Constraints on neutrino masses from Planck and Galaxy Clustering data

TL;DR

This paper combines Planck CMB data with galaxy clustering from BOSS to set new bounds on neutrino masses, showing galaxy data significantly improves constraints in various cosmological models.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive neutrino mass bounds using full shape galaxy clustering data combined with Planck measurements across multiple cosmological scenarios.

Findings

Sum m_nu<0.39 eV in LambdaCDM with combined data.

Galaxy clustering data tightens neutrino mass bounds in extended models.

Neutrino mass bounds vary with cosmological assumptions, e.g., <0.49 eV with dark energy, <0.35 eV with non-flat geometry.

Abstract

We present here bounds on neutrino masses from the combination of recent Planck Cosmic Microwave Background measurements and galaxy clustering information from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS), part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III. We use the full shape of either the photometric angular clustering (Data Release 8) or the 3D spectroscopic clustering (Data Release 9) power spectrum in different cosmological scenarios. In the Lambda$CDM scenario, spectroscopic galaxy clustering measurements improve significantly the existing neutrino mass bounds from Planck data. We find sum m_nu< 0.39 eV at 95% confidence level for the combination of the 3D power spectrum with Planck CMB data (with lensing included) and Wilkinson Microwave Anisoptropy Probe 9-year polarization measurements. Therefore, robust neutrino mass constraints can be obtained without the addition of the prior on the Hubble constant from HST. In extended cosmological scenarios with a dark energy fluid or with non flat geometries, galaxy clustering measurements are essential to pin down the neutrino mass bounds, providing in the majority of cases better results than those obtained from the associated measurement of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation scale only. In the presence of a freely varying (constant) dark energy equation of state, we find sum m_nu<0.49 eV at 95% confidence level for the combination of the 3D power spectrum with Planck CMB data (with lensing included) and Wilkinson Microwave Anisoptropy Probe 9-year polarization measurements. This same data combination in non flat geometries provides the neutrino mass bound sum m_nu<0.35 eV at 95% confidence level.