arXiv subjects

Graca Rocha

Publications and source records attributed to Graca Rocha.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Cosmic Microwave Background Recovery: A Graph-Based Bayesian Convolutional Network Approach

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a significant source of knowledge about the origin and evolution of our universe. However, observations of the CMB are contaminated by foreground emissions, obscuring the CMB signal and reducing its efficacy in constraining cosmological parameters. We employ deep learning as a data-driven approach to CMB cleaning from multi-frequency full-sky maps. In particular, we develop a graph-based Bayesian convolutional neural network based on the U-Net architecture that predicts cleaned CMB with pixel-wise uncertainty estimates. We demonstrate the potential of this technique on realistic simulated data based on the Planck mission. We show that our model accurately recovers the cleaned CMB sky map and resulting angular power spectrum while identifying regions of uncertainty. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and the path forward for deploying our model for CMB recovery on real observations.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2019

The Radio Universe at Low Surface Brightness: Feedback & accretion in the circumgalactic medium

Massive galaxies at high-z are known to co-evolve with their circumgalactic medium (CGM). If we want to truly understand the role of the CGM in the early evolution of galaxies and galaxy-clusters, we need to fully explore the multi-phase nature of the CGM. We present two novel science cases that utilize low-surface-brightness observations in the radio regime to better understand the CGM around distant galaxies. At the lowest temperatures, observations of widespread molecular gas are providing evidence for the cold baryon cycle that grows massive galaxies. At the highest temperatures, observations of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect are starting to reveal the effect of quasar feedback onto the hot gas in the CGM. We discuss the critical role that radio interferometers with compact configurations in the millimeter regime will play over the next decade in understanding the crucial role of the multi-phase CGM in galaxy evolution.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Early evolution of galaxies and of large-scale structure from CMB experiments

Next generation CMB experiments with arcmin resolution will, for free, lay the foundations for a real breakthrough on the study of the early evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters, thanks to the detection of large samples of strongly gravitationally lensed galaxies and of proto-clusters of dusty galaxies up to high redshifts. This has an enormous legacy value. High resolution follow-up of strongly lensed galaxies will allow the direct investigation of their structure and kinematics up to z~6, providing direct information on physical processes driving their evolution. Follow-up of proto-clusters will allow an observational validation of the formation history of the most massive dark matter halos up to z~4, well beyond the redshift range accessible via X-ray or SZ measurements. These experiments will also allow a giant leap forward in the determination of polarization properties of extragalactic sources, and will provide a complete census of cold dust available for star formation in the local universe.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Probing the origin of our Universe through cosmic microwave background constraints on gravitational waves

The next generation of instruments designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) will provide a historic opportunity to open the gravitational wave window to the primordial Universe. Through high sensitivity searches for primordial gravitational waves, and tighter limits on the energy released in processes like phase transitions, the CMB polarization data of the next decade has the potential to transform our understanding of the laws of physics underlying the formation of the Universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2019

PICO: Probe of Inflation and Cosmic Origins

The Probe of Inflation and Cosmic Origins (PICO) is an imaging polarimeter that will scan the sky for 5 years in 21 frequency bands spread between 21 and 799 GHz. It will produce full-sky surveys of intensity and polarization with a final combined-map noise level of 0.87 $μ$K arcmin for the required specifications, equivalent to 3300 Planck missions, and with our current best-estimate would have a noise level of 0.61 $μ$K arcmin (6400 Planck missions). PICO will either determine the energy scale of inflation by detecting the tensor to scalar ratio at a level $r=5\times 10^{-4}~(5σ)$, or will rule out with more than $5σ$ all inflation models for which the characteristic scale in the potential is the Planck scale. With LSST's data it could rule out all models of slow-roll inflation. PICO will detect the sum of neutrino masses at $>4σ$, constrain the effective number of light particle species with $ΔN_{\rm eff}<0.06~(2σ)$, and elucidate processes affecting the evolution of cosmic structures by measuring the optical depth to reionization with errors limited by cosmic variance and by constraining the evolution of the amplitude of linear fluctuations $σ_{8}(z)$ with sub-percent accuracy. Cross-correlating PICO's map of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect with LSST's gold sample of galaxies will precisely trace the evolution of thermal pressure with $z$. PICO's maps of the Milky Way will be used to determine the make up of galactic dust and the role of magnetic fields in star formation efficiency. With 21 full sky legacy maps in intensity and polarization, which cannot be obtained in any other way, the mission will enrich many areas of astrophysics. PICO is the only single-platform instrument with the combination of sensitivity, angular resolution, frequency bands, and control of systematic effects that can deliver this compelling, timely, and broad science.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

Direct Detection of Quasar Feedback Via the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect

The nature and energetics of feedback from thermal winds in quasars can be constrained via observations of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect (SZE) induced by the bubble of thermal plasma blown into the intergalactic medium by the quasar wind. In this letter, we present evidence that we have made the first detection of such a bubble, associated with the hyperluminous quasar HE0515-4414. The SZE detection is corroborated by the presence of extended emission line gas at the same position angle as the wind. Our detection appears on only one side of the quasar, consistent with the SZE signal arising from a combination of thermal and kinetic contributions. Estimates of the energy in the wind allow us to constrain the wind luminosity to the lower end of theoretical predictions, ~0.01% of the bolometric luminosity of the quasar. However, the age we estimate for the bubble, ~0.1 Gyr, and the long cooling time, ~0.6 Gyr, means that such bubbles may be effective at providing feedback between bursts of quasar activity.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Science with an ngVLA: The Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect from Quasar and Starburst Winds

The Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect (SZE) can be used to detect the hot bubbles in the intergalactic medium blown by energetic winds from AGN and starbursts. By directly constraining the kinetic luminosity, age and total energy of the outflow, it offers the promise of greatly increasing our understanding of the effects of wind feedback on galaxy evolution. Detecting the SZE in these winds is very challenging, at the edge of what is possible using existing facilities. The scale of the signal (10-100 kpc) is, however, well matched to interferometers operating at mm wavelengths for objects at z~1. Thus this could become a major science area for the ngVLA, especially if the design of the core is optimized for sensitivity on angular scales of >1 arcsec in the 90 GHz band.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

CMB-S4 Science Book, First Edition

This book lays out the scientific goals to be addressed by the next-generation ground-based cosmic microwave background experiment, CMB-S4, envisioned to consist of dedicated telescopes at the South Pole, the high Chilean Atacama plateau and possibly a northern hemisphere site, all equipped with new superconducting cameras. CMB-S4 will dramatically advance cosmological studies by crossing critical thresholds in the search for the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves, in the determination of the number and masses of the neutrinos, in the search for evidence of new light relics, in constraining the nature of dark energy, and in testing general relativity on large scales.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

A Characteristic Transmission Spectrum dominated by H$_{2}$O applies to the majority of HST/WFC3 exoplanet observations

Currently, 19 transiting exoplanets have published transmission spectra obtained with the Hubble/WFC3 G141 near-IR grism. Using this sample, we have undertaken a uniform analysis incorporating measurement-error debiasing of the spectral modulation due to H$_{2}$O, measured in terms of the estimated atmospheric scale height, ${H_s}$. For those planets with a reported H$_{2}$O detection (10 out of 19), the spectral modulation due to H$_{2}$O ranges from 0.9 to 2.9~${H_s}$ with a mean value of 1.8~$\pm$~0.5~${H_s}$. This spectral modulation is significantly less than predicted for clear atmospheres. For the group of planets in which H$_{2}$O has been detected, we find the individual spectra can be coherently averaged to produce a characteristic spectrum in which the shape, together with the spectral modulation of the sample, are consistent with a range of H$_{2}$O mixing ratios and cloud-top pressures, with a minimum H$_{2}$O mixing ratio of 17~$^{+12}_{-6}$~ppm corresponding to the cloud-free case. Using this lower limit, we show that clouds or aerosols must block at least half of the atmospheric column that would otherwise be sampled by transmission spectroscopy in the case of a cloud-free atmosphere. We conclude that terminator-region clouds, with sufficient opacity to be opaque in slant-viewing geometry, are common in hot Jupiters.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2012

Analysis of WMAP 7-year Temperature Data: Astrophysics of the Galactic Haze

We analyse WMAP 7-year temperature data, jointly modeling the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and Galactic foreground emission. We use the Commander code based on Gibbs sampling. Thus, from the WMAP7 data, we derive simultaneously the CMB and Galactic components on scales larger than 1deg with sensitivity improved relative to previous work. We conduct a detailed study of the low-frequency foreground with particular focus on the "microwave haze" emission around the Galactic center. We demonstrate improved performance in quantifying the diffuse galactic emission when Haslam 408MHz data are included together with WMAP7, and the spinning and thermal dust emission is modeled jointly. We also address the question of whether the hypothetical galactic haze can be explained by a spatial variation of the synchrotron spectral index. The excess of emission around the Galactic center appears stable with respect to variations of the foreground model that we study. Our results demonstrate that the new galactic foreground component - the microwave haze - is indeed present.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2011

Constraining Variations in the Fine Structure Constant in the presence of Early Dark Energy

We discuss present and future cosmological constraints on variations of the fine structure constant $α$ induced by an early dark energy component having the simplest allowed (linear) coupling to electromagnetism. We find that current cosmological data show no variation of the fine structure constant at recombination respect to the present-day value, with $α$ / $α_0$ = 0.975 \pm 0.020 at 95 % c.l., constraining the energy density in early dark energy to $Ω_e$ < 0.060 at 95 % c.l.. Moreover, we consider constraints on the parameter quantifying the strength of the coupling by the scalar field. We find that current cosmological constraints on the coupling are about 20 times weaker than those obtainable locally (which come from Equivalence Principle tests). However forthcoming or future missions, such as Planck Surveyor and CMBPol, can match and possibly even surpass the sensitivity of current local tests.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Lensing reconstruction from PLANCK sky maps: inhomogeneous noise

We discuss the effects of inhomogeneous sky-coverage on CMB lens reconstruction, focusing on application to the recently launched Planck satellite. We discuss the mean-field which is induced by noise inhomogeneities, as well as three approaches to lens reconstruction in this context: an optimal maximum-likelihood approach which is computationally expensive to evaluate, and two suboptimal approaches which are less intensive. The first of these is only sub-optimal at the five per-cent level for Planck, and the second prevents biasing due to uncertainties in the noise model.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2008

A fast Bayesian approach to discrete object detection in astronomical datasets - PowellSnakes I

A new fast Bayesian approach is introduced for the detection of discrete objects immersed in a diffuse background. This new method, called PowellSnakes, speeds up traditional Bayesian techniques by: i) replacing the standard form of the likelihood for the parameters characterizing the discrete objects by an alternative exact form that is much quicker to evaluate; ii) using a simultaneous multiple minimization code based on Powell's direction set algorithm to locate rapidly the local maxima in the posterior; and iii) deciding whether each located posterior peak corresponds to a real object by performing a Bayesian model selection using an approximate evidence value based on a local Gaussian approximation to the peak. The construction of this Gaussian approximation also provides the covariance matrix of the uncertainties in the derived parameter values for the object in question. This new approach provides a speed up in performance by a factor of `hundreds' as compared to existing Bayesian source extraction methods that use MCMC to explore the parameter space, such as that presented by Hobson & McLachlan. We illustrate the capabilities of the method by applying to some simplified toy models. Furthermore PowellSnakes has the advantage of consistently defining the threshold for acceptance/rejection based on priors which cannot be said of the frequentist methods. We present here the first implementation of this technique (Version-I). Further improvements to this implementation are currently under investigation and will be published shortly. The application of the method to realistic simulated Planck observations will be presented in a forthcoming publication.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

What can be learned from the lensed cosmic microwave background B-mode polarization power spectrum?

The effect of weak gravitational lensing on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies and polarization will provide access to cosmological information that cannot be obtained from the primary anisotropies alone. We compare the information content of the lensed B-mode polarization power spectrum, properly accounting for the non-Gaussian correlations between the power on different scales, with that of the unlensed CMB fields and the lensing potential. The latter represent the products of an (idealised) optimal analysis that exploits the lens-induced non-Gaussianity to reconstruct the fields. Compressing the non-Gaussian lensed CMB into power spectra is wasteful and leaves a tight degeneracy between the equation of state of dark energy and neutrino mass that is much stronger than in the more optimal analysis. Despite this, a power spectrum analysis will be a useful first step in analysing future B-mode polarization data. For this reason, we also consider how to extract accurate parameter constraints from the lensed B-mode power spectrum. We show with simulations that for cosmic-variance-limited measurements of the lensed B-mode power, including the non-Gaussian correlations in existing likelihood approximations gives biased parameter results. We develop a more refined likelihood approximation that performs significantly better. This new approximation should also be of more general interest in the wider context of parameter estimation from Gaussian CMB data.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Non-Random Phases in Non-Trivial Topologies

We present a new technique for constraining the topology of the universe. The method exploits the existence of correlations in the phases of the spherical harmonic coefficients of the CMB temperature pattern associated with matched pairs of circles seen in the sky in universes with non-trivial topology. The method is computationally faster than all other statistics developed to hunt for these matched circles. We applied the method to a range of simulations with topologies of various forms and on different scales. A characteristic form of phase correlation is found in the simulations. We also applied the method to preliminary CMB maps derived from WMAP, but the separation of topological effects from, e.g., foregrounds is not straightforward.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Simulation of non-Gaussian CMB maps

A simple method is presented for the rapid simulation of statistically-isotropic non-Gaussian maps of CMB temperature fluctuations with a given power spectrum and analytically-calculable bispectrum and higher-order polyspectra. The $n$th-order correlators of the pixel values may also be calculated analytically. The cumulants of the simulated map may be used to obtain an expression for the probability density function of the pixel temperatures. The statistical properties of the simulated map are determined by the univariate non-Gaussian distribution from which pixel values are drawn independently in the first stage of the simulation process. We illustrate the method using a non-Gaussian distribution derived from the wavefunctions of the harmonic oscillator. The basic simulation method is easily extended to produce non-Gaussian maps with a given power spectrum and diagonal bispectrum.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Estimating the bispectrum of the Very Small Array data

We estimate the bispectrum of the Very Small Array data from the compact and extended configuration observations released in December 2002, and compare our results to those obtained from Gaussian simulations. There is a slight excess of large bispectrum values for two individual fields, but this does not appear when the fields are combined. Given our expected level of residual point sources, we do not expect these to be the source of the discrepancy. Using the compact configuration data, we put an upper limit of 5400 on the value of f_NL, the non-linear coupling parameter, at 95 per cent confidence. We test our bispectrum estimator using non-Gaussian simulations with a known bispectrum, and recover the input values.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Searching for non-Gaussianity in the VSA data

We have tested Very Small Array (VSA) observations of three regions of sky for the presence of non-Gaussianity, using high-order cumulants, Minkowski functionals, a wavelet-based test and a Bayesian joint power spectrum/non-Gaussianity analysis. We find the data from two regions to be consistent with Gaussianity. In the third region, we obtain a 96.7% detection of non-Gaussianity using the wavelet test. We perform simulations to characterise the tests, and conclude that this is consistent with expected residual point source contamination. There is therefore no evidence that this detection is of cosmological origin. Our simulations show that the tests would be sensitive to any residual point sources above the data's source subtraction level of 20 mJy. The tests are also sensitive to cosmic string networks at an rms fluctuation level of $105 μK$ (i.e. equivalent to the best-fit observed value). They are not sensitive to string-induced fluctuations if an equal rms of Gaussian CDM fluctuations is added, thereby reducing the fluctuations due to the strings network to $74 μK$ rms . We especially highlight the usefulness of non-Gaussianity testing in eliminating systematic effects from our data.

astro-ph↗