m Subaru telescope. We pay close attention to possible systematic biases, aiming to control them at the $\lt4$ per cent level. The dominant source of systematic bias in weak-lensing measurements of the mass of individual galaxy clusters is contamination of background galaxy catalogues by faint cluster and foreground galaxies. We extend our conservative method for selecting background galaxies with $(V-i')$ colours redder than the red sequence of cluster members to use a colour-cut that depends on cluster-centric radius. This allows us to define background galaxy samples that suffer $\le1$ per cent contamination, and comprise $13$ galaxies per square arcminute. Thanks to the purity of our background galaxy catalogue, the largest systematic in our measurement is a shape measurement bias of $3$ per cent, that we measure using custom-made simulations that probe weak shears upto $g=0.3$. Our individual cluster mass and concentration measurements are in excellent agreement with predictions of the mass-concentration relation. Equally, our stacked shear profile is in excellent agreement with the Navarro Frenk and White profile. Our new LoCuSS mass measurements are consistent with the CCCP and CLASH surveys, and in tension with the Weighing the Giants (WtG) at $\sim2\sigma$ significance.
HI intensity mapping is an emerging tool to probe dark energy. Observations of the redshifted HI signal will be contaminated by instrumental noise, atmospheric and Galactic foregrounds. The latter is expected to be four orders of magnitude brighter than the HI emission we wish to detect. We present a simulation of single-dish observations including an instrumental noise model with 1/f and white noise, and sky emission with a diffuse Galactic foreground and HI emission. We consider two foreground cleaning methods: spectral parametric fitting and principal component analysis. For a smooth frequency spectrum of the foreground and instrumental effects, we find that the parametric fitting method provides residuals that are still contaminated by foreground and 1/f noise, but the principal component analysis can remove this contamination down to the thermal noise level. This method is robust for a range of different models of foreground and noise, and so constitutes a promising way to recover the HI signal from the data. However, it induces a leakage of the cosmological signal into the subtracted foreground of around 5%. The efficiency of the component separation methods depends heavily on the smoothness of the frequency spectrum of the foreground and the 1/f noise. We find that as, long as the spectral variations over the band are slow compared to the channel width, the foreground cleaning method still works.
Next-generation cosmological surveys will probe ever larger volumes of the Universe, including the largest scales, near and beyond the horizon. On these scales, the galaxy power spectrum carries signatures of local primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG) and horizon-scale General Relativistic (GR) effects. But cosmic variance severely limits detection of horizon-scale effects. In order to beat down cosmic variance, we can combine surveys via the multi-tracer technique. This method benefits from large bias differences between two tracers of the underlying dark matter distribution, which suggests a multi-wavelength combination of large volume surveys that are planned on a similar time-scale. We show that the combination of two contemporaneous surveys, a large neutral hydrogen intensity mapping survey in SKA Phase\,1 and a Euclid-like photometric survey, will provide unprecedented constraints on PNG as well as detection of the GR effects. We forecast that the error on local PNG will break through the cosmic-variance limit on cosmic microwave background surveys, and achieve $\sigma(f_{\rm NL})\simeq1.37-0.48$, depending on assumed priors and the final bias and source counts. Moreover it should make the first measurements of GR effects with $\sim7\%$ accuracy which are more robust to the assumed fiducial model.
In this article, we argue that models based on machine learning (ML) can be very effective in estimating the non-linear matter power spectrum ($P(k)$). We employ the prediction ability of the supervised ML algorithms to build an estimator for the $P(k)$. The estimator is trained on a set of cosmological models, and redshifts for which the $P(k)$ is known, and it learns to predict $P(k)$ for any other set. We review three ML algorithms -- Random Forest, Gradient Boosting Machines, and K-Nearest Neighbours -- and investigate their prime parameters to optimize the prediction accuracy of the estimator. We also compute an optimal size of the training set, which is realistic enough, and still yields high accuracy. We find that, employing the optimal values of the internal parameters, a set of $50-100$ cosmological models is enough to train the estimator that can predict the $P(k)$ for a wide range of cosmological models, and redshifts. Using this configuration, we build a blackbox -- Supervised Estimator for Matter Power Spectrum (SEMPS) -- that computes the $P(k)$ to 5-10$\%$ accuracy up to $k\sim 10 h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}$ with respect to the reference model (cosmic emulator). We also compare the estimations of SEMPS to that of the Halofit, and find that for the $k$-range where the cosmic variance is low, SEMPS estimates are better than that of the Halofit. The predictions of the SEMPS are instantaneous in the sense that it can evaluate up to 500 $P(k)$ in less than one second, which makes it ideal for many applications like visualisations, weak lensing, emulations, likelihood analysis etc.. As a supplement to this article, we provide a publicly available software package.
The Starobinsky model of inflation, consistent with Planck 2015, has a peculiar form of the action, which contains the leading Einstein term R, the R^2 term with a huge coefficient, and negligible higher order terms. We propose an explanation of this form based on compactification of extra dimensions. Once tuning of order 10^(-4) is accepted to suppress the linear term R, we no more have to suppress higher order terms, which give nontrivial corrections to the Starobinsky model. We show our predictions of the spectral index, its running, and the tensor-to-scalar ratio. Finally, we discuss quantum gravity may appear at the scale greater than O(10^16) GeV.
Cosmological constraints from galaxy clusters rely on accurate measurements of the mass and internal structure of clusters. An important source of systematic uncertainty in cluster mass and structure measurements is the secure selection of background galaxies that are gravitationally lensed by clusters. This issue has been shown to be particular severe for faint blue galaxies. We therefore explore the selection of faint blue background galaxies, by reference to photometric redshift catalogs derived from the COSMOS survey and our own observations of massive galaxy clusters at z~0.2. We show that methods relying on photometric redshifts of galaxies in/behind clusters based on observations through five filters, and on deep 30-band COSMOS photometric redshifts are both inadequate to identify safely faint blue background galaxies. This is due to the small number of filters used by the former, and absence of massive galaxy clusters at redshifts of interest in the latter. We therefore develop a pragmatic method to combine both sets of photometric redshifts to select a population of blue galaxies based purely on photometric analysis. This sample yields stacked weak-lensing results consistent with our previously published results based on red galaxies. We also show that the stacked clustercentric number density profile of these faint blue galaxies is consistent with expectations from consideration of the lens magnification signal of the clusters. Indeed, the observed number density of blue background galaxies changes by ~10-30 per cent across the radial range over which other surveys assume it to be flat.
The flatness of the inflaton potential and lightness of the Higgs could have the common origin of the breaking of a global symmetry. This scenario provides a unified framework of Goldstone Inflation and Composite Higgs, where the inflaton and the Higgs both have a pseudo--Goldstone boson nature. The inflaton reheats the Universe via decays to the Higgs and subsequent secondary production of other SM particles via the top and massive vector bosons. We find that inflationary predictions and perturbative reheating conditions are consistent with CMB data for sub--Planckian values of the fields, as well as opening up the possibility of inflation at the TeV scale. We explore this exciting possibility, leading to an interplay between collider data and cosmological constraints.
The axions/axion like particles (ALPs) may constitute a major part of dark matter. Recently people find that dark matter axions can thermalize and form a Bose-Einstein condensate with a long correlation length. For the ALPs the thermalization scenario is similar. We find that for the linear regime of perturbation the ALPs are different from ordinary point like dark matter particles with additional terms in the first order velocity equation. The differences are especially compelling for string theory originated lighter ALPs. Also, axions/ALPs with a long correlation length can be thermalized due to gravitational interaction therefore alter the entropy of large scale. We propose that it can be a mechanism to explain the anomalies of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) multipoles if the mass of ALPs is order of $10^{-29}{\rm eV}$.
Macroscopic irreversible processes emerge from fundamental physical laws of reversible character. The source of the local irreversibility seems to be not in the laws themselves but in the initial and boundary conditions of the equations that represent the laws. In this work we propose that the asymmetric screening of currents by black hole event horizons determines, locally, a preferred direction for the flux of electromagnetic energy. We study the growth of black hole event horizons due to the cosmological expansion and accretion of cosmic microwave background radiation, for different cosmological models. We propose generalized McVittie comoving metrics and integrate the rate of accretion of cosmic microwave background radiation onto a supermassive black hole over cosmic time. We find that for flat, open, and closed Friedmann cosmological models, the ratio of the total area of the black hole event horizons with respect to the area of a radial comoving space-like hypersurface is always larger than one. Since accretion of cosmic radiation set an absolute lower limit to the total matter accreted by black holes, this implies that the causal past and future are not symmetric for any spacetime event. The asymmetry causes a net Poynting flux in the global future direction; the latter is in turn related to the ever increasing thermodynamic entropy. Thus, we expose a connection between four different "time arrows": cosmological, electromagnetic, gravitational, and thermodynamic.
Using 137,562 quasars in the redshift range $2.1\leq z\leq3.5$ from the Data Release 11 (DR11) of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-III, the BOSS-SDSS collaboration estimated the expansion rate $H(z=2.34)=222\pm7$ km/s/Mpc of Universe, and reported that this value is in tension with the predictions of flat $\Lambda$CDM model at around 2.5$\sigma$ level. In this letter, we briefly describe some attempts made in the literature to relieve the tension, and show that the tension can naturally be alleviated in non-flat $\Lambda$CDM model with positive curvature. However, this idea confronts with the inflation paradigm which predicts almost a spatially flat Universe. Nevertheless, the theoretical consistency of the non-flat $\Lambda$CDM model with the new result from BOSS deserves attention of the community.
We show that a new class of helical phase inflation models can be simply realized in minimal supergravity, wherein the inflaton is the phase component of a complex field and its potential admits a deformed helicoid structure. We find a new unique complex-valued index $\chi$ that characterizes almost the entire region of the $n_s-r$ plane favored by new Planck observations. Continuously varying the index $\chi$, predictions interpolate from quadratic/natural inflation parameterized by a phase/axion decay constant to Starobinsky-like inflation parameterized by the $\alpha$-parameter. We demonstrate that the simple supergravity construction realizing Starobinsky-like inflation can be obtained from a more microscopic model by integrating out heavy fields, and that the flat phase direction for slow-roll inflation is protected by a mildly broken global $U(1)$ symmetry. %, which is mildly broken at the inflation energy scale. We study the geometrical origin of the index $\chi$, and find that it corresponds to a linear constraint relating \kah moduli. We argue that such a linear constraint is a natural result of moduli stabilization in Type \MyRoman{2} orientifold compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds with geometric and non-geometric fluxes. Possible choices for the index $\chi$ are discrete points on the complex plane that relate to the distribution of supersymmetric Minkowski vacua on moduli space. More precise observations of the inflationary epoch in the future may provide a better estimation of the index $\chi$. Since $\chi$ is determined by the fluxes and vacuum expectation values of complex structure moduli, such observations would characterize the geometry of the internal space as well.
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