Cosmic homogeneity demonstrated with luminous red galaxies

David W. Hogg; Daniel J. Eisenstein; Michael R. Blanton; Neta A. Bahcall; J. Brinkmann; James E. Gunn; Donald P. Schneider

doi:10.1086/429084

Cosmic homogeneity demonstrated with luminous red galaxies

David W. Hogg, Daniel J. Eisenstein, Michael R. Blanton, Neta A. Bahcall, J. Brinkmann, James E. Gunn, Donald P. Schneider

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We test the homogeneity of the universe at z ∼ 0.3 with the luminous red galaxy (LRG) spectroscopic sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. First, the mean number N(R) of LRGs within completely surveyed LRG-centered spheres of comoving radius R is shown to be proportional to R³ at radii greater than R ∼ 70 h^-1 Mpc. The test has the virtue that it does not rely on the assumption that the LRG sample has a finite mean density; its results show, however, that there is such a mean density. Second, the survey sky area is divided into 10 disjoint solid angular regions, and the fractional rms density variations of the LRG sample in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 0.35 among these (∼2 × 10⁷ h^-3 Mpc³) regions is found to be 7% of the mean density. This variance is consistent with typical biased ACDM models and puts very strong constraints on the quality of SDSS photometric calibration.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	54-58
Number of pages	5
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	624
Issue number	1 I
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/429084
State	Published - May 1 2005

Keywords

Cosmological parameters
Cosmology: observations
Galaxies: statistics
Large-scale structure of universe
Methods: statistical
Surveys

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/429084

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@article{c8c7fa4b22434595b7fbde0b97a9b934,

title = "Cosmic homogeneity demonstrated with luminous red galaxies",

abstract = "We test the homogeneity of the universe at z ∼ 0.3 with the luminous red galaxy (LRG) spectroscopic sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. First, the mean number N(R) of LRGs within completely surveyed LRG-centered spheres of comoving radius R is shown to be proportional to R3 at radii greater than R ∼ 70 h-1 Mpc. The test has the virtue that it does not rely on the assumption that the LRG sample has a finite mean density; its results show, however, that there is such a mean density. Second, the survey sky area is divided into 10 disjoint solid angular regions, and the fractional rms density variations of the LRG sample in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 0.35 among these (∼2 × 107 h-3 Mpc3) regions is found to be 7% of the mean density. This variance is consistent with typical biased ACDM models and puts very strong constraints on the quality of SDSS photometric calibration.",

keywords = "Cosmological parameters, Cosmology: observations, Galaxies: statistics, Large-scale structure of universe, Methods: statistical, Surveys",

author = "Hogg, {David W.} and Eisenstein, {Daniel J.} and Blanton, {Michael R.} and Bahcall, {Neta A.} and J. Brinkmann and Gunn, {James E.} and Schneider, {Donald P.}",

year = "2005",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1086/429084",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "624",

pages = "54--58",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Cosmic homogeneity demonstrated with luminous red galaxies

AU - Hogg, David W.

AU - Eisenstein, Daniel J.

AU - Blanton, Michael R.

AU - Bahcall, Neta A.

AU - Brinkmann, J.

AU - Gunn, James E.

AU - Schneider, Donald P.

PY - 2005/5/1

Y1 - 2005/5/1

N2 - We test the homogeneity of the universe at z ∼ 0.3 with the luminous red galaxy (LRG) spectroscopic sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. First, the mean number N(R) of LRGs within completely surveyed LRG-centered spheres of comoving radius R is shown to be proportional to R3 at radii greater than R ∼ 70 h-1 Mpc. The test has the virtue that it does not rely on the assumption that the LRG sample has a finite mean density; its results show, however, that there is such a mean density. Second, the survey sky area is divided into 10 disjoint solid angular regions, and the fractional rms density variations of the LRG sample in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 0.35 among these (∼2 × 107 h-3 Mpc3) regions is found to be 7% of the mean density. This variance is consistent with typical biased ACDM models and puts very strong constraints on the quality of SDSS photometric calibration.

AB - We test the homogeneity of the universe at z ∼ 0.3 with the luminous red galaxy (LRG) spectroscopic sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. First, the mean number N(R) of LRGs within completely surveyed LRG-centered spheres of comoving radius R is shown to be proportional to R3 at radii greater than R ∼ 70 h-1 Mpc. The test has the virtue that it does not rely on the assumption that the LRG sample has a finite mean density; its results show, however, that there is such a mean density. Second, the survey sky area is divided into 10 disjoint solid angular regions, and the fractional rms density variations of the LRG sample in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 0.35 among these (∼2 × 107 h-3 Mpc3) regions is found to be 7% of the mean density. This variance is consistent with typical biased ACDM models and puts very strong constraints on the quality of SDSS photometric calibration.

KW - Cosmological parameters

KW - Cosmology: observations

KW - Galaxies: statistics

KW - Large-scale structure of universe

KW - Methods: statistical

KW - Surveys

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U2 - 10.1086/429084

DO - 10.1086/429084

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:20344392642

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 624

SP - 54

EP - 58

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1 I

ER -

Cosmic homogeneity demonstrated with luminous red galaxies

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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