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A critical analysis of high-redshift, massive, galaxy clusters. Part I

Journal Article · · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3]
  1. ICC, Universitat de Barcelona (IEEC-UB), Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)
  2. ICREA, Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancat, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona (Spain)
  3. Helsinki Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki (Finland)

We critically investigate current statistical tests applied to high redshift clusters of galaxies in order to test the standard cosmological model and describe their range of validity. We carefully compare a sample of high-redshift, massive, galaxy clusters with realistic Poisson sample simulations of the theoretical mass function, which include the effect of Eddington bias. We compare the observations and simulations using the following statistical tests: the distributions of ensemble and individual existence probabilities (in the > M, > z sense), the redshift distributions, and the 2d Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Using seemingly rare clusters from Hoyle et al. (2011), and Jee et al. (2011) and assuming the same survey geometry as in Jee et al. (2011, which is less conservative than Hoyle et al. 2011), we find that the ( > M, > z) existence probabilities of all clusters are fully consistent with ΛCDM. However assuming the same survey geometry, we use the 2d K-S test probability to show that the observed clusters are not consistent with being the least probable clusters from simulations at > 95% confidence, and are also not consistent with being a random selection of clusters, which may be caused by the non-trivial selection function and survey geometry. Tension can be removed if we examine only a X-ray selected sub sample, with simulations performed assuming a modified survey geometry.

OSTI ID:
22280200
Journal Information:
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Journal Issue: 02 Vol. 2012; ISSN 1475-7516
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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