Predicting Galaxy Distribution with LSST ProtoDC2 and

Observing Matter-Galaxy Relation with Dark Sirens

E. P. 1,2
Meador , James 1
Annis , Fermi National Accelerator 1
Laboratory , Whitman College2

Background Overview Dark Sirens

Measurements of H0 also known as Hubble’s Constant,
It would be an understatement to describe our universe as
are an essential part of dark siren cosmology. To further
anything but huge. For many cosmologists, the goal of their
improve this measurement our team sought to
research has been to gain a better understanding of the ways
determine if galaxy bias matters when measuring H0.
in which our universe maintains its immense structure. This
This was done by producing several correlation
structure is believed to be formed from quantum fluctuations in
functions using FLASK generated catalogs that varied
the early universe that expanded to cosmic sizes which
bias values.
influenced our large scale structure today. Correlation
functions, a fundamental piece of this poster, help to define Galaxy Bias
that cosmic structure.
P (k) gg = b 2 P (k) mm
This equation relates bias, the distribution of galaxies and
matter, to the Galaxy-Galaxy and Matter-Matter power
spectrum.

“Scale of the Universe Revisited.” Space Pioneers, 29 Nov. 2015,

spacepioneers.in/scale-of-the-universe-revisited/.
FLASK Generated Catalog
LSST: ProtoDC2
The Large Synoptic Survey (LSST) is a 10 year sky survey
currently in commission with the goal of better
understanding dark matter, dark energy, the formation CosmoSIS
and structure of the Milky Way, the transient optical sky, CosmoSIS is a code whose main focus is to estimate various
asteroids and the remote solar system. In preparation for cosmological parameters. This was used to generate correlation
the information to be received from LSST a series of data functions and their Fourier transform, power spectra.
challenges have been released to validate the software Figure 7 (above) displays the distribution of clusters of
and infrastructure to be used. galaxies as generated using FLASK. This specific catalog
used a bias value of 0.5.
The catalogs created in the duration of this project were Prediction of Correlation Function
done so using the input data from data challenge two, FLASK Correlation Functions
protoDC2.

Correlation Functions for ProtoDC2

Figure 8 (above) shows an image of the correlation

function for the FLASK generated catalog where b=0.5.
Figure 4 is the CosmoSIS produced prediction with a
bias=2.
Varying Bias Results
CosmoSIS Produced Power Spectra

Figures 1 (left) and 2 (right). The plots above depict correlation functions produced
using protoDC2 at various redshifts (0.25-0.26, 0.5-0.51, 0.75-0.76, 0.95-0.96) . Figure
1is a hexbin plot of this data where the brighter spots show a higher concentration
of galaxies. Figure 2 is a correlation function produced for this catalog.
Figure 3 (left) is a
protoDC2
correlation function
with the following
mask
0.1 < z < 0.13.
(Linear and Non-Linear) generated from CosmoSIS with
Figure 5 (above) is a collection of power spectra,
Galaxy-Galaxy, Matter-Galaxy, and Matter-Matter
done by plotting their original k value and a ratio of P(k).
a z=0, and a b=2.
Figure 6 (above) is a collection of the power spectra
from Figure 5 where their bias value is observed. This is
Figure 9 (above) compares a separation and a ratio of the
correlation functions (the correlation function for a FLASK catalog
with b=0.5 divided by the correlation function for a FLASK catalog
with b=1 denoted by the line at 0.5). The expected values rest at
y=0.25.
Acknowledgments
This summer research was possible with the help of S.I.S.T. Committee at Fermilab, my
supervisor, James Annis, Amber Lenon, and excellent student interns and post-docs
eager to help.