Non-Gaussianity vs. non-linearity of cosmological perturbations

Abstract

Following the discovery of the CMB, the hot big-bang model has become the standard cosmological model. In this theory, small primordial fluctuations are subsequently amplified by gravity to form the large-scale structure seen today. Different theories for unified models of particle physics, lead to different predictions for the statistical properties of the primordial fluctuations, that can be divided in two classes: gaussian and non-gaussian. Convincing evidence against or for gaussian initial conditions would rule out many scenarios and point us towards a physical theory for the origin of structures. The statistical distribution of cosmological perturbations, as we observe them, can deviate from the gaussian distribution in several different ways. Even if perturbations start off gaussian, non-linear gravitational evolution can introduce non-gaussian features. Additionally, our knowledge of the Universe comes principally from the study of luminous material such as galaxies, but these might not be faithful tracers of the underlying mass distribution. The relationship between fluctuations in the mass and in the galaxies distribution (bias), is often assumed to be local, but could well be non-linear. Moreover, galaxy catalogues use the redshift as third spatial coordinate: the resulting redshift-space map is non-linearly distorted by peculiar velocities. Non-linear gravitational evolution, biasing, and redshift-space distortion introduce non-gaussianity, even in an initially gaussian fluctuation field. I will investigate the statistical tools that allow us, in principle, to disentangle the above different effects, and the observational datasets we require to do so in practice.

To appear in proc. of the 15th Florida workshop in Nonlinear Astronomy and Physics. Annals of The New York Academy of Sciences

References in corpus (5)

• Large-scale structure, the cosmic microwave background, and primordial non-gaussianity
• The abundance of high-redshift objects as a probe of non-Gaussian initial conditions
• The Cosmic Microwave Background Bispectrum and Inflation
• Tests for primordial non-Gaussianity
• Projected bispectrum in spherical harmonics and its application to angular galaxy catalogues

Cited by in corpus (2)

• N-body simulations with generic non-Gaussian initial conditions I: Power Spectrum and halo mass function
• N-body simulations with generic non-Gaussian initial conditions II: Halo bias