With the upcoming generation of telescopes, cluster scale strong gravitational lenses will act as an increasingly relevant probe of cosmology and dark matter. The better resolved data produced by current and future facilities requires faster and more
efficient lens modeling software. Consequently, we present Lenstool-HPC, a strong gravitational lens modeling and map generation tool based on High Performance Computing (HPC) techniques and the renowned Lenstool software. We also showcase the HPC concepts needed for astronomers to increase computation speed through massively parallel execution on supercomputers. Lenstool-HPC was developed using lens modelling algorithms with high amounts of parallelism. Each algorithm was implemented as a highly optimised CPU, GPU and Hybrid CPU-GPU version. The software was deployed and tested on the Piz Daint cluster of the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). Lenstool-HPC perfectly parallel lens map generation and derivative computation achieves a factor 30 speed-up using only 1 GPUs compared to Lenstool. Lenstool-HPC hybrid Lens-model fit generation tested at Hubble Space Telescope precision is scalable up to 200 CPU-GPU nodes and is faster than Lenstool using only 4 CPU-GPU nodes.
The Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) will conduct novel cosmological observations using the BOSS spectrograph at Apache Point Observatory. Observations will be simultaneous with the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS) desi
gned for variability studies and the Spectroscopic Identification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS) program designed for studies of X-ray sources. eBOSS will use four different tracers to measure the distance-redshift relation with baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). Using more than 250,000 new, spectroscopically confirmed luminous red galaxies at a median redshift z=0.72, we project that eBOSS will yield measurements of $d_A(z)$ to an accuracy of 1.2% and measurements of H(z) to 2.1% when combined with the z>0.6 sample of BOSS galaxies. With ~195,000 new emission line galaxy redshifts, we expect BAO measurements of $d_A(z)$ to an accuracy of 3.1% and H(z) to 4.7% at an effective redshift of z= 0.87. A sample of more than 500,000 spectroscopically-confirmed quasars will provide the first BAO distance measurements over the redshift range 0.9<z<2.2, with expected precision of 2.8% and 4.2% on $d_A(z)$ and H(z), respectively. Finally, with 60,000 new quasars and re-observation of 60,000 quasars known from BOSS, we will obtain new Lyman-alpha forest measurements at redshifts z>2.1; these new data will enhance the precision of $d_A(z)$ and H(z) by a factor of 1.44 relative to BOSS. Furthermore, eBOSS will provide improved tests of General Relativity on cosmological scales through redshift-space distortion measurements, improved tests for non-Gaussianity in the primordial density field, and new constraints on the summed mass of all neutrino species. Here, we provide an overview of the cosmological goals, spectroscopic target sample, demonstration of spectral quality from early data, and projected cosmological constraints from eBOSS.
We present the rest-frame near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectroscopy of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at 0.6<z<1.2 from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) in SDSS-IV. One of the eBOSS programs is to obtain 2 arcsec (about 15 kpc) fi
ber spectra of about 200,000 emission-line galaxies (ELGs) at redshift z>0.6. We use the data from the pilot observations of this program, including 8620 spectra of SFGs at 0.6<z<1.2. The median composite spectra of these SFGs at 2200 Ang < lambda < 4000 Ang feature asymmetric, preferentially blueshifted non-resonant emission, Fe II*, and blueshifted resonant absorption, e.g., Fe II and Mg II, indicating ubiquitous outflows driven by star formation at these redshifts. For the absorption lines, we find a variety of velocity profiles with different degrees of blueshift. Comparing our new observations with the literature, we do not observe the non-resonant emission in the small-aperture (<40 pc) spectra of local star-forming regions with the Hubble Space Telescope, and find the observed line ratios in the SFG spectra to be different from those in the spectra of local star-forming regions, as well as those of quasar absorption-line systems in the same redshift range. We introduce an outflow model that can simultaneously explain the multiple observed properties and suggest that the variety of absorption velocity profiles and the line ratio differences are caused by scattered fluorescent emission filling in on top of the absorption in the large-aperture eBOSS spectra. We develop an observation-driven, model-independent method to correct the emission-infill to reveal the true absorption profiles. Our results show that eBOSS and future dark-energy surveys (e.g., DESI and PFS) will provide rich datasets of NUV spectroscopy for astrophysical applications.
We present the [OII] luminosity function measured in the redshift range 0.1<z<1.65 with unprecedented depth and accuracy. Our measurements are based on medium resolution flux-calibrated spectra of emission line galaxies with the FORS2 instrument at V
LT and with the SDSS-III/BOSS spectrograph. The FORS2 spectra and the corresponding catalog containing redshifts and line fluxes are released along with this paper. In this work we use a novel method to combine the aforementioned surveys with GAMA, zCOSMOS and VVDS, which have different target selection, producing a consistent weighting scheme to derive the [OII] luminosity function. The measured luminosity function is in good agreement with previous independent estimates. The comparison with two state-of-the-art semi-analytical models is good, which is encouraging for the production of mock catalogs of [OII] flux limited surveys. We observe the bright end evolution over 8.5 Gyr: we measure the decrease of log L* from 42.4 erg/s at redshift 1.44 to 41.2 at redshift 0.165 and we find that the faint end slope flattens when redshift decreases. This measurement confirms the feasibility of the target selection of future baryonic acoustic oscillation surveys aiming at observing [OII] flux limited samples.
The Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) program combines the capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with the gravitational lensing of massive galaxy clusters to probe the distant Universe to an unprecedented depth. Here, we present the results of
the first combined HST and Spitzer observations of the cluster Abell 2744. We combine the full near-infrared data with ancillary optical images to search for gravitationally lensed high-redshift (z > 6) galaxies. We report the detection of 15 I814-dropout candidates at z ~ 6-7 and one Y105-dropout at z ~ 8 in a total survey area of 1.43 arcmin^2 in the source plane. The predictions of our lens model allow us to also identify five multiply-imaged systems lying at redshifts between z ~ 6 and z ~ 8. Thanks to constraints from the mass distribution in the cluster, we were able to estimate the effective survey volume corrected for completeness and magnification effects. This was in turn used to estimate the rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function (LF) at z ~ 6-8. Our LF results are generally in agreement with the most recent blank field estimates, confirming the feasibility of surveys through lensing clusters. Although based on a shallower observations than what will be achieved in the final dataset including the full ACS observations, the LF presented here extends down to Muv ~ -18.5 at z ~ 7 with one identified object at Muv ~ -15 thanks to the highly-magnified survey areas. This early study forecasts the power of using massive galaxy clusters as cosmic telescopes and its complementarity to blank fields.
We report the first weak-lensing detection of a large-scale filament funneling matter onto the core of the massive galaxy cluster MACSJ0717.5+3745. Our analysis is based on a mosaic of 18 multi-passband images obtained with ACS aboard the HST, coveri
ng an area of sim 10x20 arcmin^2. We use a weak-lensing pipeline developed for the COSMOS survey, modified for the analysis of galaxy clusters, to produce a weak-lensing catalogue. A mass map is then computed by applying a weak-gravitational-lensing multi-scale reconstruction technique designed to describe irregular mass distributions such as the one investigated here. We test the resulting mass map by comparing the mass distribution inferred for the cluster core with the one derived from strong-lensing constraints and find excellent agreement. The filament is detected within the 3 sigma detection contour of the lensing mass reconstruction, and underlines the importance of filaments for theoretical and numerical models of the mass distribution in the Cosmic Web. We measure the filaments projected length as sim 4.5 h_{74}^{-1} Mpc, and its mean density as (2.92 pm 0.66)10^8 h_{74} M_{odot} kpc^{-2}. Combined with the redshift distribution of galaxies obtained after an extensive spectroscopic follow-up in the area, we can rule out any projection effect resulting from the chance alignment on the sky of unrelated galaxy group-scale structures. Assuming plausible constraints concerning the structures geometry based on its galaxy velocity field, we construct a 3D model of the large-scale filament. Within this framework, we derive the three-dimensional length of the filament to be 18 h_{74}^{-1} Mpc, and a deprojected density in terms of the critical density of the Universe of (206 pm 46) rho_{crit}, a value that lies at the very high end of the range predicted by numerical simulations.
The Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) feature in the power spectrum of galaxies provides a standard ruler to probe the accelerated expansion of the Universe. The current surveys covering a comoving volume sufficient to unveil the BAO scale are limite
d to redshift $z lesssim 0.7$. In this paper, we study several galaxy selection schemes aiming at building an emission-line-galaxy (ELG) sample in the redshift range $0.6<z<1.7$, that would be suitable for future BAO studies using the Baryonic Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) spectrograph on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescope. We explore two different colour selections using both the SDSS and the Canada France Hawai Telescope Legacy Survey (CFHT-LS) photometry in the u, g, r, and i bands and evaluate their performance selecting luminous ELG. From about 2,000 ELG, we identified a selection scheme that has a 75 percent redshift measurement efficiency. This result confirms the feasibility of massive ELG surveys using the BOSS spectrograph on the SDSS telescope for a BAO detection at redshift $zsim1$, in particular the proposed eBOSS experiment, which plans to use the SDSS telescope to combine the use of the BAO ruler with redshift space distortions using emission line galaxies and quasars in the redshift $0.6<z<2.2$.
This document describes the exposure time calculator for the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) high-latitude survey. The calculator works in both imaging and spectroscopic modes. In addition to the standard ETC functions (e.g. background
and S/N determination), the calculator integrates over the galaxy population and forecasts the density and redshift distribution of galaxy shapes usable for weak lensing (in imaging mode) and the detected emission lines (in spectroscopic mode). The source code is made available for public use.
We present a statistical analysis of a sample of 20 strong lensing clusters drawn from the Local Cluster Substructure Survey (LoCuSS), based on high resolution Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the cluster cores and follow-up spectroscopic observatio
ns using the Keck-I telescope. We use detailed parameterized models of the mass distribution in the cluster cores, to measure the total cluster mass and fraction of that mass associated with substructures within R<250kpc.These measurements are compared with the distribution of baryons in the cores, as traced by the old stellar populations and the X-ray emitting intracluster medium. Our main results include: (i) the distribution of Einstein radii is log-normal, with a peak and 1sigma width of <log(RE(z=2))>=1.16+/-0.28; (ii) we detect an X-ray/lensing mass discrepancy of <M_SL/M_X>=1.3 at 3 sigma significance -- clusters with larger substructure fractions displaying greater mass discrepancies, and thus greater departures from hydrostatic equilibrium; (iii) cluster substructure fraction is also correlated with the slope of the gas density profile on small scales, implying a connection between cluster-cluster mergers and gas cooling. Overall our results are consistent with the view that cluster-cluster mergers play a prominent role in shaping the properties of cluster cores, in particular causing departures from hydrostatic equilibrium, and possibly disturbing cool cores. Our results do not support recent claims that large Einstein radius clusters present a challenge to the CDM paradigm.
We present a strong lensing analysis of the galaxy cluster Abell 370 (z=0.375) based on the recent multicolor ACS images obtained as part of the Early Release Observation (ERO) that followed the Hubble Service Mission #4. Back in 1987, the giant grav
itational arc (z=0.725) in Abell 370 was one of the first pieces of evidence that massive clusters are dense enough to act as strong gravitational lenses. The new observations reveal in detail its disklike morphology, and we show that it can be interpreted as a complex five-image configuration, with a total magnification factor of 32+/-4. Moreover, the high resolution multicolor information allowed us to identify 10 multiply imaged background galaxies. We derive a mean Einstein radius of RE=39+/-2 for a source redshift at z=2, corresponding to a mass of M(<RE) = 2.82+/-0.15 1e14 Msol and M(<250 kpc)=3.8+/-0.2 1e14 Msol, in good agreement with Subaru weak-lensing measurements. The typical mass model error is smaller than 5%, a factor 3 of improvement compared to the previous lensing analysis. Abell 370 mass distribution is confirmed to be bi-modal with very small offset between the dark matter, the X-ray gas and the stellar mass. Combining this information with the velocity distribution reveals that Abell 370 is likely the merging of two equally massive clusters along the line of sight, explaining the very high mass density necessary to efficiently produce strong lensing. These new observations stress the importance of multicolor imaging for the identification of multiple images which is key to determining an accurate mass model. The very large Einstein radius makes Abell 370 one of the best clusters to search for high redshift galaxies through strong magnification in the central region.
