The shape function of the observed growth index

TL;DR

This paper introduces a shape function method to determine the redshift dependence of the growth index gamma, enabling model-independent tests of cosmological models and potential deviations from Lambda-CDM using future survey data.

Contribution

It formulates gamma as a function of observable quantities without assuming a specific parameterization, connecting it to a virtual-work conservation principle for improved cosmological analysis.

Findings

Method can detect discrepancies between growth index components.

Effective in ruling out some modified gravity models.

Useful for analyzing dynamical dark energy with future data.

Abstract

The growth index $\gamma$ is a powerful trigger for detecting deviations from $\Lambda$CDM. However, its value is often determined by considering an asymptotic constant value that works for all redshift, or else following a chosen parameterisation. Here we formulate the growth index as function of three quantities that could be directly related to observables in redshift bins, $f\sigma_8(z_i)$, $f(z_i)$ and $H(z_i)$. We determine its value and its derivative at observed nodal center of redshift bins and use the shape function method, after showing insightful connection with its underlying governing virtual-work conservation principle, to construct a redshift dependence of the $\gamma$ without assuming a specific parameterization. We then use the resulting shape function to test if we can disentangle between different scenarios where there are discrepancies between its three constituent measured components. We also tested whether it can be used to rule out models of modified gravity, or extended parametric models of the growth index that capture more general behaviors with an additional parameter as function of the scale factor or dark energy. Adopting forecasted measurements from next generation surveys on the three quantities used to construct $\gamma$, we find that reported discrepancies between them could be detected with our method, but at the bins where the errors and lost of precision from our addition of degrees of freedom is small with respect to the deviation of $\gamma$. The same could be concluded for first order extensions to $\gamma$ or common modified gravity models, and to a lesser degree for dynamical dark energy models after supposing the latest DESI values. We conclude that this method is a strong tool to investigate cosmology in a model-independent way especially with forthcoming data delivered by further stage-IV surveys with more stringent uncertainties.(Abridged)