How accurate is Limber's equation?

DOI10.1051/0004-6361:20066352zbMATH Open1130.85339OpenAlexW2156744463WikidataQ68855760 ScholiaQ68855760MaRDI QIDQ5435002FDOQ5435002

Authors

Publication date 14 January 2008

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0609165

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Statistical astronomy (85A35) Astrophysical cosmology (85A40)

Abstract: The so-called Limber equation is widely used in the literature to relate the projected angular clustering of galaxies to the spatial clustering of galaxies in an approximate way. This paper gives estimates of where the regime of applicability of Limber's equation stops. Limber's equation is accurate for small galaxy separations but breaks down beyond a certain separation that depends mainly on the ratio sigma/R and to some degree on the power-law index, gamma, of spatial clustering xi; sigma is the one-sigma width of the galaxy distribution in comoving distance, and R the mean comoving distance. As rule-of-thumb, a 10% relative error is reached at 260 sigma/R arcmin for gamma~1.6, if the spatial clustering is a power-law. More realistic xi are discussed in the paper. Limber's equation becomes increasingly inaccurate for larger angular separations. Ignoring this effect and blindly applying Limber's equation can possibly bias results for the inferred spatial correlation. It is suggested to use in cases of doubt, or maybe even in general, the exact equation that can easily be integrated numerically in the form given in the paper.

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Cited in

(6)

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3895012 (Why is no real title available?)
• Beyond Limber: efficient computation of angular power spectra for galaxy clustering and weak lensing
• A diffusion-based spatio-temporal extension of Gaussian Matérn fields
• Complete super-sample lensing covariance in the response approach
• The flat sky approximation to galaxy number counts
• The effect of Limber and flat-sky approximations on galaxy weak lensing

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