Investigating the dark matter distribution in the Universe: Theory of higher-order cosmic shear statistics

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Peter Schneider
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2004 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5435268

Cosmic shear, the gravitational lensing effect of the largescale structure, has become one of the pillars of our cosmological standard models, since it allows the study of the dark matter distribution in our Universe without any reference to its relation with the luminous matter. In recent years, quantitative investigations of cosmic shear on the two-point statistical level has yielded accurate estimates of the normalization of the power spectrum of cosmic density fluctuations. The aim of this proposal is the theoretical study of higher-order cosmic shear statistics, which already have been detected observationally and which will be investigated in detail with the next generation cosmic shear surveys currently under way or being planned. This theoretical analysis is urgently needed in order to being able to quantitatively interprete the future observational results, which shall arrive as early as 2006.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants