English

An analytic approach to baryon acoustic oscillations

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 2011-07-26 v3 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

The fitting formula for the location of the first acoustic peak in the matter power spectrum is revised. We discuss the physics that leads to baryon acoustic oscillations: the recombination history, the tight coupling approximation and the velocity overshoot effect. A new fitting formula is proposed, which is in accordance within 5% with numerical results for a suitable range of cosmological parameters, whereas previous results yield deviations of up to 20%. The crucial improvement turns out to be the accuracy of the recombination history.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1105.1514,
  title  = {An analytic approach to baryon acoustic oscillations},
  author = {Francesco Montanari and Ruth Durrer},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1105.1514},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

8 pages 6 figures, version accepted for publication in PRD (some refs. added, discussion improved)