Generating all-sky radio continuum clustering simulations with GHOST

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new all-sky radio continuum simulation using the GHOST framework, combining cosmological data and galaxy population models to enable precise tests of primordial non-Gaussianity.

Contribution

It develops an accurate, large-area radio sky simulation by integrating the FLAMINGO cosmological suite with galaxy-halo matching, facilitating multi-tracer cosmological analyses.

Findings

Simulated radio galaxy clustering with bias modeling.

Provided redshift distributions and source counts.

Discussed prospects for non-Gaussianity detection.

Abstract

Techniques using multiple tracers of the large scale structure of the universe show great promise for examining the fundamentals of our Universe's cosmology. Such techniques rely on the different relationship between the overdensity of tracers and the broader matter overdensity, enabling cosmic-variance-free tests of primordial non-Gaussianity in the initial curvature perturbations. There is a great opportunity for current and future all-sky extra-galactic radio surveys to make use of this technique to test for non-Gaussianity at a precision greater than existing all-sky constraints from the cosmic microwave background. To realize this goal there is a need for accurate simulations. Previous radio galaxy simulations have either been realistic but covering only a small area (and so unhelpful for cosmological forecasts), or all-sky dark matter only cosmological simulations but having no connection to a real radio galaxy population. In this study, we use the FLAMINGO suite of cosmological surveys, as well as the matching of dark matter halos to radio galaxy population, to create an accurate sky simulation in order to examine the feasibility of multi-tracer techniques. We present an analysis of the clustering (with a bias model for the simulation), as well as redshift distributions, source counts and radio luminosity functions, and discuss future work on non-Gaussianity detection.