## Recent Postings from Cosmology and Extragalactic

### The scalar modes of the relic gravitons [Cross-Listing]

In conformally flat background geometries the long wavelength gravitons can be described in the fluid approximation and they induce scalar fluctuations both during inflation and in the subsequent radiation-dominated epoch. While this effect is minute and suppressed for a de Sitter stage of expansion, the fluctuations of the energy-momentum pseudo-tensor of the graviton fluid lead to curvature perturbations that increase with time all along the post-inflationary evolution. An explicit calculation of these effects is presented for a standard thermal history and it is shown that the growth of the curvature perturbations caused by the long wavelength modes is approximately compensated by the slope of the power spectra of the energy density, pressure and anisotropic stress of the relic gravitons.

### The scalar modes of the relic gravitons [Cross-Listing]

In conformally flat background geometries the long wavelength gravitons can be described in the fluid approximation and they induce scalar fluctuations both during inflation and in the subsequent radiation-dominated epoch. While this effect is minute and suppressed for a de Sitter stage of expansion, the fluctuations of the energy-momentum pseudo-tensor of the graviton fluid lead to curvature perturbations that increase with time all along the post-inflationary evolution. An explicit calculation of these effects is presented for a standard thermal history and it is shown that the growth of the curvature perturbations caused by the long wavelength modes is approximately compensated by the slope of the power spectra of the energy density, pressure and anisotropic stress of the relic gravitons.

### The scalar modes of the relic gravitons

In conformally flat background geometries the long wavelength gravitons can be described in the fluid approximation and they induce scalar fluctuations both during inflation and in the subsequent radiation-dominated epoch. While this effect is minute and suppressed for a de Sitter stage of expansion, the fluctuations of the energy-momentum pseudo-tensor of the graviton fluid lead to curvature perturbations that increase with time all along the post-inflationary evolution. An explicit calculation of these effects is presented for a standard thermal history and it is shown that the growth of the curvature perturbations caused by the long wavelength modes is approximately compensated by the slope of the power spectra of the energy density, pressure and anisotropic stress of the relic gravitons.

### The scalar modes of the relic gravitons [Cross-Listing]

In conformally flat background geometries the long wavelength gravitons can be described in the fluid approximation and they induce scalar fluctuations both during inflation and in the subsequent radiation-dominated epoch. While this effect is minute and suppressed for a de Sitter stage of expansion, the fluctuations of the energy-momentum pseudo-tensor of the graviton fluid lead to curvature perturbations that increase with time all along the post-inflationary evolution. An explicit calculation of these effects is presented for a standard thermal history and it is shown that the growth of the curvature perturbations caused by the long wavelength modes is approximately compensated by the slope of the power spectra of the energy density, pressure and anisotropic stress of the relic gravitons.

### Cosmological evolution in a two-brane warped geometry model

We study an effective 4-dimensional scalar-tensor field theory, originated from an underlying brane-bulk warped geometry, to explore the scenario of inflation. It is shown that the inflaton potential naturally emerges from the radion energy-momentum tensor which in turn results into an inflationary model of the Universe on the visible brane that is consistent with the recent results from the Planck’s experiment. The dynamics of modulus stabilization from the inflaton rolling condition is demonstrated. The implications of our results in the context of recent BICEP2 results are also discussed.

### Cosmological evolution in a two-brane warped geometry model [Cross-Listing]

We study an effective 4-dimensional scalar-tensor field theory, originated from an underlying brane-bulk warped geometry, to explore the scenario of inflation. It is shown that the inflaton potential naturally emerges from the radion energy-momentum tensor which in turn results into an inflationary model of the Universe on the visible brane that is consistent with the recent results from the Planck’s experiment. The dynamics of modulus stabilization from the inflaton rolling condition is demonstrated. The implications of our results in the context of recent BICEP2 results are also discussed.

### Cosmological evolution in a two-brane warped geometry model [Cross-Listing]

We study an effective 4-dimensional scalar-tensor field theory, originated from an underlying brane-bulk warped geometry, to explore the scenario of inflation. It is shown that the inflaton potential naturally emerges from the radion energy-momentum tensor which in turn results into an inflationary model of the Universe on the visible brane that is consistent with the recent results from the Planck’s experiment. The dynamics of modulus stabilization from the inflaton rolling condition is demonstrated. The implications of our results in the context of recent BICEP2 results are also discussed.

### Cosmological evolution in a two-brane warped geometry model [Cross-Listing]

We study an effective 4-dimensional scalar-tensor field theory, originated from an underlying brane-bulk warped geometry, to explore the scenario of inflation. It is shown that the inflaton potential naturally emerges from the radion energy-momentum tensor which in turn results into an inflationary model of the Universe on the visible brane that is consistent with the recent results from the Planck’s experiment. The dynamics of modulus stabilization from the inflaton rolling condition is demonstrated. The implications of our results in the context of recent BICEP2 results are also discussed.

### Gravitational redshift of galaxies in clusters from SDSS and BOSS

The gravitational redshift effect allows one to directly probe the gravitational potential in clusters of galaxies. As such, it provides a fundamental test of general relativity (GR), and may help to constrain alternative theories of gravity. Following up on Wojtak, Hansen & Hjorth (2011), we present a new measurement. We take advantage of new data from the tenth data release of SDSS and BOSS, covering a range of redshift between 0.05 and 0.6. After selection, our dataset includes 60k galaxies, matched to 12k clusters, with an average cluster mass of $10^{14} M_{\odot}$. The analysis is focused on optimizing the selection method of clusters and of galaxies, taking into account possible systematic biases. We compare the light originating from the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), to that of galaxies at the outskirts of clusters. We find that BCGs have an average relative redshift of 11 km/s, with a standard deviation of +7 and -5 km/s. The result is consistent with the measurement of Wojtak et al. and is in good agreement with the predictions from GR. Considering the current systematic uncertainties, we can not distinguish between the baseline GR effect and the recently proposed kinematic modifications.

### Bianchi type I cosmological models in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity

We consider the dynamics of a barotropic cosmological fluid in an anisotropic, Bianchi type I space-time in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity. By assuming an isotropic pressure distribution, we obtain the general solution of the field equations in an exact parametric form. The behavior of the geometric and thermodynamic parameters of the Bianchi type I Universe is studied, by using both analytical and numerical methods, for some classes of high density matter, described by the stiff causal, radiation, and pressureless fluid equations of state. In all cases the study of the models with different equations of state can be reduced to the integration of a highly nonlinear second order ordinary differential equation for the energy density. The time evolution of the anisotropic Bianchi type I Universe strongly depends on the initial values of the energy density and of the Hubble function. An important observational parameter, the mean anisotropy parameter is also studied in detail, and we show that for the dust filled Universe the cosmological evolution always ends into an isotropic phase, while for high density matter filled universes the isotropization of Bianchi type I universes is essentially determined by the initial conditions of the energy density.

### Bianchi type I cosmological models in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity [Cross-Listing]

We consider the dynamics of a barotropic cosmological fluid in an anisotropic, Bianchi type I space-time in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity. By assuming an isotropic pressure distribution, we obtain the general solution of the field equations in an exact parametric form. The behavior of the geometric and thermodynamic parameters of the Bianchi type I Universe is studied, by using both analytical and numerical methods, for some classes of high density matter, described by the stiff causal, radiation, and pressureless fluid equations of state. In all cases the study of the models with different equations of state can be reduced to the integration of a highly nonlinear second order ordinary differential equation for the energy density. The time evolution of the anisotropic Bianchi type I Universe strongly depends on the initial values of the energy density and of the Hubble function. An important observational parameter, the mean anisotropy parameter is also studied in detail, and we show that for the dust filled Universe the cosmological evolution always ends into an isotropic phase, while for high density matter filled universes the isotropization of Bianchi type I universes is essentially determined by the initial conditions of the energy density.

### Bianchi type I cosmological models in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity [Cross-Listing]

We consider the dynamics of a barotropic cosmological fluid in an anisotropic, Bianchi type I space-time in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity. By assuming an isotropic pressure distribution, we obtain the general solution of the field equations in an exact parametric form. The behavior of the geometric and thermodynamic parameters of the Bianchi type I Universe is studied, by using both analytical and numerical methods, for some classes of high density matter, described by the stiff causal, radiation, and pressureless fluid equations of state. In all cases the study of the models with different equations of state can be reduced to the integration of a highly nonlinear second order ordinary differential equation for the energy density. The time evolution of the anisotropic Bianchi type I Universe strongly depends on the initial values of the energy density and of the Hubble function. An important observational parameter, the mean anisotropy parameter is also studied in detail, and we show that for the dust filled Universe the cosmological evolution always ends into an isotropic phase, while for high density matter filled universes the isotropization of Bianchi type I universes is essentially determined by the initial conditions of the energy density.

### Probability distribution function for inclinations of merging compact binaries detected by gravitational wave interferometers

We analytically discuss probability distribution function (PDF) for inclinations of merging compact binaries whose gravitational waves are coherently detected by a network of ground based interferometers. The PDF would be useful for studying prospects of (1) simultaneously detecting electromagnetic signals (such as gamma-ray-bursts) associated with binary mergers and (2) statistically constraining the related theoretical models from the actual observational data of multi-messenger astronomy. Our approach is similar to Schutz (2011), but we explicitly include the dependence of the polarization angles of the binaries, based on the concise formulation given in Cutler and Flanagan (1994). We find that the overall profiles of the PDFs are similar for any networks composed by the second generation detectors (Advanced-LIGO, Advanced-Virgo, KAGRA, LIGO-India). For example, 5.1% of detected binaries would have inclination angle less than 10 degree with at most 0.1% differences between the potential networks. A perturbative expression is also provided for generating the PDFs with a small number of parameters given by directional averages of the quantity $\epsilon$ that characterises the asymmetry of network sensitivities to incoming two orthogonal polarization modes.

### Combining power spectrum and bispectrum measurements to detect oscillatory features

The simplest inflationary models present us with few observable parameters to discriminate between them. A detection of features in the spectra of primordial density perturbations could provide valuable insights and lead to stringent tests of models of the early universe. So far, searches for oscillatory features have not produced statistically significant results. In this work we consider a combined search for features in the power spectrum and bispectrum. We show that possible dependencies between the estimates of feature model amplitudes based on the two and three-point correlators are largely statistically independent under the assumption of the null hypothesis of a nearly Gaussian featureless CMB. Building on this conclusion we propose an optimal amplitude estimator for a combined search and study the look-elsewhere effect in feature model surveys. In particular we construct analytic models for the distribution of amplitude estimates that allow for a reliable assessment of the significance of potential findings. We also propose a well behaved integrated statistic that is designed to detect evidence for models exhibiting features at multiple frequencies.

### Constraints on the Nambu-Goto cosmic string contribution to the CMB power spectrum in light of new temperature and polarisation data

Cosmic strings generate vector and tensor modes in the B-channel of polarization, as well as the usual temperature power spectrum and E-mode polarization spectrum. We use the power spectrum obtained from high-resolution Nambu-Goto cosmic string simulations together with the Planck and BICEP2 likelihoods to explore the degeneracies appearing between cosmic strings and other cosmological parameters in different inflationary scenarios, as well as the constraints that can be imposed on cosmic strings in each of these situations. In standard $\Lambda$CDM, the Planck likelihood yields an upper limit $G\mu<1.49 \times 10^{-7}$ (95\% confidence). We also analyse the possibility of explaining the BB power spectrum signal recently detected by the BICEP2 probe. We find that cosmic strings alone are able to explain only part of the B-mode polarization signal. Apart from the standard $\Lambda$CDM model, we look at the following non-minimal parameters: the running of the spectral index, non-zero tensor-to-scalar ratio, additional degrees of freedom ($N_{eff}$) and sterile neutrinos. We find that in both Planck and BICEP2 scenarios adding $N_{eff}$ induces degeneracies between cosmic strings and $N_{eff}$ and other $\Lambda$CDM parameters. With $N_{eff}$ a larger contribution from cosmic strings is allowed, even favoured, but after combining with large-scale structure data such as BAOs strings remain strongly constrained.

### Dark energy, QCD axion, BICEP2, and trans-Planckian decay constant [Cross-Listing]

Discrete symmetries allowed in string compactification are the mother of all global symmetries which are broken at some level. We discuss the resulting pseudo-Goldstone bosons, in particular the QCD axion and a temporary cosmological constant, and inflatons. We also comment on some implications of the recent BICEP2 data.

### Dark energy, QCD axion, BICEP2, and trans-Planckian decay constant

Discrete symmetries allowed in string compactification are the mother of all global symmetries which are broken at some level. We discuss the resulting pseudo-Goldstone bosons, in particular the QCD axion and a temporary cosmological constant, and inflatons. We also comment on some implications of the recent BICEP2 data.

### Evidence of cross-correlation between the CMB lensing and the gamma-ray sky

We report the measurement of the angular power spectrum of cross-correlation between the unresolved component of the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray sky-maps and the CMB lensing potential map reconstructed by the Planck satellite. The matter distribution in the Universe determines the bending of light coming from the last scattering surface. At the same time, the matter density drives the growth history of astrophysical objects, including their capability at generating non-thermal phenomena, which in turn give rise to gamma-ray emissions. The Planck lensing map provides information on the integrated distribution of matter, while the integrated history of gamma-ray emitters is imprinted in the Fermi-LAT sky maps. We report here the first evidence of their correlation (at 3.2$\sigma$ C.L.). We find that the multipole dependence of the cross-correlation measurement is in agreement with current models of the gamma-ray luminosity function for AGN and star forming galaxies. Moreover, its amplitude can in general be matched only assuming that these extra-galactic emitters are also the bulk contribution of the measured isotopic gamma-ray background (IGRB) intensity. This leaves little room for a big contribution from galactic sources to the IGRB measured by Fermi-LAT, pointing toward a direct evidence of the extragalactic origin of the IGRB.

### Theoretical implications of detecting gravitational waves

This paper is the third in a series of theorems which state how cosmological observations can provide evidence for an early phase of acceleration in the universe. Previous theorems demonstrated that the observed power spectrum for scalar perturbations forces all possible alternative theories of inflation to theories other than General Relativity. It was shown that generically, without a phase of accelerated expansion, these alternatives have to break at least one of the following tenets of classical general relativity: the Null Energy Condition (NEC), subluminal signal propagation, or sub-Planckian energy densities. In this paper we prove how any detection of primordial gravitational waves at large scales can provide independent evidence to support a phase of accelerated expansion. This proof does not rely on the spectral index for tensor modes. Our approach, like in the case of scalars, is proof by contradiction: we investigate the possibility of a detectable tensor signal sourced by vacuum fluctuations in a non-accelerating, sub-Planckian universe using cosmological perturbation theory (based on quantum field theory in curved space time) and derive contradictory limits on cosmological dynamics. The contradiction implies that one or more of our axioms for early universe must have been broken. The bound from tensor perturbations is not only independent of, but also stronger than the one obtained from scalar power spectrum.

### Dynamical symmetries and observational constraints in scalar field cosmology [Cross-Listing]

We propose to use dynamical symmetries of the field equations, in order to classify the dark energy models in the context of scalar field (quintessence or phantom) FLRW cosmologies. Practically, symmetries provide a useful mathematical tool in physical problems since they can be used to simplify a given system of differential equations as well as to determine the integrability of the physical system. The requirement that the field equations admit dynamical symmetries results in two potentials one of which is the well known Unified Dark Matter (UDM) potential and another new potential. For each hyperbolic potential we obtain the corresponding analytic solution of the field equations. The proposed analysis suggests that the requirement of the contact symmetry appears to be very competitive to other independent tests used to probe the functional form of a given potential and thus the associated nature of dark energy. Finally, in order to test the viability of the above scalar field models we perform a joint likelihood analysis using some of the latest cosmological data.

### Dynamical symmetries and observational constraints in scalar field cosmology [Cross-Listing]

We propose to use dynamical symmetries of the field equations, in order to classify the dark energy models in the context of scalar field (quintessence or phantom) FLRW cosmologies. Practically, symmetries provide a useful mathematical tool in physical problems since they can be used to simplify a given system of differential equations as well as to determine the integrability of the physical system. The requirement that the field equations admit dynamical symmetries results in two potentials one of which is the well known Unified Dark Matter (UDM) potential and another new potential. For each hyperbolic potential we obtain the corresponding analytic solution of the field equations. The proposed analysis suggests that the requirement of the contact symmetry appears to be very competitive to other independent tests used to probe the functional form of a given potential and thus the associated nature of dark energy. Finally, in order to test the viability of the above scalar field models we perform a joint likelihood analysis using some of the latest cosmological data.

### Dynamical symmetries and observational constraints in scalar field cosmology

We propose to use dynamical symmetries of the field equations, in order to classify the dark energy models in the context of scalar field (quintessence or phantom) FLRW cosmologies. Practically, symmetries provide a useful mathematical tool in physical problems since they can be used to simplify a given system of differential equations as well as to determine the integrability of the physical system. The requirement that the field equations admit dynamical symmetries results in two potentials one of which is the well known Unified Dark Matter (UDM) potential and another new potential. For each hyperbolic potential we obtain the corresponding analytic solution of the field equations. The proposed analysis suggests that the requirement of the contact symmetry appears to be very competitive to other independent tests used to probe the functional form of a given potential and thus the associated nature of dark energy. Finally, in order to test the viability of the above scalar field models we perform a joint likelihood analysis using some of the latest cosmological data.

### The CMB Power Spectrum of Nambu-Goto cosmic strings

We improve predictions of the CMB power spectrum induced by cosmic strings by using source terms obtained from Nambu-Goto network simulations in an expanding universe. We use three high-resolution cosmic string simulations that cover the entire period from recombination until late-time $\Lambda$ domination to calculate unequal time correlators (UETCs) for scalar, vector and tensor components of the cosmic-string energy-momentum tensor. We calculate the CMB angular power spectrum from strings in two ways: first, to aid comparison with previous work, we fit our simulated UETCs to those obtained from different parameter combinations from the unconnected segment model and then calculate the CMB power spectra using these parameters to represent the string network. Secondly and more accurately, we decompose the UETCs into their corresponding eigenvalues and eigenvectors and input them directly into an Einstein-Boltzmann solver to calculate the power spectrum for each of the three simulation time periods. We combine the three simulations together, using each of them in its relevant redshift range and we obtain overall power spectra in temperature and polarisation channels. Finally, we use the power spectra obtained with the latest Planck and BICEP2 likelihoods to obtain constraints on the cosmic string tension.

### Prospects for detecting CII emission during the Epoch of Reionization

We produce simulations of emission of the atomic CII line in large sky fields in order to determine the current prospects for mapping this line during the high redshift Epoch of Reionization. We estimate the CII line intensity, redshift evolution and spatial fluctuations using observational relations between CII emission and the SFR in a galaxy for the frequency range of 200 GHz to 300 GHz. We obtained a frequency averaged intensity of CII emission of ${\rm I_{\rm CII}=(4 \pm 2)\times10^{2}\, Jy\, \rm sr^{-1}}$ in the redshift range $z\, \sim\, 5.3\, -\, 8.5$. Observations of CII emission in this frequency range will suffer contamination from emission lines at lower redshifts, in particular from the CO rotation lines. For the relevant frequency range we estimated the CO contamination (originated in emission from galaxies at $z\, <\, 2.5$), using simulations, to be ${\rm I_{\rm CO} \approx 10^{3}\, Jy \, sr^{-1}}$ and independently confirmed the result based in observational relations. We generated maps as a function of angle and frequency using detailed simulations of the CII and CO emission across several redshifts in order to properly take into account the observational pipeline and light cone effects. In order to reduce the foreground contamination we found that we should mask galaxies below redshifts $\sim 2.5$ with a CO flux in one of the CO(J:2-1) to CO(J:6-5) lines higher than ${\rm 5\times 10^{-22}\, W\ m^{-2}}$ or a AB magnitude lower than ${\rm m_{\rm K}\, =\, 22}$. We estimate that the additional continuum contamination is of the order of ${\rm 10^{-1}\, Jy\, sr^{-1}}$ and so a lot lower than the predicted CII signal. It is also considered the possibility of cross correlating foreground lines with galaxies in order to probe the intensity of the foregrounds.

### Searching for primordial localized features with CMB and LSS spectra

Inspired by the study of mild transient reductions in the speed of sound of the adiabatic mode during inflation, we search for a primordial localized feature imprinted in cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure formation observables. We find some common oscillatory patterns both in the Planck CMB temperature-temperature power spectrum and the WiggleZ galaxy spectrum. By performing independent searches with these two data sets, we find a coincidence in the most significant mode previously found by Ach\’ucarro et al. 2013 by using only Planck data. Furthermore, the joint data analysis shows that the oscillation frequency of the feature gets better constrained, and the amplitude marginally deviates from zero, unlike what was observed using only Planck data. Besides the parameter estimation, we also discuss the Bayesian evidence. The addition of WiggleZ data mildly enhances the significance of the best mode found in the Planck data.

### The detectability of cosmological gravitational-wave backgrounds: a rule of thumb [Cross-Listing]

The recent claim by BICEP2 of evidence for primordial gravitational waves from inflation has focused interest on the potential for early-Universe cosmology using observations of gravitational waves. In addition to cosmic microwave background detectors, efforts are underway to carry out gravitational-wave astronomy over a wide range of frequencies including pulsar timing arrays (nHz), space-based detectors (mHz), and terrestrial detectors ($\sim$10-2000 Hz). This multiband effort will probe a wide range of times in the early Universe (each corresponding to a different energy scale), during which gravitational-wave backgrounds may have been produced through processes such as phase transitions or preheating. In this letter, we derive a rule of thumb (not quite so strong as an upper limit) governing the maximum energy density of cosmological backgrounds. For most cosmological scenarios, we expect the energy density spectrum to peak at values of $\Omega_\text{gw}(f)\lesssim10^{-12\pm2}$. We discuss the applicability of this rule of thumb and the implications for gravitational-wave astronomy.

### The detectability of cosmological gravitational-wave backgrounds: a rule of thumb

The recent claim by BICEP2 of evidence for primordial gravitational waves from inflation has focused interest on the potential for early-Universe cosmology using observations of gravitational waves. In addition to cosmic microwave background detectors, efforts are underway to carry out gravitational-wave astronomy over a wide range of frequencies including pulsar timing arrays (nHz), space-based detectors (mHz), and terrestrial detectors ($\sim$10-2000 Hz). This multiband effort will probe a wide range of times in the early Universe (each corresponding to a different energy scale), during which gravitational-wave backgrounds may have been produced through processes such as phase transitions or preheating. In this letter, we derive a rule of thumb (not quite so strong as an upper limit) governing the maximum energy density of cosmological backgrounds. For most cosmological scenarios, we expect the energy density spectrum to peak at values of $\Omega_\text{gw}(f)\lesssim10^{-12\pm2}$. We discuss the applicability of this rule of thumb and the implications for gravitational-wave astronomy.

### The Persistent Percolation of Single-Stream Voids

We study the nature of voids defined as single-stream regions that have not undergone shell-crossing. We use ORIGAMI to determine the cosmic web morphology of each dark matter particle in a suite of cosmological $N$-body simulations, which explicitly calculates whether a particle has crossed paths with others along multiple sets of axes and does not depend on a parameter or smoothing scale. The theoretical picture of voids is that of expanding underdensities with borders defined by shell-crossing. We find instead that locally underdense single-stream regions are not bounded on all sides by multi-stream regions, thus they percolate, filling the simulation volume; we show that the set of multi-stream particles also percolates. This percolation persists to high resolution, where the mass fraction of single-stream voids is low, because the volume fraction remains high; we speculate on the fraction of collapsed mass in the continuum limit of infinite resolution. By introducing a volume threshold parameter to define underdense void "cores", we create a catalog of ORIGAMI voids which consist entirely of single-stream particles and measure their percolation properties, volume functions, and average densities.

### An 8-mm diameter Fiber Robot Positioner for Massive Spectroscopy Surveys

Massive spectroscopic survey are becoming trendy in astrophysics and cosmology, as they can address new fundamental knowledge such as Galactic Archaeology and probe the nature of the mysterious Dark Energy. To enable massive spectroscopic surveys, new technology are being developed to place thousands of optical fibers at a given position on a focal plane. These technology needs to be: 1) accurate, with micrometer positional accuracy; 2) fast to minimize overhead; 3) robust to minimize failure; and 4) low cost. In this paper we present the development of a new 8-mm in diameter fiber positionner robot using two 4mm DC-brushless gearmotors, developed in the context of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. This development was conducted by a Spanish-Swiss (ES-CH) team led by the Instituto de F\’isica Te\’orica (UAM-CSIC) and the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique (EPFL), in collaboration with the AVS company in Spain and the Faulhaber group (MPS & FAULHABER-MINIMOTOR) in Switzerland.

### Feature importance for machine learning redshifts applied to SDSS galaxies

We present an analysis of importance feature selection applied to photometric redshift estimation using the machine learning architecture Random Decision Forests (RDF) with the ensemble learning routine Adaboost. We select a list of 85 easily measured (or derived) photometric quantities (or ‘features’) and spectroscopic redshifts for almost two million galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 10. After identifying which features have the most predictive power, we use standard artificial Neural Networks (aNN) to show that the addition of these features, in combination with the standard magnitudes and colours, improves the machine learning redshift estimate by 18% and decreases the catastrophic outlier rate by 32%. We further compare the redshift estimate from RDF using the ensemble learning routine Adaboost with those from two different aNNs, and with photometric redshifts available from the SDSS. We find that the RDF requires orders of magnitude less computation time than the aNNs to obtain a machine learning redshift while reducing both the catastrophic outlier rate by up to 43%, and the redshift error by up to 25%. When compared to the SDSS photometric redshifts, the RDF machine learning redshifts both decreases the standard deviation of residuals scaled by 1/(1+z) by 36% from 0.066 to 0.041, and decreases the fraction of catastrophic outliers by 57% from 2.32% to 0.99%.

### Hunting down systematics in baryon acoustic oscillations after cosmic high noon

Future dark energy experiments will require better and more accurate theoretical predictions for the baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) signature in the spectrum of cosmological perturbations. Here, we use large N-body simulations of the \LambdaCDM Planck cosmology to study any possible systematic shifts and damping in BAO due to the impact of nonlinear gravitational growth of structure, scale dependent and non-local bias, and redshift-space distortions. The effect of cosmic variance is largely reduced by dividing the tracer power spectrum by that from a BAO-free simulation starting with the same phases. This permits us to study with unprecedented accuracy (better than 0.02% for dark matter and 0.07% for low-bias halos) small shifts of the pristine BAO wavenumbers towards larger k, and non-linear damping of BAO wiggles in the power spectrum of dark matter and halo populations in the redshift range z=0-1. For dark matter, we provide an accurate parametrization of the evolution of \alpha as a function of the linear growth factor D(z). For halo samples, with bias ranging from 1.2 to 2.8, we measure a typical BAO shift of ~0.25%, observed in real-space, which does not show an appreciable evolution with redshift within the uncertainties. Moreover, we report a constant shift as a function of halo bias. We find a different evolution of the damping of the acoustic feature in all halo samples as compared to dark matter with haloes suffering less damping, and also find some weak dependence on bias. A larger BAO shift and damping is measured in redshift-space which can be well explained by linear theory due to redshift-space distortions. A clear modulation in phase with the acoustic scale is observed in the scale-dependent halo bias due to the presence of the baryonic acoustic oscillations.

### Gravitational waves from cosmic bubble collisions

Cosmic bubbles are nucleated through the quantum tunneling process. After nucleation they would expand and undergo collisions with each other. In this paper, we focus in particular on collisions of two equal-sized bubbles and compute gravitational waves emitted from the collisions. First, we study the mechanism of the collisions by means of a real scalar field and a quartic potential of the field. Then, using this scalar field model, we compute gravitational waves from the collisions in a straightforward manner. In the quadrupole approximation, time-domain gravitational waveforms are directly obtained by integrating the energy-momentum tensors over the volume of the wave sources, where the energy-momentum tensors are expressed in terms of the scalar field, the local geometry and the potential; therefore, containing all information about the bubble collisions. We present gravitational waveforms emitted during (i) the initial-to-intermediate stage of strong collisions and (ii) the final stage of weak collisions: the former is obtained numerically, in full General Relativity and the latter analytically, in the flat spacetime approximation. The thin-wall and quadrupole approximations are assumed to simplify our computations and the next-to-leading order corrections beyond these approximations are disregarded in our analysis. Nonetheless, we gain qualitative insights into the time-domain gravitational waveforms from the bubble collisions: during (i), the waveforms show the non-linearity of the collisions, characterized by a modulating frequency and cusp-like bumps, whereas during (ii), the waveforms exhibit the linearity of the collisions, featured by smooth monochromatic oscillations.

### Gravitational waves from cosmic bubble collisions [Cross-Listing]

Cosmic bubbles are nucleated through the quantum tunneling process. After nucleation they would expand and undergo collisions with each other. In this paper, we focus in particular on collisions of two equal-sized bubbles and compute gravitational waves emitted from the collisions. First, we study the mechanism of the collisions by means of a real scalar field and a quartic potential of the field. Then, using this scalar field model, we compute gravitational waves from the collisions in a straightforward manner. In the quadrupole approximation, time-domain gravitational waveforms are directly obtained by integrating the energy-momentum tensors over the volume of the wave sources, where the energy-momentum tensors are expressed in terms of the scalar field, the local geometry and the potential; therefore, containing all information about the bubble collisions. We present gravitational waveforms emitted during (i) the initial-to-intermediate stage of strong collisions and (ii) the final stage of weak collisions: the former is obtained numerically, in full General Relativity and the latter analytically, in the flat spacetime approximation. The thin-wall and quadrupole approximations are assumed to simplify our computations and the next-to-leading order corrections beyond these approximations are disregarded in our analysis. Nonetheless, we gain qualitative insights into the time-domain gravitational waveforms from the bubble collisions: during (i), the waveforms show the non-linearity of the collisions, characterized by a modulating frequency and cusp-like bumps, whereas during (ii), the waveforms exhibit the linearity of the collisions, featured by smooth monochromatic oscillations.

### Dynamical D-Terms in Supergravity [Cross-Listing]

Most phenomenological models of supersymmetry breaking rely on nonzero F-terms rather than nonzero D-terms. An important reason why D-terms are often neglected is that it turns out to be very challenging to realize D-terms at energies parametrically smaller than the Planck scale in supergravity. As we demonstrate in this paper, all conventional difficulties may, however, be overcome if the generation of the D-term is based on strong dynamics. To illustrate our idea, we focus on a certain class of vector-like SUSY breaking models that enjoy a minimal particle content and which may be easily embedded into more complete scenarios. We are then able to show that, upon gauging a global flavor symmetry, an appropriate choice of Yukawa couplings readily allows to dynamically generate a D-term at an almost arbitrary energy scale. This includes in particular the natural and consistent realization of D-terms around, above and below the scale of grand unification in supergravity, without the need for fine-tuning of any model parameters. Our construction might therefore bear the potential to open up a new direction for model building in supersymmetry and early universe cosmology.

### Dynamical D-Terms in Supergravity [Cross-Listing]

Most phenomenological models of supersymmetry breaking rely on nonzero F-terms rather than nonzero D-terms. An important reason why D-terms are often neglected is that it turns out to be very challenging to realize D-terms at energies parametrically smaller than the Planck scale in supergravity. As we demonstrate in this paper, all conventional difficulties may, however, be overcome if the generation of the D-term is based on strong dynamics. To illustrate our idea, we focus on a certain class of vector-like SUSY breaking models that enjoy a minimal particle content and which may be easily embedded into more complete scenarios. We are then able to show that, upon gauging a global flavor symmetry, an appropriate choice of Yukawa couplings readily allows to dynamically generate a D-term at an almost arbitrary energy scale. This includes in particular the natural and consistent realization of D-terms around, above and below the scale of grand unification in supergravity, without the need for fine-tuning of any model parameters. Our construction might therefore bear the potential to open up a new direction for model building in supersymmetry and early universe cosmology.

### Dynamical D-Terms in Supergravity

Most phenomenological models of supersymmetry breaking rely on nonzero F-terms rather than nonzero D-terms. An important reason why D-terms are often neglected is that it turns out to be very challenging to realize D-terms at energies parametrically smaller than the Planck scale in supergravity. As we demonstrate in this paper, all conventional difficulties may, however, be overcome if the generation of the D-term is based on strong dynamics. To illustrate our idea, we focus on a certain class of vector-like SUSY breaking models that enjoy a minimal particle content and which may be easily embedded into more complete scenarios. We are then able to show that, upon gauging a global flavor symmetry, an appropriate choice of Yukawa couplings readily allows to dynamically generate a D-term at an almost arbitrary energy scale. This includes in particular the natural and consistent realization of D-terms around, above and below the scale of grand unification in supergravity, without the need for fine-tuning of any model parameters. Our construction might therefore bear the potential to open up a new direction for model building in supersymmetry and early universe cosmology.

### An integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect vs redshift test for the cosmological parameters

We describe a method using the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect caused by individual inhomogeneities to determine the cosmological parameters, $H_{\rm 0}$, $\Omega_{\rm m}$, and $\Omega_{\Lambda}$, etc. This ISW-redshift test requires prior knowledge of a standard set of individual density perturbations, i.e., galaxy clusters and/or cosmic voids, including the dynamics of their evolution with redshift z. It assumes the density perturbations are embedded (equivalently compensated) and makes use of the newly found relation between the ISW temperature perturbation of the CMB and the Fermat potential of the lens. Given measurements of the amplitudes of the temperature variations in the CMB caused by clusters or voids at various redshifts and estimates of their angular sizes or masses, one can constrain the cosmological parameters. If the evolution of the cluster or void densities are not known but the background cosmology is, then this test can be used to constrain their evolution.

### Long-term X-ray stability and UV variability of the ionized absorption in NGC 3783

We present the results of recent Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer and Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observations of the nearby Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3783 which shows a strong, non-varying X-ray warm absorber and physically related and kinematically varying UV absorption. We compare our new observations to high-resolution, high signal-to-noise archival data from 2001, allowing a unique investigation into the long-term variations of the absorption over a 12 yr period. We find no statistically significant changes in the physical properties of the X-ray absorber, but there is a significant drop of ~40% in the UV and X-ray flux, and a significant flattening of the underlying X-ray power-law slope. Large kinematic changes are seen in the UV absorbers, possibly due to radial deceleration of the material. Similar behavior is not observed in the X-ray data, likely due to its lower velocity resolution, which shows an outflow velocity of v ~ -655 km/s in both epochs. The narrow iron K-alpha emission line at 6.4 keV shows no variation between epochs, and its measured width places the material producing the line at a radial distance of ~0.03 pc from the central black hole.

### The mass-concentration relation in lensing clusters: the role of statistical biases and selection effects

The relation between mass and concentration of galaxy clusters traces their formation and evolution. Massive lensing clusters were observed to be over-concentrated and following a steeper scaling in tension with predictions from the standard concordance $\Lambda$CDM paradigm. We critically revise the relation in the CLASH, the SGAS, the LOCUSS and a high-redshift samples of weak lensing clusters. Measurements of mass and concentration are anti-correlated, which can bias the observed relation towards steeper values. We corrected for this bias and compared the measured relation to theoretical predictions accounting for halo triaxiality, adiabatic contraction of the halo, presence of a dominant BCG and, mostly, selection effects in the observed sample. The normalization, the slope and the scatter of the expected relation are strongly sample-dependent. For the considered samples, the predicted slope is much steeper than that of the underlying relation characterizing dark-matter only clusters. We found that correction of the statistical and selection biases mostly solve the tension with the $\Lambda$CDM model.

### Data Mining for Gravitationally Lensed Quasars

Gravitationally lensed (GL) quasars are brighter than their unlensed counterparts and produce images with distinctive morphological signatures. Past searches and target selection algorithms, in particular the Sloan Quasar Lens Search (SQLS), have relied on basic morphological criteria, which were applied to samples of bright, spectroscopically confirmed quasars. The SQLS techniques are not sufficient for searching into new surveys (e.g. DES, PS1, LSST), because spectroscopic information is not readily available and the large data volume requires higher purity in target/candidate selection. We carry out a systematic exploration of machine learning techniques and demonstrate that a two step strategy can be highly effective. In the first step we use catalog-level information ($griz$+WISE magnitudes, second moments) to preselect targets, using artificial neural networks. The accepted targets are then inspected with pixel-by-pixel pattern recognition algorithms (Gradient-Boosted Trees), to form a final set of candidates. The results from this procedure can be used to further refine the simpler SQLS algorithms, with a twofold (or threefold) gain in purity and the same (or $80\%$) completeness at target-selection stage, or a purity of $70\%$ and a completeness of $60\%$ after the candidate-selection step. Simpler photometric searches in $griz$+WISE based on colour cuts would provide samples with $7\%$ purity or less. Our technique is extremely fast, as a list of candidates can be obtained from a stage III experiment (e.g. DES catalog/database) in {a few} CPU hours. The techniques are easily extendable to Stage IV experiments like LSST with the addition of time domain information.

### Two new methods to detect cosmic voids without density measurements

Cosmic voids are effective cosmological probes to discriminate among competing world models. Their precise and unbiased identification is a prerequisite to perform accurate observational tests. The identification is generally based on density or geometry criteria that, because of their very nature, are prone to shot noise errors. In this work we propose two new void finders that are based on dynamical and clustering criteria to select voids in the Lagrangian coordinates and minimise the impact of sparse sampling. The first approach exploits the Zeldovich approximation to trace back in time the orbits of galaxies located in the voids and their surroundings, whereas the second uses the observed galaxy-galaxy correlation function to relax the objects’ spatial distribution to homogeneity and isotropy. In both cases voids are defined as regions of the negative velocity divergence in Lagrangian coordinates, that can be regarded as sinks of the back-in-time streamlines of the mass tracers. To assess the performance of our methods we used a dark matter halo catalogue extracted from an N-body simulation at z=0, and compared the results with those obtained with ZOBOV void finder. We find that the void divergence profiles are less scattered than the density ones, so their stacking constitutes a more accurate cosmological probe. The significance of the divergence signal in the central part of voids obtained from both our finders is 60% higher than for overdensity profiles in the ZOBOV case. Individual voids selected by both finders have similar tri-axial ellipsoidal shapes. The ellipticity of the stacked void measured in the divergence field is significantly closer to unity, as expected, than what is found when using halo positions. These results show that our new void finders are complementary to the existing methods, that should contribute to improve the accuracy of void-based cosmological tests.

### Vacuum energy sequestering and cosmic dynamics [Cross-Listing]

We explicitly compute the dynamics of closed homogeneous and isotropic universes permeated by a single perfect fluid with a constant equation of state parameter $w$ in the context of a recent reformulation of general relativity, proposed in [1], which prevents the vacuum energy from acting as a gravitational source. This is done using an iterative algorithm, taking as an initial guess the background cosmological evolution obtained using standard general relativity in the absence of a cosmological constant. We show that, in general, the impact of the vacuum energy sequestering mechanism on the dynamics of the universe is significant, except for the $w=1/3$ case where the results are identical to those obtained in the context of general relativity with a null cosmological constant. We also show that there are well behaved models in general relativity that do not have a well behaved counterpart in the vacuum energy sequestering paradigm studied in this paper, highlighting the specific case of a quintessence scalar field with a linear potential.

### Vacuum energy sequestering and cosmic dynamics

We explicitly compute the dynamics of closed homogeneous and isotropic universes permeated by a single perfect fluid with a constant equation of state parameter $w$ in the context of a recent reformulation of general relativity, proposed in [1], which prevents the vacuum energy from acting as a gravitational source. This is done using an iterative algorithm, taking as an initial guess the background cosmological evolution obtained using standard general relativity in the absence of a cosmological constant. We show that, in general, the impact of the vacuum energy sequestering mechanism on the dynamics of the universe is significant, except for the $w=1/3$ case where the results are identical to those obtained in the context of general relativity with a null cosmological constant. We also show that there are well behaved models in general relativity that do not have a well behaved counterpart in the vacuum energy sequestering paradigm studied in this paper, highlighting the specific case of a quintessence scalar field with a linear potential.

### Vacuum energy sequestering and cosmic dynamics [Cross-Listing]

We explicitly compute the dynamics of closed homogeneous and isotropic universes permeated by a single perfect fluid with a constant equation of state parameter $w$ in the context of a recent reformulation of general relativity, proposed in [1], which prevents the vacuum energy from acting as a gravitational source. This is done using an iterative algorithm, taking as an initial guess the background cosmological evolution obtained using standard general relativity in the absence of a cosmological constant. We show that, in general, the impact of the vacuum energy sequestering mechanism on the dynamics of the universe is significant, except for the $w=1/3$ case where the results are identical to those obtained in the context of general relativity with a null cosmological constant. We also show that there are well behaved models in general relativity that do not have a well behaved counterpart in the vacuum energy sequestering paradigm studied in this paper, highlighting the specific case of a quintessence scalar field with a linear potential.

### Vacuum energy sequestering and cosmic dynamics [Cross-Listing]

We explicitly compute the dynamics of closed homogeneous and isotropic universes permeated by a single perfect fluid with a constant equation of state parameter $w$ in the context of a recent reformulation of general relativity, proposed in [1], which prevents the vacuum energy from acting as a gravitational source. This is done using an iterative algorithm, taking as an initial guess the background cosmological evolution obtained using standard general relativity in the absence of a cosmological constant. We show that, in general, the impact of the vacuum energy sequestering mechanism on the dynamics of the universe is significant, except for the $w=1/3$ case where the results are identical to those obtained in the context of general relativity with a null cosmological constant. We also show that there are well behaved models in general relativity that do not have a well behaved counterpart in the vacuum energy sequestering paradigm studied in this paper, highlighting the specific case of a quintessence scalar field with a linear potential.

### Spectroscopic Needs for Calibration of LSST Photometric Redshifts

This white paper summarizes the conclusions of the Snowmass White Paper "Spectroscopic Needs for Imaging Dark Energy Experiments" (arXiv:1309.5384) which are relevant to the calibration of LSST photometric redshifts; i.e., the accurate characterization of biases and uncertainties in photo-z’s. Any significant miscalibration will lead to systematic errors in photo-z’s, impacting nearly all extragalactic science with LSST. As existing deep redshift samples have failed to yield highly-secure redshifts for a systematic 20%-60% of their targets, it is a strong possibility that future deep spectroscopic samples will not solve the calibration problem on their own. The best options in this scenario are provided by cross-correlation methods that utilize clustering with objects from spectroscopic surveys (which need not be fully representative) to trace the redshift distribution of the full sample. For spectroscopy, the eBOSS survey would enable a basic calibration of LSST photometric redshifts, while the expected LSST-DESI overlap would be more than sufficient for an accurate calibration at z>0.2. A DESI survey of nearby galaxies conducted in bright time would enable accurate calibration down to z~0. The expanded areal coverage provided by the transfer of the DESI instrument (or duplication of it at the Blanco Telescope) would enable the best possible calibration from cross-correlations, in addition to other science gains.

### Cross-correlation between the CMB lensing potential measured by Planck and high-z sub-mm galaxies detected by the Herschel-ATLAS survey [Replacement]

We present the first measurement of the correlation between the map of the CMB lensing potential derived from the Planck nominal mission data and $z >1.5$ galaxies detected by the Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) survey covering about $600\,\hbox{deg}^2$, i.e. about 1.4% of the sky. A highly significant ($20\,\sigma$) correlation is found, substantially stronger than expected. The result was checked by performing a number of null tests. The galaxy bias parameter, $b$, derived from a joint analysis of the cross-power spectrum and of the auto-power spectrum of the galaxy density contrast is found to be $b=2.80^{+0.12}_{-0.11}$, consistent with earlier estimates for H-ATLAS galaxies at similar redshifts. On the other hand, the amplitude of the cross-correlation is found to be a factor $1.62 \pm 0.16$ higher than expected from the standard model and also found by cross-correlation analyses with other tracers of the large-scale structure. The enhancement due to lensing magnification can account for only a fraction of the excess cross-correlation signal. We suggest that most of it may be due to an incomplete removal of the contamination of the CIB, that includes the H-ATLAS sources we are cross-correlating with. In any case, the highly significant detection reported here using a catalog covering only 1.4% of the sky demonstrates the potential of CMB lensing correlations with sub-mm surveys.

### Cross-correlation between the CMB lensing potential measured by Planck and high-z sub-mm galaxies detected by the Herschel-ATLAS survey

We present the first measurement of the correlation between the map of the CMB lensing potential derived from the Planck nominal mission data and $z >1.5$ galaxies detected by the Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) survey covering about $600\,\hbox{deg}^2$, i.e. about 1.4% of the sky. A highly significant ($20\,\sigma$) correlation is found, substantially stronger than expected. The result was checked by performing a number of null tests. The galaxy bias parameter, $b$, derived from a joint analysis of the cross-power spectrum and of the auto-power spectrum of the galaxy density contrast is found to be $b=2.80^{+0.12}_{-0.11}$, consistent with earlier estimates for H-ATLAS galaxies at similar redshifts. On the other hand, the amplitude of the cross-correlation is found to be a factor $1.62 \pm 0.16$ higher than expected from the standard model and also found by cross-correlation analyses with other tracers of the large-scale structure. The enhancement due to lensing magnification can account for only a fraction of the excess cross-correlation signal. We suggest that most of it may be due to an incomplete removal of the contamination of the CIB, that includes the H-ATLAS sources we are cross-correlating with. In any case, the highly significant detection reported here using a catalog covering only 1.4% of the sky demonstrates the potential of CMB lensing correlations with sub-mm surveys.

### Cross-correlation between the CMB lensing potential measured by Planck and high-z sub-mm galaxies detected by the Herschel-ATLAS survey [Replacement]

We present the first measurement of the correlation between the map of the CMB lensing potential derived from the Planck nominal mission data and $z >1.5$ galaxies detected by the Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) survey covering about $600\,\hbox{deg}^2$, i.e. about 1.4% of the sky. A highly significant ($20\,\sigma$) correlation is found, substantially stronger than expected. The result was checked by performing a number of null tests. The galaxy bias parameter, $b$, derived from a joint analysis of the cross-power spectrum and of the auto-power spectrum of the galaxy density contrast is found to be $b=2.80^{+0.12}_{-0.11}$, consistent with earlier estimates for H-ATLAS galaxies at similar redshifts. On the other hand, the amplitude of the cross-correlation is found to be a factor $1.62 \pm 0.16$ higher than expected from the standard model and also found by cross-correlation analyses with other tracers of the large-scale structure. The enhancement due to lensing magnification can account for only a fraction of the excess cross-correlation signal. We suggest that most of it may be due to an incomplete removal of the contamination of the CIB, that includes the H-ATLAS sources we are cross-correlating with. In any case, the highly significant detection reported here using a catalog covering only 1.4% of the sky demonstrates the potential of CMB lensing correlations with sub-mm surveys.

### Spectroscopic Needs for Training of LSST Photometric Redshifts

This white paper summarizes those conclusions of the Snowmass White Paper "Spectroscopic Needs for Imaging Dark Energy Experiments" (arXiv:1309.5384) which are relevant to the training of LSST photometric redshifts; i.e., the use of spectroscopic redshifts to improve algorithms and reduce photo-z errors. The larger and more complete the available training set is, the smaller the RMS error in photo-z estimates should be, increasing LSST’s constraining power. Among the better US-based options for this work are the proposed MANIFEST fiber feed for the Giant Magellan Telescope or (with lower survey speed) the WFOS spectrograph on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). Due to its larger field of view and higher multiplexing, the PFS spectrograph on Subaru would be able to obtain a baseline training sample faster than TMT; comparable performance could be achieved with a highly-multiplexed spectrograph on Gemini with at least a 20 arcmin diameter field of view.