Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/42709

Title

Probing dark energy using baryonic oscillations in the galaxy power spectrum as a cosmological ruler

Author(s)

Blake, Chris;  Glazebrook, Karl

Abstract

We show that the baryonic oscillations expected in the galaxy power spectrum may be used as a "standard cosmological ruler" to facilitate accurate measurement of the cosmological equation of state. Our approach involves a straightforward measurement of the oscillation "wavelength" in Fourier space, which is fixed by fundamental linear physics in the early universe and hence is highly model-independent. We quantify the ability of future large-scale galaxy redshift surveys with mean redshifts z ∼ 1 and ∼3 to delineate the baryonic peaks in the power spectrum, and we derive corresponding constraints on the parameter w describing the equation of state of the dark energy. For example, a survey of 4 times the Sloan volume at z ∼ 1 can produce a measurement with accuracy Δw ≈ 0.1. We suggest that this method of measuring the dark energy powerfully complements other probes, such as Type Ia supernovae, and suffers from a different (and arguably less serious) set of systematic uncertainties.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 594, no. 2 (Sep 2003), pp. 665-673

Publication year

2003

Keyword(s)

Constant;  Cosmological parameters;  Equation-of-state;  Evolution;  Field;  Large-scale structure;  Parameters;  Quintessence;  Redshift survey;  Supernovae;  Surveys;  Universe

Publisher

University of Chicago Press

ISSN

0004-637X

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/376983

Copyright

Copyright © 2003 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Peer reviewed