arXiv subjects

G. Efstathiou

Publications and source records attributed to G. Efstathiou.

207 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv1996

Power Spectrum Analysis of the Stromlo-APM Redshift Survey

We test estimators of the galaxy power spectrum $P(k)$ against simulated galaxy catalogues constructed from N-body simulations and we derive formulae to correct for biases. These estimators are then applied to compute the power spectrum of galaxies in the Stromlo-APM redshift survey. We test whether the amplitude of $P(k)$ depends on galaxy luminosity, but find no significant luminosity dependence except at absolute magnitudes brighter than $M_{\bj} = -20.3$, ($H_{0} = 100 \kms$) where there is some evidence for a rise in the amplitude of $P(k)$. By comparing the redshift space power spectrum of the Stromlo-APM survey with the real space power spectrum determined from the parent APM Galaxy Survey, we attempt to measure the distortion in the shape of $P(k)$ caused by galaxy peculiar motions. We find some evidence for an effect, but the errors are large and do not exclude a value of $β= Ω^{0.6}/b = 1$, where $Ω$ is the cosmological density parameter and $b$ is the linear biasing parameter relating galaxy fluctuations to those in the mass, $\left(δρ/ρ\right)_{gal} = b \left(δρ/ρ\right)_{m}$. The shape of the Stromlo-APM power spectrum is consistent with that determined from the CfA-2 survey, but has a slightly higher amplitude by a factor of about 1.4 than the power spectrum of IRAS galaxies.

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arXiv1996

The APM Galaxy Survey III: An Analysis of Systematic Errors in the Angular Correlation Function and Cosmological Implications

We present measurements of the angular two-point galaxy correlation function, $w(theta)$, from the APM Galaxy Survey. The performance of various estimators of $w$ is assessed using simulated galaxy catalogues and analytic arguments. Several error analyses show that residual plate-to-plate errors do not bias our estimates of $w$ by more than $10^{-3}$. Direct comparison between our photometry and external CCD photometry of over 13,000 galaxies from the Las Campanas Deep Redshift Survey shows that the rms error in the APM plate zero points lies in the range 0.04-0.05 magnitudes, in agreement with our previous estimates. We estimate the effects on $w$ of atmospheric extinction and obscuration by dust in our Galaxy and conclude that these are negligible. We use our best estimates of the systematic errors in the survey to calculate corrected estimates of $w$. Deep redshift surveys are used to determine the selection function of the APM Galaxy Survey, and this is applied in Limber's equation to compute how $w$ scales as a function of limiting magnitude. Our estimates of $w$ are in excellent agreement with the scaling relation, providing further evidence that systematic errors in the APM survey are small. We explicitly remove large-scale structure by applying filters to the APM galaxy maps and conclude that there is still strong evidence for more clustering at large scales than predicted by the standard scale-invariant cold dark matter (CDM) model. We compare the APM $w$ and the three dimensional power spectrum derived by inverting $w$, with the predictions of scale-invariant CDM models. We show that the observations require $Gamma=Omega_0 h$ in the range 0.2-0.3 and are incompatible with the value $Gamma=0.5$ of the standard CDM model.

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arXiv1994

The Stromlo-APM Redshift Survey II. Variation of Galaxy Clustering with Morphology and Luminosity

We present clustering measurements for samples of galaxies selected by morphological type and luminosity from the recently completed Stromlo-APM Redshift Survey. Early type galaxies are clustered more strongly by a factor 3.5--5.5, than late type galaxies. Low-luminosity galaxies are clustered more weakly by a factor of $\sim 2$ than $L^*$ and brighter galaxies on scales $\simgt 1\hMpc$. Also the slope of the correlation function is steeper for low-luminosity galaxies, so that the amplitude is a factor 4 lower at $ 10 \hMpc$. No difference, however, is seen between the clustering of $L^*$ and more luminous galaxies, an observation which may be hard to reconcile with some theories of biased galaxy formation. Both redshift-space and real-space clustering estimates show a similar dependence on luminosity.

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arXiv1994

A comparison of the evolution of the density field in perturbation theory and numerical simulations - II Counts in cells analysis

We present a detailed comparison of the predictions of perturbation theory for the averaged J-point correlation functions, $\xibar_J$, with the results of numerical simulations of gravitational clustering. We have carried out a systematic analysis of this method using ensembles of simulations with different numbers of particles, different box sizes and using different particle arrangements and clustering amplitudes in the initial conditions. We estimate $\xibar_J$, for $J=2-10$, from moments of counts-in-cells. We find significant non-linear effects in the variance, $J=2$, even at scales as large as $R \sim 30 \Mpc$. Perturbation theory gives remarkable agreement at large scales, where $\xibar_2 \simlt 1$, with the measured hierarchical amplitudes $S_J=\xibar_J/\xibar_2^{J-1}$. We have followed the evolution of $\xibar_J$ in time and find that for a change in the effective redshift of at least $Δz \simeq 2$ the amplitudes $S_J$ remain unchanged, despite the fact that the $\xibar_J$ have evolved by large factors, $\simeq 10^{J-1}$. We illustrate how these results can be applied to interpret the clustering in galaxy surveys and conclude that the observed hierarchical pattern in the APM is compatible with gravitational evolution in unbiased, initially Gaussian, models.

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arXiv1994

The Two-Point Correlation Function of Rich Clusters of Galaxies: Results from an Extended APM Cluster Redshift Survey

We present new estimates of the spatial two-point correlation function of rich clusters of galaxies selected from the APM Galaxy Survey. We have measured redshifts for a sample of $364$ clusters out to a depth of $\sim 450\hmpc$. The clusters have a mean space density of $\bar{n} = 3.4\times 10^{-5}\hmpccc$. The two-point correlation function, $ξ_{cc}$, for this sample is equal to unity at a pair-separation of $r_0 = 14.3\pm1.75\hmpc$ (2$σ$ errors), consistent with our earlier results from a smaller sample. The new observations provide an accurate determination of the shape of $ξ_{cc}$ to pair-separations of about $50\hmpc$. Our results show that $ξ_{cc}$ has a higher amplitude than expected according to the standard $Ω=1$ cold dark matter (CDM) model on spatial scales $2\simlt s \simlt 50\hmpc$, but are in good agreement with scale-invariant fluctuations in either a low density CDM model or a critical density universe made up of a mixture of hot and cold dark matter. Our results provide strong constraints on so called `co-operative' models of galaxy formation in which the galaxy formation process introduces large-scale structure in the galaxy distribution.

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arXiv1993

The Apm Galaxy Survey IV: Redshifts of Rich Clusters of Galaxies

We present redshifts for a sample of 229 clusters selected from the APM Galaxy Survey, 189 of which are new redshift determinations. Non-cluster galaxy redshifts have been rejected from this sample using a likelihood ratio test based on the projected and apparent magnitude distributions of the cluster fields. We test this technique using cluster fields in which redshifts have been measured for more than 10 galaxies. Our redshift sample is nearly complete and has been used in previous papers to study the three dimensional distribution of rich clusters of galaxies. 157 of the clusters in our sample are listed in the Abell catalogue or supplement, and the remainder are new cluster identifications.

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arXiv1993

Large-scale structure and motions from simulated galaxy clusters

We use high resolution dissipationless N-body simulations to examine the spatial distribution of galaxy clusters on large scales. The Standard CDM model and two of its main competitors, Low density CDM and Mixed Dark Matter are compared.The two-point correlation function of simulated clusters is compared with an extended survey of APM clusters , and it is found that Standard CDM exhibits a lack of power on all scales, whereas the two alternative scenarios are able to match the spatial correlations well. Of the remaining two models,the velocities in the MDM universe have a higher amplitude and their distribution is much broader. We compare these peculiar velocities with observations and find that both models have difficulty in reproducing the observed numbers of very high peculiar velocity clusters. The reliable detection of several more clusters with velocities in excess of 1000 km/s would render the LCDM scenario in particular very unlikely.

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arXiv1993

The Correlation Function of Rich Clusters of Galaxies in CDM-like Models

We use ensembles of high-resolution CDM simulations to investigate the shape and amplitude of the two point correlation function of rich clusters. The standard scale-invariant CDM model with $Ω=1$ provides a poor description of the clustering measured from the APM rich cluster redshift survey, which is better fitted by models with more power at large scales. The amplitudes of the rich cluster correlation functions measured from our models depend weakly on cluster richness. Analytic calculations of the clustering of peaks in a Gaussian density field overestimate the amplitude of the N-body cluster correlation functions, but reproduce qualitatively the weak trend with cluster richness. Our results suggest that the high amplitude measured for the correlation function of richness class $R \geq 2$ Abell clusters is either an artefact arising from incompleteness in the Abell catalogue, or an indication that the density perturbations in the early universe were very non-Gaussian.

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arXiv1993

The Imprint of Gravitational Waves on the Cosmic Microwave Background

Long-wavelength gravitational waves can induce significant temperature anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background. Distinguishing this from anisotropy induced by energy density fluctuations is critical for testing inflationary cosmology and theories of large-scale structure formation. We describe full radiative transport calculations of the two contributions and show that they differ dramatically at angular scales below a few degrees. We show how anisotropy experiments probing large- and small-angular scales can combine to distinguish the imprint due to gravitational waves.

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