Browsing by Autor "D. Bianchi"

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Backlighting extended gas halos around luminous red galaxies: Kinematic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect from DESI Y1 and ACT data
(American Physical Society, 2025) Bernardita Ried Guachalla; Emmanuel Schaan; Boryana Hadzhiyska; Simone Ferraro; J. Aguilar; S. P. Ahlen; Nicholas Battaglia; D. Bianchi; Richard Bond; David J. Brooks
The gas density profile around galaxies, shaped by feedback and affecting the galaxy lensing signal, is imprinted on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) by the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (kSZ). We precisely measure this effect ($S/N\ensuremath{\approx}10$) via velocity stacking with 825,283 spectroscopically confirmed luminous red galaxies (LRG) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Year 1 (DESI Y1) survey, which overlap with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6 temperature maps over $\ensuremath{\ge}4,000\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{deg}}^{2}$. We explore the kSZ dependence with various galaxy parameters and find no significant trend with redshift but clear trends with stellar mass and absolute magnitude in $g$, $r$, and $z$ bands. Our analysis suggests that the gas extends beyond the dark matter halo (99.5% confidence level, i.e., probability to exceed $(\mathrm{PTE})=0.005$). We find a tentative preference for hydrodynamical simulation models with stronger feedback that drives gas further out (Illustris $z=0.5$, $\mathrm{PTE}=0.37$) over weaker-feedback cases (IllustrisTNG $z=0.8$, $\mathrm{PTE}=0.045$), though with limited statistical significance. In all cases, a free multiplicative amplitude was fit to the simulated profiles, and further modeling work is required to firm up these conclusions. We find consistency between kSZ profiles around spectroscopic and photometric LRG, with comparable statistical power, thus increasing our confidence in the photometric analysis. Additionally, we present the first kSZ measurement around the DESI Y1 bright galaxy sample (BGS) and the emission-line galaxies (ELG) whose features match qualitative expectations. Finally, we forecast $S/N\ensuremath{\sim}50$ for future stacked kSZ measurements using data from the ACT, the DESI Y3, and the Rubin Observatory. These measurements will serve as an input for galaxy formation models and baryonic uncertainties in galaxy lensing.
Clustering of DESI galaxies split by thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect
(2025) M. Rashkovetskyi; Daniel J. Eisenstein; J. Aguilar; S. P. Ahlen; Abhijeet Anand; D. Bianchi; David Brooks; F. J. Castander; T. Claybaugh; Andrei Cuceu
The thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) effect is associated with galaxy clusters - extremely large and dense structures tracing the dark matter with a higher bias than isolated galaxies. We propose to use the tSZ data to separate galaxies from redshift surveys into distinct subpopulations corresponding to different densities and biases independently of the redshift survey systematics. Leveraging the information from different environments, as in density-split and density-marked clustering, is known to tighten the constraints on cosmological parameters, like <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Ω</mml:mi> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> , <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>σ</mml:mi> <mml:mn>8</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:math> and neutrino mass. We use data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) in their region of overlap to demonstrate informative tSZ splitting of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs). We discover a significant increase in the large-scale clustering of DESI LRGs corresponding to detections starting from 1-2 sigma in the ACT DR6 + Planck tSZ Compton- <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:mi>y</mml:mi> </mml:math> map, below the cluster candidate threshold (4 sigma). We also find that such galaxies have higher line-of-sight coordinate (and velocity) dispersions and a higher number of close neighbors than both the full sample and near-zero tSZ regions. We produce simple simulations of tSZ maps that are intrinsically consistent with galaxy catalogs and do not include systematic effects, and find a similar pattern of large-scale clustering enhancement with tSZ effect significance. Moreover, we observe that this relative bias pattern remains largely unchanged with variations in the galaxy-halo connection model in our simulations. This is promising for future cosmological inference from tSZ-split clustering with semi-analytical models. Thus, we demonstrate that valuable cosmological information is present in the lower signal-to-noise regions of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich map, extending far beyond the individual cluster candidates.
Constraining the phase shift of relativistic species in DESI BAOs
(Oxford University Press, 2025) Abbé M Whitford; Cullan Howlett; M. Vargas-Magaña; S. Fromenteau; T. M. Davis; Ignasi Pérez-Ràfols; Arnaud de Mattia; S. P. Ahlen; D. Bianchi; David Brooks
ABSTRACT In the early Universe, neutrinos decouple quickly from the primordial plasma and propagate without further interactions. The impact of free-streaming neutrinos is to create a temporal shift in the gravitational potential that impacts the acoustic waves known as baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs), resulting in a non-linear spatial shift in the Fourier-space BAO signal. In this work, we make use of and extend upon an existing methodology to measure the phase shift amplitude $\beta _{\phi }$ and apply it to the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 1 (DR1) BAOs with an anisotropic BAO fitting pipeline. We validate the fitting methodology by testing the pipeline with two publicly available fitting codes applied to highly precise cubic box simulations and realistic simulations representative of the DESI DR1 data. We find further study towards the methods used in fitting the BAO signal will be necessary to ensure accurate constraints on $\beta _{\phi }$ in future DESI data releases. Using DESI DR1, we present individual measurements of the anisotropic BAO distortion parameters and the $\beta _{\phi }$ for the different tracers, and additionally a combined fit to $\beta _{\phi }$ resulting in $\beta _{\phi } = 2.7 \pm 1.7$. After including a prior on the distortion parameters from constraints using Planck we find $\beta _{\phi } = 2.7^{+0.60}_{-0.67}$ suggesting $\beta _{\phi } &gt; 0$ at 4.3$\sigma$ significance. This result may hint at a phase shift that is not purely sourced from the standard model expectation for $N_{\rm {eff}}$ or could be a upwards statistical fluctuation in the measured $\beta _{\phi }$; this result relaxes in models with additional freedom beyond Lambda-cold dark matter.
Detection of the large-scale tidal field with galaxy multiplet alignment in the DESI Y1 spectroscopic survey
(Oxford University Press, 2024) C Lamman; Daniel J. Eisenstein; J. E. Forero-Romero; J. Aguilar; S. P. Ahlen; S. Bailey; D. Bianchi; David J. Brooks; T. Claybaugh; Axel de la Macorra
ABSTRACT We explore correlations between the orientations of small galaxy groups, or ‘multiplets’, and the large-scale gravitational tidal field. Using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Y1 survey, we detect the intrinsic alignment (IA) of multiplets to the galaxy-traced matter field out to separations of $100\,h^{-1}$ Mpc. Unlike traditional IA measurements of individual galaxies, this estimator is not limited by imaging of galaxy shapes and allows for direct IA detection beyond redshift $z=1$. Multiplet alignment is a form of higher order clustering, for which the scale-dependence traces the underlying tidal field and amplitude is a result of small-scale ($\lt 1h^{-1}$ Mpc) dynamics. Within samples of bright galaxies, luminous red galaxies (LRG) and emission-line galaxies, we find similar scale-dependence regardless of intrinsic luminosity or colour. This is promising for measuring tidal alignment in galaxy samples that typically display no IA. DESI’s LRG mock galaxy catalogues created from the A bacusS ummitN-body simulations produce a similar alignment signal, though with a 33 per cent lower amplitude at all scales. An analytic model using a non-linear power spectrum (NLA) only matches the signal down to 20 $h^{-1}$ Mpc. Our detection demonstrates that galaxy clustering in the non-linear regime of structure formation preserves an interpretable memory of the large-scale tidal field. Multiplet alignment complements traditional two-point measurements by retaining directional information imprinted by tidal forces, and contains additional line-of-sight information compared to weak lensing. This is a more effective estimator than the alignment of individual galaxies in dense, blue, or faint galaxy samples.
Galaxy-multiplet clustering from DESI DR2
(Oxford University Press, 2025) Hanyue Wang; Daniel J. Eisenstein; J. Aguilar; S. P. Ahlen; D. Bianchi; David H. Brooks; T. Claybaugh; Axel de la Macorra; Arjun Dey; Biprateep Dey
ABSTRACT We present an efficient estimator for higher order galaxy clustering using small groups of nearby galaxies, or multiplets. Using the Luminous Red Galaxy sample from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 2, we identify galaxy multiplets as discrete objects and measure their cross-correlations with the general galaxy field. Our results show that the multiplets exhibit stronger clustering bias as they trace more massive dark matter haloes than individual galaxies. When comparing the observed clustering statistics with the mock catalogues generated from the N-body simulation AbacusSummit, we find that the mocks underpredict multiplet clustering despite reproducing the galaxy two-point autocorrelation reasonably well. This discrepancy indicates that the standard Halo Occupation Distribution (HOD) model is insufficient to describe the properties of galaxy multiplets, revealing the greater constraining power of this higher order statistic on galaxy–halo connection and the possibility that multiplets are specific to additional assembly bias. We demonstrate that incorporating secondary biases into the HOD model improves agreement with the observed multiplet statistics, specifically by allowing galaxies to preferentially occupy haloes in denser environments. Our results highlight the potential of utilizing multiplet clustering, beyond traditional two-point correlation measurements, to break degeneracies in models describing the galaxy–dark matter connection.
Modelling the impact of quasar redshift errors on the full-shape analysis of correlations in the Lyman-α forest
(Oxford University Press, 2025) C. Gordon; Andrei Cuceu; Andreu Font-Ribera; H. K. Herrera-Alcantar; Jessica Nicole Aguilar Steven Ahlen; D. Bianchi; David H. Brooks; T. Claybaugh; Shaun Cole; Axel de la Macorra
ABSTRACT In preparation for the first cosmological measurements from the full shape of the Lyman-$\alpha$ (Ly $\alpha$) forest from Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), we must carefully model all relevant systematics that might bias our analysis. It has been shown that random quasar redshift errors produce a smoothing effect on the mean quasar continuum in the Ly $\alpha$ forest region. This, in turn, gives rise to spurious features in the Ly $\alpha$ autocorrelation and its cross-correlation with quasars. Using synthetic data sets based on the DESI survey, we confirm that the impact on baryon acoustic oscillation measurements is small, but that a bias is introduced to parameters which depend on the full shape of our correlations. We combine a model of this contamination in the cross-correlation with a new model we introduce here for the autocorrelation. These are parametrized by three parameters, which, when included in a joint fit to both correlation functions, successfully eliminate any impact of redshift errors on our full-shape constraints. We also present a strategy for removing this contamination from real data, by removing $\sim$0.3 per cent of correlating pairs.
Spectroscopic Characterization of redMaPPer Galaxy Clusters with DESI
(Oxford University Press, 2025) J. Myles; D. Gruen; T Jeltema; Shaojun Fu; S. W. Allen; Shenming Fu; S. P. Ahlen; José Aguilar; David H. Brooks; D. Bianchi
ABSTRACT Optical galaxy cluster identification algorithms such as redMaPPer promise to enable an array of astrophysical and cosmological studies, but suffer from biases whereby galaxies in front of and behind a galaxy cluster are mistakenly associated with the primary cluster halo. These projection effects caused by irreducible photometric redshift uncertainty must be quantified to facilitate the use of optical cluster catalogues. We present measurements of galaxy cluster projection effects and velocity dispersion using spectroscopy from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. Our findings are as follows: we confirm that the fraction of redMaPPer putative member galaxies mistakenly associated with cluster haloes is richness dependent, being more than twice as large at low richness than high richness; we present the first spectroscopic evidence of an increase in projection effects with increasing redshift, by as much as 25 per cent from $z\sim 0.1$ to $z\sim 0.2$; moreover, we find qualitative evidence for luminosity dependence in projection effects, with fainter galaxies being more commonly far behind clusters than their bright counterparts; finally, we fit the scaling relation between measured mean spectroscopic richness and velocity dispersion, finding an implied linear scaling between spectroscopic richness and halo mass. We discuss further directions for the application of spectroscopic data sets to improve use of optically selected clusters to test cosmological models.
Study of the connected four-point correlation function of galaxies from the DESI Data Release 1 luminous red galaxy sample
(American Physical Society, 2025) J. Hou; R. N. Cahn; J. Aguilar; S. Ahlen; D. Bianchi; D. Brooks; T. Claybaugh; P. Doel; S. Ferraro; J. E. Forero-Romero
We present a measurement of the non-Gaussian four-point correlation function (4PCF) from the DESI DR1 luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample. For the gravitationally induced parity-even 4PCF, we detect a signal with a significance of <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <a:mrow> <a:mn>14.7</a:mn> <a:mi>σ</a:mi> </a:mrow> </a:math> using our fiducial setup. We assess the robustness of this detection through a series of validation tests, including auto and cross-correlation analyses, sky partitioning across multiple patch combinations, and variations in radial scale cuts. Due to the low completeness of the sample, we find that differences in fiber assignment implementation schemes can significantly impact estimation of the covariance and introduce biases in the data vector. After correcting for these effects, all tests yield consistent results. This is one of the first measurements of the connected 4PCF on the DESI LRG sample; the good agreement between the simulation and the data implies that the amplitude of the density fluctuation inferred from the connected 4PCF is consistent with the Planck <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <c:mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</c:mi> <c:mi>CDM</c:mi> </c:math> cosmology. The methodology and diagnostic framework established in this work provide a foundation for interpreting parity-odd 4PCF.
The rate of extreme coronal line emitters in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey LOWZ sample
(Oxford University Press, 2025) J. A. Callow; Or Graur; P. Clark; Alex Kim; Brendan O’Connor; José Aguilar; S. P. Ahlen; D. Bianchi; D Brooks; Axel de la Macorra
ABSTRACT Extreme coronal line emitters (ECLEs) are a rare class of galaxy that exhibit strong, high-ionization iron coronal emission lines in their spectra. In some cases, these lines are transient and may be the result of tidal disruption event (TDEs). To test this connection, we calculate the rate of variable ECLEs (vECLEs) at redshift $\sim 0.3$. We search for ECLEs in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) LOWZ sample and discover two candidate ECLEs. Using follow-up spectra from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument and Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph, and mid-infrared observations from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, we determine that one of these galaxies is a vECLE. Using this galaxy, we calculate the galaxy-normalized vECLE rate at redshift $\sim 0.3$ to be $R_\mathrm{G}=1.6~^{+3.8}_{-1.4}\times 10^{-6}~\mathrm{galaxy}^{-1}~\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$and the mass-normalized rate to be $R_\mathrm{M}=7~^{+16}_{-6}\times 10^{-18}~\mathrm{M_\odot ^{-1}}~\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. This is then converted to a volumetric rate of $R_\mathrm{V}=1.8~^{+4.5}_{-1.5}\times 10^{-9}~\mathrm{Mpc}^{-3}~\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. Formally, the LOWZ vECLE rates are $2 \!-\! 4$ times lower than the rates calculated from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Legacy sample at redshift $\sim 0.1$. However, given the large uncertainties on both measurements, they are consistent with each other at $1\sigma$. Both the galaxy-normalized and volumetric rates are one to two orders of magnitude lower than TDE rates from the literature, consistent with vECLEs being caused by $5 \!-\! 20$ per cent of all TDEs.
Updated cosmological constraints on axion dark energy with DESI
(American Physical Society, 2025) L. Arturo Ureña–López; F. Lozano-Rodríguez; J. O. Román-Herrera; José Edgar Madriz Aguilar; S. P. Ahlen; D. Bianchi; David J. Brooks; T. Claybaugh; Axel de la Macorra; Arjun Dey
We present updated constraints on the parameters of an axion dark energy model, for which we took into account the properties of its characteristic potential and its full cosmological evolution. We show that the values of the axion parameters appear sufficiently constrained by the data, including the latest DESI DR1, and are consistent with the theoretical expectations of a field mass ${m}_{a}$ in the ultralight regime $\mathrm{log}({m}_{a}{c}^{2}/\mathrm{eV})\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}32.60\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12$, and an effective energy scale ${f}_{a}$ close to the reduced Planck energy $\mathrm{log}({f}_{a}/{M}_{\mathrm{Pl}})\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.28\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.19$. Our results also support the idea of dynamical dark energy, although Bayesian evidence still favors the phenomenological dark energy model ${w}_{0}{w}_{a}$ over the axion dark energy, with the Bayes factor indicating moderate and weak strength of the evidence, respectively, when the models are compared to the cosmological constant $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$. However, the results suggest that axion dark energy remains a well-motivated model and its parameters may be better constrained if the upcoming DESI data show further evidence for dynamical dark energy.