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The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars

Author(s): Sherwin, Blake D; Das, Sudeep; Hajian, Amir; Addison, Graeme E.; Bond, J Richard; et al

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Abstract: We measure the cross-correlation of Atacama cosmology telescope cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing convergence maps with quasar maps made from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR8 SDSS-XDQSO photometric catalog. The CMB lensing quasar cross-power spectrum is detected for the first time at a significance of 3.8 sigma, which directly confirms that the quasar distribution traces the mass distribution at high redshifts z > 1. Our detection passes a number of null tests and systematic checks. Using this cross-power spectrum, we measure the amplitude of the linear quasar bias assuming a template for its redshift dependence, and find the amplitude to be consistent with an earlier measurement from clustering; at redshift z approximate to 1.4, the peak of the distribution of quasars in our maps, our measurement corresponds to a bias of b = 2.5 +/- 0.6. With the signal-to-noise ratio on CMB lensing measurements likely to improve by an order of magnitude over the next few years, our results demonstrate the potential of CMB lensing cross-correlations to probe astrophysics at high redshifts.
Publication Date: 15-Oct-2012
Electronic Publication Date: 16-Oct-2012
Citation: Sherwin, Blake D, Das, Sudeep, Hajian, Amir, Addison, Graeme, Bond, J Richard, Crichton, Devin, Devlin, Mark J, Dunkley, Joanna, Gralla, Megan B, Halpern, Mark, Hill, J Colin, Hincks, Adam D, Hughes, John P, Huffenberger, Kevin, Hlozek, Renee, Kosowsky, Arthur, Louis, Thibaut, Marriage, Tobias A, Marsden, Danica, Menanteau, Felipe, Moodley, Kavilan, Niemack, Michael D, Page, Lyman A, Reese, Erik D, Sehgal, Neelima, Sievers, Jon, Sifon, Cristobal, Spergel, David N, Staggs, Suzanne T, Switzer, Eric R, Wollack, Ed. (2012). The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Cross-correlation of cosmic microwave background lensing and quasars. PHYSICAL REVIEW D, 86 (10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006
DOI: doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.86.083006
ISSN: 1550-7998
Type of Material: Journal Article
Journal/Proceeding Title: PHYSICAL REVIEW D
Version: Final published version. Article is made available in OAR by the publisher's permission or policy.



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