arXiv subjects

Masroor Bashir

Publications and source records attributed to Masroor Bashir.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The CatWISE2020 Quasar dipole: A Reassessment of the Cosmic Dipole Anomaly

The Ellis-Baldwin test probes the cosmological principle by comparing the kinematic Cosmic Microwave Background dipole with the Doppler-driven dipole in the number counts of extragalactic radio sources. Recent analysis of the CatWISE2020 quasar catalog reported a number-count dipole amplitude exceeding the kinematic expectation at $4.9σ$ significance. We present a comprehensive reassessment of this test using the same dataset, incorporating major sources of uncertainty in the statistical inference. We employ a simulation framework based on the FLASK package, using lognormal realizations of the large-scale structure, quasar clustering bias, the survey's radial selection function, and its exact sky coverage. Our simulations account for the kinematic dipole, the intrinsic clustering dipole, shot noise, and survey geometry effects. The analysis yields a revised significance of $3.63σ$ in the absence of a clustering dipole, and $3.44σ$ with a randomly oriented clustering dipole. When the clustering dipole is aligned with the kinematic dipole, the significance decreases further to $3.27σ$. Although the anomaly is reduced, it cannot be explained solely by the clustering dipole or mode coupling from the survey mask. We further assess dipole measurement robustness by fitting models with successively higher-order multipoles up to $\ell = 4$. Partial sky coverage induces mode coupling, shifting the dipole estimate to higher values when the octopole is included and inflating its variance as additional modes are incorporated, reflected in the increasing condition number of the estimator. This behavior highlights a bias-variance trade-off inherent in multipole fitting on partial-sky data.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2026

$Λ(t)$CDM Model: Cosmological Implications and Dynamical System Analysis

We investigated a time-varying cosmological constant model using recent BAO measurements from DESI DR2, combined with Type Ia supernova samples (Pantheon$^{+}$, DES-Dovekie, and Union3) and CMB shift parameters, to constrain the $Λ(t)$CDM model parameters via Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis. We find that the interaction term $Q(z)$ shows a sign change for all dataset combinations by crossing $Q(z)=0$, depending on the choice of the dataset: at low redshift $Q(z)<0$, indicating vacuum energy decaying into dark matter, while at high redshift $Q(z)>0$, corresponding to dark matter decaying into vacuum energy. The dynamical system analysis found three critical points, namely $P_1,P_2$, and $P_3$ respectively. The resulting critical points, determined by the underlying cosmological parameters, correspond to distinct epochs in cosmic evolution. Depending on the parameter combinations, these points characterize various cosmological phases, ranging from an accelerated stiff matter-dominated era to late-time accelerated expansion. The stability of each critical point is analyzed using linear stability theory, with the relevant physical constraints on the cosmological parameters duly incorporated throughout the analysis. For each dataset combinations, the $Λ(t)$CDM model predicts that $ω_0 > -1$, showing a preference for dynamical dark energy over the cosmological constant scenario with $ω_0 = -1$. Consequently, the model exhibits a transition phase in the range $N \equiv \log a(t) \approx -0.51$ to $-0.48$ and predicts $q_0$ in the range $-0.54$ to $-0.52$, with the precise transition point depending on the choice of dataset. Finally, the Bayesian evidence shows strong support for the $Λ(t)$CDM model over $Λ$CDM

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Local patch analysis of ACT DR6 convergence map using morphological statistics

We carry out a comprehensive hierarchical multi-scale morphological analysis to search for anomalous behaviour in the large scale matter distribution using convergence map provided by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6. We use a suite of morphological statistics consisting of Minkowski functionals, contour Minkowski tensor and Betti numbers for the analysis, and compute their deviations from the ensemble expectations and median values obtained from isotropic $Λ$CDM simulations provided by ACT. To assess the statistical significance of these deviations, we devise a general methodology based on the persistence of the deviations across threshold ranges and spatial resolutions, while taking into account correlations among the statistics. From the analysis of the full dataset, and hemispherical regions, we find consistency with isotropic $Λ$CDM simulations provided by ACT. Since deviations in smaller sky regions tend to get washed out when averaged over larger regions, we further analyze smaller sky patches. This localized analysis reveals some patches that exhibit statistically significant deviations which we refer to as 'anomalous'. We find that near the CMB cold spot, both the positive and negative density fluctuations are anomalous, at 99% CL and 95% CL respectively. This region also encompasses an anomalous southern spot previously identified in Planck CMB temperature data. We also carry out a comparison of anomalous patches identified here for ACT data with a previous analysis of the convergence map from Planck. We do not find common patches between the two datasets, which suggest that the anomalous behavior of the Planck data arises from noise in the map. Further investigation of the atypical patches using large scale structure surveys is warranted to determine their physical origin.

astro-ph.CO↗