Percent-Level Test of Isotropic Expansion Using Type Ia Supernovae

John Soltis, Arya Farahi, Dragan Huterer, and C. Michael Liberato, II
Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 091301 – Published 8 March 2019

Abstract

We propose and implement a novel, robust, and nonparametric test of statistical isotropy of the expansion of the Universe and apply it to around 1000 type Ia supernovae from the Pantheon sample. We calculate the angular clustering of supernova magnitude residuals and compare it to the noise expected under the isotropic assumption. We also test for systematic effects and demonstrate that their effects are negligible or are already accounted for in our procedure. We express our constraints as an upper limit on the rms spatial variation in the Hubble parameter at late times. For the sky smoothed with a Gaussian with FWHM=60°, less than 1% rms spatial variation in the Hubble parameter is allowed at 99.7% confidence.

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  • Received 14 August 2018
  • Revised 10 January 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.091301

© 2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Gravitation, Cosmology & Astrophysics

Authors & Affiliations

John Soltis1, Arya Farahi1,2,3, Dragan Huterer1,2, and C. Michael Liberato, II1

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Michigan, 450 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040, USA
  • 2Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics, University of Michigan, 450 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040, USA
  • 3McWilliams Center for Cosmology, Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890, USA

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Issue

Vol. 122, Iss. 9 — 8 March 2019

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