Intrinsic alignments of galaxies around cosmic voids

TL;DR

This study investigates the intrinsic alignments of galaxies around cosmic voids using SDSS data, introducing new models and constraining alignment amplitudes, which is crucial for improving weak lensing measurements.

Contribution

It presents the first analysis of galaxy shape alignments around cosmic voids, with new models and constraints relevant for future void lensing studies.

Findings

No significant alignment detected at small scales.

Weak signals of alignment at large scales for certain void sizes.

Provides a framework for mitigating intrinsic alignments in void lensing.

Abstract

The intrinsic alignments of galaxies, i.e., the correlation between galaxy shapes and their environment, are a major source of contamination for weak gravitational lensing surveys. Most studies of intrinsic alignments have so far focused on measuring and modelling the correlations of luminous red galaxies with galaxy positions or the filaments of the cosmic web. In this work, we investigate alignments around cosmic voids. We measure the intrinsic alignments of luminous red galaxies detected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey around a sample of voids constructed from those same tracers and with radii in the ranges: $[20-30; 30-40; 40-50]$ $h^{-1}$ Mpc and in the redshift range $z=0.4-0.8$. We present fits to the measurements based on a linear model at large scales, and on a new model based on the void density profile inside the void and in its neighbourhood. We constrain the free scaling amplitude of our model at small scales, finding no significant alignment at $1\sigma$ for either sample. We observe a deviation from the null hypothesis, at large scales, of 2$\sigma$ for voids with radii between 20 and 30 $h^{-1}$ Mpc, and 1.5 $\sigma$ for voids with radii between 30 and 40 $h^{-1}$ Mpc and constrain the amplitude of the model on these scales. We find no significant deviation at 1$\sigma$ for larger voids. Our work is a first attempt at detecting intrinsic alignments of galaxy shapes around voids and provides a useful framework for their mitigation in future void lensing studies.