Evolution Of Large-scale Structure Research Articles

The HYENAS project: a prediction for the X-ray undetected galaxy groups

Abstract Galaxy groups contain the majority of bound mass with a significant portion of baryons due to the combination of halo mass and abundance (Cui 2024). Hence they serve as a crucial missing piece in the puzzle of galaxy formation and the evolution of large-scale structures in the Universe. In observations, mass-complete group catalogues are normally derived from galaxy redshift surveys detected through various three-dimensional group-finding algorithms. Confirming the reality of such groups, particularly in the X-rays, is critical for ensuring robust studies of galaxy evolution in these environments. Recent works have reported numerous optical groups that are X-ray undetected (see, e.g. Popesso et al. 2024), sparking debates regarding the reasons for the unexpectedly low hot gas fraction in galaxy groups. To address this issue, we utilise zoomed-in simulations of galaxy groups from the novel Hyenas project to explore the range of hot gas fractions within galaxy groups and investigate the intrinsic factors behind the observed variability in X-ray emission. We find that the halo formation time can play a critical role – we see that groups in halos that formed earlier exhibit up to an order of magnitude brighter X-ray luminosities compared to those formed later. This suggests that undetected X-ray groups are preferentially late-formed halos and highlights the connection between gas fraction and halo formation time in galaxy groups. Accounting for these biases in galaxy group identification is essential for advancing our understanding of galaxy formation and achieving precision in cosmological studies.

Flattened Galaxy Rotation Curves in the Exochronous Metric

We examine some of the consequences of the Exochronous (timeless) metric and the associated ΣGR cosmological model for the formation of galaxies, and, in particular, their characteristic rotation curves. We show how the cumulative curvature from the multiple spatial hypersurfaces in this model leads to a modified version of the Poisson equation, in which the gravitational potential is computed over 4D space. Using this new form of the Poisson equation, we derive an analytic expression for gravitational potential as a function of radial distance for a uniform gas cloud undergoing gravitational collapse. We show that this results in a radial velocity profile that provides an excellent fit with commonly observed galaxy rotation curves, and hence fully accounts for the effects previously ascribed to dark matter. An expression can be derived for the equivalent matter density profile corresponding to the ΣGR gravitational potential, from which it is evident that this is very similar in form to the well-known Navarro–Frenk–White profile. As a further illustration of the consequences of adopting the Exochronous metric, we show how the principle can readily be incorporated into particle-mesh N-body simulations of large-scale structure evolution, using a relaxation solver for the solution to the Poisson equation and the evolution of the gravitational potential. Examples of the use of this simulation model are shown for the following cases: (a) the initial evolution of a large-scale structure, and (b) galaxy formation from a gravitationally collapsing gas cloud. In both cases, it is possible to directly visualise the build-up of the gravitational potential in 3D space as the simulation evolves and note how this corresponds to what is currently assumed to be dark matter.

Mapping the intracluster medium in the era of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy

ABSTRACT High-resolution spectroscopy in soft X-rays will open a new window to map multiphase gas in galaxy clusters and probe physics of the intracluster medium (ICM), including chemical enrichment histories, circulation of matter and energy during large-scale structure evolution, stellar and black hole feedback, halo virialization, and gas mixing processes. An eV-level spectral resolution, large field of view, and effective area are essential to separate cluster emissions from the Galactic foreground and efficiently map the cluster outskirts. Several mission concepts that meet these criteria have been proposed recently, e.g. LEM, HUBS, and Super DIOS. This theoretical study explores what information on ICM physics could be recovered with such missions and the associated challenges. We emphasize the need for a comprehensive comparison between simulations and observations to interpret the high-resolution spectroscopic observations correctly. Using Line Emission Mapper (LEM) characteristics as an example, we demonstrate that it enables the use of soft X-ray emission lines (e.g. O vii/viii and Fe-L complex) from the cluster outskirts to measure the thermodynamic, chemical, and kinematic properties of the gas up to r200 and beyond. By generating mock observations with full backgrounds, analysing their images/spectra with observational approaches, and comparing the recovered characteristics with true ones from simulations, we develop six key science drivers for future missions, including the exploration of multiphase gas in galaxy clusters (e.g. temperature fluctuations, phase-space distributions), metallicity, ICM gas bulk motions and turbulence power spectra, ICM-cosmic filament interactions, and advances for cluster cosmology.

Investigating the use of 3-component-2-dimensional particle image velocimetry fields as inflow boundary condition for the direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent wall-bounded flows requires long streamwise computational domains to establish the correct spatial evolution of large-scale structures with high fidelity. In contrast, experimental measurements can relatively easily capture large-scale structures but struggle to resolve the dissipative flow scales with high fidelity. One methodology to overcome the shortcomings of each approach is by incorporating experimental velocity field measurements into DNS as an inflow boundary condition. This hybrid approach combines the strengths of DNS and experimental measurements, allowing for a reduction in the streamwise computational domain and accelerated development of large-scale structures in turbulent wall-bounded flows. To this end, this paper reports the results of an investigation to establish the impact of limited spatial resolution and limited near-wall experimental inflow data on the DNS of a wall-bounded turbulent shear flow. Specifically, this study investigates the spatial extent required for the DNS of a turbulent channel flow to recover the turbulent velocity fluctuations and energy when experimental inflow data is typically unable to capture fluctuations down to the viscous sub-layer or the smallest viscous scales (i.e. the Kolmogorov scale or their surrogate viscous scale in wall-bounded turbulent shear slows) is used as the inflow to a DNS. A time-resolved numerically generated experimental field is constructed from a periodic channel flow DNS (PCH-DNS) at Reτ=\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$Re_{\ au } =$$\\end{document} 550 and 2300, which is subsequently used as the inflow velocity field for an inflow–outflow boundary conditions DNS. The time-resolved experimental inflow field is generated by appropriately filtering the small scales from the PCH-DNS velocity by integrating over a spatial domain that is representative of a particle image velocimetry interrogation window. This study shows that the recovery of small scales requires a longer domain as the spatial resolution at the inflow decreases with all flow scales recovered and their correct scale-dependent energy is re-established once the flow has developed for 3 channel heights.

A Chandra Study of the NGC 7618/UGC 12491 Major Group Merger at Apogee: Multiple Cold Fronts, Boxy Wings, Filaments, and Arc-shaped Slingshot Tails

Analyses of major group mergers are key to understanding the evolution of large-scale structure in the Universe and the microphysical properties of the hot gas in these systems. We present imaging and spectral analyses of deep Chandra observations of hot gas structures formed in the major merger of the NGC 7618 and UGC 12491 galaxy groups and compare the observed hot gas morphology, temperatures, and abundances with recent simulations. The morphology of the observed multiple cold front edges and boxy wings are consistent with those expected to be formed by Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities and gas sloshing in inviscid gas. The arc-shaped slingshot tail morphologies seen in each galaxy suggest that the dominant galaxies are near their orbital apogee after having experienced at least one core passage at a large impact parameter.

Supersonic Base Flow With and Without Propulsive Jets: A Brief Review

Supersonic base flow is encountered in many aerospace applications related to satellite launch vehicle, missiles and projectiles. The origin and evolution of large scale structures which govern the dynamics of the base flow is not properly understood. The presence of central propulsive jet further complicates the base flow characteristics. Different semi-empirical, experimental and numerical studies carried out in supersonic base flow is briefly reviewed. Various issues and challenges faced in CFD simulation of base flow problems are described. Apart from resolution of numerics, proper choice of turbulence model remains the key aspect in the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations. Prediction of axial distribution of centerline velocities and recirculation bubble size remain problematic in RANS simulation. Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) results show dependence on model constants. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) studies with proper filter and Sub Grid Scale (SGS) model is promising, but its applications are limited to canonical problems due to very high computational requirements. Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) studies reported in the literature consider much lower Reynolds number and hence could not be compared with the experimental data. It is suggested to use RANS and DES methods with anchored turbulence model from well-designed experiments for design data generation. Efforts should be made to use higher order numerical methods (LES and DNS) to explore the origin and evolution of large scale structures observed in compressible base flow.

Perturbation-based active flow control in overexpanded to underexpanded supersonic rectangular twin jets

The effects of perturbation-based active flow control on supersonic rectangular twin jets (SRTJ) over a wide range of nozzle pressure ratios (NPR = 2.77 to 6.7, corresponding to fully expanded Mach numbers Mj = 1.3 to 1.9) were investigated. The aspect ratio and design Mach number for the bi-conic, converging-diverging nozzles were 2 and 1.5, respectively. The flow and acoustic fields of SRTJ are known to couple, often generating high near-field (NF) pressure fluctuations and elevated far-field (FF) noise levels. Large-scale structures (LSS), or equivalently instability waves or wave packets, are responsible for mixing noise, broadband shock-associated noise, screech and coupling. The primary objective of this research was to manipulate the development of LSS in this complex flow to better understand and mitigate their effects. The organization and passage frequency of the LSS were altered by excitation of instabilities over a wide range of frequencies and modes. Key findings include: (1) the screech mode of each jet was flapping along its minor axis; (2) the jets coupled, out-of-phase primarily in overexpanded cases and in-phase primarily in underexpanded cases, along the minor axis of the SRTJ; (3) coupling has significant effects on the NF pressure fluctuations, but only minor effect on the FF noise; (4) standing waves were observed only on the minor axis plane of the SRTJ; (5) altering or suppressing coupling can significantly reduce NF pressure fluctuations; (6) two high-frequency excitation methods proved effective in reducing the FF noise; and (7) nonlinear interactions between the screech tones and excitation input were observed in controlled cases in which screech was only partially suppressed.

Galaxy cluster photons alter the ionization state of the nearby warm–hot intergalactic medium

ABSTRACT The physical properties of the faint and extremely tenuous plasma in the far outskirts of galaxy clusters, the circumgalactic media of normal galaxies, and filaments of the cosmic web remain one of the biggest unknowns in our story of large-scale structure evolution. Modelling the spectral features due to emission and absorption from this very diffuse plasma poses a challenge, as both collisional and photoionization processes must be accounted for. In this paper, we study the ionization by photons emitted by the intracluster medium in addition to the photoionization by the cosmic ultraviolet/X-ray background on gas in the vicinity of galaxy clusters. For near-massive clusters such as A2029, the ionization parameter can no longer describe the ionization balance uniquely. The ionization fractions (in particular of C iv, C v, C vi, N vii, O vi, O vii, O viii, Ne viii, Ne ix, and Fe xvii) obtained by taking into account the photoionization by the cosmic background are either an upper or lower limit to the ionization fraction calculated as a function of distance from the emission from the cluster. Using a toy model of a cosmic web filament, we predict how the cluster illumination changes the column densities for two different orientations of the line of sight. For lines of sight passing close to the cluster outskirts, O vi can be suppressed by a factor of up to 4.5, O vii by a factor of 2.2, C v by a factor of 3, and Ne viii can be boosted by a factor of 2, for low-density gas.

The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS)

Context.Scaling relations link the physical properties of clusters at cosmic scales. They are used to probe the evolution of large-scale structure, estimate observables of clusters, and constrain cosmological parameters through cluster counts.Aims.We investigate the scaling relations between X-ray observables of the clusters detected in the eFEDS field using Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma/eROSITA observations taking into account the selection effects and the distributions of observables with cosmic time.Methods.We extract X-ray observables (LX,Lbol,T,Mgas,YX) withinR500for the sample of 542 clusters in the eFEDS field. By applying detection and extent likelihood cuts, we construct a subsample of 265 clusters with a contamination level of <10% (including AGNs and spurious fluctuations) to be used in our scaling relations analysis. The selection function based on the state-of-the-art simulations of the eROSITA sky is fully accounted for in our work.Results.We provide the X-ray observables in the core-included <R500and core-excised 0.15R500-R500apertures for 542 galaxy clusters and groups detected in the eFEDS field. Additionally, we present our best-fit results for the normalization, slope, redshift evolution, and intrinsic scatter parameters of the X-ray scaling relations betweenLX-T,LX-Mgas,LX-YX,Lbol-T,Lbol-Mgas,Lbol-YX, andMgas-T. We find that the best-fit slopes significantly deviate from the self-similar model at a >4σ confidence level, but our results are nevertheless in good agreement with the simulations including non-gravitational physics, and the recent results that take into account selection effects.Conclusions.The strong deviations we find from the self-similar scenario indicate that the non-gravitational effects play an important role in shaping the observed physical state of clusters. This work extends the scaling relations to the low-mass, low-luminosity galaxy cluster and group regime using eFEDS observations, demonstrating the ability of eROSITA to measure emission from the intracluster medium out toR500with survey-depth exposures and constrain the scaling relations in a wide mass-luminosity-redshift range.

21 cm forest constraints on primordial black holes

Abstract Primordial black holes (PBHs) as part of the dark matter (DM) would modify the evolution of large-scale structures and the thermal history of the universe. Future 21 cm forest observations, sensitive to small scales and the thermal state of the intergalactic medium (IGM), could probe the existence of such PBHs. In this article, we show that the shot noise isocurvature mode on small scales induced by the presence of PBHs can enhance the amount of low-mass halos, or minihalos, and thus, the number of 21 cm absorption lines. However, if the mass of PBHs is as large as MPBH ≳ 10 $M_\odot$, with an abundant enough fraction of PBHs as DM, fPBH, the IGM heating due to accretion on to the PBHs counteracts the enhancement due to the isocurvature mode, reducing the number of absorption lines instead. The concurrence of both effects imprints distinctive signatures on the number of absorbers, allowing the abundance of PBHs to be bound. We compute the prospects for constraining PBHs with future 21 cm forest observations, finding achievable competitive upper limits on the abundance as low as fPBH ∼ 10−3 at MPBH = 100 $M_\odot$, or even lower at larger masses, in regions of the parameter space unexplored by current probes. The impact of astrophysical X-ray sources on the IGM temperature is also studied, which could potentially weaken the bounds.

Nonlinear evolutions of streaky structures in viscoelastic pipe flows

The dynamics of streaky structures in a viscoelastic pipe flow of FENE-P fluids is studied numerically. The values of Weissenberg number ( W i , polymer relaxation time over flow turn-over time) and viscosity ratios are varied to evaluate the effects of viscoelasticity in the pipe. For Reynolds numbers 3000 ∼ 3500 (based on pipe radius and maximum laminar velocity) near the transition boundary, we select finite-amplitude two-dimensional rolls as initial conditions and add infinitesimal three-dimensional perturbations to trigger the transition. The 2D streamwise rolls are highly unstable to small 3D disturbances, which helps to better understand the evolution of large scale structures. The stronger temporal intermittency in viscoelastic flows makes it more difficult to identify a successful transition; we found that quantities directly related to viscoelasticity can serve as better indicators of transition to turbulence. The role of polymer stress is studied through the kinetic energy budget and it is found that polymer torque opposes the vorticity and become more dominant for higher W i , consistent with previous studies. The results show that the secondary instability of the streaky structures can be enhanced by viscoelasticity at low W i , while at high W i viscoelasticity delays the transition to turbulence, sometimes leading to relaminarization. • Direct numerical simulations of viscoelastic pipe flow of FENE-P fluids are conducted. • Viscoelasticity changes the evolution of streaks and causes strong intermittency. • Polymer stress is studied via turbulent kinetic energy budget in streak breakdown. • Non-monotonic influence of Weissenberg number on threshold boundary of transitions.

The Abell 3391/95 galaxy cluster system

Context.Inferences about dark matter, dark energy, and the missing baryons all depend on the accuracy of our model of large-scale structure evolution. In particular, with cosmological simulations in our model of the Universe, we trace the growth of structure, and visualize the build-up of bigger structures from smaller ones and of gaseous filaments connecting galaxy clusters.Aims.Here we aim to reveal the complexity of the large-scale structure assembly process in great detail and on scales from tens of kiloparsecs up to more than 10 Mpc with new sensitive large-scale observations from the latest generation of instruments. We also aim to compare our findings with expectations from our cosmological model.Methods.We used dedicated SRG/eROSITA performance verification (PV) X-ray, ASKAP/EMU Early Science radio, and DECam optical observations of a ~15 deg2region around the nearby interacting galaxy cluster system A3391/95 to study the warm-hot gas in cluster outskirts and filaments, the surrounding large-scale structure and its formation process, the morphological complexity in the inner parts of the clusters, and the (re-)acceleration of plasma. We also used complementary Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect data from thePlancksurvey and custom-made Galactic total (neutral plus molecular) hydrogen column density maps based on the HI4PI and IRAS surveys. We relate the observations to expectations from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations from the Magneticum suite.Results.We trace the irregular morphology of warm and hot gas of the main clusters from their centers out to well beyond their characteristic radii,r200. Between the two main cluster systems, we observe an emission bridge on large scale and with good spatial resolution. This bridge includes a known galaxy group but this can only partially explain the emission. Most gas in the bridge appears hot, but thanks to eROSITA’s unique soft response and large field of view, we discover some tantalizing hints for warm, truly primordial filamentary gas connecting the clusters. Several matter clumps physically surrounding the system are detected. For the “Northern Clump,” we provide evidence that it is falling towards A3391 from the X-ray hot gas morphology and radio lobe structure of its central AGN. Moreover, the shapes of these X-ray and radio structures appear to be formed by gas well beyond the virial radius,r100, of A3391, thereby providing an indirect way of probing the gas in this elusive environment. Many of the extended sources in the field detected by eROSITA are also known clusters or new clusters in the background, including a known SZ cluster at redshiftz= 1. We find roughly an order of magnitude more cluster candidates than the SPT and ACT surveys together in the same area. We discover an emission filament north of the virial radius of A3391 connecting to the Northern Clump. Furthermore, the absorption-corrected eROSITA surface brightness map shows that this emission filament extends south of A3395 and beyond an extended X-ray-emitting object (the “Little Southern Clump”) towards another galaxy cluster, all at the same redshift. The total projected length of this continuous warm-hot emission filament is 15 Mpc, running almost 4 degrees across the entire eROSITA PV observation field. The Northern and Southern Filament are each detected at >4σ. ThePlanckSZ map additionally appears to support the presence of both new filaments. Furthermore, the DECam galaxy density map shows galaxy overdensities in the same regions. Overall, the new datasets provide impressive confirmation of the theoretically expected structure formation processes on the individual system level, including the surrounding warm-hot intergalactic medium distribution; the similarities of features found in a similar system in the Magneticum simulation are striking. Our spatially resolved findings show that baryons indeed reside in large-scale warm-hot gas filaments with a clumpy structure.

Validating the Universe in a Box

Computer simulations of the formation and evolution of large-scale structure in the universe are integral to the enterprise of modern cosmology. Establishing the reliability of these simulations has been extremely challenging, primarily because of epistemic opacity. In this setting, robustness analysis defined by requiring converging outputs from a diverse ensemble of simulations is insufficient to determine simulation validity. We propose an alternative path of structured code validation that applies eliminative reasoning to isolate and reduce possible sources of error, a potential path that is already being explored by some cosmologists.

Compressibility Effects on Large Structures and Entrainment Length Scales in Mixing Layers

In this work, three-component planar velocity measurements are analyzed to identify the effects of compressibility on mixing layer turbulence, with a focus on the evolution of large-scale structures, dominant spatial eigenmodes, and entrainment length scales. Velocity measurements obtained via stereoscopic particle image velocimetry for five different dual-stream air planar mixing layers with convective Mach numbers of , 0.38, 0.55, 0.69, and 0.88 are analyzed. Results of two-point correlations reveal that length scales of the streamwise velocity fluctuations increase in both the streamwise and transverse directions, whereas the length scales of the transverse velocity fluctuations decrease in the transverse direction. To further investigate these trends, the spatial organization, shape, and dynamics of large-scale turbulent structures are examined via two-dimensional spatial velocity correlations, proper orthogonal decomposition, and linear stochastic estimation. These quantitative techniques support qualitative findings in the literature that report coherent, round roller structures in incompressible mixing layers becoming flattened and elongated longitudinally with increased compressibility. This evolution is likely due to a dominant pulsing motion present for the higher cases and can be linked to compressibility effects on the entrainment mechanisms. Length scales of entrainment are determined using autocorrelations of normal flow velocity components along instantaneously identified turbulent/non-turbulent interfaces and are found to decrease with increasing . This result can heuristically be interpreted as small-scale nibbling being dominant for higher , whereas larger-scale engulfment contributes more in nearly incompressible mixing layers.

The early growth of supermassive black holes in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations with constrained Gaussian realizations

ABSTRACT The paper examines the early growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations with different BH seeding scenarios. Employing the constrained Gaussian realization, we reconstruct the initial conditions in the large-volume bluetides simulation and run them to z = 6 to cross-validate that the method reproduces the first quasars and their environments. Our constrained simulations in a volume of $(15 \, h^{-1} {\rm Mpc})^3$ successfully recover the evolution of large-scale structure and the stellar and BH masses in the vicinity of a ${\sim}10^{12} \, M_{\odot }$ halo which we identified in bluetides at z ∼ 7 hosting a ${\sim}10^9 \, M_{\odot }$ SMBH. Among our constrained simulations, only the ones with a low-tidal field and high-density peak in the initial conditions induce the fastest BH growth required to explain the z > 6 quasars. We run two sets of simulations with different BH seed masses of 5 × 103, 5 × 104, and $5 \times 10^5 \, h^{-1} M_{\odot }$, (i) with the same ratio of halo to BH seed mass and (ii) with the same halo threshold mass. At z = 6, all the SMBHs converge in mass to ${\sim}10^9 \, M_{\odot }$ except for the one with the smallest seed in (ii) undergoing critical BH growth and reaching 108 – $10^9 \, M_{\odot }$, albeit with most of the growth in (ii) delayed compared to set (i). The finding of eight BH mergers in the small-seed scenario (four with masses 104 – $10^6 \, M_{\odot }$ at z > 12), six in the intermediate-seed scenario, and zero in the large-seed scenario suggests that the vast BHs in the small-seed scenario merge frequently during the early phases of the growth of SMBHs. The increased BH merger rate for the low-mass BH seed and halo threshold scenario provides an exciting prospect for discriminating BH formation mechanisms with the advent of multimessenger astrophysics and next-generation gravitational wave facilities.

Fast Generation of Large-scale Structure Density Maps via Generative Adversarial Networks

Abstract Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are a recent advancement in unsupervised machine learning. They are a cat-and-mouse game between two neural networks: (1) a discriminator network which learns to validate whether a sample is real or fake compared to a training set and (2) a generator network which learns to generate data that appear to belong to the training set. Both networks learn from each other until training is complete and the generator network is able to produce samples that are indistinguishable from the training set. We find that GANs are well-suited for fast generation of novel 3D density maps that are indistinguishable from those obtained from N-body simulations. In a matter of seconds, a fully trained GAN can generate thousands of density maps at different epochs in the history of the universe. These GAN-generated maps can then be used to study the evolution of large-scale structure over time.

Self-Organization, Structures, and Anomalous Transport in Turbulent Partially Magnetized Plasmas with Crossed Electric and Magnetic Fields.

Self-organization and anomalous transport in gradient-drift driven turbulence in partially magnetized plasmas with crossed electric and magnetic fields is demonstrated in two-dimensional fluid simulations. The development of large scale structures and flows is shown to occur as a result of the inverse energy cascade from short wavelength instabilities. The turbulence shows complex interaction of small scale modes with large scale zonal flow modes, vortices, and streamers resulting in strongly intermittent anomalous transport that significantly exceeds the classical collisional values. The turbulence driven secondary instabilities and large scale structures are shown to dominate the anomalous electron current. Such anomalous transport and structures are consistent with a number of experimental observations in laboratory plasmas.

Dark energy in Horndeski theories after GW170817: A review

The gravitational wave (GW) event GW170817 from a binary neutron star merger together with the electromagnetic counterpart showed that the speed of GWs [Formula: see text] is very close to that of light for the redshift [Formula: see text]. This places tight constraints on dark energy models constructed in the framework of modified gravitational theories. We review models of the late-time cosmic acceleration in scalar–tensor theories with second-order equations of motion (dubbed Horndeski theories) by paying particular attention to the evolution of dark energy equation of state and observables relevant to the cosmic growth history. We provide a gauge-ready formulation of scalar perturbations in full Horndeski theories and estimate observables associated with the evolution of large-scale structures, cosmic microwave background and weak lensing by employing a so-called quasi-static approximation for the modes deep inside the sound horizon. In light of the recent observational bound of [Formula: see text], we also classify surviving dark energy models into four classes depending on different structure-formation patterns and discuss how they can be observationally distinguished from each other. In particular, the nonminimally coupled theories in which the scalar field [Formula: see text] has a coupling with the Ricci scalar [Formula: see text] of the form [Formula: see text], including [Formula: see text] gravity, can be tightly constrained not only from the cosmic expansion and growth histories but also from the variation of screened gravitational couplings. The cross-correlation of integrated Sachs–Wolfe signal with galaxy distributions can be a key observable for placing bounds on the relative ratio of cubic Galileon density to total dark energy density. The dawn of GW astronomy will open up a new window to constrain nonminimally coupled theories further by the modified luminosity distance of tensor perturbations.

Large-scale structure probes of modified gravity

Observations of the evolution of large-scale structures in the Universe provides unique tools to confront Einstein’s theory of General Relativity on cosmological scales. We review weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering studies, discussing how these can be used in combination in order to constrain a range of different modified gravity theories. We argue that in order to maximise the future information gain from these probes, theoretical effort will be required in order to model the impact of beyond-Einstein gravity in the nonlinear regime of structure formation.

MassiveNuS: cosmological massive neutrino simulations

The non-zero mass of neutrinos suppresses the growth of cosmic structure on small scales. Since the level of suppression depends on the sum of the masses of the three active neutrino species, the evolution of large-scale structure is a promising tool to constrain the total mass of neutrinos and possibly shed light on the mass hierarchy. In this work, we investigate these effects via a large suite of N-body simulations that include massive neutrinos using an analytic linear-response approximation: the Cosmological Massive Neutrino Simulations (MassiveNuS). The simulations include the effects of radiation on the background expansion, as well as the clustering of neutrinos in response to the nonlinear dark matter evolution. We allow three cosmological parameters to vary: the neutrino mass sum Mν in the range of 0–0.6 eV, the total matter density Ωm, and the primordial power spectrum amplitude As. The rms density fluctuation in spheres of 8 comoving Mpc/h (σ8) is a derived parameter as a result. Our data products include N-body snapshots, halo catalogues, merger trees, ray-traced galaxy lensing convergence maps for four source redshift planes between zs=1–2.5, and ray-traced cosmic microwave background lensing convergence maps. We describe the simulation procedures and code validation in this paper. The data are publicly available at http://columbialensing.org.