# Munch: Monday, March 16th, 2009

arXiv:0902.2782 [ps, pdf, other]

# Catastrophic photometric redshift errors: weak lensing survey requirements

Authors: Gary Bernstein (Penn), Dragan Huterer (Michigan)
(Submitted on 16 Feb 2009)
Abstract: We study the sensitivity of weak lensing surveys to the effects of catastrophic redshift errors - cases where the true redshift is misestimated by a significant amount. To compute the biases in cosmological parameters, we adopt an efficient linearized analysis where the redshift errors are directly related to shifts in the weak lensing convergence power spectra. We estimate the number Nspec of unbiased spectroscopic redshifts needed to determine the catastrophic error rate well enough that biases in cosmological parameters are below statistical errors of weak lensing tomography. While the straightforward estimate of Nspec is ~10^6 we find that using only the photometric redshifts with z<=2.5 leads to a drastic reduction in Nspec to ~30,000 while negligibly increasing statistical errors in dark energy parameters. Therefore, the size of spectroscopic survey needed to control catastrophic errors is similar to that previously deemed necessary to constrain the core of the z_s-z_p distribution. We also study the efficacy of the recent proposal to measure redshift errors by cross-correlation between the photo-z and spectroscopic samples. We find that this method requires ~10% a priori knowledge of the bias and stochasticity of the outlier population, and is also easily confounded by lensing magnification bias. The cross-correlation method is therefore unlikely to supplant the need for a complete spectroscopic redshift survey of the source population.

arXiv:0901.3779 [pdf]

# A Candidate Sub-Parsec Supermassive Binary Black Hole System

Authors: Todd A. Boroson (NOAO), Tod R. Lauer (NOAO)
(Submitted on 23 Jan 2009)
Abstract: We identify SDSS J153636.22+044127.0, a QSO discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, as a promising candidate for a binary black hole system. This QSO has two broad-line emission systems separated by 3500 km/sec. The redder system at z=0.3889 also has a typical set of narrow forbidden lines. The bluer system (z=0.3727) shows only broad Balmer lines and UV Fe II emission, making it highly unusual in its lack of narrow lines. A third system, which includes only unresolved absorption lines, is seen at a redshift, z=0.3878, intermediate between the two emission-line systems. While the observational signatures of binary nuclear black holes remain unclear, J1536+0441 is unique among all QSOs known in having two broad-line regions, indicative of two separate black holes presently accreting gas. The interpretation of this as a bound binary system of two black holes having masses of 10^8.9 and 10^7.3 solar masses, yields a separation of ~ 0.1 parsec and an orbital period of ~100 years. The separation implies that the two black holes are orbiting within a single narrow-line region, consistent with the characteristics of the spectrum. This object was identified as an extreme outlier of a Karhunen-Loeve Transform of 17,500 z < 0.7 QSO spectra from the SDSS. The probability of the spectrum resulting from a chance superposition of two QSOs with similar redshifts is estimated at 2X10^-7, leading to the expectation of 0.003 such objects in the sample studied; however, even in this case, the spectrum of the lower redshift QSO remains highly unusual.

arXiv:0901.0562 [ps, pdf, other]

(Submitted on 5 Jan 2009)
Abstract: We use absolutely calibrated data from the ARCADE 2 flight in July 2006 to model Galactic emission at frequencies 3, 8, and 10 GHz. The spatial structure in the data is consistent with a superposition of free-free and synchrotron emission. Emission with spatial morphology traced by the Haslam 408 MHz survey has spectral index beta_synch = -2.5 +/- 0.1, with free-free emission contributing 0.10 +/- 0.01 of the total Galactic plane emission in the lowest ARCADE 2 band at 3.15 GHz. We estimate the total Galactic emission toward the polar caps using either a simple plane-parallel model with csc|b| dependence or a model of high-latitude radio emission traced by the COBE/FIRAS map of CII emission. Both methods are consistent with a single power-law over the frequency range 22 MHz to 10 GHz, with total Galactic emission towards the north polar cap T_Gal = 0.498 +/- 0.028 K and spectral index beta = -2.55 +/- 0.03 at reference frequency 1 GHz. The well calibrated ARCADE 2 maps provide a new test for spinning dust emission, based on the integrated intensity of emission from the Galactic plane instead of cross-correlations with the thermal dust spatial morphology. The Galactic plane intensity measured by ARCADE 2 is fainter than predicted by models without spinning dust, and is consistent with spinning dust contributing 0.4 +/- 0.1 of the Galactic plane emission at 22 GHz.

arXiv:0901.0559 [ps, pdf, other]

# Interpretation of the Extragalactic Radio Background

(Submitted on 5 Jan 2009)
Abstract: We use absolutely calibrated data between 3 and 90 GHz from the 2006 balloon flight of the ARCADE 2 instrument, along with previous measurements at other frequencies, to constrain models of extragalactic emission. Such emission is a combination of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) monopole, Galactic foreground emission, the integrated contribution of radio emission from external galaxies, any spectral distortions present in the CMB, and any other extragalactic source. After removal of estimates of foreground emission from our own Galaxy, and the estimated contribution of external galaxies, we present fits to a combination of the flat-spectrum CMB and potential spectral distortions in the CMB. We find 2 sigma upper limits to CMB spectral distortions of mu < 5.8 x 10^{-5} and Y_ff < 6.2 x 10^{-5}. We also find a significant detection of a residual signal beyond that which can be explained by the CMB plus the integrated radio emission from galaxies estimated from existing surveys. After subtraction of an estimate of the contribution of discrete radio sources, this unexplained signal is consistent with extragalactic emission in the form of a power law with amplitude 1.06 \pm 0.11 K at 1 GHz and a spectral index of -2.56 \pm 0.04.

arXiv:0903.0618 [ps, pdf, other]

# Thermal Geo-axions

(Submitted on 3 Mar 2009)
Abstract: We estimate the production rate of axion-type particles in the core of the Earth, at a temperature T~5000K. We constrain thermal geo-axion emission by demanding a core-cooling rate less than 100K/Gyr, as suggested by geophysics. This yields a "quasi-vacuum" (unaffected by extreme stellar conditions) bound on the axion-electron fine structure constant \alpha_a^{QV} < 10^{-18}, stronger than the existing accelerator (vacuum) bound by 4 orders of magnitude. We consider the prospects for measuring the geo-axion flux through conversion into photons in a geoscope; such measurements can further constrain \alpha_a^{QV}.

arXiv:0902.4461 [pdf, other]

# Implications of a Scalar Dark Force for Terrestrial Experiments

(Submitted on 26 Feb 2009)
Abstract: A long range Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) violating force between Dark Matter (DM) particles, mediated by an ultralight scalar, is tightly constrained by galactic dynamics and large scale structure formation. We examine the implications of such a "dark force" for several terrestrial experiments, including Eotvos tests of the WEP, direct-detection DM searches, and collider studies. The presence of a dark force implies a non-vanishing effect in Eotvos tests that could be probed by current and future experiments depending on the DM model. For scalar singlet DM scenarios, a dark force of astrophysically relevant magnitude is ruled out in large regions of parameter space by the DM relic density and WEP constraints. WEP tests also imply constraints on the Higgs-exchange contributions to the spin-independent (SI) DM-nucleus direct detection cross-section. For WIMP scenarios, these considerations constrain Higgs-exchange contributions to the SI cross-section to be subleading compared to gauge-boson mediated contributions. In multicomponent DM scenarios, a dark force would preclude large shifts in the rate for Higgs decay to two photons associated with DM-multiplet loops that might otherwise lead to measurable deviations at the LHC or a future linear collider. The combination of observations from galactic dynamics, large scale structure formation, Eotvos experiments, DM-direct-detection experiments, and colliders can further constrain the size of new long range forces in the dark sector.

arXiv:0902.4750 (cross-list from hep-ph) [ps, pdf, other]

# Bounds on Cross-sections and Lifetimes for Dark Matter Annihilation and Decay into Charged Leptons from Gamma-ray Observations of Dwarf Galaxies

(Submitted on 27 Feb 2009)
Abstract: We provide conservative bounds on the dark matter cross-section and lifetime from final state radiation produced by annihilation or decay into charged leptons, either directly or via an intermediate particle $\phi$. Our analysis utilizes the experimental gamma-ray flux upper limits from four Milky Way dwarf satellites: HESS observations of Sagittarius and VERITAS observations of Draco, Ursa Minor, and Willman 1. Using 90% confidence level lower limits on the integrals over the dark matter distributions, we find that these constraints are largely unable to rule out dark matter annihilations or decays as an explanation of the PAMELA and ATIC/PPB-BETS excesses. However, if there is an additional Sommerfeld enhancement in dwarfs, which have a velocity dispersion ~10 to 20 times lower than that of the local Galactic halo, then the cross-sections for dark matter annihilating through $\phi$'s required to explain the excesses are very close to the cross-section upper bounds from Willman 1. Dark matter annihilation directly into $\tau$'s is also marginally ruled out by Willman 1 as an explanation of the excesses, and the required cross-section is only a factor of a few below the upper bound from Draco. Finally, we make predictions for the gamma-ray flux expected from the dwarf galaxy Segue 1 for the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. We find that for a sizeable fraction of the parameter space in which dark matter annihilation into charged leptons explains the PAMELA excess, Fermi has good prospects for detecting a gamma-ray signal from Segue 1 after one year of observation.

arXiv:0903.0950 [ps, pdf, other]

# Absence of anti-correlations and of baryon acoustic oscillations in the galaxy correlation function from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7

(Submitted on 5 Mar 2009)
Abstract: One of the most striking features predicted by standard models of galaxy formation is the presence of anti-correlations in the matter distribution at large enough scales ($r>r_c$). Simple arguments show that the location of the length-scale $r_c$, marking the transition from positive to negative correlations, is the same for any class of objects as for the full matter distribution, i.e. it is invariant under biasing. Considering several main-galaxy and luminous-red-galaxy volume-limited samples of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, we measure, with the standard methods, that the redshift-space galaxy two-point correlation function remains positive at scales $>250$ Mpc/h, while in the concordance LCDM it should be negative beyond $r_c\approx 120$ Mpc/h. However we show that the large scale behavior of $\xi(r)$ is affected by systematic volume-dependent effects which make the detection of correlations to be only an estimate of a lower limit of their amplitude, spatial extension and statistical errors. We also show that because of the same systematic effects, the scale signaling the real space counterpart of the baryon acoustic oscillations is located, if present at all, at scales larger than 250 Mpc/h. These results are challenging for any model of structure formation.

arXiv:0903.1229 [ps, pdf, other]

# Increasing evidence for hemispherical power asymmetry in the five-year WMAP data

(Submitted on 6 Mar 2009)
Abstract: (Abridged)Motivated by the recent results of Hansen et al. (2008) concerning a noticeable hemispherical power asymmetry in the WMAP data on small angular scales, we revisit the dipole modulated signal model introduced by Gordon et al. (2005). This model assumes that the true CMB signal consists of a Gaussian isotropic random field modulated by a dipole, and is characterized by an overall modulation amplitude, A, and a preferred direction, p. Previous analyses of this model has been restricted to very low resolution due to computational cost. In this paper, we double the angular resolution, and compute the full corresponding posterior distribution for the 5-year WMAP data. The results from our analysis are the following: The best-fit modulation amplitude for l <= 64 and the ILC data with the WMAP KQ85 sky cut is A=0.072 +/- 0.022, non-zero at 3.3sigma, and the preferred direction points toward Galactic coordinates (l,b) = (224 degree, -22 degree) +/- 24 degree. The corresponding results for l <~ 40 from earlier analyses was A = 0.11 +/- 0.04 and (l,b) = (225 degree,-27 degree). The statistical significance of a non-zero amplitude thus increases from 2.8sigma to 3.3sigma when increasing l_max from 40 to 64, and all results are consistent to within 1sigma. Similarly, the Bayesian log-evidence difference with respect to the isotropic model increases from Delta ln E = 1.8 to Delta ln E = 2.6, ranking as "strong evidence" on the Jeffreys' scale. The raw best-fit log-likelihood difference increases from Delta ln L = 6.1 to Delta ln L = 7.3. Similar, and often slightly stronger, results are found for other data combinations. Thus, we find that the evidence for a dipole power distribution in the WMAP data increases with l in the 5-year WMAP data set, in agreement with the reports of Hansen et al. (2008).

arXiv:0903.1037 (cross-list from hep-ph) [ps, pdf, other]

# PAMELA, DAMA, INTEGRAL and Signatures of Metastable Excited WIMPs

(Submitted on 5 Mar 2009)
Abstract: Models of dark matter with ~ GeV scale force mediators provide attractive explanations of many high energy anomalies, including PAMELA, ATIC, and the WMAP haze. At the same time, by exploiting the ~ MeV scale excited states that are automatically present in such theories, these models naturally explain the DAMA/LIBRA and INTEGRAL signals through the inelastic dark matter (iDM) and exciting dark matter (XDM) scenarios, respectively. Interestingly, with only weak kinetic mixing to hypercharge to mediate decays, the lifetime of excited states with delta < 2 m_e is longer than the age of the universe. The relic abundance of these excited states depends on the temperature of kinetic decoupling, but can be appreciable. There could easily be other mechanisms for rapid decay, but the consequences of such long-lived states are intriguing. We find that CDMS constrains the relic population of ~100 keV states to be < 10^{-2}, for a 1 TeV WIMP with sigma_n = 10^{-40} cm^2. Upcoming searches at CDMS, as well as xenon, silicon, and argon targets, can push this limit significantly lower. We also consider the possibility that the DAMA excitation occurs from a metastable state into the XDM state, which decays via e+e- emission, which allows lighter states to explain the INTEGRAL signal due to the small kinetic energies required. Such models yield dramatic signals from down-scattering, with spectra peaking at high energies, sometimes as high as ~ 1 MeV, well outside the usual search windows. Such signals would be visible at future Ar and Si experiments, and may be visible at Ge and Xe experiments, although gamma-rays associated with nuclear excitations would complicate the signal. We also consider other XDM models involving 500 keV metastable states, and find they can allow lighter WIMPs to explain INTEGRAL as well.

arXiv:0903.1852 [ps, pdf, other]

# Secondary radiation from the Pamela/ATIC excess and relevance for Fermi

(Submitted on 10 Mar 2009)
Abstract: The excess of electrons/positrons observed by the Pamela and ATIC experiments gives rise to a noticeable amount of synchrotron and Inverse Compton Scattering (ICS) radiation when the e^+e^- interact with the Galactic Magnetic Field, and the InterStellar Radiation Field (ISRF). In particular, the ICS signal produced within the WIMP annihilation interpretation of the Pamela/ATIC excess shows already some tension with the EGRET data. On the other hand, 1 yr of Fermi data taking will be enough to rule out or confirm this scenario with a high confidence level. The ICS radiation produces a peculiar and clean "ICS Haze" feature, as well, which can be used to discriminate between the astrophysical and Dark Matter scenarios. This ICS signature is very prominent even several degrees away from the galactic center, and it is thus a very robust prediction with respect to the choice of the DM profile and the uncertainties in the ISRF.

arXiv:0806.0841 (cross-list from hep-ph) [pdf, other]

# Is leptogenesis falsifiable at LHC?

(Submitted on 4 Jun 2008 (v1), last revised 5 Mar 2009 (this version, v3))
Abstract: It is well known that the leptogenesis mechanism offers an attractive possibility to explain the baryon asymmetry of the universe. Its particular robustness however comes with one major difficulty: it will be very hard if not impossible to test experimentally in a foreseeable future, as most of the mechanics typically takes place at high energy or results from suppressed interactions, without unavoidable low-energy implications. An alternate approach is taken by asking: can it be at least falsified? We show that possible discoveries at current and future colliders, most notably that of right-handed gauge interactions, would indeed forbid at least the "canonical" leptogenesis mechanisms, namely those based on right-handed neutrino decay. General lower bounds for successful leptogenesis on the mass of the right-handed gauge boson W_R are given. Other possibilities to falsify leptogenesis, including from the observation of a Z', are also considered.

arXiv:0903.1086 [ps, pdf, other]

# Type Ia supernova science 2010-2020

(Submitted on 5 Mar 2009)
Abstract: In the next decade Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) will be used to test theories predicting changes in the Dark Energy equation of state with time. Ultimately this requires a dedicated space mission like JDEM. SNe Ia are mature cosmological probes --- their limitations are well characterized, and a path to improvement is clear. Dominant systematic errors include photometric calibration, selection effects, reddening, and population-dependent differences. Building on past lessons, well-controlled new surveys are poised to make strides in these areas: the Palomar Transient Factory, Skymapper, La Silla QUEST, Pan-STARRS, the Dark Energy Survey, LSST, and JDEM. They will obviate historical calibrations and selection biases, and allow comparisons via large subsamples. Some systematics follow from our ignorance of SN Ia progenitors, which there is hope of determining with SN Ia rate studies from 0<z<4.
Aside from cosmology, SNe Ia regulate galactic and cluster chemical evolution, inform stellar evolution, and are laboratories for extreme physics. Essential probes of SNe Ia in these contexts include spectroscopy from the UV to the IR, X-ray cluster and SN remnant observations, spectropolarimetry, and advanced theoretical studies. While there are an abundance of discovery facilities planned, there is a deficit of follow-up resources. Living in the systematics era demands deep understanding rather than larger statistics. NOAO ReSTAR initiative to build 2-4m telescopes would provide necessary follow-up capability. Finally, to fully exploit LSST, well-matched wide-field spectroscopic capabilities are desirable.

arXiv:0903.0871 [ps, pdf, other]

# A bit more on crinkles in the last scattering surface

(Submitted on 4 Mar 2009)
Abstract: Inhomogeneous recombination can give rise to perturbations in the electron number density which can be a factor of five larger than the perturbations in baryon density. We do a thorough analysis of the second order anisotropies generated in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) due to perturbations in the electron number density. We show that solving the second order Boltzmann equation for photons is equivalent to solving the first + second order Boltzmann equations and then taking the second order part of the solution. We find the approximate solution to the photon Boltzmann hierarchy in l modes and show that the contributions from inhomogeneous recombination to the second order monopole, dipole and quadrupole are numerically small. We also point out that arriving at the second order solution by perturbing the electron number density in the first order solution is incorrect and cannot be used to guess the magnitude of contribution to CMB anisotropy from inhomogeneous recombination. Finally we confirm our result in a previous paper that inhomogeneous recombination gives rise to a local type non-gaussianity parameter fNL of magnitude less than one. Also the shape of the bispectrum is sufficiently similar to the primordial bispectrum of local type that this result also implies the undetectablity of this effect by the Planck CMB experiment.

arXiv:0903.1803 [pdf]

# Comparing Correlation Lengths of Red and Blue Galaxies: A New Standard Length for Testing Cosmic Isotropy

(Submitted on 10 Mar 2009)
Abstract: I introduce a simple empirical measure of average galaxy cluster sizes based on a comparison of the correlation lengths of red galaxies with blue that can provide a more accurate and bias-free measure of the average size and number density of galaxy clusters. Using 269,000 galaxies from the SDSS DR6 survey, I show that this 3D correlation length, averaged over many clusters, remains very nearly constant at L0= 4.797 +/- 0.024 Mpc/h from small redshifts out to redshifts of 0.5. This serves as a new measure of cosmic length scales and provides a means of testing the standard cosmological model that is almost free of selection biases. The unprecedented accuracy of the technique allows the possibility of sensitive searches for large-scale inhomogeneities. Applying the same technique to the Millennium Simulation galaxies I find very good agreement between it and the SDSS galaxies.

arXiv:0903.1541 [ps, pdf, other]

# Probing violation of the Copernican principle via the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect

(Submitted on 9 Mar 2009)
Abstract: Recent observational data of supernovae indicate that we may live in an underdense region, which challenges the Copernican principle. We show that the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect is an excellent discriminator between anti-Copernican inhomogeneous models and the standard Copernican models. As a reference model, we consider an anti-Copernican inhomogeneous model that consists of two inner negatively curved underdense regions and an outer flat Einstein-de Sitter region. We assume that these regions are connected by two thin-walls at redshifts z = 0.067 and z=0.45. In the inner two regions, the first-order ISW effect is dominant and comparable to that in the concordant flat-Lambda models. In the outer Einstein-de Sitter region, the first-order ISW effect vanishes but the second-order ISW effect plays a dominant role, while the first-order ISW effect is dominant in the flat-Lambda models at moderate redshifts. This difference can discrimate the anti-Copernican models from the concordant flat-Lambda model. At high redshits, the second-order ISW effect is dominant both in our inhomogeneous model and the concordant model. In the outer region, moreover, the ISW effect due to large-scale density perturbations with a present matter density contrast much less than 0.37 is negligible, while the effect due to small-scale density perturbations (such as clusters of galaxies, superclusters and voids) with matter density contrast much larger than 0.37 would generate anisotropies which are larger than those generated by the ISW effect in the concordant model.

arXiv:0903.1883 [ps, pdf, other]

# Confronting the damping of the baryon acoustic oscillations with observation

(Submitted on 11 Mar 2009)
Abstract: We investigate the damping of the baryon acoustic oscillations in the matter power spectrum due to the quasinonlinear clustering and redshift-space distortions by confronting the models with the observations of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey luminous red galaxy sample. The chi-squared test suggests that the observed power spectrum is better matched by models with the damping of the baryon acoustic oscillations rather than the ones without the damping.