arXiv subjects

Ofer Lahav

Publications and source records attributed to Ofer Lahav.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2001

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: The power spectrum and the matter content of the universe

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey has now measured in excess of 160000 galaxy redshifts. This paper presents the power spectrum of the galaxy distribution, calculated using a direct FFT-based technique. We argue that, within the k-space region 0.02<k<0.15 h Mpc^-1, the shape of this spectrum should be close to that of the linear density perturbations convolved with the window function of the survey. This window function and its convolving effect on the power spectrum estimate are analyzed in detail. By convolving model spectra, we are able to fit the power-spectrum data and provide a measure of the matter content of the universe. Our results show that models containing baryon oscillations are mildly preferred over featureless power spectra. Analysis of the data yields 68% confidence limits on the total matter density times the Hubble parameter Ω_m h = 0.20 +/- 0.03, and the baryon fraction Ω_b/Ω_m = 0.15 +/- 0.07, assuming scale-invariant primordial fluctuations.

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arXiv2001

The 2dF gravitational lens survey

The 2 degree Field (2dF) galaxy redshift survey will involve obtaining approximately 2.5 x 10^5 spectra of objects previously identified as galaxy candidates on morphological grounds. Included in these spectra should be about ten gravitationally-lensed quasars, all with low-redshift galaxies as deflectors (as the more common lenses with high-redshift deflectors will be rejected from the survey as multiple point-sources). The lenses will appear as superpositions of galaxy and quasar spectra, and both cross-correlation techniques and principal components analysis should be able to identify candidates systematically. With the 2dF survey approximately half-completed it is now viable to begin a systematic search for these spectroscopic lenses, and the first steps of this project are described here.

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arXiv2000

Cosmological Parameters and Hyper-Parameters: The Hubble Constant from Boomerang and Maxima

We generalise the procedure for joint estimation of cosmological parameters to allow freedom in the relative weights of various probes. This is done by including in the joint Likelihood function a set of 'Hyper-Parameters', which are dealt with using Bayesian considerations. The resulting algorithm is simple to implement. We illustrate the method by estimating the Hubble constant H_0 from the recent Cosmic Microwave Background experiments Boomerang and Maxima. For an assumed flat Lambda-CDM model with fixed parameters (n=1, Omega_m = 1-lambda = 0.3, Omega_b h^2 = 0.03, Qrms = 18 mu K) we solve for a single parameter, H_0= 79 +- 4 km/sec/Mpc (95 % CL, random errors only), slightly higher but still consistent with recent results from Cepheids. We discuss how the 'Hyper-Parameters' approach can be generalised for a combination of cosmic probes, and for other priors on the Hyper-Parameters.

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arXiv2000

Compression and Classification Methods for Galaxy Spectra in Large Redshift Surveys

Methods for compression and classification of galaxy spectra, which are useful for large galaxy redshift surveys (such as the SDSS, 2dF, 6dF and VIRMOS), are reviewed. In particular, we describe and contrast three methods: (i) Principal Component Analysis, (ii) Information Bottleneck, and (iii) Fisher Matrix. We show applications to 2dF galaxy spectra and to mock semi-analytic spectra, and we discuss how these methods can be used to study physical processes of galaxy formation, clustering and galaxy biasing in the new large redshift surveys.

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arXiv2000

Clustering of Very Red Galaxies in the Las Campanas IR Survey

We report results from the first 1000 square arc-minutes of the Las Campanas IR survey. We have imaged 1 square degree of high latitude sky in six distinct fields to a 5-sigma H-band depth of 20.5 (Vega). Optical imaging in the V,R,I,and z' bands allow us to select color subsets and photometric-redshift-defined shells. We show that the angular clustering of faint red galaxies (18 < H < 20.5, I - H > 3) is an order of magnitude stronger than that of the complete H-selected field sample. We employ three approaches to estimate $n(z)$ in order to invert w(theta) to derive r_0. We find that our n(z) is well described by a Gaussian with = 1.2, sigma(z) = 0.15. From this we derive a value for r_0 of 7 (+2,-1) co-moving H^{-1} Mpc at = 1.2. This is a factor of ~ 2 larger than the clustering length for Lyman break galaxies and is similar to the expectation for early type galaxies at this epoch.

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arXiv2000

Constraints on Cosmological Anisotropy out to z=1 from Supernovae Ia

A combined sample of 79 high and low redshift supernovae Ia (SNe) is used to set constraints on the degree of anisotropy in the Universe out to $z\simeq1$. First we derive the global most probable values of matter density $Ω_M $, the cosmological constant $Ω_Λ$, and the Hubble constant $H_0$, and find them to be consistent with the published results from the two data sets of Riess et al. 1998 (R98) and Perlmutter et al. 1999 (P99). We then examine the Hubble diagram (HD, i.e., the luminosity-redshift relation) in different directions on the sky by utilising spherical harmonic expansion. In particular, via the analysis of the dipole anisotropy, we divide the sky into the two hemispheres that yield the most discrepant of the three cosmological parameters, and the scatter $χ^2_{\rm HD}$ in each case. The most discrepant values roughly move along the locus $-4Ω_M +3 Ω_Λ = 1$ (cf. P99), but by no more than $Δ\approx 2.5$ along this line. For a perfect FRW universe, Monte Carlo realizations that mimic the current set of SNe yield values higher than the measured $Δ$ in $\sim 1/5$ of the cases. We discuss implications for the validity of the Cosmological Principle, and possible calibration problems in the SNe data sets.

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arXiv2000

The Universe behind the Milky Way

Due to the foreground extinction of the Milky Way, galaxies appear increasingly fainter the closer they lie to the Galactic Equator, creating a "zone of avoidance" of about 25% in the distribution of optically visible galaxies. A "whole-sky" map of galaxies is essential, however, for understanding the dynamics in our local Universe, in particular the peculiar velocity of the Local Group with respect to the Cosmic Microwave Background and velocity flow fields such as in the Great Attractor region. Various dynamically important structures behind the Milky Way have only recently been made ``visible'' through dedicated deep surveys at various wavelengths. The wide range of observational searches (optical, near infrared, far infrared, radio and X-ray) for galaxies in the Zone of Avoidance are reviewed, including a discussion on the limitations and selection effects of these partly complementary approaches. The uncovered and suspected large-scale structures are summarized. Reconstruction methods of the density field in the Zone of Avoidance are described and the resulting predictions compared with observational evidence. The comparison between reconstructed density fields and the observed galaxy distribution allow derivations of the density and biasing parameters Omega_0 and b.

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arXiv2000

Massive Lossless Data Compression and Multiple Parameter Estimation from Galaxy Spectra

We present a method for radical linear compression of datasets where the data are dependent on some number $M$ of parameters. We show that, if the noise in the data is independent of the parameters, we can form $M$ linear combinations of the data which contain as much information about all the parameters as the entire dataset, in the sense that the Fisher information matrices are identical; i.e. the method is lossless. We explore how these compressed numbers fare when the noise is dependent on the parameters, and show that the method, although not precisely lossless, increases errors by a very modest factor. The method is general, but we illustrate it with a problem for which it is well-suited: galaxy spectra, whose data typically consist of $\sim 10^3$ fluxes, and whose properties are set by a handful of parameters such as age, brightness and a parametrised star formation history. The spectra are reduced to a small number of data, which are connected to the physical processes entering the problem. This data compression offers the possibility of a large increase in the speed of determining physical parameters. This is an important consideration as datasets of galaxy spectra reach $10^6$ in size, and the complexity of model spectra increases. In addition to this practical advantage, the compressed data may offer a classification scheme for galaxy spectra which is based rather directly on physical processes.

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arXiv2000

Observational Tests for the Cosmological Principle and World Models

We review observational tests for the homogeneity of the Universe on large scales. Redshift and peculiar velocity surveys, radio sources, the X-Ray Background, the Lyman-$α$ forest and the Cosmic Microwave Background are used to set constraints on inhomogeneous models and in particular on fractal-like models. Assuming the Cosmological Principle and the FRW metric, we estimate cosmological parameters by joint analysis of peculiar velocities, the CMB, cluster abundance, IRAS and Supernovae. Under certain assumptions the best fit density parameter is Omega_m = 1 - lambda \approx 0.4 . We present a new method for joint estimation by combining different data sets in a Bayesian way, and utilising `Hyper-Parameters'.

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arXiv1999

Testing Homogeneity on Large Scales

We review observational tests for the homogeneity of the Universe on large scales. Redshift and peculiar velocity surveys, radio sources, the X-Ray Background, the Lyman-alpha forest and the Cosmic Microwave Background are used to set constraints on inhomogeneous models and in particular on fractal-like models. Assuming the Cosmological Principle and the FRW metric, we estimate cosmological parameters by joint analysis of peculiar velocities, the CMB, cluster abundance, IRAS and Supernovae. Under certain assumptions the best fit density parameter is Omega_m = 1 - lambda = 0.3-0.5.

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arXiv1999

The Ly-alpha forest in a truncated hierarchical structure formation

The Ly-alpha forest provides important constraints on the smoothness of the universe on large scales. We calculate the flux distribution along line-of-sight to quasars in a universe made of randomly distributed clumps, each of them with a Rayleigh-L`evi fractal structure. We consider the probability distribution function of the normalised flux in the line-of-sight to quasars. We show that the truncated clustering hierarchy model shows far too many voids along the line-of-sight to quasars compared with the observed flux distribution and the distribution in a Cold Dark Matter model. This supports the common view that on large scales the universe is homogeneous, rather than fractal-like.

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arXiv1998

Stochastic Nonlinear Galaxy Biasing

We propose a general formalism for galaxy biasing and apply it to methods for measuring cosmological parameters, such as regression of light versus mass, the analysis of redshift distortions, measures involving skewness and the cosmic virial theorem. The common linear and deterministic relation g=b*d between the density fluctuation fields of galaxies g and mass d is replaced by the conditional distribution P(g|d) of these random fields, smoothed at a given scale at a given time. The nonlinearity is characterized by the conditional mean =b(d)*d, while the local scatter is represented by the conditional variance s_b^2(d) and higher moments. The scatter arises from hidden factors affecting galaxy formation and from shot noise unless it has been properly removed. For applications involving second-order local moments, the biasing is defined by three natural parameters: the slope b_h of the regression of g on d, a nonlinearity b_t, and a scatter s_b. The ratio of variances b_v^2 and the correlation coefficient r mix these parameters. The nonlinearity and the scatter lead to underestimates of order b_t^2/b_h^2 and s_b^2/b_h^2 in the different estimators of beta (=Omega^0.6/b_h). The nonlinear effects are typically smaller. Local stochasticity affects the redshift-distortion analysis only by limiting the useful range of scales, especially for power spectra. In this range, for linear stochastic biasing, the analysis reduces to Kaiser's formula for b_h (not b_v), independent of the scatter. The distortion analysis is affected by nonlinear properties of biasing but in a weak way. Estimates of the nontrivial features of the biasing scheme are made based on simulations and toy models, and strategies for measuring them are discussed. They may partly explain the range of estimates for beta.

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arXiv1998

Joint cosmological inference from galaxy surveys, the Cosmic Microwave Background and the X-Ray Background

We discuss cosmological inference from galaxy surveys, the X-Ray Background (XRB) and the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). We assume a family of Cold Dark Matter (CDM) models in a spatially flat universe with an initially scale-invariant spectrum and a cosmological constant. Joint analysis of the CMB and IRAS resdhift surveys yields as optimal parameters (for fixed Omega_b h^2 = 0.024): Omega_m = 1- ω_lambda = 0.4, h = 0.53, Q = 17muK, and b_iras= 1.2. For the above parameters the normalisation and shape of the mass power-spectrum are sigma_8=0.7 and Gamma=0.15, and the age of the Universe is 16.5 Gyr. Assuming a standard CDM model, the joint IRAS and XRB analysis gives bias parameters of b_iras = 1.1 and b_x(z=0) = 2.6. When combining CMB and IRAS with XRB data we show that standard CDM cannot fit all three data sets. We also use these data sets to verify the Cosmological Principle and to constrain the fractal dimension of the universe on large scales.

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arXiv1998

Joint estimation of cosmological parameters from CMB and IRAS data

Observations of large scale structure (LSS) and the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) each place separate constraints on the values of cosmological parameters. We calculate a joint likelihood based on various CMB experiments and the IRAS 1.2Jy galaxy redshift survey and use this to find an overall optimum with respect to the free parameters. Our formulation self-consistently takes account of the underlying mass distribution, which affects both the CMB potential fluctuations and the IRAS redshift distortion. This not only allows more accurate parameter estimation, but also removes the parameter degeneracy which handicaps calculations based on either approach alone. The family of Cold Dark Matter (CDM) models analysed corresponds to a spatially-flat universe with an initially scale-invariant spectrum and a cosmological constant. Free parameters in the joint model are the mass density due to all matter (Omega_m), Hubble's parameter (h = H_0 / 100km/s Mpc^-1), the quadrupole normalisation of the CMB power spectrum (Q) in uK, and the IRAS light-to-mass bias (b_i). Throughout the analysis, the baryonic density (Omega_b) is required is to satisfy the nucleosynthesis constraint Omega_b h^2 = 0.024. Results from the two data sets show good agreement, and the joint optimum lies at Omega_m=0.39, h=0.53, Q=16.96uK, and b_i=1.21. The 68 per cent confidence intervals are: 0.29<Omega_m<0.53, 0.39<h<0.58, 15.34<Q<17.60, and 0.98<b_i<1.56. For the above parameters the normalisation and shape of the mass power-spectrum are sigma_8=0.67 and Gamma=0.15, and the age of the Universe is 16.5Gyr.

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arXiv1998

The Velocity Field Predicted by the Optical Redshift Survey

We have used the Optical Redshift Survey (ORS; Santiago et al. 1995) to construct the gravity field due to fluctuations in the galaxy density field out to distances of 8000 km/s. At large scales where linear theory applies, the comparison of this gravity field with the observed peculiar velocity field offers a powerful cosmological probe, because the predicted flow field is proportional to the parameter Omega^{0.6}/b, where Omega is the matter density and b is the bias of the galaxy distribution. The more densely sampled ORS gravity field, to excellent approximation, matches that of the earlier IRAS 1.2-Jy redshift survey (Fisher et al. 1995), provided beta is reduced by a factor b(opt)/b(IRAS)=1.4. Apart from this scaling, the most significant difference between the ORS and IRAS fields is induced by differing estimates of the over-density of the Virgo cluster. Neither of these gravity fields is consistent with the peculiar velocity field constructed from the full Mark III (Willick et al. 1997) sample. We find that a simple but plausible non-linear bias algorithm for the galaxy distribution relative to the mass has a negligible effect on the derived fields. We conclude that the substitution of optical for IRAS catalogues cannot alone resolve the discrepancies between the IRAS gravity field and the Mark III peculiar velocity field.

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arXiv1998

How Smooth is the Universe on Large Scales ?

We review cosmological inference from optical and radio galaxy surveys, the X-Ray Background and the Cosmic Microwave Background. We focus on three topics: (i) First results from the 2dF galaxy redshift survey; (ii) Estimation of cosmological parameters by joint analysis of redshift surveys and CMB data; and (iii) The validity of the Cosmological Principle, and constraints on the fractal dimension on large scales.

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arXiv1998

Large Scale Fluctuations in the X-Ray Background

We present an attempt to measure the large angular scale fluctuations in the X-Ray Background (XRB) from the HEAO1-A2 data, expressed in terms of spherical harmonics. We model the harmonic coefficients assuming a power spectrum and an epoch-dependent bias parameter, and using a phenomenological scenario describing the evolution of the X-ray sources. From the few low-order multipoles detected above shot noise, we estimate the power-spectrum normalization on scales intermediate between those explored by local galaxy redshift surveys (~ 100 Mpc) and by the COBE Microwave Background measurements (~ 1000 Mpc). We find that the HEAO1 harmonics are consistent with present epoch rms fluctuations of the X-ray sources bx(0)sigma8 ~ 1-2 in 8 Mpc spheres. Therefore the observed fluctuations in the XRB are roughly as expected from interpolating between the local galaxy surveys and the COBE CMB experiment. We predict that an X-ray all-sky surface brightness survey resolving sources a factor of 10 fainter than HEAO1, may reveal fluctuations to significantly larger angular scales and therefore more strongly constrain the large scale structure of the Universe on scales of hundreds of Mpcs.

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arXiv1998

The Large-Scale Smoothness of the Universe

New measurements of galaxy clustering and background radiations provide improved constraints on the isotropy and homogeneity of the Universe on large scales. In particular, the angular distribution of radio sources and the X-Ray Background probe density fluctuations on scales intermediate between those explored by galaxy surveys and the Cosmic Microwave Background experiments. On a scale of $\sim 100 \Mpc$ the rms density fluctuations are at the level of $\sim 10%$ and on scales larger than $300 \Mpc$ the distribution of both mass and luminous sources safely satisfies the `Cosmological Principle' of isotropy and homogeneity. The transition with scale from clumpiness to homogeneity can be phrased in terms of the fractal dimension of the galaxy and mass distributions.

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