Author
Shaun A. Thomas
Bio: Shaun A. Thomas is an academic researcher from University College London. The author has contributed to research in topics: Galaxy & Dark energy. The author has an hindex of 12, co-authored 18 publications receiving 2458 citations.
Papers
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Heidelberg University1, Korea Institute for Advanced Study2, University of Nottingham3, Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth4, University of Oxford5, INAF6, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare7, University of Bologna8, University of Padua9, University of Toulouse10, University of Geneva11, University of Trieste12, Roma Tre University13, University of Milan14, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte15, University of Oslo16, University College London17, Imperial College London18, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich19, Autonomous University of Madrid20, ETH Zurich21, University of Edinburgh22, Leiden University23, Sun Yat-sen University24, Max Planck Society25, Royal Institute of Technology26, University of Milano-Bicocca27, University of California, Berkeley28, University of Pennsylvania29, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo30, University of Porto31, University of Portsmouth32, King's College London33, Durham University34, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris35, Helsinki Institute of Physics36, University of Lisbon37, Université Paris-Saclay38, Paris Diderot University39, University of Surrey40, University of Trento41, University of Chile42, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic43, University of Cyprus44, University of Barcelona45, California Institute of Technology46, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics47
TL;DR: Euclid is a European Space Agency medium-class mission selected for launch in 2020 within the cosmic vision 2015-2025 program as discussed by the authors, which will explore the expansion history of the universe and the evolution of cosmic structures by measuring shapes and red-shift of galaxies as well as the distribution of clusters of galaxies over a large fraction of the sky.
Abstract: Euclid is a European Space Agency medium-class mission selected for launch in 2020 within the cosmic vision 2015–2025 program. The main goal of Euclid is to understand the origin of the accelerated expansion of the universe. Euclid will explore the expansion history of the universe and the evolution of cosmic structures by measuring shapes and red-shifts of galaxies as well as the distribution of clusters of galaxies over a large fraction of the sky. Although the main driver for Euclid is the nature of dark energy, Euclid science covers a vast range of topics, from cosmology to galaxy evolution to planetary research. In this review we focus on cosmology and fundamental physics, with a strong emphasis on science beyond the current standard models. We discuss five broad topics: dark energy and modified gravity, dark matter, initial conditions, basic assumptions and questions of methodology in the data analysis. This review has been planned and carried out within Euclid’s Theory Working Group and is meant to provide a guide to the scientific themes that will underlie the activity of the group during the preparation of the Euclid mission.
1,211 citations
TL;DR: This review is meant to provide a guide to the scientific themes that will underlie the activity of the group during the preparation of the Euclid mission and discusses five broad topics: dark energy and modified gravity, dark matter, initial conditions, basic assumptions and questions of methodology in the data analysis.
Abstract: Euclid is a European Space Agency medium class mission selected for launch in 2019 within the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 programme. The main goal of Euclid is to understand the origin of the accelerated expansion of the Universe. Euclid will explore the expansion history of the Universe and the evolution of cosmic structures by measuring shapes and redshifts of galaxies as well as the distribution of clusters of galaxies over a large fraction of the sky. Although the main driver for Euclid is the nature of dark energy, Euclid science covers a vast range of topics, from cosmology to galaxy evolution to planetary research. In this review we focus on cosmology and fundamental physics, with a strong emphasis on science beyond the current standard models. We discuss five broad topics: dark energy and modified gravity, dark matter, initial conditions, basic assumptions and questions of methodology in the data analysis. This review has been planned and carried out within Euclid's Theory Working Group and is meant to provide a guide to the scientific themes that will underlie the activity of the group during the preparation of the Euclid mission.
896 citations
TL;DR: If these bounds hold, they all predict that current-to-next generation neutrino experiments, such as KATRIN, are unlikely to obtain a detection.
Abstract: We present a new limit of $\ensuremath{\sum}_{}^{}{m}_{\ensuremath{
u}}\ensuremath{\le}0.28$ ($95%$ CL) on the sum of the neutrino masses assuming a flat $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\mathrm{CDM}$ cosmology. This relaxes slightly to $\ensuremath{\sum}_{}^{}{m}_{\ensuremath{
u}}\ensuremath{\le}0.34$ and $\ensuremath{\sum}_{}^{}{m}_{\ensuremath{
u}}\ensuremath{\le}0.47$ when quasinonlinear scales are removed and $w\ensuremath{
e}\ensuremath{-}1$, respectively. These are derived from a new photometric catalogue of over 700 000 luminous red galaxies (MegaZ DR7) with a volume of $3.3\text{ }\text{ }(\mathrm{Gpc}\text{ }{\mathrm{h}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{)}^{3}$ and redshift range $0.45lzl0.65$. The data are combined with WMAP 5-year CMB, baryon acoustic oscillations, supernovae, and a Hubble Space Telescope prior on $h$. When combined with WMAP these data are as constraining as adding all supernovae and baryon oscillation data available. The upper limit is one of the tightest constraints on the neutrino from cosmology or particle physics. Further, if these bounds hold, they all predict that current-to-next generation neutrino experiments, such as KATRIN, are unlikely to obtain a detection.
214 citations
01 Dec 2018
TL;DR: This review is meant to provide a guide to the scientific themes that will underlie the activity of the group during the preparation of the Euclid mission and discusses five broad topics: dark energy and modified gravity, dark matter, initial conditions, basic assumptions and questions of methodology in the data analysis.
Abstract: Euclid is a European Space Agency medium class mission selected for launch in 2020 within the Cosmic Vision 2015 2025 program. The main goal of Euclid is to understand the origin of the accelerated expansion of the universe. Euclid will explore the expansion history of the universe and the evolution of cosmic structures by measuring shapes and redshifts of galaxies as well as the distribution of clusters of galaxies over a large fraction of the sky. Although the main driver for Euclid is the nature of dark energy, Euclid science covers a vast range of topics, from cosmology to galaxy evolution to planetary research. In this review we focus on cosmology and fundamental physics, with a strong emphasis on science beyond the current standard models. We discuss five broad topics: dark energy and modified gravity, dark matter, initial conditions, basic assumptions and questions of methodology in the data analysis. This review has been planned and carried out within Euclid's Theory Working Group and is meant to provide a guide to the scientific themes that will underlie the activity of the group during the preparation of the Euclid mission.
148 citations
TL;DR: A large excess of power is observed in the statistical clustering of luminous red galaxies in the photometric SDSS galaxy sample called MegaZ DR7, which implies an anomaly on the largest physical scales probed by galaxies.
Abstract: Introduction.—A galaxy survey contains vast and varied information related to cosmological physics. The galaxies act as tracers of the underlying mass distribution whose statistical clustering enables a determination of the cosmological model. This is complementary to the CMB and directly probes the late-time Universe. Historically, this statistical distribution has been a penetrating indicator of new physics: The analysis of the galaxy correlation function in the APM survey showed one of the first signs that � m < 1 [1,2]—before supernovae. Since then galaxy surveys have matured with an emphasis on large cosmic volumes, which probe new scales, and immense galaxy numbers. Because of limited resources one approach has been to compensate this demand with a decrease in redshift precision. Rather than spectroscopy one instead obtains a redshift estimate based on the overall flux through broad band filters. This is called a photometric redshift. It has resulted in the leading MegaZ DR7 photometric catalogue [3] and is the basis for the Dark Energy Survey [4].
73 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, a combination of seven-year data from WMAP and improved astrophysical data rigorously tests the standard cosmological model and places new constraints on its basic parameters and extensions.
Abstract: The combination of seven-year data from WMAP and improved astrophysical data rigorously tests the standard cosmological model and places new constraints on its basic parameters and extensions. By combining the WMAP data with the latest distance measurements from the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the distribution of galaxies and the Hubble constant (H0) measurement, we determine the parameters of the simplest six-parameter ΛCDM model. The power-law index of the primordial power spectrum is ns = 0.968 ± 0.012 (68% CL) for this data combination, a measurement that excludes the Harrison–Zel’dovich–Peebles spectrum by 99.5% CL. The other parameters, including those beyond the minimal set, are also consistent with, and improved from, the five-year results. We find no convincing deviations from the minimal model. The seven-year temperature power spectrum gives a better determination of the third acoustic peak, which results in a better determination of the redshift of the matter-radiation equality epoch. Notable examples of improved parameters are the total mass of neutrinos, � mν < 0.58 eV (95% CL), and the effective number of neutrino species, Neff = 4.34 +0.86 −0.88 (68% CL), which benefit from better determinations of the third peak and H0. The limit on a constant dark energy equation of state parameter from WMAP+BAO+H0, without high-redshift Type Ia supernovae, is w =− 1.10 ± 0.14 (68% CL). We detect the effect of primordial helium on the temperature power spectrum and provide a new test of big bang nucleosynthesis by measuring Yp = 0.326 ± 0.075 (68% CL). We detect, and show on the map for the first time, the tangential and radial polarization patterns around hot and cold spots of temperature fluctuations, an important test of physical processes at z = 1090 and the dominance of adiabatic scalar fluctuations. The seven-year polarization data have significantly improved: we now detect the temperature–E-mode polarization cross power spectrum at 21σ , compared with 13σ from the five-year data. With the seven-year temperature–B-mode cross power spectrum, the limit on a rotation of the polarization plane due to potential parity-violating effects has improved by 38% to Δα =− 1. 1 ± 1. 4(statistical) ± 1. 5(systematic) (68% CL). We report significant detections of the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) effect at the locations of known clusters of galaxies. The measured SZ signal agrees well with the expected signal from the X-ray data on a cluster-by-cluster basis. However, it is a factor of 0.5–0.7 times the predictions from “universal profile” of Arnaud et al., analytical models, and hydrodynamical simulations. We find, for the first time in the SZ effect, a significant difference between the cooling-flow and non-cooling-flow clusters (or relaxed and non-relaxed clusters), which can explain some of the discrepancy. This lower amplitude is consistent with the lower-than-theoretically expected SZ power spectrum recently measured by the South Pole Telescope Collaboration.
11,309 citations
Carnegie Mellon University1, Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam2, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory3, Sternberg Astronomical Institute4, New Mexico State University5, Ohio State University6, University of Utah7, Yale University8, Autonomous University of Madrid9, University of Barcelona10, Harvard University11, Aix-Marseille University12, University of Paris13, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University14, Max Planck Society15, University of California, Berkeley16, University of California, Irvine17, University of Portsmouth18, University of Cambridge19, University of La Laguna20, Spanish National Research Council21, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris22, Princeton University23, University of Edinburgh24, Sejong University25, Kansas State University26, Pennsylvania State University27, National University of La Plata28, National Scientific and Technical Research Council29, Ohio University30, Brookhaven National Laboratory31, New York University32, University of St Andrews33, National Autonomous University of Mexico34, Open University35, University of Wisconsin-Madison36, Chinese Academy of Sciences37, University of Pittsburgh38, Case Western Reserve University39
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present cosmological results from the final galaxy clustering data set of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III.
Abstract: We present cosmological results from the final galaxy clustering data set of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III. Our combined galaxy sample comprises 1.2 million massive galaxies over an effective area of 9329 deg^2 and volume of 18.7 Gpc^3, divided into three partially overlapping redshift slices centred at effective redshifts 0.38, 0.51 and 0.61. We measure the angular diameter distance and Hubble parameter H from the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) method, in combination with a cosmic microwave background prior on the sound horizon scale, after applying reconstruction to reduce non-linear effects on the BAO feature. Using the anisotropic clustering of the pre-reconstruction density field, we measure the product D_MH from the Alcock–Paczynski (AP) effect and the growth of structure, quantified by fσ_8(z), from redshift-space distortions (RSD). We combine individual measurements presented in seven companion papers into a set of consensus values and likelihoods, obtaining constraints that are tighter and more robust than those from any one method; in particular, the AP measurement from sub-BAO scales sharpens constraints from post-reconstruction BAOs by breaking degeneracy between D_M and H. Combined with Planck 2016 cosmic microwave background measurements, our distance scale measurements simultaneously imply curvature Ω_K = 0.0003 ± 0.0026 and a dark energy equation-of-state parameter w = −1.01 ± 0.06, in strong affirmation of the spatially flat cold dark matter (CDM) model with a cosmological constant (ΛCDM). Our RSD measurements of fσ_8, at 6 per cent precision, are similarly consistent with this model. When combined with supernova Ia data, we find H_0 = 67.3 ± 1.0 km s^−1 Mpc^−1 even for our most general dark energy model, in tension with some direct measurements. Adding extra relativistic species as a degree of freedom loosens the constraint only slightly, to H_0 = 67.8 ± 1.2 km s^−1 Mpc^−1. Assuming flat ΛCDM, we find Ω_m = 0.310 ± 0.005 and H_0 = 67.6 ± 0.5 km s^−1 Mpc^−1, and we find a 95 per cent upper limit of 0.16 eV c^−2 on the neutrino mass sum.
2,413 citations
University of Chicago1, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University2, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory3, University of Pennsylvania4, Argonne National Laboratory5, Fermilab6, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences7, University of Cape Town8, Texas A&M University9, University of Cambridge10, University of Portsmouth11, University of Toronto12, Wayne State University13, University of Colorado Boulder14, University of Tokyo15, California Institute of Technology16, University of Victoria17, University of California, Berkeley18, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign19, University of Chile20, Autonomous University of Barcelona21, Stockholm University22, University of Texas at Austin23, Princeton University24, University of Oxford25, University of California, Santa Barbara26, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network27, Rutgers University28, University of Copenhagen29, Australian Astronomical Observatory30, Instituto Superior Técnico31, University of Utah32, Rochester Institute of Technology33, Space Telescope Science Institute34, Johns Hopkins University35, Pennsylvania State University36, University of the Western Cape37, University of Southampton38
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented cosmological constraints from a joint analysis of type Ia supernova (SN Ia) observations obtained by the SDSS-II and SNLS collaborations.
Abstract: Aims. We present cosmological constraints from a joint analysis of type Ia supernova (SN Ia) observations obtained by the SDSS-II and SNLS collaborations. The dataset includes several low-redshift samples (z< 0.1), all three seasons from the SDSS-II (0.05
1,939 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors considered a modified theory of gravity, where the gravitational Lagrangian is given by an arbitrary function of the Ricci scalar and of the trace of the stress-energy tensor.
Abstract: We consider $f(R,T)$ modified theories of gravity, where the gravitational Lagrangian is given by an arbitrary function of the Ricci scalar $R$ and of the trace of the stress-energy tensor $T$. We obtain the gravitational field equations in the metric formalism, as well as the equations of motion for test particles, which follow from the covariant divergence of the stress-energy tensor. Generally, the gravitational field equations depend on the nature of the matter source. The field equations of several particular models, corresponding to some explicit forms of the function $f(R,T)$, are also presented. An important case, which is analyzed in detail, is represented by scalar field models. We write down the action and briefly consider the cosmological implications of the $f(R,{T}^{\ensuremath{\phi}})$ models, where ${T}^{\ensuremath{\phi}}$ is the trace of the stress-energy tensor of a self-interacting scalar field. The equations of motion of the test particles are also obtained from a variational principle. The motion of massive test particles is nongeodesic, and takes place in the presence of an extra-force orthogonal to the four velocity. The Newtonian limit of the equation of motion is further analyzed. Finally, we provide a constraint on the magnitude of the extra acceleration by analyzing the perihelion precession of the planet Mercury in the framework of the present model.
1,833 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, a Theta vacua of gauge theories is proposed for cosmologists. But the authors do not consider the cosmological perturbation theory of axions in string theory.
Abstract: 1 Introduction 2 Models: the QCD axion; the strong CP problem; PQWW, KSVZ, DFSZ; anomalies, instantons and the potential; couplings; axions in string theory 3 Production and IC's: SSB and non-perturbative physics; the axion field during inflation and PQ SSB; cosmological populations - decay of parent, topological defects, thermal production, vacuum realignment 4 The Cosmological Field: action; background evolution; misalignment for QCD axion and ALPs; cosmological perturbation theory - ic's, early time treatment, axion sound speed and Jeans scale, transfer functions and WDM; the Schrodinger picture; simualting axions; BEC 5 CMB and LSS: Primary anisotropies; matter power; combined constraints; Isocurvature and inflation 6 Galaxy Formation; halo mass function; high-z and the EOR; density profiles; the CDM small-scale crises 7 Accelerated expansion: the cc problem; axion inflation (natural and monodromy) 8 Gravitational interactions with black holes and pulsars 9 Non-gravitational interactions: stellar astrophysics; LSW; vacuum birefringence; axion forces; direct detection with ADMX and CASPEr; Axion decays; dark radiation; astrophysical magnetic fields; cosmological birefringence 10 Conclusions A Theta vacua of gauge theories B EFT for cosmologists C Friedmann equations D Cosmological fluids E Bayes Theorem and priors F Degeneracies and sampling G Sheth-Tormen HMF
1,282 citations