The Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect contribution to WMAP: a cross-correlation between WMAP and ROSAT

We cross-correlate WMAP and ROSAT diffuse X-ray background maps and look for common features in both data sets. We use the power spectrum of the product maps and the cross-power spectrum to highlight a possible correlation. The power spectrum of the product maps does not detect any correlation and the cross-power spectrum does not show any significant deviation from zero. We explore different explanations for this lack of correlation. A universe with a low value of  σ₈  could naturally explain the lack of correlation. We also discuss the systematic effects that can affect this result, in particular the subtraction of some cluster signal from the ROSAT diffuse maps, which could significantly suppress the correlation signal. These systematic effects considerably reduce the significance of our constraints on the cosmological model. When we include the systematic effects, we find a weaker constraint on  σ₈  , allowing models with values as large as  σ₈= 1  (for  Ω_m= 0.3  ) to be consistent with the lack of correlation. To illustrate the capabilities of the method with future high-quality data, we show how from the correlation signal it should be possible to predict the level of contamination of the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect on the power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background. Within the systematic errors, we find evidence that this contribution is negligible for WMAP and is expected to be small in experiments like ACBAR or CBI, but can be important for future high-resolution experiments.     

The autocorrelation function of stellar p-mode measurements and its diagnostic properties

The basic properties of acoustic wave propagation in stellar interiors can be analysed from the autocorrelation function (ACF) of intensity (or velocity) observations without measuring the resonant p-mode frequencies. We show how the strength of acoustic wave refraction in the stellar core, or forward acoustic amplitude, can be measured from a modulation in the ACF. This is the basic physical quantity which governs the so-called 'small frequency separations', and its measurement from the ACF can be used for determining the small frequency separations when the data is of insufficient quality for a reliable identification of the stellar p-mode frequencies.     

Non-linear redshift distortions: the two-point correlation function

We consider a situation where the density and peculiar velocities in real space are linear, and we calculate ξ _s , the two-point correlation function in redshift space, incorporating all non-linear effects which arise as a consequence of the map from real to redshift space. Our result is non-perturbative and it includes the effects of possible multi-streaming in redshift space. We find that the deviations from the predictions of the linear redshift distortion analysis increase for the higher spherical harmonics of ξ _s . While the deviations are insignificant for the monopole ξ ₀, the hexadecapole ξ ₄ exhibits large deviations from the linear predictions. For a COBE normalized     ,     cold dark matter (CDM) power spectrum, our results for ξ ₄ deviate from the linear predictions by a factor of two on the scale of ∼10  h ⁻¹ Mpc. The deviations from the linear predictions depend separately on f (Ω) and b . This holds the possibility of removing the degeneracy that exists between these two parameters in the linear analysis of redshift surveys which yields only     .
We also show that the commonly used phenomenological model, where the non-linear redshift two-point correlation function is calculated by convolving the linear redshift correlation function with an isotropic pair velocity distribution function, is a limiting case of our result.     

On the measurement precision of solar p-mode eigenfrequencies

We make use of 3456 d of observations of the low-ℓ p-mode oscillations of the Sun in order to study the evolution over time of the measurement precision of the radial eigenfrequencies. These data were collected by the ground-based Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON) between 1991 January and 2000 June. When the power spectrum of the complete time series is fitted, the analysis yields frequency uncertainties that are close to those expected from the returned coherence times of the modes. The slightly elevated levels compared with the prediction appear to be consistent with a degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio in the spectrum that is the result of the influence of the window function of the observations (duty cycle 71 per cent). The fractional frequency precision reaches levels of a several parts in 10⁶ for many of the modes. The corresponding errors reported from observations made by the GOLF instrument on board the ESA/NASA SOHO satellite, when extrapolated to the length of the BiSON data set, are shown to be (on average) about ∼25 per cent smaller than their BiSON counterparts owing to the uninterrupted nature of the data from which they were derived.
An analysis of the BiSON data in contiguous segments of different lengths, T , demonstrates that the frequency uncertainties scale as T ^−1/2. This is to be expected in the regime where the coherence (life) times of the modes, τ _{n ℓ}, are smaller than the observing time T (the 'oversampled' regime). We show that mode detections are only now beginning to encroach on the 'undersampled' regime (where   T < τ _{n ℓ})  .     

A primordial feature at the scale of superclusters of galaxies

We investigate a spatially flat cold dark matter model (with the matter density parameter     with a primordial feature in the initial power spectrum. We assume that there is a bump in the power spectrum of density fluctuations at wavelengths     , which corresponds to the scale of superclusters of galaxies . There are indications for such a feature in the power spectra derived from redshift surveys and also in the power spectra derived from peculiar velocities of galaxies. We study the mass function of clusters of galaxies, the power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature fluctuations, the rms bulk velocity and the rms peculiar velocity of clusters of galaxies. The baryon density is assumed to be consistent with the big bang nucleosynthesis value. We show that with an appropriately chosen feature in the power spectrum of density fluctuations at the scale of superclusters, the mass function of clusters, the CMB power spectrum, the rms bulk velocity and the rms peculiar velocity of clusters are in good agreement with the observed data.     

The growth of linear perturbations in generic defect models for structure formation

We study the growth of linear perturbations induced by a generic causal scaling source as a function of the cosmological parameters h ,     and     . We show that for wavenumbers k ≳0.01  h  Mpc⁻¹ the spectrum of density and velocity perturbations scales in a similar way to that found in inflationary models with primordial perturbations. We show that this result is independent of the more-or-less incoherent nature of the source, the small-scale power spectrum of the source and of deviations from scaling that naturally occur at late times if     .     

Radial velocity study of the pulsating subdwarf B star and possible Type Ia supernova progenitor KPD 1930+2752

We report the results of a high-time-resolution radial velocity study of the subdwarf B star and possible Type Ia supernova progenitor KPD 1930+2752. There were no significant peaks in the power spectrum of the velocity curve above our detection limit, about 4 km s⁻¹, at the frequencies where peaks arising from pulsation were present in the photometric data of previous researchers. We report an orbital velocity amplitude,  348.5±1 km s^-1  , in agreement with that reported by previous investigators. We find an orbital period of   P =0.095 093 08±0.000 000 15 d  based on our data and the ephemeris of Maxted et al.     

Peak asymmetry of solar p modes: a framework to explain the effects of the correlated noise from the acoustic source

It is well known that in the power spectrum solar p modes have asymmetric profiles, which depart from a Lorentzian shape. We present a framework to explain the contribution of correlated background noise, from the acoustic source, to this asymmetry. An important prediction is that observed peak asymmetry may differ depending on the way the p-mode observations are made, and on how the data are prepared. Furthermore, if valid, the proposed framework may provide the basis for separating the contribution of the correlated noise from that of the source location and properties.     

Scale-dependent galaxy bias in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey as a function of luminosity and colour

It has been known for a long time that the clustering of galaxies changes as a function of galaxy type. This galaxy bias acts as a hindrance to the extraction of cosmological information from the galaxy power spectrum or correlation function. Theoretical arguments show that a change in the amplitude of the clustering between galaxies and mass on large scales is unavoidable, but cosmological information can be easily extracted from the shape of the power spectrum or correlation function if this bias is independent of scale. Scale-dependent bias is generally small on large scales,   k < 0.1  h  Mpc⁻¹  , but on smaller scales can affect the recovery of  Ω_m h   from the measured shape of the clustering signal, and have a small effect on the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations. In this paper, we investigate the transition from scale-independent to scale-dependent galaxy bias as a function of galaxy population. We use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 5 sample to fit various models, which attempt to parametrize the turn-off from scale-independent behaviour. For blue galaxies, we find that the strength of the turn-off is strongly dependent on galaxy luminosity, with stronger scale-dependent bias on larger scales for more luminous galaxies. For red galaxies, the scale dependence is a weaker function of luminosity. Such trends need to be modelled in order to optimally extract the information available in future surveys, and can help with the design of such surveys.     

Bulk flow and shear moments of the SFI++ survey

We find the nine bulk flow and shear moments from the SFI++ survey, as well as for subsamples of group and field galaxies. We constrain the velocity power spectrum shape parameter Γ in linear theory using these moments. A likelihood function for Γ was found after marginalizing over the power spectrum amplitude  σ₈Ω^0.6_m  using constraints obtained from comparisons between redshift surveys and peculiar velocity data. We have estimated the velocity noise  σ_*  from the data since without it our results may be biased. We also performed a statistical analysis of the difference between the field and group catalogues and found that the results from each reflect the same underlying large-scale flows. We found that we can constrain the power spectrum shape parameter to be  Γ= 0.15^+0.18_−0.08  for the groups catalogue and  Γ= 0.09^+0.04_−0.04  for the field galaxy catalogue in fair agreement with the value from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe .     

Power spectrum shape from peculiar velocity data

We constrain the velocity power spectrum shape parameter Γ in linear theory using the nine bulk flow and shear moments estimated from four recent peculiar velocity surveys. For each survey, a likelihood function for Γ was found after marginalizing over the power spectrum amplitude  σ₈Ω^0.6_m  using constraints obtained from comparisons between redshift surveys and peculiar velocity data. In order to maximize the accuracy of our analyses, the velocity noise σ_* was estimated directly for each survey. A statistical analysis of the differences between the values of the moments estimated from different surveys showed consistency with theoretical predictions, suggesting that all the surveys investigated reflect the same large-scale flows. The peculiar velocity surveys were combined into a composite survey yielding the constraint  Γ= 0.13^+0.09_−0.05  . This value is lower than, but consistent with, values obtained using redshift surveys and cosmic microwave background data.     

Redshift-space bias and β from the halo model

We analyse scale dependence of redshift-space bias b and β  ≡ Ω_m^0.6/ b in the context of the halo model. We show that linear bias is a good approximation only on large scales, for k <0.1  h  Mpc⁻¹ . On intermediate scales the virial motions of galaxies cause a suppression of the power spectrum relative to the linear one and the suppression differs from the same effect in dark matter. This can potentially mimic the effect of massive neutrinos, and the degeneracy can only be broken if the power spectrum is measured for k ≪0.1  h  Mpc⁻¹ . Different methods to determine β converge for k <0.1  h  Mpc⁻¹ , but give drastically different results on smaller scales, which explains some of the trends observed in the real data. We also assess the level of stochasticity by calculating the cross-correlation coefficient between the reconstructed velocity field divergence and the galaxies, and show that the two fields decorrelate for k >0.1  h  Mpc⁻¹ . Most problematic are galaxies predominantly found in groups and clusters, such as bright, red or elliptical galaxies, where we find poor convergence to a constant bias or β even on large scales.     

The power spectrum of flux-limited X-ray galaxy cluster surveys

We compute the redshift space power spectrum of two X-ray cluster samples: the X-ray Brightest Abell Cluster Sample (XBACS) and the Brightest Cluster Sample (BCS) using the method developed by Feldman, Kaiser & Peacock. The power spectra derived for these samples are in agreement with determinations of other optical and X-ray cluster samples. For XBACS we find the largest power spectrum amplitude expected, given the high richness of this sample ( R ≥2) . In the range 0.05< k <0.4  h  Mpc⁻¹ the power spectrum shows a power-law behaviour P ( k )∝ k ⁿ with an index n ≃−1.2 . In a similar range, 0.04< k <0.3  h  Mpc⁻¹ , the BCS power spectrum has a smaller amplitude with index n ≃−1.0 . We do not find significant evidence for a peak at k ≃0.05  h  Mpc⁻¹ , suggesting that claims such of feature detections in some cluster samples could rely on artificial inhomogeneities of the data. We compare our results with power spectrum predictions derived by Moscardini et al. within current cosmological models (LCDM and OCDM). For XBACS we find that both models underestimate the amplitude of the power spectrum but for BCS there is reasonably good agreement at k ≳0.03  h  Mpc⁻¹ for both models.     

An enlarged cosmic shear survey with the William Herschel Telescope

We report the results of a cosmic shear survey using the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope on La Palma, to a depth of   R = 25.8 ( z ≈ 0.8)  , over 4 deg². The shear correlation functions are measured on scales from 1 to 15 arcmin, and are used to constrain cosmological parameters. We ensure that our measurements are free from instrumental systematic effects by performing a series of tests, including a decomposition of the signal into E - and B -modes. We also reanalyse the data independently, using the shear measurement pipeline developed for the COMBO-17 survey. This confirms our results and also highlights various effects introduced by different implementations of the basic 'Kaiser–Squires–Broadhurst' shear measurement method. We find that the normalization of the matter power spectrum on 8  h ⁻¹ Mpc scales is  σ₈= (1.02 ± 0.15)(0.3/Ω _m )^1/2  , where the 68 per cent confidence limit error includes noise, sample variance, covariance between angular scales, systematic effects, redshift uncertainty and marginalization over other parameters. We compare these results with other cosmic shear surveys and with recent constraints from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe experiment.     

On the accuracy of the measurements of low-ℓ solar acoustic oscillations

Using a 1154 d long measurement of solar oscillations, obtained by the Global Oscillation Network Group from 1995 June 10 to 1998 August 6, we study the dependence of the accuracy of radial p-mode parameters on the duration of the observations. It is shown that relatively rare pulses of large power lead to the decrease of the accuracy achievable for a given duration of the observations and it is usually underestimated. The corresponding correction factor to the Libbrecht formula for a frequency accuracy estimation is provided. We have also investigated the influence of the solar activity on the mode parameters soon after the solar activity minimum. There is a clearly visible increase of the radial p-mode power in the beginning of the new solar cycle while the mode frequency variations are within the corresponding error bars.     

Clustering of luminous red galaxies – II. Small-scale redshift-space distortions

This is the second paper of a series where we study the clustering of luminous red galaxies (LRG) in the recent spectroscopic Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release, DR6, which has 75 000 LRG covering over  1 Gpc³  h ⁻³  for  0.15 < z < 0.47  . Here, we focus on modelling redshift-space distortions in  ξ(σ, π)  , the two-point correlation in separate line-of-sight and perpendicular directions, at small scales and in the line-of-sight. We show that a simple Kaiser model for the anisotropic two-point correlation function in redshift space, convolved with a distribution of random peculiar velocities with an exponential form, can describe well the correlation of LRG on all scales. We show that to describe with accuracy the so-called 'fingers-of-God' (FOG) elongations in the radial direction, it is necessary to model the scale dependence of both bias b and the pairwise rms peculiar velocity σ₁₂ with the distance. We show how both quantities can be inferred from the  ξ(σ, π)  data. From   r ≃ 10 Mpc  h ⁻¹  to   r ≃ 1 Mpc  h ⁻¹  , both the bias and σ₁₂ are shown to increase by a factor of 2: from   b = 2  to 4 and from  σ₁₂= 400  to  800 km s⁻¹  . The latter is in good agreement, within a 5 per cent accuracy in the recovered velocities, with direct velocity measurements in dark matter simulations with  Ω_m= 0.25  and  σ₈= 0.85  .     

Rigid rotation of the solar core? On the reliable extraction of low-ℓ rotational p-mode splittings from full-disc observations of the Sun

We present low-ℓ rotational p-mode splittings from the analysis of 8 yr of observations made by the Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON) of the full solar disc. These data are presented in the light of a thorough investigation of the fitting techniques used to extract them. Particular attention is paid to both the origin and magnitude of bias present in these estimates. An extensive Monte Carlo strategy has been adopted to facilitate this study – in all, several thousand complete, artificial proxies of the 96-month data set have been generated to test the analysis of real 'full-disc' data. These simulations allow for an assessment of any complications in the analysis which might arise from variations in the properties of the p modes over the 11-yr solar activity cycle.
The use of such an extended data set affords greater precision in the splittings, and by implication the rotation rate inferred from these data, and reduces bias inherent in the analysis, thereby giving a more accurate determination of the rotation. The grand, weighted sidereal average of the BiSON set is     , a value consistent with that expected were the deep radiative interior     to rotate at the same frequency, and in the same 'rigid' manner, as the more precisely and accurately studied outer part of the radiative zone.     

Primordial non-Gaussianities in the intergalactic medium

We present results from the first high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of non-Gaussian cosmological models. We focus on the statistical properties of the transmitted Lyman-α flux in the high-redshift intergalactic medium. Imprints of non-Gaussianity are present and are larger at high redshifts. Differences larger than 20 per cent at   z > 3  in the flux probability distribution function for high-transmissivity regions (voids) are expected for values of the non-linearity parameter   f _NL=±100  when compared to a standard Λ cold dark matter cosmology with   f _NL= 0  . We also investigate the one-dimensional flux bispectrum: at the largest scales (corresponding to tens of Mpc), we expect deviations in the flux bispectrum up to 20 per cent at   z ∼ 4  (for   f _NL=±100  ), significantly larger than deviations of ∼3 per cent in the flux power spectrum. We briefly discuss possible systematic errors that can contaminate the signal. Although challenging, a detection of non-Gaussianities in the interesting regime of scales and redshifts probed by the Lyman-α forest could be possible with future data sets.     

Cosmological implications of the PSCz PDF and its moments

We compare the probability density function (PDF) and its low-order moments (variance and skewness) of the smoothed IRAS Point Source Catalogue Redshift Survey (PSC z ) galaxy density field and of the corresponding simulated PSC z look-alikes, generated from N -body simulations of six different dark matter models: four structure-normalized with     and     , one COBE -normalized, and the old standard cold dark matter model. The galaxy distributions are smoothed with a Gaussian window at three different smoothing scales,     , 10 and 15  h ⁻¹ Mpc. We find that the simulation PSC z look-alike PDFs are sensitive only to the normalization of the power spectrum, probably owing to the shape similarity of the simulated galaxy power spectrum on the relevant scales. We find that the only models that are consistent, at a high significance level, with the observed PSC z PDF are models with a relatively low power spectrum normalization     . From the phenomenologically derived σ ₈–moments relation, fitted from the simulation data, we find that the PSC z moments suggest     .     

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: a targeted study of catalogued clusters of galaxies

We have carried out a study of known clusters within the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) observed areas and have identified 431 Abell, 173 APM and 343 EDCC clusters. Precise redshifts, velocity dispersions and new centroids have been measured for the majority of these objects, and this information is used to study the completeness of these catalogues, the level of contamination from foreground and background structures along the cluster's line of sight, the space density of the clusters as a function of redshift, and their velocity dispersion distributions. We find that the Abell and EDCC catalogues are contaminated at the level of about 10 per cent, whereas the APM catalogue suffers only 5 per cent contamination. If we use the original catalogue centroids, the level of contamination rises to approximately 15 per cent for the Abell and EDCC catalogues, showing that the presence of foreground and background groups may alter the richness of clusters in these catalogues. There is a deficiency of clusters at     that may correspond to a large underdensity in the Southern hemisphere. From the cumulative distribution of velocity dispersions for these clusters, we derive a space density of     clusters of     This result is used to constrain models for structure formation; our data favour low-density cosmologies, subject to the usual assumptions concerning the shape and normalization of the power spectrum.