skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A step towards testing general relativity using weak gravitational lensing and redshift surveys

Journal Article · · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
 [1];  [2]
  1. Institute of Cosmological and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 3FX (United Kingdom)
  2. Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, 60 St. George St, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3H8 (Canada)

Using the linear theory of perturbations in General Relativity, we express a set of consistency relations that can be observationally tested with current and future large scale structure surveys. We then outline a stringent model-independent program to test gravity on cosmological scales. We illustrate the feasibility of such a program by jointly using several observables like peculiar velocities, galaxy clustering and weak gravitational lensing. After addressing possible observational or astrophysical caveats like galaxy bias and redshift uncertainties, we forecast in particular how well one can predict the lensing signal from a cosmic shear survey using an over-lapping galaxy survey. We finally discuss the specific physics probed this way and illustrate how f(R) gravity models would fail such a test.

OSTI ID:
22156946
Journal Information:
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2009, Issue 03; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English