Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > High-significance detection of correlation betw...

Links

Text available via DOI:

View graph of relations

High-significance detection of correlation between the unresolved gamma-ray background and the large-scale cosmic structure

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

E-pub ahead of print
  • B. Thakore
  • M. Negro
  • M. Regis
  • S. Camera
  • D. Gruen
  • N. Fornengo
  • A. Roodman
  • A. Porredon
  • T. Schutt
  • A. Cuoco
  • A. Alarcon
  • A. Amon
  • K. Bechtol
  • M.R. Becker
  • G.M. Bernstein
  • A. Campos
  • A. Carnero Rosell
  • M. Carrasco Kind
  • R. Cawthon
  • C. Chang
  • R. Chen
  • A. Choi
  • J. Cordero
  • C. Davis
  • J. DeRose
  • H.T. Diehl
  • S. Dodelson
  • C. Doux
  • A. Drlica-Wagner
  • K. Eckert
  • J. Elvin-Poole
  • S. Everett
  • A. Ferté
  • M. Gatti
  • G. Giannini
  • R.A. Gruendl
  • I. Harrison
  • W.G. Hartley
  • E.M. Huff
  • M. Jarvis
  • N. Kuropatkin
  • P.-F. Leget
  • N. MacCrann
  • J. McCullough
  • J. Myles
  • A. Navarro-Alsina
  • S. Pandey
  • J. Prat
  • M. Raveri
  • R.P. Rollins
  • A.J. Ross
  • E.S. Rykoff
  • C. Sánchez
  • L.F. Secco
  • I. Sevilla-Noarbe
  • E. Sheldon
  • T. Shin
  • M.A. Troxel
  • I. Tutusaus
  • B. Yanny
  • B. Yin
  • Y. Zhang
  • M. Aguena
  • D. Brooks
  • J. Carretero
  • L.N. da Costa
  • T.M. Davis
  • J. De Vicente
  • S. Desai
  • P. Doel
  • B. Flaugher
  • J. Frieman
  • J. García-Bellido
  • E. Gaztanaga
  • G. Gutierrez
  • S.R. Hinton
  • D.L. Hollowood
  • K. Honscheid
  • D.J. James
  • K. Kuehn
  • O. Lahav
  • S. Lee
  • M. Lima
  • J.L. Marshall
  • J. Mena-Fernández
  • R. Miquel
  • R.L.C. Ogando
  • A. Palmese
  • A. Pieres
  • A.A. Plazas Malagón
  • S. Samuroff
  • E. Sanchez
  • D. Sanchez Cid
  • E. Suchyta
  • G. Tarle
  • V. Vikram
  • A.R. Walker
  • N. Weaverdyck
Close
Article number037
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>30/06/2025
<mark>Journal</mark>Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Issue number06
Volume2025
Publication StatusE-pub ahead of print
Early online date19/06/25
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Our understanding of the γ-ray sky has improved dramatically in the past decade, however, the unresolved γ-ray background (UGRB) still has a potential wealth of information about the faintest γ-ray sources pervading the Universe. Statistical cross-correlations with tracers of cosmic structure can indirectly identify the populations that most characterize the γ-ray background. In this study, we analyze the angular correlation between the γ-ray background and the matter distribution in the Universe as traced by gravitational lensing, leveraging more than a decade of observations from the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) and 3 years of data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We detect a correlation at signal-to-noise ratio of 8.9. Most of the statistical significance comes from large scales, demonstrating, for the first time, that a substantial portion of the UGRB aligns with the mass clustering of the Universe as traced by weak lensing. Blazars provide a plausible explanation for this signal, especially if those contributing to the correlation reside in halos of large mass (∼ 1014 M ⊙) and account for approximately 30–40% of the UGRB above 10 GeV. Additionally, we observe a preference for a curved γ-ray energy spectrum, with a log-parabolic shape being favored over a power-law. We also discuss the possibility of modifications to the blazar model and the inclusion of additional γ-ray sources, such as star-forming galaxies, misalinged active galactic nuclei, or particle dark matter.