Detecting deviations from Gaussianity in high-redshift CMB lensing maps

TL;DR

This paper investigates the potential to detect non-Gaussian features in high-redshift CMB lensing maps caused by nonlinear structure formation, highlighting the challenges and prospects with future experiments like CMB-S4.

Contribution

It provides a forecast for detecting non-Gaussian signatures in high-redshift matter maps, emphasizing the capabilities of upcoming CMB surveys.

Findings

Current surveys are unlikely to detect these signatures.

Future experiments like CMB-S4 could achieve about 7σ detection.

Detection is feasible under ideal, systematics-free conditions.

Abstract

While the probability density function (PDF) of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) convergence field approximately follows a Gaussian distribution, primordial non-Gaussianities and small contributions from structures at low redshifts make the overall distribution slightly non-Gaussian. Some of the late-time component can be modelled using the distribution of galaxies and subtracted off from the original CMB lensing map to produce a map of matter distribution at high redshifts. Using this high-redshift mass map, we are able to directly study the early phases of structure formation. In this work, we forecast the detectability of signatures of non-Gaussianity due to nonlinear structure formation at $z>1.2$. Assuming the optimal case of no systematics, we find that it is challenging to detect such signatures in current surveys, but future experiments such as the deep field of CMB-S4 will be able to make detections of $\sim7\sigma$.