arXiv subjects

P. B. Lilje

Publications and source records attributed to P. B. Lilje.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Foreground Subtraction of Cosmic Microwave Background Maps using WI-FIT (Wavelet based hIgh resolution Fitting of Internal Templates)

We present a new approach to foreground removal for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) maps. Rather than relying on prior knowledge about the foreground components, we first extract the necessary information about them directly from the microwave sky maps by taking differences of temperature maps at different frequencies. These difference maps, which we refer to as internal templates, consist only of linear combinations of galactic foregrounds and noise, with no CMB component. We obtain the foreground cleaned maps by fitting these internal templates to, and subsequently subtracting the appropriately scaled contributions of them from, the CMB dominated channels. The fitting operation is performed in wavelet space, making the analysis feasible at high resolution with only a minor loss of precision. Applying this procedure to the WMAP data, we obtain a power spectrum that matches the spectrum obtained by the WMAP team at the signal dominated scales. Finally, we have revisited previous claims about a north-south power asymmetry on large angular scales, and confirm that these remain unchanged with this completely different approach to foreground separation. This also holds when fitting the foreground contribution independently to the northern and southern hemisphere indicating that the asymmetry is unlikely to have its origin in different foreground properties of the hemispheres. This conclusion is further strengthened by the lack of any observed frequency dependence.

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arXiv2005

Multipole vector anomalies in the first-year WMAP data: a cut-sky analysis

We apply the recently defined multipole vector framework to the frequency-specific first-year WMAP sky maps, estimating the low-l multipole coefficients from the high-latitude sky by means of a power equalization filter. While most previous analyses of this type have considered only heavily processed (and foreground-contaminated) full-sky maps, the present approach allows for greater control of residual foregrounds, and therefore potentially also for cosmologically important conclusions. The low-l spherical harmonics coefficients and corresponding multipole vectors are tabulated for easy reference. Using this formalism, we re-assess a set of earlier claims of both cosmological and non-cosmological low-l correlations based on multipole vectors. First, we show that the apparent l=3 and 8 correlation claimed by Copi et al. (2004) is present only in the heavily processed map produced by Tegmark et al. (2003), and must therefore be considered an artifact of that map. Second, the well-known quadrupole-octopole correlation is confirmed at the 99% significance level, and shown to be robust with respect to frequency and sky cut. Previous claims are thus supported by our analysis. Finally, the low-l alignment with respect to the ecliptic claimed by Schwarz et al. (2004) is nominally confirmed in this analysis, but also shown to be very dependent on severe a-posteriori choices. Indeed, we show that given the peculiar quadrupole-octopole arrangement, finding such a strong alignment with the ecliptic is not unusual.

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arXiv2005

CMB component separation by parameter estimation

We propose a solution to the CMB component separation problem based on standard parameter estimation techniques. We assume a parametric spectral model for each signal component, and fit the corresponding parameters pixel by pixel in a two-stage process. First we fit for the full parameter set (e.g., component amplitudes and spectral indices) in low-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio maps using MCMC, obtaining both best-fit values for each parameter, and the associated uncertainty. The goodness-of-fit is evaluated by a chi^2 statistic. Then we fix all non-linear parameters at their low-resolution best-fit values, and solve analytically for high-resolution component amplitude maps. This likelihood approach has many advantages: The fitted model may be chosen freely, and the method is therefore completely general; all assumptions are transparent; no restrictions on spatial variations of foreground properties are imposed; the results may be rigorously monitored by goodness-of-fit tests; and, most importantly, we obtain reliable error estimates on all estimated quantities. We apply the method to simulated Planck and six-year WMAP data based on realistic models, and show that separation at the muK level is indeed possible in these cases. We also outline how the foreground uncertainties may be rigorously propagated through to the CMB power spectrum and cosmological parameters using a Gibbs sampling technique.

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arXiv2005

Astro-ph communication: Simulations of the WMAP Internal Linear Combination sky map

Following this astro-ph communication, we release a set of 10,000 WMAP ILC simulations, produced as described by Eriksen et al. (2004). We strongly encourage that an analysis of these simulations accompanies any scientific analysis of the observed ILC map, in order to assess the stability of the results. For examples of such analyses, we refer the reader to our original paper. In particular, Figure 1c) and d) show the bias and uncertainty induced by the ILC method, and Figure 7 shows a sobering examples of a low-l analysis; the reconstructed quadrupole-octopole alignment is plotted against the true input alignment, and the correlation is underwhelming. It can hardly be emphasized too strongly -- the heavily processed full-sky WMAP maps are not reliable for quantitative analysis, neither at large nor small scales, and they should only, at best, be used as supportive evidence. We hope that these simulations will reduce some of the confusion regarding these maps that currently exists in the community.

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arXiv2004

Bayesian Power Spectrum Analysis of the First-Year WMAP data

We present the first results from a Bayesian analysis of the WMAP first year data using a Gibbs sampling technique. Using two independent, parallel supercomputer codes we analyze the WMAP Q, V and W bands. The analysis results in a full probabilistic description of the information the WMAP data set contains about the power spectrum and the all-sky map of the cosmic microwave background anisotropies. We present the complete probability distributions for each C_l including any non-Gaussianities of the power spectrum likelihood. While we find good overall agreement with the previously published WMAP spectrum, our analysis uncovers discrepancies in the power spectrum estimates at low l multipoles. For example we claim the best-fit Lambda-CDM model is consistent with the C_2 inferred from our combined Q+V+W analysis with a 10% probability of an even larger theoretical C_2. Based on our exact analysis we can therefore attribute the "low quadrupole issue" to a statistical fluctuation.

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arXiv2004

The N-point correlation functions of the first-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe sky maps

We compute the two-, three- and four-point correlation functions from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) first-year data, and compare these to a Monte Carlo ensemble of 5000 realizations, based on the best-fit WMAP running-index spectrum of Gaussian fluctuations. The analysis is carried out in three steps, covering small (< 72'), intermediate (< 5 degrees) and large scales (up to 180 degrees). On the largest scales our results are consistent with the previously reported hemisphere power asymmetries: the northern ecliptic hemisphere is practically devoid of large scale fluctuations, while the southern hemisphere show relatively strong fluctuations. We also detect excess correlations in W-band difference maps as compared to the detailed noise simulations produced by the WMAP team, possibly indicative of unknown systematics. While unlikely to affect any temperature based results, this effect could potentially be important for the upcoming polarization data. On intermediate angular scales we find hints of a similar anisotropic distribution of power as seen on the very largest scales, but not to the same extent. In general the model is accepted on these scales. Finally, the same is also true on the smallest scales probed in this paper.

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arXiv2004

Spectro-photometric and Weak Lensing Survey of a Supercluster and Typical Field Region -- I. Spectroscopic Redshift Measurements

We present results from a spectroscopic study of ~4000 galaxies in a 6.2 square degree field in the direction of the Aquarius supercluster and a smaller typical field region in Cetus, down to R<19.5. Galaxy redshifts were measured using the Two Degree Field system on the Anglo-Australian Telescope, and form part of our wider efforts to conduct a spectro-photometric and weak gravitational lensing study of these regions. At the magnitude limit of the survey, we are capable of probing L_* galaxies out to z~0.4. We construct median spectra as a function of various survey parameters as a diagnostic of the quality of the sample. We use the redshift data to identify galaxy clusters and groups within the survey volume. In the Aquarius region, we find a total of 48 clusters and groups, of which 26 are previously unknown systems, and in Cetus we find 14 clusters and groups, of which 12 are new. We estimate centroid redshifts and velocity dispersions for all these systems. In the Aquarius region, we see a superposition of two strong superclusters at z=0.08 and z=0.11, which both have estimated masses and overdensities similar to the Corona Borealis supercluster.

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arXiv2004

Testing for Non-Gaussianity in the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Data: Minkowski Functionals and the Length of the Skeleton

The three Minkowski functionals and the recently defined length of the skeleton are estimated for the co-added first-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data and compared with 5000 Monte Carlo simulations, based on Gaussian fluctuations with the a-priori best-fit running-index power spectrum and WMAP-like beam and noise properties. Several power spectrum-dependent quantities, such as the number of stationary points, the total length of the skeleton, and a spectral parameter, gamma, are also estimated. While the area and length Minkowski functionals and the length of the skeleton show no evidence for departures from the Gaussian hypothesis, the northern hemisphere genus has a chi^2 that is large at the 95% level for all scales. For the particular smoothing scale of 3.40 degrees FWHM it is larger than that found in 99.5% of the simulations. In addition, the WMAP genus for negative thresholds in the northern hemisphere has an amplitude that is larger than in the simulations with a significance of more than 3 sigma. On the smallest angular scales considered, the number of extrema in the WMAP data is high at the 3 sigma level. However, this can probably be attributed to the effect of point sources. Finally, the spectral parameter gamma is high at the 99% level in the northern Galactic hemisphere, while perfectly acceptable in the southern hemisphere. The results provide strong evidence for the presence of both non-Gaussian behavior and an unexpected power asymmetry between the northern and southern hemispheres in the WMAP data.

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arXiv2004

On Foreground Removal from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Data by an Internal Linear Combination Method: Limitations and Implications

We study the Internal Linear Combination (ILC) method presented by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) science team, with the goal of determining whether it may be used for cosmological purposes, as a template-free alternative to existing foreground correction methods. We conclude that the method does have the potential to do just that, but great care must be taken both in implementation, and in a detailed understanding of limitations caused by residual foregrounds which can still affect cosmological results. As a first step we demonstrate how to compute the ILC weights both accurately and efficiently by means of Lagrange multipliers, and apply this method to the observed data to produce a new version of the ILC map. Next we describe how to generate Monte Carlo simulations of the ILC map, and find that these agree well with the observed map on angular scales up to l~200. Finally we make two comments to the on-going debates concerning the large-scale properties of the WMAP data. First, we note that the Galactic south-eastern quadrant is associated with notably different ILC weights than the other three quadrants, possibly indicating a foreground related anisotropy. Second, we study the properties of the quadrupole and octopole (amplitude, alignment and planarity), and confirm the previously reported anomalies. Even more interestingly, we find that the l=5 mode is spherically symmetric at about 3 sigma, and that the l=6 mode is planar at the 2 sigma level. However, we also assess the impact of residual foregrounds on these statistics, and find that the ILC map is not clean enough to allow for cosmological conclusions. Alternative methods must be developed to study these issues further.

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arXiv2004

Power spectrum estimation from high-resolution maps by Gibbs sampling

We revisit a recently introduced power spectrum estimation technique based on Gibbs sampling, with the goal of applying it to the high-resolution WMAP data. In order to facilitate this analysis, a number of sophistications have to be introduced, each of which is discussed in detail. We have implemented two independent versions of the algorithm to cross-check the computer codes, and to verify that a particular solution to any given problem does not affect the scientific results. We then apply these programs to simulated data with known properties at intermediate (N_side = 128) and high (N_side = 512) resolutions, to study effects such as incomplete sky coverage and white vs. correlated noise. From these simulations we also establish the Markov chain correlation length as a function of signal-to-noise ratio, and give a few comments on the properties of the correlation matrices involved. Parallelization issues are also discussed, with emphasis on real-world limitations imposed by current super-computer facilities. The scientific results from the analysis of the first-year WMAP data are presented in a companion letter.

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arXiv2004

Asymmetries in the CMB anisotropy field

We report on the results from two independent but complementary statistical analyses of the WMAP first-year data, based on the power spectrum and N-point correlation functions. We focus on large and intermediate scales (larger than about 3 degrees) and compare the observed data against Monte Carlo ensembles with WMAP-like properties. In both analyses, we measure the amplitudes of the large-scale fluctuations on opposing hemispheres and study the ratio of the two amplitudes. The power-spectrum analysis shows that this ratio for WMAP, as measured along the axis of maximum asymmetry, is high at the 95%-99% level (depending on the particular multipole range included). The axis of maximum asymmetry of the WMAP data is weakly dependent on the multipole range under consideration but tends to lie close to the ecliptic axis. In the N-point correlation function analysis we focus on the northern and southern hemispheres defined in ecliptic coordinates, and we find that the ratio of the large-scale fluctuation amplitudes is high at the 98%-99% level. Furthermore, the results are stable with respect to choice of Galactic cut and also with respect to frequency band. A similar asymmetry is found in the COBE-DMR map, and the axis of maximum asymmetry is close to the one found in the WMAP data.

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arXiv2004

Estimating N-Point Correlation Functions from Pixelized Sky Maps

We develop, implement and test a set of algorithms for estimating N-point correlation functions from pixelized sky maps. These algorithms are slow, in the sense that they do not break the O(N_pix^N) barrier, and yet, they are fast enough for efficient analysis of data sets up to several hundred thousand pixels. The typical application of these methods is Monte Carlo analysis using several thousand realizations, and therefore we organize our programs so that the initialization cost is paid only once. The effective cost is then reduced to a few additions per pixel multiplet (pair, triplet etc.). Further, the algorithms waste no CPU time on computing undesired geometric configurations, and, finally, the computations are naturally divided into independent parts, allowing for trivial (i.e., optimal) parallelization.

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arXiv2003

Weak Gravitational Lensing by a Sample of X-ray Luminous Clusters of Galaxies -- III. Serendipitous Weak Lensing Detections of Dark and Luminous Mass Concentrations

In the course of a weak gravitational lensing survey of 39 clusters of galaxies,covering a total sky area of ~1 square degree, we have serendipitously discovered mass concentrations in the fields of A1705 and A1722 which are most probably not associated with the main cluster target. By combining weak lensing information with two-color galaxy photometry in fields centered on our sample clusters, we identify a new cluster candidate at z~0.5 in the field of A1705. This cluster candidate also displays strong lensing in the form of a giant luminous arc. The new mass concentration in the field of A1722 also seems to be associated with an optically luminous cluster of galaxies at z~0.5, but in this case there is some evidence for additional structures along the line of sight that may contribute to the lensing signal. A third cluster, A959, has a dark sub-clump which shows interesting morphological evidence in the mass map for being associated with the main cluster. This is the first case where there is any significant evidence for a physical association between a dark sub-clump (discovered from weak lensing) and a normal cluster. Analysis of archival X-ray data shows that the three new mass concentrations are not firmly detected in X-rays and that they are X-ray underluminous.

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arXiv2002

AGN-selected clusters as revealed by weak lensing

As a pilot study to investigate the distribution of matter in the fields of powerful AGN, we present weak lensing observations of deep fields centered on the radio-quiet quasar E1821 + 643, the radio galaxy 3C295, and the two radio-loud quasars, 3C334 and 3C254. The host clusters of E1821 + 643 and 3C295 are comfortably detected via their weak lensing signal, and we report the detection of a cluster-sized mass concentration in the field of the z=0.734 quasar 3C254. The data for the 3C334 field are so far inconclusive. We find that the clusters are massive and have smooth mass distributions, although one shows some evidence of past merger activity. The mass-to-light ratios are found to be moderately high. We discuss the results in light of the cooling flow and the merger/interaction scenarios for triggering and fuelling AGN in clusters, but find that the data do not point unambiguously to neither of the two. Instead, we speculate that sub-cluster mergers may be responsible for generating close encounters or mergers of galaxies with the central cluster member, which could trigger the AGN.

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arXiv2001

QSO environments at intermediate redshifts

We have made a survey of quasar environments at 0.5 < z < 0.8, using a sample of both radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars matched in B-band luminosity. Our observations include images of background control fields to provide a good determination of the field galaxy counts. About 10 per cent of the quasars appear to live in rich clusters, whereas approximately 45 per cent live in environments similar to that of field galaxies. The richness of galaxies within a 0.5 Mpc radius around the radio-quiet quasars is found to be indistinguishable from the richness around the radio-loud quasars, corresponding on average to groups or poorer clusters of galaxies. Comparing the galaxy richness in the radio-loud quasar fields with quasar fields in the literature, we find no evidence of an evolution in the environment with epoch. Instead, a weak, but significant correlation between quasar radio luminosity and environmental richness is present. It is thus possible that the environments of quasars, at least the powerful ones, do not evolve much between the present epoch and z \approx 0.8.

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arXiv2000

Radio-quiet quasar environments at 0.5 < z < 0.8

We have quantified the galaxy environments around a sample of 0.5 < z < 0.8 radio-quiet quasars using the amplitude of the spatial galaxy--quasar correlation function, B_gq. The quasars exist in a wide variety of environments, some sources are located in clusters as rich as Abell class 1--2 clusters, whereas others exist in environments comparable to the field. We find that on average, the quasars prefer poorer clusters of approximately Abell class 0, which suggests that quasars are biased tracers of mass compared to galaxies. The mean B_gq for the sample is found to be indistinguishable from the mean amplitude for a sample of radio-loud quasars matched in redshift and optical luminosity. These observations are consistent with recent studies of the hosts of radio-quiet quasars at low to intermediate redshifts, and suggest that the mechanism for the production of powerful radio jets in radio-loud quasars is controlled by processes deep within the active galactic nucleus itself, and is unrelated to the nature of the hosts or their environments.

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arXiv2000

Quasar environments at 0.5 < z < 0.8

Over the past few years, we have been collecting data with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) on the galaxy environments around active galactic nuclei (AGN). Here we present some results from a sample of 21 radio-loud and 20 radio-quiet quasars in the redshift range 0.5 < z < 0.8. We find a few quasars in very rich environments, perhaps as rich as Abell class 1-2 clusters, but more often the quasars seem to prefer groups and poorer clusters. We also find that on average the galaxy environments around radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars are indistinguishable, consistent with the findings that both powerful radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars appear to be hosted by luminous galaxies with luminosities higher than the break in the luminosity function (Dunlop et al. 1993; Taylor et al. 1996). Comparing the galaxy richnesses in the radio-loud quasar fields with quasar fields in the literature, we find a weak, but significant, correlation between quasar radio luminosity and environmental richness.

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arXiv1999

Clustering of galaxies around radio quasars at 0.5 < z < 0.8

We have observed the galaxy environments around a sample of 21 radio-loud, steep-spectrum quasars at 0.5<z<0.82, spanning several orders of magnitude in radio luminosity. The observations also include background control fields used to obtain the excess number of galaxies in each quasar field. The galaxy excess was quantified using the spatial galaxy-quasar correlation amplitude, B_gq, and an Abell-type measurement, N_0.5 (Hill & Lilly 1991). A few quasars are found in relatively rich clusters, but on average, they seem to prefer galaxy groups or clusters of approximately Abell class 0. We have combined our sample with literature samples extending down to z=0.2 and covering the same range in radio luminosity. By using Spearman statistic to disentangle redshift and luminosity dependences, we detect a weak, but significant, positive correlation between the richness of the quasar environment and the quasar's radio luminosity. However, we do not find any epoch dependence in B_gq, as has previously been reported for radio quasars and galaxies. We discuss the radio luminosity-cluster richness link and possible explanations for the weak correlation that is seen.

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