由SLOAN观测数据测试大尺度结构的均匀性

宇宙学的基本假设之一是宇宙在大尺度上均匀各向同性.为了验证星系分布在大尺度上的均匀性,分别计算观测样本和观测空间几何体的分形维数,得到SDSS-DR4中星系分布的分形维数.观测空间几何体的分形维数用随机样本来确定.样本中的星系红移z的范围为0.01-0.26.当尺度持续增加至几十个Mpc时,星系分布的分形维数一致地趋向于3.所有的样本均显示了明显的转变尺度,当尺度大于此转变尺度时,星系分布的分形维数D<,G>～3,星系的分布转变为均匀分布.结果支持了宇宙学的基本原理关于宇宙大尺度均匀的假设.样本的转变尺度随着样本的光度增强而变大,说明小尺度上星系的分布不是简单的分形分布,而是多维分形分布.高光度星系的转变尺度非常大,直到100h-1Mpc左右才变得均匀.     

从准一维红移巡天样本分析大尺度结构

通过分析由五个笔形天区的完备红移巡天和九个1/3采样红移巡天得到的样本,研究了星系分布中的大尺度结构。用一种改进过的方法计算了该分布的分维。结果表明星系分布确实具有3—4.5h~(-1)Mpc的典型尺度,这与Shanks等的结果一致。     

宇宙的大尺度结构

在宇宙的已观测的范围内,从尺度10~(10)cm直到10~(26)cm可视物质的分布是不均匀的。对星系三维分布的研究结果表明,绝大多数的星系集中在由星系的带、群和团组成的超星系团中;而在超星系团之间是几乎没有可视天体的巨洞。宇宙的大尺度结构(在尺度10Mpc—10~2Mpc上星系分布不均匀性的特征)似乎是网状的。对类星体红移分布的统计分析结果表明,在大尺度结构中可能有周期性分布的成分。周期尺度是10~2Mpc的数量级。 在另一方面,关于微波背景辐射的温度起伏的观测(δT/T 10~(-5),在角尺度10′—180°的范围)表明,宇宙中的物质在更大尺度(10~3Mpc)上的分布是均匀的。 大尺度结构是怎样从早期均匀的背景宇宙中增长起来的?这是在宇宙学中最重要也是最困难的问题上一;要解决这个问题需要有关于宇宙的完善的模型。目前所流行的、关于大尺度结构的理论,基本上是以膨胀宇宙论和密度扰动的理论为基础的理论。 在绝热密度扰动(假定初始扰动是绝热的)的方案中,有两种观念特别值得注意: 1,宇宙密度波的观念。在早期宇宙中的扰动有可能在氢复合前形成有物理意义的相干波列;这种波——“宇宙密度波”在氢复合之后有可能影响物质的分布。作为宇宙密度波的可观测遗迹,可以解释已观测的星系分布不均匀性的上限尺度,以及在类星     

不同光度星系大尺度分布的交叉相关分析

在对不同光度星系大尺度分布进行空间两点相关函数分析的基础上,仍以CfA红移巡天资料为样本,对不同光度星系分布进行了交叉相关分析。结果表明,不同光度星系间的交叉相关函数仍可近似地以幂函数表示,说明不同光度星系在空间是一起成团的。但在较小尺度上((?)4—6Mpc),光度较高的星系间相关更强,而在更大一些尺度上光度较高的星系间相关减弱更快,甚至变得比与光度较低星系间的相关更弱。结合前面对自相关函数分析的结果可以看到,统计上看来,星系分布形成群和团。群或团中亮的星系形成更致密的分布而较暗的星系则在这些群和团中分布较弥散。此结果表明星系光度和其环境(密度)有关,从而从观测上为Biased星系形成理论提供了一个可能的证据。     

星系大尺度本动速度

本文从高斯型的初始质量密度扰动出发,采用球对称演化模型计算了星系大尺度本动速度随尺度的分布。采用这样一种模型可以避免通常流体模型中线性增长以及窗函数的假设,对不同的宇宙物质主导成分的讨论表明,在各种情况下本动速度的期待值v_p在大尺度上的分布是随着尺度的增大而逐渐减小,这与流体模型以及宇宙弦模型下的趋势是一致的,但对所有参数的可能取值所作的计算表明,理论结果很难解释Dressler等人在r～60h~(-1)Mpc的尺度上观测到的大的本动速度,这很可能是由于在本星系群(LG)之外r 60h~(-1)Mpc的远处存在着一个大质量的物质凝聚区域。     

河外IRAS暗源大尺度分布的二维分析

本文对ＩＲＡＳ暗源表中４个选区内的ＩＲＡＳ星系的两点角相关函数，关联分维进行了计算。结果表明，所有选区内的星系呈现小角尺度上的成团。在较大角尺度上，分布可以用多级分形很好地表示。在更大角尺度上，用非归一星系对计数可以探测到密度分布中可能存在的典型尺度。当取４个选区的平均值作为ＩＲＡＳ星系在宇宙中分布情况的代表时，所得结果与用全天ＩＲＡＳ点源表和其他巡天资料得到的结果一致。     

大样本红移巡天中测光误差对功率谱计算的影响

利用数值模拟方法产生一定巡天极限星等下的模拟星系样本,并加入测光误差,来考虑对功率谱计算的影响。在处理有限流量样本时,发现会引进功率谱的系统误差,而有限体积样本则可以很好地消除这种影响。在处理有限流量样本时,若巡天极限星等为20．5^m,在100－1000h^-1Mpc尺度,要求测光误差小于0．1^m,这时由测光误差引起的功率谱误差远小于由于巡天体积和星系数密度引起的功率谱的随机误差,因此可以忽略测光误差的影响。     

河外IRAS暗源大尺度分布的二维分析

本文对ＩＲＡＳ暗源表中４个选区的ＩＲＡＳ星系的两点角相关函数，关联分维进行了计算，结果表明，所有选区内的星系呈现小角尺度上的成团，在较大角尺度上，分布可以用多级分形很好地表示，在更大角尺度上，用非归一星系对计数可以探测到密度分布中可能存在的典型惊讶，当取４个选区的平均值作为ＩＲＡＳ星系在宙宇中分布情况的代表时，所得结果与用全于ＩＲＡＳ点源表和其他巡天资料得到的结果一致。     

同等质量下盘状星系的颜色-尺度关系

挑选Sloan数字巡天第7次释放数据(SDSS DR7)的主星系样本中近邻的、面向的盘状星系作为星系样本,统计研究了在恒星总质量相等的情况下盘状星系的颜色和尺度之间的相关性,并对相关性的真实性进行了检验.发现对于同等质量的盘状星系,u-r颜色与尺度相关性很弱,而g-r、r-i、r-z颜色与尺度负相关,即星系的尺度越大,颜色越蓝.该结果意味着盘状星系的质量分布对其恒星形成历史影响很大,物质分布越延展的星系,其演化越慢.     

双源射电星系的演化特性

选取已知红移的双源射电星系77个,对它们的某些演化特性进行了统计研究,得到如下结果: 1.双源射电星系的射电角径θ和红移Z的关系(θ-Z关系),不但存在一个上包络(θ_max-Z),而且存在一个下包络(θ_min-Z)。后者表明双子源线距有一个下限,其值为D_min=40kpc。这可能表明双源形成时,真距离就为D_min,然后开始演化。 2.统计了子源的射电光度L、体积V、总能最E、以及L/V和E/V与双源之间的线距D的关系,发现对L—D,V—D,E—D,存在一个临界线距D_c=600kpc。当DD_c时,L、V和E大体上保持不变。L/V和E/V基本上不随D变化,表明在相当大的演化尺度(至少1Mpc)内,单位体积的光度和能量密度不随D变化。 3.对于具有D>Dc的(最)大角径的双源射电星系,其光学星系的绝对星等M和线距D之间似乎存在某种演化关系,即M随D的增大而增大,演化速率约为+4~m.8/Mpc。     

The one-point PDF of the initial conditions of our local Universe from the IRAS PSC redshift catalogue

The algorithm ztrace of Monaco & Efstathiou is applied to the IRAS PSCz catalogue to reconstruct the initial conditions of our local Universe with a resolution down to ~5  h ¹ Mpc. The one-point probability distribution function (PDF) of the reconstructed initial conditions is consistent with the assumptions that: (i) IRAS galaxies trace mass on scales of ~5  h ¹ Mpc and (ii) the statistics of the primordial density fluctuations are Gaussian. We use simulated PSCz catalogues, constructed from N -body simulations with Gaussian initial conditions, to show that local non-linear bias can cause the recovered initial PDF (assuming no bias) to be non-Gaussian. However, for plausible bias models, the distortions of the recovered PDF would be difficult to detect using the volume finely sampled by the PSCz catalogue. So, for Gaussian initial conditions, a range of bias models remain compatible with our PSCz reconstruction results.     

Peculiar velocity reconstruction with the fast action method: tests on mock redshift surveys

We present extensive tests of the fast action method (FAM) for recovering the past orbits of mass tracers in an expanding universe from their redshift-space coordinates at the present epoch. The tests focus on the reconstruction of present-day peculiar velocities using mock catalogues extracted from high-resolution N -body simulations. The method allows for a self-consistent treatment of redshift-space distortions by direct minimization of a modified action for a cosmological gravitating system. When applied to ideal, volume-limited catalogues, FAM recovers unbiased peculiar velocities with a one-dimensional, 1σ error of ∼220 km  s⁻¹  , if velocities are smoothed on a scale of  5 h ⁻¹  Mpc. Alternatively, when no smoothing is applied, FAM predicts nearly unbiased velocities for objects residing outside the highest density regions. In this second case the 1σ error decreases to a level of ∼150 km  s⁻¹  . The correlation properties of the peculiar velocity fields are also correctly recovered on scales larger than  5 h ⁻¹  Mpc. Similar results are obtained when FAM is applied to flux-limited catalogues mimicking the IRAS PSC z survey. In this case FAM reconstructs peculiar velocities with similar intrinsic random errors, while velocity–velocity correlation properties are well reproduced beyond scales of  ∼8 h ⁻¹  Mpc. We also show that FAM provides better velocity predictions than other, competing methods based on linear theory or the Zel'dovich approximation. These results indicate that FAM can be successfully applied to presently available galaxy redshift surveys such as IRAS PSC z .     

Approaching a homogeneous galaxy distribution: results from the Stromlo–APM redshift survey

Recent results from a number of redshift surveys suggest that the Universe is well described by an inhomogeneous, fractal distribution on the largest scales probed. This distribution has been found to have fractal dimension, D , approximately equal to 2.1, in contrast to a homogeneous distribution in which the dimension should approach the value 3 as the scale is increased. In this paper we demonstrate that estimates of D , based on the conditional density of galaxies, are prone to bias from several sources. These biases generally result in a smaller measured fractal dimension than the true dimension of the sample. We illustrate this behaviour in application to the Stromlo–APM redshift survey, showing that this data set in fact provides evidence for fractal dimension increasing with survey depth. On the largest scale probed, r ≈60  h ⁻¹ Mpc, we find evidence for a distribution with dimension D =2.76±0.10. A comparison between this sample and mock Stromlo–APM catalogues taken from N -body simulations (which assume a CDM cosmology) reveals a striking similarity in the behaviour of the fractal dimension. Thus we find no evidence for inhomogeneity in excess of that expected from conventional cosmological theory. We consider biases affecting future large surveys and demonstrate, using mock SDSS catalogues, that this survey will be able to measure the fractal dimension on scales at which we expect to see full turn-over to homogeneity, in an accurate and unbiased way.     

Topology and geometry of the CfA2 redshift survey

We analyse the redshift space topology and geometry of the nearby Universe by computing the Minkowski functionals of the Updated Zwicky Catalogue (UZC). The UZC contains the redshifts of almost 20 000 galaxies, is 96 per cent complete to the limiting magnitude m _Zw=15.5, and includes the Center for Astrophysics (CfA) Redshift Survey (CfA2). From the UZC we can extract volume-limited samples reaching a depth of 70  h ⁻¹ Mpc before sparse sampling dominates. We quantify the shape of the large-scale galaxy distribution by deriving measures of planarity and filamentarity from the Minkowski functionals. The nearby Universe shows a large degree of planarity and a small degree of filamentarity. This quantifies the sheet-like structure of the Great Wall, which dominates the northern region (CfA2N) of the UZC. We compare these results with redshift space mock catalogues constructed from high-resolution N -body simulations of two cold dark matter (CDM) models with either a decaying massive neutrino ( τ CDM) or a non-zero cosmological constant (ΛCDM). We use semi-analytic modelling to form and evolve galaxies in these dark matter‐only simulations. We are thus able, for the first time, to compile redshift space mock catalogues which contain galaxies, along with their observable properties, rather than dark matter particles alone. In both models the large-scale galaxy distribution is less coherent than the observed distribution, especially with regard to the large degree of planarity of the real survey. However, given the small volume of the region studied, this disagreement can still be a result of cosmic variance, as shown by the agreement between the ΛCDM model and the southern region of CfA2.     

Observational biases in Lagrangian reconstructions of cosmic velocity fields

Lagrangian reconstruction of large-scale peculiar velocity fields can be strongly affected by observational biases. We develop a thorough analysis of these systematic effects by relying on specially selected mock catalogues. For the purpose of this paper, we use the Monge–Ampère–Kantorovitch (MAK) reconstruction method, although any other Lagrangian reconstruction method should be sensitive to the same problems. We extensively study the uncertainty in the mass-to-light assignment due to incompleteness (missing luminous mass tracers), and the poorly determined relation between mass and luminosity. The impact of redshift distortion corrections is analysed in the context of MAK and we check the importance of edge and finite-volume effects on the reconstructed velocities. Using three mock catalogues with different average densities, we also study the effect of cosmic variance. In particular, one of them presents the same global features as found in observational catalogues that extend to 80 h ⁻¹ Mpc scales. We give recipes, checked using the aforementioned mock catalogues, to handle these particular observational effects, after having introduced them into the mock catalogues so as to quantitatively mimic the most densely sampled currently available galaxy catalogue of the nearby Universe. Once biases have been taken care of, the typical resulting error in reconstructed velocities is typically about a quarter of the overall velocity dispersion, and without significant bias. We finally model our reconstruction errors to propose an improved Bayesian approach to measure Ω_m in an unbiased way by comparing the reconstructed velocities to the measured ones in distance space, even though they may be plagued by large errors. We show that, in the context of observational data, it is possible to build a nearly unbiased estimator of Ω_m using MAK reconstruction.     

Simulations of deep pencil-beam redshift surveys

We create mock pencil-beam redshift surveys from very large cosmological N -body simulations of two cold dark matter (CDM) cosmogonies, an Einstein–de Sitter model ( τ CDM) and a flat model with Ω₀=0.3 and a cosmological constant (ΛCDM). We use these to assess the significance of the apparent periodicity discovered by Broadhurst et al. Simulation particles are tagged as 'galaxies' so as to reproduce observed present-day correlations. They are then identified along the past light-cones of hypothetical observers to create mock catalogues with the geometry and the distance distribution of the Broadhurst et al. data. We produce 1936 (2625) quasi-independent catalogues from our τ CDM (ΛCDM) simulation. A couple of large clumps in a catalogue can produce a high peak at low wavenumbers in the corresponding one-dimensional power spectrum, without any apparent large-scale periodicity in the original redshift histogram. Although the simulated redshift histograms frequently display regularly spaced clumps, the spacing of these clumps varies between catalogues and there is no 'preferred' period over our many realizations. We find only a 0.72 (0.49) per cent chance that the highest peak in the power spectrum of a τ CDM (ΛCDM) catalogue has a peak-to-noise ratio higher than that in the Broadhurst et al. data. None of the simulated catalogues with such high peaks shows coherently spaced clumps with a significance as high as that of the real data. We conclude that in CDM universes, the regularity on a scale of ∼130  h ⁻¹ Mpc observed by Broadhurst et al. has a priori probability well below 10⁻³.     

Distances of Galaxies from the Apparent Size Distribution of Dark Clouds. II NGC 224, NGC 2841 and NGC 7331

The distances of three Sb galaxies NGC 224, NGC 2841 and NGC 7331 have been determined using the apparent size distribution of dark interstellar clouds in each of them. The distances of NGC 224, NGC 2841, NGC 7331 were found to be 727.7 ± 63 kpc, 8.07 ± 0.16 Mpc and 7.22 ± 0.15 Mpc, respectively.     

Comparison of Velocity Fields of the Galaxies From the Catalogs RFGC and MarkIII

A distribution of matter up to 100 h ^-1 Mpc could be obtained from the large-scale galaxy peculiar motions. The best picture of such motion is given for today by two galaxy catalogs, namely MarkIII and RFGC. We compare their velocity fields and show they are very similar and have not only practically the same multipole structure but also a corresponding small-scale motions . We estimate a mean radial component of this small-scale motion as 500–700 kms. An additional comparison of distances to common galaxies is made. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.