The WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey: Probing the Epoch of Radiation Domination using Large Scale Structure

Abstract

We place the most robust constraint to date on the scale of the turnover in the cosmological matter power spectrum using data from the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. We find this feature to lie at a scale of $k_0=0.0160^{+0.0041}_{-0.0035}$ [h/Mpc] (68% confidence) for an effective redshift of 0.62 and obtain from this the first-ever turnover-derived distance and cosmology constraints: a measure of the cosmic distance-redshift relation in units of the horizon scale at the redshift of radiation-matter equality (r_H) of D_V(z=0.62)/r_H=18.3 (+6.3/-3.3) and, assuming a prior on the number of extra relativistic degrees of freedom $N_{eff}=3$, constraints on the matter density parameter $Ω_Mh^2=0.136^{+0.026}_{-0.052}$ and on the redshift of matter-radiation equality $z_{eq}=3274^{+631}_{-1260}$. All results are in excellent agreement with the predictions of standard LCDM models. Our constraints on the logarithmic slope of the power spectrum on scales larger than the turnover is bounded in the lower limit with values only as low as -1 allowed, with the prediction of standard LCDM models easily accommodated by our results. Lastly, we generate forecasts for the achievable precision of future surveys at constraining $k_0$, $Ω_Mh^2$, $z_{eq}$ and $N_{eff}$. We find that BOSS should substantially improve upon the WiggleZ turnover constraint, reaching a precision on $k_0$ of $\pm$9% (68% confidence), translating to precisions on $Ω_Mh^2$ and $z_{eq}$ of $\pm$10% (assuming a prior $N_{eff}=3$) and on $N_{eff}$ of (+78/-56)% (assuming a prior $Ω_Mh^2=0.135$). This is sufficient precision to sharpen the constraints on $N_{eff}$ from WMAP, particularly in its upper limit. For Euclid, we find corresponding attainable precisions on $(k_0, Ω_Mh^2, N_eff)$ of (3,4,+17/-21)%. This represents a precision approaching our forecasts for the Planck Surveyor.