Cosmology with cluster surveys

SUBHABRATA MAJUMDAR

CITA, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H8, Canada

E-mail: subha@cita.utoronto.ca

Abstract. Surveys of clusters of galaxies provide us with a powerful probe of the density and nature of the dark energy. The red-shift distribution of detected clusters is highly sensitive to the dark energy equation of state parameter w. Upcoming Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) surveys would provide us large yields of clusters to very high red-shifts. Self-calibration of cluster scaling relations, possible for such a huge sample, would be able to constrain systematic biases on mass estimators. Combining cluster red-shift abundance with limited mass follow-up and cluster mass power spectrum can then give constraints on w₁ as well as on s ₈ and W _M to a few per cents.

Keywords. Cosmology; cosmic microwave background; clusters.

PACS Nos 98.80; 98.65.Cw; 98.70.Vc