The Revised Evolutionary Volume Tolman Test: Cosmological Constraints from Galaxy Evolution
Christopher J. Conselice, Edmund J. Copeland, Sergio Sevillano Mu\~noz

TL;DR
This paper revises the classical volume test for cosmology by incorporating modern galaxy evolution data, enabling competitive measurements of dark energy properties with future galaxy surveys.
Contribution
It introduces a new framework combining galaxy evolution and volume measurements to constrain cosmological parameters, especially dark energy, using modern survey data.
Findings
Method is competitive with supernova and CMB measurements.
Accurate galaxy evolution data (1-10%) can measure dark energy properties.
Future surveys will enable precise cosmological constraints using this method.
Abstract
In this study we adapt a classical cosmology measurement, the volume or number density test, to a modern synthesis of observed galaxy evolution. We do this by using measured galaxy mass functions and the history of galaxy evolution through star formation and galaxy mergers, inspired by the latest results from deep extragalactic surveys. We develop a new framework using measured galaxy volume number densities as a function of redshift and volume to determine cosmological parameters, especially those which alter the volume of the Universe at a given redshift. Whilst this is a classic cosmology test proposed since at least the 1930s, it has largely been abandoned for decades due to uncertainties in galaxy evolution which make it difficult to trace galaxy populations through time. However, recent advances in our understanding of star formation and the merging history of galaxies allow us to…
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
Taxonomy
TopicsGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena · Astronomy and Astrophysical Research · Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
