Constraints on massive neutrinos using Lyman-alpha forest

Seminar

Constraints on massive neutrinos using Lyman-alpha forest

Nathalie Palanque-Delabrouille (CEA, Paris)

Date

Wednesday, 4 February, 2015 at 11:00

Place

DAM seminar room (to be confirmed)

I willpresent the tightest constraint on massive neutrinos that has been obtained recently using the Lyman-alpha forest, BaryonAcoustic Oscillations and CMB data. I will first describe the measurement ofthe power spectrum in the Lyman-alpha forest observed in quasars of the BOSSsurvey. I will then present the extensive suite of N-body/hydro simulationsthat has been developed specifically for the purpose of this study, and showhow it can be used to place constraints on the sum of the neutrino masses atthe level of 0.14 eV (95% confidence level). Finally, I will illustrate howthese data and simulations can alsoconstrain the effective number of neutrinos in the Universe.