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H. Zhan, L. Knox, J.A. Tyson, V. Margoniner (UC Davis)
The acoustic waves that give rise to the peaks seen in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature fluctuation power spectrum also affect the power spectra of matter and galaxies. The acoustic waves generate a small excess in the galaxy two-point correlation function at roughly 150 h-1Mpc (comoving), corresponding to oscillating features in the power spectrum, known as baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). Since the comoving length scales of these features do not change after recombination, BAO can be used as a CMB-calibrated standard ruler to measure angular diameter distances and the Hubble parameter as functions of redshift. We show that LSST will be able to measure the angular diameter distance to better than a few percent with BAO. Meanwhile, \emph{if} the distribution of photometric redshift errors is accurately quantified as required by weak lensing, then LSST will also be able to measure the Hubble parameter with a comparable accuracy. This will enable LSST BAO to place constraints on dark energy equation of state parameters that are competitive with those from LSST shear power spectra.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #4
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.