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M. R. Francis (Rutgers University), R. Bean (Princeton University), A. Kosowsky (Rutgers University)
Future high-resolution microwave background measurements hold the promise of detecting all galaxy clusters within our Hubble volume through their Sunyaev-Zeldovich signature, down to a given limiting flux. Since the number density of clusters depends strongly on the evolution of the cosmological scale factor, it should be possible to place tight constraints on quantities such as the dark energy equation of state, the primordial power spectrum of fluctuations, and neutrino masses. We evaluate the ability of future cluster surveys to measure these quantities simultaneously, when combined with WMAP and supernova data. However, sensitivity to cosmology also implies sensitivity to systematic errors. We model the impact of known systematic errors, including uncertainty about the cluster mass-SZ flux relation, the theoretical cluster mass function, and potential survey biases, on the cosmological constraints from cluster SZ surveys. We also investigate the dependence of cosmological constraints on the cluster flux limit and compare the relative advantages of wide versus deep cluster surveys.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.