How the large-scale Lyman-alpha forest will tell us about the galaxy luminosity function

Tue, March 31, 2015

Cosmology seminar event image

I will introduce a surprising relationship between the Lyman-alpha forest large-scale power spectrum and the luminosity function of galaxies and quasars [arXiv 1402.0506]. The forest is generally assumed to be a tracer of total matter on large scales but I will show how the assumed link between the dark and observable universe is substantially modified by radiative transfer effects. Future dark energy surveys like DESI will therefore present novel opportunities to learn more about the source of ionising photons in our universe [arXiv 1407.6367].