Work

Testing Gravity with the Stacked Phase Space around Galaxy Clusters

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: In general relativity, the average velocity field of dark matter around galaxy clusters is uniquely determined by the mass profile. The latter can be measured through weak lensing. We propose a new method of measuring the velocity field (phase space density) by stacking redshifts of surrounding galaxies from a spectroscopic sample. In combination with lensing, this yields a direct test of gravity on scales of 1-30 Mpc. Using N-body simulations, we show that this method can improve upon current constraints on f(R) and Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model parameters by several orders of magnitude when applied to upcoming imaging and redshift surveys.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.109.051301

Authors: Tsz Yan Lam, Takahiro Nishimichi, Fabian Schmidt, Masahiro Takada

Institutions: Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, The University of Tokyo, California Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Cosmology and Gravitation Theories

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Award: Exploring precision cosmology with wide-field Subaru galaxy surveys