Beecroft Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology

Abstract:

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has the potential to reveal wonders about the fundamental theory of nature at play in the extreme gravity regime, where the gravitational interaction is both strong and dynamical. In this white paper, the Fundamental Physics Working Group of the LISA Consortium summarizes the current topics in fundamental physics where LISA observations of gravitational waves can be expected to provide key input. We provide the briefest of reviews to then delineate avenues for future research directions and to discuss connections between this working group, other working groups and the consortium work package teams. These connections must be developed for LISA to live up to its science potential in these areas.

Abstract:

The magnification of galaxies in modern galaxy surveys induces additional correlations in the cosmic shear, galaxy-galaxy lensing and clustering observables used in modern lensing “3x2pt” analyses, due to sample selection. In this paper, we emulate the magnification contribution to all three observables utilising the SLICS simulations suite, and test the sensitivity of the cosmological model, galaxy bias and redshift distribution calibration to un-modelled magnification in a Stage-IV-like survey using Monte-Carlo sampling. We find that magnification cannot be ignored in any single or combined observable, with magnification inducing > 1σ biases in the w0 − σ8 plane, including for cosmic shear and 3x2pt analyses. Significant cosmological biases exist in the 3x2pt and cosmic shear from magnification of the shear sample alone. We show that magnification induces significant biases in the mean of the redshift distribution where a position sample is analysed, which may potentially be used to identify contamination by magnification.