Combining Weak Lensing Tomography with Halo Clustering to Probe Dark Energy

Abstract

Two methods of constraining the properties of dark energy are weak lensing tomography and cluster counting. Uncertainties in mass calibration of clusters can be reduced by using the properties of halo clustering (the clustering of clusters). However, within a single survey, weak lensing and halo clustering probe the same density fluctuations. We explore the question of whether this information can be used twice -- once in weak lensing and then again in halo clustering to calibrate cluster masses -- or whether the combined dark energy constraints are weaker than the sum of the individual constraints. For a survey like the Dark Energy Survey (DES), we find that the cosmic shearing of source galaxies at high redshifts is indeed highly correlated with halo clustering at lower redshifts. Surprisingly, this correlation does not degrade cosmological constraints for a DES-like survey, and in fact, constraints are marginally improved since the correlations themselves act as additional observables. This considerably simplifies the analysis for a DES-like survey: when weak lensing and halo clustering are treated as independent experiments, the combined dark energy constraints (cluster counts included) are accurate if not slightly conservative. Our findings mirror those of Takada and Bridle, who investigated correlations between the cosmic shear and cluster counts.

arXiv comment4 pages, 2 color figures. Revised text for clarity and for resubmission to PhysRevD. Corrected error in our cluster counting Fisher matrix; combined dark energy constraints are now weaker, but our conclusions are the same

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Cited by in corpus (7)

• The Intrinsic Alignment of Galaxies and its Impact on Weak Gravitational Lensing in an Era of Precision Cosmology
• Weak lensing, dark matter and dark energy
• General Requirements on Matter Power Spectrum Predictions for Cosmology with Weak Lensing Tomography
• Comparison of Standard Ruler and Standard Candle constraints on Dark Energy Models
• Genetic Algorithms and Supernovae Type Ia Analysis
• Probing Dark Energy at Galactic and Cluster Scales
• Will Multiple Probes of Dark Energy find Modified Gravity?