Beecroft Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology

Abstract:

We present a power spectrum analysis of the final 2dF QSO Redshift Survey catalogue containing 22652 QSOs. Utilising the huge volume probed by the QSOs, we can accurately measure power out to scales of ~500Mpc and derive new constraints, at z~1.4, on the matter and baryonic contents of the Universe. Importantly, these new cosmological constraints are derived at an intermediate epoch between the CMB observations at z~1000, and local (z~0) studies of large-scale structure; the average QSO redshift corresponds to a look-back time of approximately two-thirds of the age of the Universe. We find that the amplitude of clustering of the QSOs at z~1.4 is similar to that of present day galaxies. The power spectra of the QSOs at high and low redshift are compared and we find little evidence for any evolution in the amplitude. Assuming a lambda cosmology to derive the comoving distances, r(z), to the QSOs, the power spectrum derived can be well described by a model with shape parameter Gamma=0.13+-0.02. If an Einstein-de Sitter model r(z) is instead assumed, a slightly higher value of Gamma=0.16+-0.03 is obtained. A comparison with the Hubble Volume LCDM simulation shows very good agreement over the whole range of scales considered. A standard (Omega_m=1) CDM model, however, predicts a much higher value of Gamma than is observed, and it is difficult to reconcile such a model with these data. We fit CDM model power spectra (assuming scale-invariant initial fluctuations), convolved with the survey window function, and corrected for redshift space distortions, and find that models with baryon oscillations are slightly preferred, with the baryon fraction Omega_b/Omega_m=0.18+-0.10. The overall shape of the power spectrum provides a strong constraint on Omega_m*h (where h is the Hubble parameter), with Omega_m*h=0.19+-0.05.

Abstract:

We discuss MAXIPOL, a bolometric balloon-borne experiment designed to measure the E-mode polarization anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) on angular scales of 10′ to 2°. MAXIPOL is the first CMB experiment to collect data with a polarimeter that utilizes a rotating half-wave plate and fixed wire-grid polarizer. We present the instrument design, elaborate on the polarimeter strategy and show the instrument performance during flight with some time domain data. Our primary dataset was collected during a 26 h turnaround flight that was launched from the National Scientific Ballooning Facility in Ft. Sumner, New Mexico in May 2003. During this flight five regions of the sky were mapped. Data analysis is in progress. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract:

The MAXIMA cosmic microwave background anisotropy experiment had a significant impact on cosmology. Results from the program have played a significant role in determining the geometry of the universe, given strong supporting evidence to inflation, and, in combination with other astrophysical data, showed that the universe is filled with dark matter and energy. We present a subset of the internal consistency checks that were carried out on the MAXIMA-1 data prior to their release, which demonstrate that systematics errors were much smaller than statistical errors. We also discuss the MAXIMA-2 flight and data, compare the maps of MAXIMA-1 and -2 in areas where they overlap and show that the two independent experiments confirm each other. All of these results demonstrate that MAXIMA mapped the cosmic microwave background anisotropy with high accuracy. © 2003 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.