arXiv subjects

Martin White

Publications and source records attributed to Martin White.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

arXiv1999

Weak Gravitational Lensing and Cluster Mass Estimates

Hierarchical theories of structure formation predict that clusters of galaxies should be embedded in a web like structure, with filaments emanating from them to large distances. The amount of mass contained within such filaments near a cluster can be comparable to the collapsed mass of the cluster itself. Diffuse infalling material also contains a large amount of mass. Both these components can contribute to the cluster weak lensing signal. This ``projection bias'' is maximized if a filament lies close to the line-of-sight to a cluster. Using large--scale numerical simulations of structure formation in a cosmological constant dominated cold dark matter model, we show that the projected mass typically exceeds the actual mass by several tens of percent. This effect is significant for attempts to estimate cluster masses through weak lensing observations, and will affect weak lensing surveys aimed at constructing the cluster mass function.

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arXiv1999

Implications of SCUBA observations for the Planck Surveyor

We investigate the implications for the Planck Surveyor of the recent sub-millimetre number counts obtained using the SCUBA camera. Since it observes at the same frequency as one of the higher frequency science channels on Planck, SCUBA can provide constraints on the point-source contribution to the CMB angular power spectrum, which require no extrapolation in frequency. We have calculated the two-point function of these sub-millimetre sources, using a Poisson model normalized to the observed counts. While the current data are uncertain, under reasonable assumptions the point-source contribution to the anisotropy is comparable to the noise in the 353GHz channel. The clustering of these sources is currently unknown, however if they cluster like the z~3 Lyman-break galaxies their signal would be larger than the primary anisotropy signal on scales smaller than about 10 arcmin. We expect the intensity of these sources to decrease for wavelengths longward of 850 microns. At the next lowest Planck frequency, 217GHz, the contribution from both the clustered and Poisson terms are dramatically reduced. Hence we do not expect these sources to seriously affect Planck's main science goal, the determination of the primordial anisotropy power spectrum. Rather, the potential determination of the distribution of sub-mm sources is a further piece of cosmology that Planck may be able to tackle.

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arXiv1999

Anisotropies in the CMB

The ten's of micro-Kelvin variations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation across the sky encode a wealth of information about the Universe. The full-sky, high-resolution maps of the CMB that will be made in the next decade should determine cosmological parameters to unprecedented precision and sharply test inflation and other theories of the early Universe.

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arXiv1999

What have we already learned from the CMB?

The COBE satellite, and the DMR experiment in particular, was extraordinarily successful. However, the DMR results were announced about 7 years ago, during which time a great deal more has been learned about anisotropies in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The CMB experiments currently being designed and built, including long-duration balloons, interferometers, and two space missions, promise to address several fundamental cosmological issues. We present our evaluation of what we already know, what we are beginning to learn now, and what the future may bring.

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arXiv1999

Constraining dark energy with SNe Ia and large-scale structure

Measurements of the distances to SNe Ia have produced strong evidence that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, implying the existence of a nearly uniform component of dark energy with negative pressure. We show that constraints to this mysterious component based upon large-scale structure nicely complement the SN Ia data, and that together they require Omega_X = (0.6,0.7) and w_X < -0.6 (95% cl), for the favored flat Universe. Other cosmological data support this conclusion. The simplest explanation, a cosmological constant, is consistent with this, while some of the other possibilities are not.

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arXiv1998

Baryonic Signatures in Large-Scale Structure

We investigate the consequences of a non-negligible baryon fraction for models of structure formation in Cold Dark Matter dominated cosmologies, emphasizing in particular the existence of oscillations in the present-day matter power spectrum. These oscillations are the remnants of acoustic oscillations in the photon-baryon fluid before last scattering. For acceptable values of the cosmological and baryon densities, the oscillations modulate the power by up to 10%, with a `period' in spatial wavenumber which is close to Delta k approximately 0.05/ Mpc. We study the effects of nonlinear evolution on these features, and show that they are erased for k > 0.2 h/ Mpc. At larger scales, the features evolve as expected from second-order perturbation theory: the visibility of the oscillations is affected only weakly by nonlinear evolution. No realistic CDM parameter combination is able to account for the claimed feature near k = 0.1 h/ Mpc in the APM power spectrum, or the excess power at 100 Mpc/h wavelengths quoted by several recent surveys. Thus baryonic oscillations are not predicted to dominate existing measurements of clustering. We examine several effects which may mask the features which are predicted, and conclude that future galaxy surveys may be able to detect the oscillatory features in the power spectrum provided baryons comprise more than 15% of the total density, but that it will be a technically challenging achievement.

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arXiv1998

Polarization of the CMB Anisotropy

I review why we expect the CMB anisotropy to be polarized, what we can learn from studying polarization and the level of the experimental challenge it presents. A discussion of current and future polarization sensitive experiments will focus on the expected sensitivity of PLANCK.

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arXiv1998

Interferometric Observation of Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies

We present a formalism for analyzing interferometric observations of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropy and polarization data. The formalism is based upon the ell-space expansion of the angular power spectrum favoured in recent years. Explicit discussions of maximum likelihood analysis, power spectrum reconstruction, parameter estimation, imaging and polarization are given. As an example, several calculations for the Degree Angular Scale Interferometer (DASI) and Cosmic Background Interferometer (CBI) experiments are presented.

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arXiv1998

Complementary Measures of the Mass Density and Cosmological Constant

The distance-redshift relation depends on the amount of matter of each type in the universe. Measurements at different redshifts constrain differing combinations of these matter densities and thus may be used in combination to constrain each separately. The combination of Omega_0 and Omega_Lambda measured in supernovae at z<1 is almost orthogonal to the combination probed by the location of features in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy spectrum. We analyze the current combined data set in this framework, showing that the regions preferred by the Supernova and CMB measurements are compatible. We quantify the favoured region. We also discuss models in which the matter density in the universe is augmented by a smooth component to give critical density. These models, by construction and in contrast, are not strongly constrained by the combination of the data sets.

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arXiv1998

Observationally Determining the Properties of Dark Matter

Determining the properties of the dark components of the universe remains one of the outstanding challenges in cosmology. We explore how upcoming CMB anisotropy measurements, galaxy power spectrum data, and supernova (SN) distance measurements can observationally constrain their gravitational properties with minimal assumptions on the theoretical side. SN observations currently suggest the existence of dark matter with an exotic equation of state p/rho < -1/3 that accelerates the expansion of the universe. When combined with CMB anisotropy measurements, SN or galaxy survey data can in principle determine the equation of state and density of this component separately, regardless of their value, as long as the universe is spatially flat. Combining these pairs creates a sharp consistency check. If p/rho > -1/2, then the clustering behavior (sound speed) of the dark component can be determined so as to test the scalar-field ``quintessence'' hypothesis. If the exotic matter turns out instead to be simply a cosmological constant (p/rho = -1), the combination of CMB and galaxy survey data should provide a significant detection of the remaining dark matter, the neutrino background radiation (NBR). The gross effect of its density or temperature on the expansion rate is ill-constrained as it is can be mimicked by a change in the matter density. However, anisotropies of the NBR break this degeneracy and should be detectable by upcoming experiments.

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arXiv1998

A Complete Treatment of CMB Anisotropies in a FRW Universe

We generalize the total angular momentum method for computing Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies to Friedman-Robertson-Walker (FRW) spaces with arbitrary geometries. This unifies the treatment of temperature and polarization anisotropies generated by scalar, vector and tensor perturbations of the fluid, seed, or a scalar field, in a universe with constant comoving curvature. The resulting formalism generalizes and simplifies the calculation of anisotropies and, in its integral form, allows for a fast calculation of model predictions in linear theory for any FRW metric.

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arXiv1998

A Remark on the Estimation of Angular Power Spectra in the Presence of Foregrounds

It is common practice to estimate the errors on the angular power spectrum which could be obtained by an experiment with a given angular resolution and noise level. Several authors have also addressed the question of foreground subtraction using multi-frequency observations. In such observations the angular resolution of the different frequency channels is rarely the same. In this report we point out how the ``effective'' beam size and noise level change with ell in this case, and give an expression for the error on the angular power spectrum as a function of ell.

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arXiv1997

CDM Models with a Smooth Component

The inflationary prediction of a flat Universe is at odds with current determinations of the matter density (Omega_M~0.2-0.4). This dilemma can be resolved if a smooth component contributes the remaining energy density (Omega_X=1-Omega_M). We parameterize the smooth component by its equation of state, p_X=w rho_X, and show that xCDM with w~-0.6, Omega_M~0.3 and h~0.7 is the best fit to all present cosmological data. Together, the position of the peak in the CMB angular power spectrum and the Type Ia supernova magnitude-redshift diagram provide a crucial test of xCDM.

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arXiv1997

Tensor Anisotropies in an Open Universe

We calculate the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background induced by long-wavelength primordial gravitational waves in a universe with negative spatial curvature, such as are produced in the ``open inflation'' scenario. The impact of these results on the COBE normalization of open models is discussed.

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arXiv1997

CMB Anisotropies: Total Angular Momentum Method

A total angular momentum representation simplifies the radiation transport problem for temperature and polarization anisotropy in the CMB. Scattering terms couple only the quadrupole moments of the distributions and each moment corresponds directly to the observable angular pattern on the sky. We develop and employ these techniques to study the general properties of anisotropy generation from scalar, vector and tensor perturbations to the metric and the matter, both in the cosmological fluids and from any seed perturbations (e.g. defects) that may be present. The simpler, more transparent form and derivation of the Boltzmann equations brings out the geometric and model-independent aspects of temperature and polarization anisotropy formation. Large angle scalar polarization provides a robust means to distinguish between isocurvature and adiabatic models for structure formation in principle. Vector modes have the unique property that the CMB polarization is dominated by magnetic type parity at small angles (a factor of 6 in power compared with 0 for the scalars and 8/13 for the tensors) and hence potentially distinguishable independent of the model for the seed. The tensor modes produce a different sign from the scalars and vectors for the temperature-polarization correlations at large angles. We explore conditions under which one perturbation type may dominate over the others including a detailed treatment of the photon-baryon fluid before recombination.

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arXiv1997

A CMB Polarization Primer

We present a pedagogical and phenomenological introduction to the study of cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization to build intuition about the prospects and challenges facing its detection. Thomson scattering of temperature anisotropies on the last scattering surface generates a linear polarization pattern on the sky that can be simply read off from their quadrupole moments. These in turn correspond directly to the fundamental scalar (compressional), vector (vortical), and tensor (gravitational wave) modes of cosmological perturbations. We explain the origin and phenomenology of the geometric distinction between these patterns in terms of the so-called electric and magnetic parity modes, as well as their correlation with the temperature pattern. By its isolation of the last scattering surface and the various perturbation modes, the polarization provides unique information for the phenomenological reconstruction of the cosmological model. Finally we comment on the comparison of theory with experimental data and prospects for the future detection of CMB polarization.

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arXiv1997

Observational Constraints on Open Inflation Models

We discuss observational constraints on models of open inflation. Current data from large-scale structure and the cosmic microwave background prefer models with blue spectra and/or Omega_0 >= 0.3--0.5. Models with minimal anisotropy at large angles are strongly preferred.

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arXiv1996

The Four-Year COBE Normalization and Large-Scale Structure

We present an analysis of the four-year data from the COBE DMR experiment. We use a Karhunen-Loeve expansion of the pixel data to calculate the normalization and goodness-of-fit of a range of models of structure formation. This technique produces unbiased normalization estimates and is capable of determining the normalization of any particular model with a statistical uncertainty of 7%. We present a parameterization of the normalization and likelihood function which summarizes our results for a wide range of models. We use the COBE normalization to compute small-scale fluctuation amplitudes for a variety of models and discuss the implications of these results for theories of large-scale structure.

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