Quasar-Lyman α forest cross-correlation from BOSS DR11: Baryon Acoustic Oscillations
Abstract
We measure the large-scale cross-correlation of quasars with the Lyα forest absorption, using over 164,000 quasars from Data Release 11 of the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. We extend the previous study of roughly 60,000 quasars from Data Release 9 to larger separations, allowing a measurement of the Baryonic Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) scale along the line of sight c/(H(z = 2.36)rs) = 9.0±0.3 and across the line of sight DA(z = 2.36)/rs = 10.8±0.4, consistent with CMB and other BAO data. Using the best fit value of the sound horizon from Planck data (rs = 147.49 Mpc), we can translate these results to a measurement of the Hubble parameter of H(z = 2.36) = 226±8 km s-1 Mpc-1 and of the angular diameter distance of DA(z = 2.36) = 1590±60 Mpc. The measured cross-correlation function and an update of the code to fit the BAO scale (baofit) are made publicly available.
- Publication:
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Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
- Pub Date:
- May 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1088/1475-7516/2014/05/027
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1311.1767
- Bibcode:
- 2014JCAP...05..027F
- Keywords:
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- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 26 pages, 7 figures, version published by JCAP, with some extra comments suggested by the referee. Results unchanged from previous version