MEASURING PRIMORDIAL NON-GAUSSIANITY THROUGH WEAK-LENSING PEAK COUNTS
- Argelander-Institut fuer Astronomie, Universitaet Bonn, Bonn, D-53121 (Germany)
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Zuerich, Zuerich, CH 8057 (Switzerland)
We explore the possibility of detecting primordial non-Gaussianity of the local type using weak-lensing peak counts. We measure the peak abundance in sets of simulated weak-lensing maps corresponding to three models f{sub NL} = 0, - 100, and 100. Using survey specifications similar to those of EUCLID and without assuming any knowledge of the lens and source redshifts, we find the peak functions of the non-Gaussian models with f{sub NL} = {+-}100 to differ by up to 15% from the Gaussian peak function at the high-mass end. For the assumed survey parameters, the probability of fitting an f{sub NL} = 0 peak function to the f{sub NL} = {+-}100 peak functions is less than 0.1%. Assuming the other cosmological parameters are known, f{sub NL} can be measured with an error {Delta}f{sub NL} {approx} 13. It is therefore possible that future weak-lensing surveys like EUCLID and LSST may detect primordial non-Gaussianity from the abundance of peak counts, and provide information complementary to that obtained from the cosmic microwave background.
- OSTI ID:
- 21560507
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 728, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/728/1/L13; ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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