graduate

Constraints on the Neutrino Mass from SZ Surveys

TYPEAstrophysics Seminar
Speaker:Dr. Meir Shimon
Affiliation:Tel Aviv University,
Date:21.03.2012
Time:14:30
Location:Lidow 620
Abstract:

Statistical measures of galaxy clusters are sensitive to neutrino masses
in the sub-eV range. We explore the possibility of using cluster number
counts from the ongoing PLANCK/SZ and future cosmic-variance-limited
surveys to constrain neutrino masses from CMB data alone.

We find that projected results from the PLANCK/SZ survey can be used
to determine the total neutrino mass with an uncertainty of 0.08-0.11 eV,
assuming fiducial neutrino mass in the range 0.1-0.3 eV. This improves on
the limits expected from PLANCK/CMB lensing measurements by a factor 1.5-2.
With a cosmic-variance-limited SZ survey we obtain an uncertainty of
0.05-0.07 eV.

Our analysis shows that if the (total) neutrino mass is close to the
lower limits deduced from neutrino oscillation experiments, cluster
number counts provide a viable complimentary cosmological probe to
CMB lensing constraints on M_nu.