The Atacama cosmology telescope: Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars

Blake D. Sherwin; Sudeep Das; Amir Hajian; Graeme Addison; J. Richard Bond; Devin Crichton; Mark J. Devlin; Joanna Dunkley; Megan B. Gralla; Mark Halpern; J. Colin Hill; Adam D. Hincks; John P. Hughes; Kevin Huffenberger; Renée Hlozek; Arthur Kosowsky; Thibaut Louis; Tobias A. Marriage; Danica Marsden; Felipe Menanteau; Kavilan Moodley; Michael D. Niemack; Lyman A. Page; Erik D. Reese; Neelima Sehgal; Jon Sievers; Cristóbal Sifón; David N. Spergel; Suzanne T. Staggs; Eric R. Switzer; Ed Wollack

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006

The Atacama cosmology telescope: Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars

Blake D. Sherwin, Sudeep Das, Amir Hajian, Graeme Addison, J. Richard Bond, Devin Crichton, Mark J. Devlin, Joanna Dunkley, Megan B. Gralla, Mark Halpern, J. Colin Hill, Adam D. Hincks, John P. Hughes, Kevin Huffenberger, Renée Hlozek, Arthur Kosowsky, Thibaut Louis, Tobias A. Marriage, Danica Marsden, Felipe MenanteauKavilan Moodley, Michael D. Niemack, Lyman A. Page, Erik D. Reese, Neelima Sehgal, Jon Sievers, Cristóbal Sifón, David N. Spergel, Suzanne T. Staggs, Eric R. Switzer, Ed Wollack

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Abstract

We measure the cross-correlation of Atacama cosmology telescope cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing convergence maps with quasar maps made from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR8 SDSS-XDQSO photometric catalog. The CMB lensing quasar cross-power spectrum is detected for the first time at a significance of 3.8σ, which directly confirms that the quasar distribution traces the mass distribution at high redshifts z>1. Our detection passes a number of null tests and systematic checks. Using this cross-power spectrum, we measure the amplitude of the linear quasar bias assuming a template for its redshift dependence, and find the amplitude to be consistent with an earlier measurement from clustering; at redshift z≈1.4, the peak of the distribution of quasars in our maps, our measurement corresponds to a bias of b=2.5±0.6. With the signal-to-noise ratio on CMB lensing measurements likely to improve by an order of magnitude over the next few years, our results demonstrate the potential of CMB lensing cross-correlations to probe astrophysics at high redshifts.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	083006
Journal	Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
Volume	86
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006
State	Published - Oct 16 2012

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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Sherwin, B. D., Das, S., Hajian, A., Addison, G., Bond, J. R., Crichton, D., Devlin, M. J., Dunkley, J., Gralla, M. B., Halpern, M., Hill, J. C., Hincks, A. D., Hughes, J. P., Huffenberger, K., Hlozek, R., Kosowsky, A., Louis, T., Marriage, T. A., Marsden, D., ... Wollack, E. (2012). The Atacama cosmology telescope: Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars. Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, 86(8), Article 083006. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006

@article{870eccd5a4e140fda55f3335963e0f11,

title = "The Atacama cosmology telescope: Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars",

abstract = "We measure the cross-correlation of Atacama cosmology telescope cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing convergence maps with quasar maps made from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR8 SDSS-XDQSO photometric catalog. The CMB lensing quasar cross-power spectrum is detected for the first time at a significance of 3.8σ, which directly confirms that the quasar distribution traces the mass distribution at high redshifts z>1. Our detection passes a number of null tests and systematic checks. Using this cross-power spectrum, we measure the amplitude of the linear quasar bias assuming a template for its redshift dependence, and find the amplitude to be consistent with an earlier measurement from clustering; at redshift z≈1.4, the peak of the distribution of quasars in our maps, our measurement corresponds to a bias of b=2.5±0.6. With the signal-to-noise ratio on CMB lensing measurements likely to improve by an order of magnitude over the next few years, our results demonstrate the potential of CMB lensing cross-correlations to probe astrophysics at high redshifts.",

author = "Sherwin, {Blake D.} and Sudeep Das and Amir Hajian and Graeme Addison and Bond, {J. Richard} and Devin Crichton and Devlin, {Mark J.} and Joanna Dunkley and Gralla, {Megan B.} and Mark Halpern and Hill, {J. Colin} and Hincks, {Adam D.} and Hughes, {John P.} and Kevin Huffenberger and Ren{\'e}e Hlozek and Arthur Kosowsky and Thibaut Louis and Marriage, {Tobias A.} and Danica Marsden and Felipe Menanteau and Kavilan Moodley and Niemack, {Michael D.} and Page, {Lyman A.} and Reese, {Erik D.} and Neelima Sehgal and Jon Sievers and Crist{\'o}bal Sif{\'o}n and Spergel, {David N.} and Staggs, {Suzanne T.} and Switzer, {Eric R.} and Ed Wollack",

year = "2012",

month = oct,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "86",

journal = "Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology",

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Sherwin, BD, Das, S, Hajian, A, Addison, G, Bond, JR, Crichton, D, Devlin, MJ, Dunkley, J, Gralla, MB, Halpern, M, Hill, JC, Hincks, AD, Hughes, JP, Huffenberger, K, Hlozek, R, Kosowsky, A, Louis, T, Marriage, TA, Marsden, D, Menanteau, F, Moodley, K, Niemack, MD, Page, LA, Reese, ED, Sehgal, N, Sievers, J, Sifón, C, Spergel, DN, Staggs, ST, Switzer, ER & Wollack, E 2012, 'The Atacama cosmology telescope: Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars', Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, vol. 86, no. 8, 083006. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Atacama cosmology telescope

T2 - Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars

AU - Sherwin, Blake D.

AU - Das, Sudeep

AU - Hajian, Amir

AU - Addison, Graeme

AU - Bond, J. Richard

AU - Crichton, Devin

AU - Devlin, Mark J.

AU - Dunkley, Joanna

AU - Gralla, Megan B.

AU - Halpern, Mark

AU - Hill, J. Colin

AU - Hincks, Adam D.

AU - Hughes, John P.

AU - Huffenberger, Kevin

AU - Hlozek, Renée

AU - Kosowsky, Arthur

AU - Louis, Thibaut

AU - Marriage, Tobias A.

AU - Marsden, Danica

AU - Menanteau, Felipe

AU - Moodley, Kavilan

AU - Niemack, Michael D.

AU - Page, Lyman A.

AU - Reese, Erik D.

AU - Sehgal, Neelima

AU - Sievers, Jon

AU - Sifón, Cristóbal

AU - Spergel, David N.

AU - Staggs, Suzanne T.

AU - Switzer, Eric R.

AU - Wollack, Ed

PY - 2012/10/16

Y1 - 2012/10/16

N2 - We measure the cross-correlation of Atacama cosmology telescope cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing convergence maps with quasar maps made from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR8 SDSS-XDQSO photometric catalog. The CMB lensing quasar cross-power spectrum is detected for the first time at a significance of 3.8σ, which directly confirms that the quasar distribution traces the mass distribution at high redshifts z>1. Our detection passes a number of null tests and systematic checks. Using this cross-power spectrum, we measure the amplitude of the linear quasar bias assuming a template for its redshift dependence, and find the amplitude to be consistent with an earlier measurement from clustering; at redshift z≈1.4, the peak of the distribution of quasars in our maps, our measurement corresponds to a bias of b=2.5±0.6. With the signal-to-noise ratio on CMB lensing measurements likely to improve by an order of magnitude over the next few years, our results demonstrate the potential of CMB lensing cross-correlations to probe astrophysics at high redshifts.

AB - We measure the cross-correlation of Atacama cosmology telescope cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing convergence maps with quasar maps made from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR8 SDSS-XDQSO photometric catalog. The CMB lensing quasar cross-power spectrum is detected for the first time at a significance of 3.8σ, which directly confirms that the quasar distribution traces the mass distribution at high redshifts z>1. Our detection passes a number of null tests and systematic checks. Using this cross-power spectrum, we measure the amplitude of the linear quasar bias assuming a template for its redshift dependence, and find the amplitude to be consistent with an earlier measurement from clustering; at redshift z≈1.4, the peak of the distribution of quasars in our maps, our measurement corresponds to a bias of b=2.5±0.6. With the signal-to-noise ratio on CMB lensing measurements likely to improve by an order of magnitude over the next few years, our results demonstrate the potential of CMB lensing cross-correlations to probe astrophysics at high redshifts.

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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84867812614

SN - 1550-7998

VL - 86

JO - Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology

JF - Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology

IS - 8

M1 - 083006

ER -

The Atacama cosmology telescope: Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars

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