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Abstract:

We perform a Bayesian model selection analysis for different classes of phenomenological coupled scenarios of dark matter and dark energy with linear and non-linear interacting terms. We use a combination of some of the latest cosmological data such as type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), cosmic chronometers (CC), cosmic microwave background (CMB) and two sets of baryon acoustic oscillations measurements, namely, 2-dimensional angular measurements (BAO2) and 3-dimensional angle-averaged measurements (BAO3). We find weak and moderate evidence against two-thirds of the interacting scenarios considered with respect to ΛCDM when the full joint analysis is considered. About one-third of the models provide a description to the data as good as the one provided by the standard model. Our results also indicate that either SNe Ia, CC or BAO2 data by themselves are not able to distinguish among interacting models or ΛCDM but the standard BAO3 measurements and the combination with the CMB data are indeed able to discriminate among them. We find that evidence disfavoring interacting models is weaker when we use BAO2 (data claimed to be almost model-independent) instead of the standard BAO3 measurements. These results help select classes of viable and non-viable interacting models in light of current data.

Abstract:

In this work, we extend our previous blind GW signal estimation method [H. Liu, J. Creswell, S. von Hausegger, A. D. Jackson and P. Naselsky, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 2 (2018) 013] to the case of multiple detectors and show that, with a full use of redundancy, it gives promising results, e.g. a faster decay of fluctuations than that expected from the central limit theorem. This method, whose design explicitly accounts for redundancy in multiple measurements, considerably improves the efficiency of signal extraction in a multi-detector network.

Abstract:

The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS) is a high sensitivity all-sky radio survey at an angular resolution of 45 arcmin and a frequency of 4.7 GHz. We present a total intensity map of the North Celestial Pole (NCP) region of sky, above declination >+80°, which is limited by source confusion at a level of ≈0.6 mK rms. We apply the template-fitting (cross-correlation) technique to WMAP and Planck data, using the C-BASS map as the synchrotron template, to investigate the contribution of diffuse foreground emission at frequencies ∼20–40 GHz. We quantify the anomalous microwave emission (AME) that is correlated with far-infrared dust emission. The AME amplitude does not change significantly (⁠<10 per cent⁠) when using the higher frequency C-BASS 4.7 GHz template instead of the traditional Haslam 408 MHz map as a tracer of synchrotron radiation. We measure template coefficients of 9.93 ± 0.35 and 9.52±0.34 K per unit τ353 when using the Haslam and C-BASS synchrotron templates, respectively. The AME contributes 55±2μK rms at 22.8 GHz and accounts for ≈60 per cent of the total foreground emission. Our results show that a harder (flatter spectrum) component of synchrotron emission is not dominant at frequencies ≳5 GHz; the best-fitting synchrotron temperature spectral index is β = −2.91 ± 0.04 from 4.7 to 22.8 GHz and β = −2.85 ± 0.14 from 22.8 to 44.1 GHz. Free–free emission is weak, contributing ≈7μK rms (⁠≈7 per cent⁠) at 22.8 GHz. The best explanation for the AME is still electric dipole emission from small spinning dust grains.

Abstract:

We present observations of the XMM Large-Scale Structure (XMM-LSS) field observed with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) at 120-168 MHz. Centred at a J2000 declination of $-4.5^{\circ}$, this is a challenging field to observe with LOFAR because of its low elevation with respect to the array. The low elevation of this field reduces the effective collecting area of the telescope, thereby reducing sensitivity. This low elevation also causes the primary beam to be elongated in the north-south direction, which can introduce side lobes in the synthesised beam in this direction. However the XMM-LSS field is a key field to study because of the wealth of ancillary information, encompassing most of the electromagnetic spectrum. The field was observed for a total of 12 hours from three four-hour LOFAR tracks using the Dutch array. The final image presented encompasses $\sim 27$ deg$^2$, which is the region of the observations with a $>$50\% primary beam response. Once combined, the observations reach a central rms of 280 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$ at 144 MHz and have an angular resolution of $7.5 \times \ 8.5$". We present our catalogue of detected sources and investigate how our observations compare to previous radio observations. This includes investigating the flux scale calibration of these observations compared to previous measurements, the implied spectral indices of the sources, the observed source counts and corrections to obtain the true source counts, and finally the clustering of the observed radio sources.