arXiv subjects

Hume A. Feldman

Publications and source records attributed to Hume A. Feldman.

47 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2001

Constraints on Galaxy Bias, Matter Density, and Primordial Non--Gausianity from the PSCz Galaxy Redshift Survey

We compute the bispectrum for the \IRAS PSCz catalog and find that the galaxy distribution displays the characteristic signature of gravity. Assuming Gaussian initial conditions, we obtain galaxy biasing parameters $1/b_1=1.20^{+0.18}_{-0.19}$ and $b_2/b_1^2=-0.42\pm0.19$, with no sign of scale-dependent bias for $k\leq 0.3$ h/Mpc. These results impose stringent constraints on non-Gaussian initial conditions. For dimensional scaling models with $χ^2_N$ statistics, we find N>49, which implies a constraint on primordial skewness $B_3<0.35$.

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arXiv1999

Redshift Surveys and the Value of Omega

We compare the statistical properties of structures normal and transverse to the line of sight which appear in observational data from redshift surveys. We present a statistic which can quantify this effect in a conceptually different way from standard analyses of distortions of the power-spectrum or correlation function. From tests with N-body experiments, we argue that this statistic represents a new, more direct and potentially powerful diagnostic of the cosmological density parameter Omega.

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arXiv1999

Minkowski Functionals and Cluster Analysis for CMB Maps

We suggest novel statistics for the CMB maps that are sensitive to non-Gaussian features. These statistics are natural generalizations of the geometrical and topological methods that have been already used in cosmology such as the cumulative distribution function and genus. We compute the distribution functions of the Partial Minkowski Functionals for the excursion set above or bellow a constant temperature threshold. Minkowski Functionals are additive and are translationally and rotationally invariant. Thus, they can be used for patchy and/or incomplete coverage. The technique is highly efficient computationally (it requires only O(N) operations, where N is the number of pixels per one threshold level). Further, it allows to split large data sets into smaller subsets. The full advantage of these statistics can be obtained only on very large data sets. We apply it to the 4-year DMR COBE data corrected for the Galaxy contamination as an illustration of the technique.

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arXiv1998

The Bull's-Eye Effect as a Probe of $Ω$

We compare the statistical properties of structures normal and transverse to the line of sight which appear in theoretical N-body simulations of structure formation, and seem also to be present in observational data from redshift surveys. We present a statistic which can quantify this effect in a conceptually different way from standard analyses of distortions of the power-spectrum or correlation function. From tests with $N$--body experiments, we argue that this statistic represents a new and potentially powerful diagnostic of the cosmological density parameter, $Ω_0$.

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arXiv1997

A New Approach to Probing Large Scale Power with Peculiar Velocities

We propose a new strategy to probe the power spectrum on large scales using galaxy peculiar velocities. We explore the properties of surveys that cover only two small fields in opposing directions on the sky. Surveys of this type have several advantages over those that attempt to cover the entire sky; in particular, by concentrating galaxies in narrow cones these surveys are able to achieve the density needed to measure several moments of the velocity field with only a modest number of objects, even for surveys designed to probe scales $\gtwid 100$\hmpc. We construct mock surveys with this geometry and analyze them in terms of the three moments to which they are most sensitive. We calculate window functions for these moments and construct a $χ^2$ statistic which can be used to put constraints on the power spectrum. In order to explore the sensitivity of these surveys, we calculate the expectation values of the moments and their associated measurement noise as a function of the survey parameters such as density and depth and for several popular models of structure formation. In addition, we have studied how well these kind of surveys can distinguish between different power spectra and found that, for the same number of objects, cone surveys are as good or better than full-sky surveys in distinguishing between popular cosmological models. We find that a survey with $200-300$ galaxy peculiar velocities with distance errors of 15% in two cones with opening angle of $\sim 10^\circ$ could put significant constraints on the power spectrum on scales of $100-300$\hmpc, where few other constraints exist.

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arXiv1995

Interpreting New Data on Large Scale Bulk Flows

We study the implications of a recent estimate of the bulk flow of a sample of galaxies containing supernovae type Ia by Riess, Press, and Kirshner. We find that their results are quite consistent with power spectra from several currently popular models of structure formation, but that the sample is as yet too sparse to put significant constraints on the power spectrum. We compare this new result with that of Lauer and Postman, with which there is apparent disagreement. We find that for the power spectra we consider, the difference in window functions between the two samples used for the measurements results in a low level of expected correlation between the estimated bulk flows. We calculate a $χ^2$ for the two measurements taken together and find that their lack of agreement tends to disfavor spectra with excessive power on large scales, but not at a level sufficient to rule them out. A sample consisting of other SN type Ia's found in the Asiago catalog is used to study how the sensitivity of the method used by RPK will improve with increasing sample size. We conclude that the local group motion should be able to be determined with a sample of $\sim 100$ SN Ia light curve shapes.

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arXiv1995

Large Scale Velocity Fields Present and Future: Making Sense of the data

The large scale velocity field was sampled recently by two independent methods: the supernovae type Ia light curve shapes (Riess, Press \& Kirshner) and the Abell Cluster Catalog brightest cluster galaxy metric luminosity (Lauer \& Postman). The results of these investigations seem to be contradictory. I present an analysis of these samples, compare them and investigate whether standard structure formation models and other deep surveys are compatible with them. I also make suggestions as to how to improve the samples so we can actually resolve the bulk flow vectors. I show that although these two samples seem to cover the same volume, their window functions are sufficiently different so that they are only weakly correlated. Further, since both samples are sparse, they are noise dominated and in order to improve the signal to noise they need to either increase their sample size (RPK) or decrease the measurement errors (LP) significantly.

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arXiv1993

Theoretical Expectations for Bulk Flows in Large Scale Surveys

We calculate the theoretical expectation for the bulk motion of a large scale survey of the type recently carried out by Lauer and Postman. Included are the effects of survey geometry, errors in the distance measurements, clustering properties of the sample, and different assumed power spectra. We consider the power spectrum calculated from the IRAS--QDOT survey, as well as spectra from hot $+$ cold and standard cold dark matter models. We find that sparse sampling and clustering can lead to an unexpectedly large bulk flow, even in a very deep survey. Our results suggest that the expected bulk motion is inconsistent with that reported by Lauer and Postman at the $90-94\%$ confidence level.

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arXiv1993

Measuring Bulk Flows in Large Scale Surveys

We follow a formalism presented by Kaiser to calculate the variance of bulk flows in large scale surveys. We apply the formalism to a mock survey of Abell clusters á la Lauer \& Postman and find the variance in the expected bulk velocities in a universe with CDM, MDM and IRAS--QDOT power spectra. We calculate the velocity variance as a function of the 1--D velocity dispersion of the clusters and the size of the survey.

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arXiv1993

Power Spectrum Analysis of Three-Dimensional Redshift Surveys

We develop a general method for power spectrum analysis of three dimensional redshift surveys. We present rigorous analytical estimates for the statistical uncertainty in the power and we are able to derive a rigorous optimal weighting scheme under the reasonable (and largely empirically verified) assumption that the long wavelength Fourier components are Gaussian distributed. We apply the formalism to the updated 1-in-6 QDOT IRAS redshift survey, and compare our results to data from other probes: APM angular correlations; the CfA and the Berkeley 1.2Jy IRAS redshift surveys. Our results bear out and further quantify the impression from e.g.\ counts-in-cells analysis that there is extra power on large scales as compared to the standard CDM model with $Ωh\simeq 0.5$. We apply likelihood analysis using the CDM spectrum with $Ωh$ as a free parameter as a phenomenological family of models; we find the best fitting parameters in redshift space and transform the results to real space. Finally, we calculate the distribution of the estimated long wavelength power. This agrees remarkably well with the exponential distribution expected for Gaussian fluctuations, even out to powers of ten times the mean. Our results thus reveal no trace of periodicity or other non-Gaussian behavior.

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arXiv1992

Structure in a Loitering Universe

We study the formation of structure for a universe that undergoes a recent loitering phase. We compare the nonlinear mass distribution to that in a standard, matter dominated cosmology. The statistical aspects of the clustered matter are found to be robust to changes in the expansion law, an exception being that the peculiar velocities are lower by a factor of $\sim 3$ in the loitering model. Further, in the loitering scenario, nonlinear growth of perturbation occurs more recently ($z\sim 3-5$) than in the matter dominated case. Differences in the high redshift appearances of the two models will result but observable consequences depend critically on the chosen form, onset and duration of the loitering phase.

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