Paper detail

Reconstructing the linear power spectrum of cosmological mass fluctuations

We describe an attempt to reconstruct the initial conditions for the formation of cosmological large-scale structure. The power spectrum of the primordial fluctuations is affected by bias, nonlinear evolution and redshift-space distortions, but we show how these effects can be corrected for analytically. Using eight independent datasets, we obtain excellent agreement in the estimated linear power spectra given the following conditions. First, the relative bias factors for Abell clusters, radio galaxies, optical galaxies and IRAS galaxies must be in the ratios 4.5:1.9:1.3:1. Second, the data require redshift-space distortion: $Ω^{0.6}/b_{ßI} = 1.0 \pm 0.2$. Third, low values of $Ω$ and bias are disfavoured. The shape of the spectrum is extremely well described by a CDM transfer function with an apparent value of the fitting parameter $Ωh =0.25$. Tilted models predict too little power at 100 Mpc wavelengths.