Cross-correlating Planck tSZ with RCSLenS weak lensing: Implications for cosmology and AGN feedback

TL;DR

This study measures the spatial correlation between hot baryons and total matter using Planck tSZ and RCSLenS weak lensing data, providing insights into cosmology and AGN feedback effects.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive cross-correlation analysis between tSZ and weak lensing maps, comparing results with hydrodynamical simulations to constrain feedback models and cosmological parameters.

Findings

Significant detection of tSZ-lensing correlation up to three degrees.

AGN feedback models best match the observed signals.

Standard cosmological models over-predict the observed baryonic signal.

Abstract

We present measurements of the spatial mapping between (hot) baryons and the total matter in the Universe, via the cross-correlation between the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) map from Planck and the weak gravitational lensing maps from the Red Sequence Cluster Survey (RCSLenS). The cross-correlations are performed on the map level where all the sources (including diffuse intergalactic gas) contribute to the signal. We consider two configuration-space correlation function estimators, $\xi^{ y-\kappa}$ and $\xi^ {y-\gamma_{t}}$, and a Fourier space estimator, $C_{\ell}^{y-\kappa}$, in our analysis. We detect a significant correlation out to three degrees of angular separation on the sky. Based on statistical noise only, we can report 13$\sigma$ and 17$\sigma$ detections of the cross-correlation using the configuration-space $y-\kappa$ and $y-\gamma_{t}$ estimators, respectively. Including a heuristic estimate of the sampling variance yields a detection significance of 6$\sigma$ and 8$\sigma$, respectively. A similar level of detection is obtained from the Fourier-space estimator, $C_{\ell}^{y-\kappa}$. As each estimator probes different dynamical ranges, their combination improves the significance of the detection. We compare our measurements with predictions from the cosmo-OWLS suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, where different galactic feedback models are implemented. We find that a model with considerable AGN feedback that removes large quantities of hot gas from galaxy groups and WMAP-7yr best-fit cosmological parameters provides the best match to the measurements. All baryonic models in the context of a Planck cosmology over-predict the observed signal. Similar cosmological conclusions are drawn when we employ a halo model with the observed `universal' pressure profile.