Beecroft Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology

Abstract:

The next generation of surveys will greatly improve our knowledge of cosmological gravity. In this paper we focus on how Stage IV photometric redshift surveys, including weak lensing and multiple tracers of the matter distribution and radio experiments combined with measurements of the cosmic microwave background will lead to precision constraints on deviations from General Relativity. We use a broad subclass of Horndeski scalar-tensor theories to forecast the accuracy with which we will be able to determine these deviations and their degeneracies with other cosmological parameters. Our analysis includes relativistic effects, does not rely on the quasi-static evolution and makes conservative assumptions about the effect of screening on small scales. We define a figure of merit for cosmological tests of gravity and show how the combination of different types of surveys, probing different length scales and redshifts, can be used to pin down constraints on the gravitational physics to better than a few percent, roughly an order of magnitude better than present probes. Future cosmological experiments will be able to constrain the Brans-Dicke parameter at a level comparable to Solar System and astrophysical tests

Abstract:

The XXL survey currently covers two 25 deg2 patches with XMM observations of ~ 10ks. We summarise the scientific results associated with the first release of the XXL data set, that occurred mid 2016. We review several arguments for increasing the survey depth to 40 ks during the next decade of XMM operations. X-ray (z < 2) cluster, (z < 4) AGN and cosmic background survey science will then benefit from an extraordinary data reservoir. This, combined with deep multi-λ observations, will lead to solid standalone cosmological constraints and provide a wealth of information on the formation and evolution of AGN, clusters and the X-ray background. In particular, it will offer a unique opportunity to pinpoint the z > 1 cluster density. It will eventually constitute a reference study and an ideal calibration field for the upcoming eROSITA and Euclid missions.

Abstract:

An important indicator of modified gravity is the effect of the local environment on halo properties. This paper examines the influence of the local tidal structure on the halo mass function, the halo orientation, spin and the concentration-mass relation. We use the excursion set formalism to produce a halo mass function conditional on large-scale structure. Our simple model agrees well with simulations on large scales at which the density field is linear or weakly non-linear. Beyond this, our principal result is that f() does affect halo abundances, the halo spin parameter and the concentration-mass relationship in an environment-independent way, whereas we find no appreciable deviation from \text{ΛCDM} for the mass function with fixed environment density, nor the alignment of the orientation and spin vectors of the halo to the eigenvectors of the local cosmic web. There is a general trend for greater deviation from \text{ΛCDM} in underdense environments and for high-mass haloes, as expected from chameleon screening.

Abstract:

The XXL survey currently covers two 25 deg2 patches with XMM observations of ∼10 ks. We summarize the scientific results associated with the first release of the XXL dataset, which occurred in mid‐2016. We review several arguments for increasing the survey depth to 40 ks during the next decade of XMM operations. X‐ray (z < 2) cluster, (z < 4) active galactic nuclei (AGN), and cosmic background survey science will then benefit from an extraordinary data reservoir. This, combined with deep multi‐λ observations, will lead to solid standalone cosmological constraints and provide a wealth of information on the formation and evolution of AGN, clusters, and the X‐ray background. In particular, it will offer a unique opportunity to pinpoint the z > 1 cluster density. It will eventually constitute a reference study and an ideal calibration field for the upcoming eROSITA and Euclid missions.