Parameter information from nonlinear cosmological fields

Abstract

We develop a general formalism for analysing parameter information from non-Gaussian cosmic fields. The method can be adapted to include the nonlinear effects in galaxy redshift surveys, weak lensing surveys and cosmic velocity field surveys as part of parameter estimation. It can also be used as a test of non-Gaussianity of the Cosmic Microwave Background. Generalising Maximum Likelihood analysis to second-order, we calculate the nonlinear Fisher Information matrix and likelihood surfaces in parameter space. To this order we find that the information content is always increased by including nonlinearity. Our methods are applied to a realistic model of a galaxy redshift survey, including nonlinear evolution, galaxy bias, shot-noise and redshift-space distortions to second-order. We find that including nonlinearities allows all of the degeneracies between parameters to be lifted. Marginalised parameter uncertainties of a few percent will then be obtainable using forthcoming galaxy redshift surveys.