The Power Spectrum of Matter

Abstract

We calculate the mean power spectrum of galaxies using published power spectra of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. The mean power spectrum has a relatively sharp maximum on scale 120 Mpc (for Hubble constant h=1), followed by an almost exact power-law spectrum of index n = -1.9 toward smaller scales. The power spectrum found from APM 2-D galaxy distribution and from LCRS and IRAS 1.2 Jy surveys is flatter around the maximum. Power spectra of galaxies and matter are similar in shape, we find the bias parameter of galaxies relative to matter 1.3 + - 0.1. We compare the empirical power spectrum of matter with analytical power spectra and show that the primordial power spectrum has a break in amplitude and a spike.