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We introduce the skew-spectrum statistic for weak lensing convergence $kappa$ maps and test it against state-of-the-art high-resolution all-sky numerical simulations. We perform the analysis as a function of source redshift and smoothing angular scale for individual tomographic bins. We also analyse the cross-correlation between different tomographic bins. We compare the numerical results to fitting-functions used to model the bispectrum of the underlying density field as a function of redshift and scale. We derive a closed form expression for the skew-spectrum for gravity-induced secondary non-Gaussianity. We also compute the skew-spectrum for the projected $kappa$ inferred from Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) studies. As opposed to the low redshift case we find the post-Born corrections to be important in the modelling of the skew-spectrum for such studies. We show how the presence of a mask and noise can be incorporated in the estimation of a skew-spectrum.
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Statistical isotropy (SI) has been one of the simplifying assumptions in cosmological model building. Experiments like WMAP and PLANCK are attempting to test this assumption by searching for specific signals in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) two point correlation function. Modifications to this correlation function due to gravitational lensing by the large scale structure (LSS) surrounding us have been ignored in this context. Gravitational lensing will induce signals which mimic isotropy violation even in an isotropic universe. The signal detected in the Bipolar Spherical Harmonic (BipoSH) coefficients $A^{20}_{ll}$ by the WMAP team may be explained by accounting for the lensing modifications to these coefficients. Further the difference in the amplitude of the signal detected in the V-band and W-band maps can be explained by accounting for the differences in the designed angular sensitivity of the instrumental beams. The arguments presented in this article have crucial implications for SI violation studies. Constraining SI violation will only be possible by complementing CMB data sets with all sky measurements of the large scale dark matter distribution. Till that time, the signal detected in the BipoSH coefficients from WMAP-7 could also be yet another suggested evidence of strong deviations from the standard $Lambda$CDM cosmology based on homogeneous and isotropic FRW models.
We study the morphology of convergence maps by perturbatively reconstructing their Minkowski Functionals (MFs). We present a systematics study using a set of three generalised skew-spectra as a function of source redshift and smoothing angular scale. Using an approach based on pseudo-$S_{ell}$s (PSL) we show how these spectra will allow reconstruction of MFs in the presence of an arbitrary mask and inhomogeneous noise in an unbiased way. Our theoretical predictions are based on a recently introduced fitting function to the bispectrum. We compare our results against state-of-the art numerical simulations and find an excellent agreement. The reconstruction can be carried out in a controlled manner as a function of angular harmonics $ell$ and source redshift $z_s$ which allows for a greater handle on any possible sources of non-Gaussianity. Our method has the advantage of estimating the topology of convergence maps directly using shear data. We also study weak lensing convergence maps inferred from Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations; and we find that, though less significant at low redshift, the post-Born corrections play an important role in any modelling of the non-Gaussianity of convergence maps at higher redshift. We also study the cross-correlations of estimates from different tomographic bins.
Recent studies have demonstrated that {em secondary} non-Gaussianity induced by gravity will be detected with a high signal-to-noise (S/N) by future and even by on-going weak lensing surveys. One way to characterise such non-Gaussianity is through the detection of a non-zero three-point correlation function of the lensing convergence field, or of its harmonic transform, the bispectrum. A recent study analysed the properties of the squeezed configuration of the bispectrum, when two wavenumbers are much larger than the third one. We extend this work by estimating the amplitude of the (reduced) bispectrum in four generic configurations, i.e., {em squeezed, equilateral, isosceles} and {em folded}, and for four different source redshifts $z_s=0.5,1.0,1.5,2.0$, by using an ensemble of all-sky high-resolution simulations. We compare these results against theoretical predictions. We find that, while the theoretical expectations based on widely used fitting functions can predict the general trends of the reduced bispectra, a more accurate theoretical modelling will be required to analyse the next generation of all-sky weak lensing surveys. The disagreement is particularly pronounced in the squeezed limit.
We present a full-sky derivation of weak lensing observables in the Post-Friedmann (PF) formalism. Weak lensing has the characteristic of mixing small scales and large scales since it is affected by inhomogeneities integrated along the photon trajectory. With the PF formalism, we develop a modelling of lensing observables which encompasses both leading order relativistic effects and effects that are due to the fully non-linear matter distribution at small scales. We derive the reduced shear, convergence and rotation up to order $1/c^4$ in the PF approximation, accounting for scalar, vector and tensor perturbations, as well as galaxies peculiar velocities. We discuss the various contributions that break the Kaiser-Squires relation between the shear and the convergence at different orders. We pay particular attention to the impact of the frame-dragging vector potential on lensing observables and we discuss potential ways to measure this effect in future lensing surveys.
Cosmological weak lensing has been a highly successful and rapidly developing research field since the first detection of cosmic shear in 2000. However, it has recently been pointed out in Yoo et al. that the standard weak lensing formalism yields gauge-dependent results and, hence, does not meet the level of accuracy demanded by the next generation of weak lensing surveys. Here, we show that the Jacobi mapping formalism provides a solid alternative to the standard formalism, as it accurately describes all the relativistic effects contributing to the weak lensing observables. We calculate gauge-invariant expressions for the distortion in the luminosity distance, the cosmic shear components and the lensing rotation to linear order including scalar, vector and tensor perturbations. In particular, the Jacobi mapping formalism proves that the rotation is fully vanishing to linear order. Furthermore, the cosmic shear components contain an additional term in tensor modes which is absent in the results obtained with the standard formalism. Our work provides further support and confirmation of the gauge-invariant lensing formalism needed in the era of precision cosmology.
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