Minkowski Functionals of Large-Scale Structure as a Probe of Modified Gravity

TL;DR

This paper investigates the use of Minkowski functionals to analyze large-scale cosmic structures and constrain modified gravity models, focusing on non-linear scales and the effects of observational biases.

Contribution

It demonstrates the potential of Minkowski functionals as a robust morphological probe for modified gravity, incorporating simulation-based analysis and bias considerations.

Findings

Minkowski functionals effectively distinguish between gravity models.

Sensitivity of functionals varies with smoothing scales and redshifts.

Combining functionals enhances constraints on modified gravity.

Abstract

In this study, we explore the potential of utilizing the four Minkowski functionals, which can fully describe the morphological properties of the large-scale structures, as a robust tool for investigating the modified gravity, particularly on non-linear and quasi-linear scales. With the assistance of the N-body simulation, we employ the Minkowski functionals to probe the Hu-Sawicki f(R) gravity model. The focus is on understanding the morphorlogical properties extracted by the Minkowski functionals and their sensitivity to modified gravity. Our analysis involves a comprehensive examination of the cosmic variance arising from finite simulation volumes. By systematically varying smoothing scales and redshifts, we quantify the information encoded in the Minkowski functionals measured from the dark-matter density field. The goal is to assess the capacity of the Minkowksi functionals to constrain the model and explore potential improvements through their combination. Additionally, we investigate the impact of using biased tracers such as dark matter halos and the halo occupation distribution galaxies on the modified gravity signatures within the Minkowksi functionals of the LSS. Furthermore, we evaluate the influence of the redshift space distortion on the observed results. In summary, our study suggests that the Minkowski functionals of the large-scale structures hold promise as a stringent tool for constraining modified gravity and offer valuable insights into the morphological features of the cosmic web.