Rotation of Galaxies as a Signature of Cosmic Strings in Weak Lensing Surveys

2009/09/15 by Daniel B. Thomas, Carlo Contaldi, Carlo R. Contaldi +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #astro-ph.CO #astro-ph.HE #hep-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.103.181301

published as Phys.Rev.Lett.103:181301,2009

arxiv created 2009/09/15 · openalex publication_date 2009/10/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Vector perturbations sourced by topological defects can generate rotations in the lensing of background galaxies. This is a potential smoking gun for the existence of defects since rotation generates a curl-like component in the weak lensing signal which is not generated by standard density perturbations at linear order. This rotation signal is calculated as generated by cosmic strings. Future large scale weak lensing surveys should be able to detect this signal even for string tensions an order of magnitude lower than current constraints.

Citations

• First Cosmic Shear Results from the Canada‐France‐Hawaii Telescope Wide Synoptic Legacy Survey
• Topology of cosmic domains and strings
• Weak Gravitational Lensing by Large-Scale Structure