How to Optimally Constrain Galaxy Assembly Bias: Supplement Projected Correlation Functions with Count-in-cells Statistics

Abstract

Most models for the connection between galaxies and their haloes ignore the possibility that galaxy properties may be correlated with halo properties other than mass, a phenomenon known as galaxy assembly bias. Yet, it is known that such correlations can lead to systematic errors in the interpretation of survey data. At present, the degree to which galaxy assembly bias may be present in the real Universe, and the best strategies for constraining it remain uncertain. We study the ability of several observables to constrain galaxy assembly bias from redshift survey data using the decorated halo occupation distribution (dHOD), an empirical model of the galaxy--halo connection that incorporates assembly bias. We cover an expansive set of observables, including the projected two-point correlation function $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})$, the galaxy--galaxy lensing signal $\Delta \Sigma (r_{\mathrm{p}})$, the void probability function $\mathrm{VPF}(r)$, the distributions of counts-in-cylinders $P(N_{\mathrm{CIC}})$, and counts-in-annuli $P(N_{\mathrm{CIA}})$, and the distribution of the ratio of counts in cylinders of different sizes $P(N_2/N_5)$. We find that despite the frequent use of the combination $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})+\Delta \Sigma (r_{\mathrm{p}})$ in interpreting galaxy data, the count statistics, $P(N_{\mathrm{CIC}})$ and $P(N_{\mathrm{CIA}})$, are generally more efficient in constraining galaxy assembly bias when combined with $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})$. Constraints based upon $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})$ and $\Delta \Sigma (r_{\mathrm{p}})$ share common degeneracy directions in the parameter space, while combinations of $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})$ with the count statistics are more complementary. Therefore, we strongly suggest that count statistics should be used to complement the canonical observables in future studies of the galaxy--halo connection.

Figures 3 and 4 show the main results. Published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

References in corpus (24)

• The NumPy array: a structure for efficient numerical computation
• Wide-Field InfrarRed Survey Telescope-Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets WFIRST-AFTA 2015 Report
• Cosmological parameters from combining the Lyman-alpha forest with CMB, galaxy clustering and SN constraints
• Galaxy Evolution from Halo Occupation Distribution Modeling of DEEP2 and SDSS Galaxy Clustering
• The Importance of Satellite Quenching for the Build-Up of the Red Sequence of Present Day Galaxies
• Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Constraints on Extended Cosmological Models from Galaxy Clustering and Weak Lensing
• Effects of Baryons and Dissipation on the Matter Power Spectrum
• Assembly bias in the clustering of dark matter haloes
• Halo assembly bias and its effects on galaxy clustering
• Towards a Concordant Model of Halo Occupation Statistics
• The Excursion Set Theory of Halo Mass Functions, Halo Clustering, and Halo Growth
• Density profiles of galaxy groups and clusters from SDSS galaxy-galaxy weak lensing
• A 2.5% measurement of the growth rate from small-scale redshift space clustering of SDSS-III CMASS galaxies
• On Halo Formation Times and Assembly Bias
• The galaxy-halo connection from a joint lensing, clustering and abundance analysis in the CFHTLenS/VIPERS field
• Void Statistics in Large Galaxy Redshift Surveys: Does Halo Occupation of Field Galaxies Depend on Environment?
• Revealing the galaxy-halo connection in IllustrisTNG
• Updated Results on the Galaxy-Halo Connection from Satellite Kinematics in SDSS
• The Effects of Halo Assembly Bias on Self-Calibration in Galaxy Cluster Surveys
• Color Dependence in the Spatial Distribution of Satellite Galaxies
• Galaxy assembly bias of central galaxies in the Illustris simulation
• The Effects of Galaxy Assembly Bias on the Inference of Growth Rate from Redshift-Space Distortions
• Maturing Satellite Kinematics into a Competitive Probe of the Galaxy-Halo Connection
• Inferring Host Dark Matter Halo Masses of Individual Galaxies from Neighboring Galaxy Counts

Cited by in corpus (29)

• Nearest Neighbor distributions: new statistical measures for cosmological clustering
• Stringent ${\sigma }_8$ constraints from small-scale galaxy clustering using a hybrid MCMC+emulator framework
• A flexible modelling of galaxy assembly bias
• The Aemulus Project V: Cosmological constraint from small-scale clustering of BOSS galaxies
• Extensions to models of the galaxy-halo connection
• Elucidating Galaxy Assembly Bias in SDSS
• A Hybrid Deep Learning Approach to Cosmological Constraints From Galaxy Redshift Surveys
• The MillenniumTNG Project: An improved two-halo model for the galaxy-halo connection of red and blue galaxies
• New perspectives on the BOSS small-scale lensing discrepancy for the Planck $\Lambda$CDM Cosmology
• Constraints on $S_8$ from a full-scale and full-shape analysis of redshift-space clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing in BOSS
• Testing the Accuracy of Halo Occupation Distribution Modelling using Hydrodynamic Simulations
• Probing Galaxy Assembly Bias in BOSS Galaxies Using Void Probabilities
• Cosmological Evidence Modelling: a new simulation-based approach to constrain cosmology on non-linear scales
• Can Assembly Bias Explain the Lensing Amplitude of the BOSS CMASS Sample in a Planck Cosmology?
• Probing the galaxy-halo connection with total satellite luminosity
• Evidence of Galaxy Assembly Bias in SDSS DR7 Galaxy Samples from Count Statistics
• Observational Measures of Halo Properties Beyond Mass
• The Aemulus Project VI: Emulation of beyond-standard galaxy clustering statistics to improve cosmological constraints
• Main Sequence Scatter is Real: The Joint Dependence of Galaxy Clustering on Star Formation and Stellar Mass
• DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys Data Release 9: Cosmological Constraints from Galaxy Clustering and Weak Lensing using the Minimal Bias Model
• Differentiable Predictions for Large Scale Structure with SHAMNet
• The Beyond-Halo Mass Effects of the Cosmic Web Environment on Galaxies
• Late-formed halos prefer to host quiescent central galaxies. I. Observational results
• Toward Accurate Modeling of Galaxy Clustering on Small Scales: Constraining the Galaxy-Halo Connection with Optimal Statistics
• Toward Accurate Modeling of Galaxy Clustering on Small Scales: Halo Model Extensions and Lingering Tension
• Void Probability Function of Simulated Surveys of high-redshift Lyman-Alpha Emitters
• On the Constraints of Galaxy Assembly Bias in Velocity Space
• CLIMBER: Galaxy-Halo Connection Constraints from Next-Generation Surveys
• Bounds on galaxy stochasticity from halo occupation distribution modeling