Dark Energy Constraints from Needlets Analysis of Wmap3 and NVSS Data

Abstract

We cross-correlate the new 3 year Wilkinson Microwave Anistropy Probe (WMAP3) cosmic microwave background (CMB) data with the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) radio galaxy data, and find further evidence of late integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect taking place at late times in cosmic history. Our detection makes use of a novel statistical method based on a new construction of spherical wavelets, called needlets. The null hypothesis (no ISW) is excluded at more than 99.7% confidence. When we compare the measured cross-correlation with the theoretical predictions of standard, flat cosmological models with a generalized dark energy component parameterized by its density, $\omde$, equation of state $w$ and speed of sound $\cs2$, we find $0.3\leq\omde\leq0.8$ at 95% c.l., independently of $\cs2$ and $w$. If dark energy is assumed to be a cosmological constant ($w=-1$), the bound on density shrinks to $0.41\leq\omde\leq 0.79$. Models without dark energy are excluded at more than $4\sigma$. The bounds on $w$ depend rather strongly on the assumed value of $\cs2$.