How robust are predictions of galaxy clustering? Contreras, S.; Baugh, C. M.; Norberg, P. ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
07/2013, Letnik:
432, Številka:
4
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We use the Millennium Simulation data base to compare how different versions of the Durham and Munich semi-analytical galaxy formation models populate dark matter haloes with galaxies. The models ...follow the same physical processes but differ in how these are implemented. All of the models we consider use the Millennium N-body Simulation; however, the Durham and Munich groups use independent algorithms to construct halo merger histories from the simulation output. We compare the predicted halo occupation distributions (HODs) and correlation functions for galaxy samples defined by stellar mass, cold gas mass and star formation rate. The model predictions for the HOD are remarkably similar for samples ranked by stellar mass. The predicted bias averaged over pair separations in the range 5-25 h
−1 Mpc is consistent between models to within 10 per cent. At small pair separations there is a clear difference in the predicted clustering. This arises because the Durham models allow some satellite galaxies to merge with the central galaxy in a halo when they are still associated with resolved dark matter subhaloes. The agreement between the models is less good for samples defined by cold gas mass or star formation rate, with the spread in predicted galaxy bias reaching 20 per cent and the small-scale clustering differing by an order of magnitude, reflecting the uncertainty in the modelling of star formation. The model predictions in these cases are nevertheless qualitatively similar, with a markedly shallower slope for the correlation function than is found for stellar mass selected samples and with the HOD displaying an asymmetric peak for central galaxies. We provide illustrative parametric fits to the HODs predicted by the models. Our results reveal the current limitations on how well we can predict galaxy bias in a fixed cosmology, which has implications for the interpretation of constraints on the physics of galaxy formation from galaxy clustering measurements and the ability of future galaxy surveys to measure dark energy.
We present a test of different error estimators for two-point clustering statistics, appropriate for present and future large galaxy redshift surveys. Using an ensemble of very large dark matter ΛCDM ...N-body simulations, we compare internal error estimators (jackknife and bootstrap) to external ones (Monte Carlo realizations). For three-dimensional clustering statistics, we find that none of the internal error methods investigated is able to reproduce either accurately or robustly the errors of external estimators on 1 to 25 h−1 Mpc scales. The standard bootstrap overestimates the variance of ξ(s) by ∼40 per cent on all scales probed, but recovers, in a robust fashion, the principal eigenvectors of the underlying covariance matrix. The jackknife returns the correct variance on large scales, but significantly overestimates it on smaller scales. This scale dependence in the jackknife affects the recovered eigenvectors, which tend to disagree on small scales with the external estimates. Our results have important implications for fitting models to galaxy clustering measurements. For example, in a two-parameter fit to the projected correlation function, we find that the standard bootstrap systematically overestimates the 95 per cent confidence interval, while the jackknife method remains biased, but to a lesser extent. Ignoring the systematic bias, the scatter between realizations, for Gaussian statistics, implies that a 2σ confidence interval, as inferred from an internal estimator, corresponds in practice to anything from 1σ to 3σ. By oversampling the subvolumes, we find that it is possible, at least for the cases we consider, to obtain robust bootstrap variances and confidence intervals that agree with external error estimates. Our results are applicable to two-point statistics, like ξ(s) and wp(rp), measured in large redshift surveys, and show that the interpretation of clustering measurements with internally estimated errors should be treated with caution.
We determine the low-redshift field galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) using an area of 143 deg2 from the first three years of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. The magnitude limits of ...this redshift survey are r < 19.4 mag over two-thirds and 19.8 mag over one-third of the area. The GSMF is determined from a sample of 5210 galaxies using a density-corrected maximum volume method. This efficiently overcomes the issue of fluctuations in the number density versus redshift. With H
0= 70 km s−1 Mpc−1, the GSMF is well described between 108 and 1011.5 M⊙ using a double Schechter function with
,
, α1=−0.35,
and α2=−1.47. This result is more robust to uncertainties in the flow-model corrected redshifts than from the shallower Sloan Digital Sky Survey main sample (r < 17.8 mag). The upturn in the GSMF is also seen directly in the i-band and K-band galaxy luminosity functions. Accurately measuring the GSMF below 108 M⊙ is possible within the GAMA survey volume but as expected requires deeper imaging data to address the contribution from low surface-brightness galaxies.
The Kilo-Degree Survey is an optical wide-field survey designed to map the matter distribution in the Universe using weak gravitational lensing. In this paper, we use these data to measure the ...density profiles and masses of a sample of ∼1400 spectroscopically identified galaxy groups and clusters from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. We detect a highly significant signal (signal-to-noise-ratio ∼120), allowing us to study the properties of dark matter haloes over one and a half order of magnitude in mass, from M ∼ 1013–1014.5 h
−1 M⊙. We interpret the results for various subsamples of groups using a halo model framework which accounts for the mis-centring of the brightest cluster galaxy (used as the tracer of the group centre) with respect to the centre of the group's dark matter halo. We find that the density profiles of the haloes are well described by an NFW profile with concentrations that agree with predictions from numerical simulations. In addition, we constrain scaling relations between the mass and a number of observable group properties. We find that the mass scales with the total r-band luminosity as a power law with slope 1.16 ± 0.13 (1σ) and with the group velocity dispersion as a power law with slope 1.89 ± 0.27 (1σ). Finally, we demonstrate the potential of weak lensing studies of groups to discriminate between models of baryonic feedback at group scales by comparing our results with the predictions from the Cosmo-OverWhelmingly Large Simulations project, ruling out models without AGN feedback.
We present an analysis of the mid-infrared Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) sources seen within the equatorial GAMA G12 field, located in the North Galactic Cap. Our motivation is to study ...and characterize the behavior of WISE source populations in anticipation of the deep multiwavelength surveys that will define the next decade, with the principal science goal of mapping the 3D large-scale structures and determining the global physical attributes of the host galaxies. In combination with cosmological redshifts, we identify galaxies from their WISE W1 (3.4 m) resolved emission, and we also perform a star-galaxy separation using apparent magnitude, colors, and statistical modeling of star counts. The resulting galaxy catalog has 590,000 sources in 60 deg2, reaching a W1 5 depth of 31 Jy. At the faint end, where redshifts are not available, we employ a luminosity function analysis to show that approximately 27% of all WISE extragalactic sources to a limit of 17.5 mag (31 Jy) are at high redshift, . The spatial distribution is investigated using two-point correlation functions and a 3D source density characterization at 5 Mpc and 20 Mpc scales. For angular distributions, we find that brighter and more massive sources are strongly clustered relative to fainter sources with lower mass; likewise, based on WISE colors, spheroidal galaxies have the strongest clustering, while late-type disk galaxies have the lowest clustering amplitudes. In three dimensions, we find a number of distinct groupings, often bridged by filaments and superstructures. Using special visualization tools, we map these structures, exploring how clustering may play a role with stellar mass and galaxy type.
ABSTRACT
Current and future cosmological surveys are targeting star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1 with nebular emission lines. We use a state-of-the-art semi-analytical model of galaxy formation and ...evolution to explore the large-scale environment of star-forming emission line galaxies (ELGs). Model ELGs are selected such that they can be compared directly with the DEEP2, VVDS, eBOSS-SGC, and DESI surveys. The large-scale environment of the ELGs is classified using velocity–shear–tensor and tidal–tensor algorithms. Half of the model ELGs live in filaments and about a third in sheets. Model ELGs that reside in knots have the largest satellite fractions. We find that the shape of the mean halo occupation distribution of model ELGs varies widely for different large-scale environments. To interpret our results, we also study fixed number density samples of ELGs and galaxies selected using simpler criteria, with single cuts in stellar mass, star formation rate, and O ii luminosity. The fixed number density ELG selection produces samples that are close to LO ii and SFR-selected samples for densities above 10−4.2 h3 Mpc−3. ELGs with an extra cut in stellar mass applied to fix their number density, present differences in sheets and knots with respect to the other samples. ELGs, SFR, and LO ii selected samples with equal number density have similar large-scale bias but their clustering below separations of 1h−1 Mpc is different.
ABSTRACT
We study potential systematic effects of assembly bias on cosmological parameter constraints from redshift-space distortion measurements. We use a semi-analytic galaxy formation model ...applied to the Millennium N-body WMAP-7 simulation to study the effects of halo assembly bias on the redshift-space distortions of the galaxy correlation function. We look at the pairwise velocities of galaxies living in haloes with concentrations and ages in the upper and lower quintiles, and find that the velocity differences between these are consistent with those reported for real-space clustering analyses; i.e. samples with higher clustering also exhibit stronger infall pairwise motions. This can also be seen in the monopole and quadrupole of the redshift-space correlation function. We find that regardless of the method of measurement, the changes in the β parameter due to different secondary halo parameters fully track the change in the bias parameter. Hence, assembly bias does not introduce detectable systematics in the inferred logarithmic growth factor.
The Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey has obtained spectra of over 230 000 targets using the Anglo-Australian Telescope. To homogenize the redshift measurements and improve the reliability, a ...fully automatic redshift code was developed (autoz). The measurements were made using a cross-correlation method for both the absorption- and the emission-line spectra. Large deviations in the high-pass-filtered spectra are partially clipped in order to be robust against uncorrected artefacts and to reduce the weight given to single-line matches. A single figure of merit (FOM) was developed that puts all template matches on to a similar confidence scale. The redshift confidence as a function of the FOM was fitted with a tanh function using a maximum likelihood method applied to repeat observations of targets. The method could be adapted to provide robust automatic redshifts for other large galaxy redshift surveys. For the GAMA survey, there was a substantial improvement in the reliability of assigned redshifts and in the lowering of redshift uncertainties with a median velocity uncertainty of 33 km s−1.
We investigate the dependence of the galaxy luminosity function on geometric environment within the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. The tidal tensor prescription, based on the Hessian of the ...pseudo-gravitational potential, is used to classify the cosmic web and define the geometric environments: for a given smoothing scale, we classify every position of the surveyed region, 0.04 < z < 0.26, as either a void, a sheet, a filament or a knot. We consider how to choose appropriate thresholds in the eigenvalues of the Hessian in order to partition the galaxies approximately evenly between environments. We find a significant variation in the luminosity function of galaxies between different geometric environments; the normalization, characterized by ϕ* in a Schechter function fit, increases by an order of magnitude from voids to knots. The turnover magnitude, characterized by M*, brightens by approximately 0.5 mag from voids to knots. However, we show that the observed modulation can be entirely attributed to the indirect local-density dependence. We therefore find no evidence of a direct influence of the cosmic web on the galaxy luminosity function.
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