Open AccessParameter information from non‐linear cosmological fields
Author(s) -
Taylor A.N.,
Watts P.I.R.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2001.04874.x
Subject(s) - physics , redshift , photometric redshift , galaxy , cosmic microwave background , redshift survey , astrophysics , fisher information , weak gravitational lensing , parameter space , gaussian , cosmic cancer database , shot noise , field galaxy , redshift space distortions , cosmology , statistical physics , statistics , quantum mechanics , optics , mathematics , anisotropy , detector
We develop a general formalism for analysing parameter information from non‐Gaussian cosmic fields. The method can be adapted to include the non‐linear effects in galaxy redshift surveys, weak lensing surveys and cosmic velocity field surveys as part of parameter estimation. It can also be used as a test of non‐Gaussianity of the cosmic microwave background. Generalizing maximum‐likelihood analysis to second order, we calculate the non‐linear Fisher information matrix and likelihood surfaces in parameter space. To this order we find that the information content is always increased by including non‐linearity. Our methods are applied to a realistic model of a galaxy redshift survey, including non‐linear evolution, galaxy bias, shot‐noise and redshift‐space distortions to second order. We find that including non‐linearities allows all of the degeneracies between parameters to be lifted. Marginalized parameter uncertainties of a few per cent will then be obtainable using forthcoming galaxy redshift surveys.