The clustering of galaxies in the completed SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: tomographic BAO analysis of DR12 combined sample in Fourier space

We perform a tomographic baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) analysis using the monopole, quadrupole and hexadecapole of the redshift-space galaxy power spectrum measured from the pre-reconstructed combined galaxy sample of the completed Sloan Digital Sky Survey Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) Data Release12 covering the redshift range of 0.20 < z < 0.75. By allowing for overlap between neighbouring redshift slices, we successfully obtained the isotropic and anisotropic BAO distance measurements within nine redshift slices to a precision of 1.5-3.4 per cent for D-V/r(d), 1.8-4.2 per cent for DA/rd and 3.7-7.5 per cent for H-rd, depending on effective redshifts. We provide our BAO measurement of D-A/r(d) and Hrd with the full covariance matrix, which can be used for cosmological implications. Our measurements are consistent with those presented in Alam et al., in which the BAO distances are measured at three effective redshifts. We constrain dark energy parameters using our measurements and find an improvement of the Figure-of-Merit of dark energy in general due to the temporal BAO information resolved. This paper is a part of a set that analyses the final galaxy clustering data set from BOSS.

The Sdss-Iv Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: Overview And Early Data

Johan Comparat, Timothée Guy Olivier Delubac, Jean-Paul Richard Kneib, Pierre Laurent, Cheng Li, Yu Liang, Anand Stéphane Raichoor, David Schlegel, Yuting Wang, Cheng Zhao, Zheng Zheng

In a six-year program started in 2014 July, the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) will conduct novel cosmological observations using the BOSS spectrograph at Apache Point Observatory. These observations will be conducted simultaneously with the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS) designed for variability studies and the Spectroscopic Identification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS) program designed for studies of X-ray sources. In particular, eBOSS will measure with percent-level precision the distance-redshift relation with baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the clustering of matter. eBOSS will use four different tracers of the underlying matter density field to vastly expand the volume covered by BOSS and map the large-scale-structures over the relatively unconstrained redshift range 0.6 < z < 2.2. Using more than 250,000 new, spectroscopically confirmed luminous red galaxies at a median redshift z = 0.72, we project that eBOSS will yield measurements of the angular diameter distance d(A)(z) to an accuracy of 1.2% and measurements of H(z) to 2.1% when combined with the z > 0.6 sample of BOSS galaxies. With similar to 195,000 new emission line galaxy redshifts, we expect BAO measurements of d(A)(z) to an accuracy of 3.1% and H(z) to 4.7% at an effective redshift of z = 0.87. A sample of more than 500,000 spectroscopically confirmed quasars will provide the first BAO distance measurements over the redshift range 0.9 < z < 2.2, with expected precision of 2.8% and 4.2% on d(A)(z) and H(z), respectively. Finally, with 60,000 new quasars and re-observation of 60,000 BOSS quasars, we will obtain new Lya forest measurements at redshifts z > 2.1; these new data will enhance the precision of d(A)(z) and H(z) at z > 2.1 by a factor of 1.44 relative to BOSS. Furthermore, eBOSS will provide improved tests of General Relativity on cosmological scales through redshift-space distortion measurements, improved tests for non-Gaussianity in the primordial density field, and new constraints on the summed mass of all neutrino species. Here, we provide an overview of the cosmological goals, spectroscopic target sample, demonstration of spectral quality from early data, and projected cosmological constraints from eBOSS.

Iop Publishing Ltd2016

Cosmological implications of baryon acoustic oscillation measurements

Johan Comparat, Timothée Guy Olivier Delubac, Jean-Paul Richard Kneib, David Schlegel

We derive constraints on cosmological parameters and tests of dark energy models from the combination of baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements with cosmic microwave background (CMB) data and a recent reanalysis of Type Ia supernova (SN) data. In particular, we take advantage of high-precision BAO measurements from galaxy clustering and the Lyman-alpha forest (LyaF) in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Treating the BAO scale as an uncalibrated standard ruler, BAO data alone yield a high confidence detection of dark energy; in combination with the CMB angular acoustic scale they further imply a nearly flat universe. Adding the CMB-calibrated physical scale of the sound horizon, the combination of BAO and SN data into an "inverse distance ladder" yields a measurement of H-0 = 67.3 +/- 1.1 km s(-1) Mpc(-1), with 1.7% precision. This measurement assumes standard prerecombination physics but is insensitive to assumptions about dark energy or space curvature, so agreement with CMB-based estimates that assume a flat Lambda CDM cosmology is an important corroboration of this minimal cosmological model. For constant dark energy (Lambda), our BAO + SN + CMB combination yields matter density Omega(m) = 0.301 +/- 0.008 and curvature Omega(k) = -0.003 +/- 0.003. When we allow more general forms of evolving dark energy, the BAO + SN + CMB parameter constraints are always consistent with flat Lambda CDM values at approximate to 1 sigma. While the overall chi(2) of model fits is satisfactory, the LyaF BAO measurements are in moderate (2-2.5 sigma) tension with model predictions. Models with early dark energy that tracks the dominant energy component at high redshift remain consistent with our expansion history constraints, and they yield a higher H-0 and lower matter clustering amplitude, improving agreement with some low redshift observations. Expansion history alone yields an upper limit on the summed mass of neutrino species, Sigma m(nu) < 0.56 eV (95% confidence), improving to Sigma m(nu) < 0.25 eV if we include the lensing signal in the Planck CMB power spectrum. In a flat Lambda CDM model that allows extra relativistic species, our data combination yields N-eff = 3.43 +/- 0.26; while the LyaF BAO data prefer higher N-eff when excluding galaxy BAO, the galaxy BAO alone favor N-eff approximate to 3. When structure growth is extrapolated forward from the CMB to low redshift, standard dark energy models constrained by our data predict a level of matter clustering that is high compared to most, but not all, observational estimates.

Amer Physical Soc2015

The clustering of galaxies in the completed SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: tomographic BAO analysis of DR12 combined sample in configuration space

Jean-Paul Richard Kneib, Yuting Wang

We perform a tomographic baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) analysis using the two-point galaxy correlation function measured from the combined sample of Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey Data Release 12 (BOSS DR12), which covers the redshift range of 0.2 < z < 0.75. Upon splitting the sample into multiple overlapping redshift slices to extract the redshift information of galaxy clustering, we obtain a measurement of D-A(z)/r(d) and H(z)r(d) at nine effective redshifts with the full covariance matrix calibrated using MultiDark-Patchy mock catalogues. Using the reconstructed galaxy catalogues, we obtain the precision of 1.3-2.2 per cent for D-A(z)/r(d) and 2.1-6.0 per cent for H(z)r(d.) To quantify the gain from the tomographic information, we compare the constraints on the cosmological parameters using our nine-bin BAO measurements, the consensus three-bin BAO and redshift space distortion measurements at three effective redshifts in Alam et al., and the non-tomographic (one-bin) BAO measurement at a single effective redshift. Comparing the nine-bin with one-bin constraint result, it can improve the dark energy Figure of Merit by a factor of 1.24 for the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder parametrization for equation-of-state parameter w(DE). The errors of w(0) and w(a) from nine-bin constraints are slightly improved when compared to the three-bin constraint result.