Large-scale distribution of mass versus light from baryon acoustic oscillations: Measurement in the final SDSS-III BOSS Data Release 12

M. T. Soumagnac, C. G. Sabiu, R. Barkana, J. Yoo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) in the early Universe are predicted to leave an as yet undetected signature on the relative clustering of total mass versus luminous matter. This signature, a modulation of the relative large-scale clustering of baryons and dark matter, offers a new angle to compare the large-scale distribution of light versus mass. A detection of this effect would provide an important confirmation of the standard cosmological paradigm and constrain alternatives to dark matter as well as non-standard fluctuations such as compensated isocurvature perturbations (CIPs). The first attempt to measure this effect in the SDSS-III BOSS Data Release 10 CMASS sample remained inconclusive but allowed to develop a method, which we detail here and use to conduct the second observational search. When using the same model as in our previous study and including CIPs in the model, the DR12 data are consistent with a null-detection, a result in tension with the strong evidence previously measured with the DR10 data. This tension remains when we use a more realistic model taking into account our knowledge of the survey flux limit, as the data then privilege a zero effect. In the absence of CIPs, we obtain a null detection consistent with both the absence of the effect and amplitude predicted in previous theoretical studies. This shows the necessity of more accurate data in order to prove or disprove the theoretical predictions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1248-1261
Number of pages14
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume485
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2019
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Funding

Funding for SDSS-III has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. The SDSS-III web site is http://www.sdss3.org/. SDSS-III is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions of the SDSS-III Collaboration including the University of Arizona, the Brazilian Participation Group, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Florida, the French Participation Group, the German Participation Group, Harvard University, the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, the Michigan State/Notre Dame/JINA Participation Group, Johns Hopkins University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, New Mexico State University, New York University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the Spanish Participation Group, University of Tokyo, University of Utah, Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia, University of Washington, and Yale University. This publication was made possible for RB through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation. RB was also supported by the ISF-NSFC joint research program (grant No. 2580/17). MTS dedicates this paper to the memory of the physics teacher Monique Taub Guichard. MTS acknowledges support by a grant from IMOS/ISA, the Ilan Ramon fellowship from the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology and the Benoziyo center for Astrophysics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. MTS also thanks Y. Mor for his support. MTS dedicates this paper to the memory of the physics teacher Monique Taub Guichard. MTS acknowledges support by a grant from IMOS/ISA, the IlanRamon fellowship from the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology and the Benoziyo center for Astrophysics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. MTS also thanks Y. Mor for his support. CGS acknowledges support from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2017R1D1A1B03034900). This publication was made possible for RB through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation. RB was also supported by the ISF-NSFC joint research program (grant No. 2580/17). Funding for SDSS-III has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. The SDSS-III web site is http://www.sdss3.org/. SDSS-III is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions of the SDSS-III Collaboration including the University of Arizona, the Brazilian Participation Group, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Florida, the French Participation Group, the German Participation Group, Harvard University, the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, the Michigan State/Notre Dame/JINA Participation Group, Johns Hopkins University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, New Mexico State University, New York University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the Spanish Participation Group, University of Tokyo, University of Utah, Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia, University of Washington, and Yale University. CGS acknowledges support from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2017R1D1A1B03034900).

FundersFunder number
Benoziyo center for Astrophysics
Carnegie Mellon University, University of Florida
IMOS
IMOS/ISA
ISF-NSFC2580/17
Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias
Israel Ministry of Science and Technology
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
State University, New York University
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science
National Science Foundation
U.S. Department of Energy
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
John Templeton Foundation
Yale University
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Vanderbilt University
Princeton University
Ohio State University
University of Utah
University of Washington
Johns Hopkins University
Pennsylvania State University
University of Virginia
University of Portsmouth
International Studies Association
Weizmann Institute of Science
National Research Foundation of KoreaNRF-2017R1D1A1B03034900
Ministry of science and technology, Israel

    Keywords

    • cosmology: observations
    • early Universe
    • large-scale structure of Universe
    • surveys

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