The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey of SDSS-III

Abstract: The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) is designed to measure the scale of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the clustering of matter over a larger volume than the combined efforts of all previous spectroscopic surveys of large scale structure. BOSS uses 1.5 million luminous galaxies as faint as i=19.9 over 10,000 square degrees to measure BAO to redshifts z<0.7. Observations of neutral hydrogen in the Lyman alpha forest in more than 150,000 quasar spectra (g<22) will constrain BAO over the redshift range 2.15<z<3.5. Early results from BOSS include the first detection of the large-scale three-dimensional clustering of the Lyman alpha forest and a strong detection from the Data Release 9 data set of the BAO in the clustering of massive galaxies at an effective redshift z = 0.57. We project that BOSS will yield measurements of the angular diameter distance D_A to an accuracy of 1.0% at redshifts z=0.3 and z=0.57 and measurements of H(z) to 1.8% and 1.7% at the same redshifts. Forecasts for Lyman alpha forest constraints predict a measurement of an overall dilation factor that scales the highly degenerate D_A(z) and H^{-1}(z) parameters to an accuracy of 1.9% at z~2.5 when the survey is complete. Here, we provide an overview of the selection of spectroscopic targets, planning of observations, and analysis of data and data quality of BOSS.

• The paper’s main contribution is the precise detection of BAO scales using a dual approach with galaxies and quasars.
• It employs advanced spectroscopic techniques over a 10,000 deg² footprint, observing 1.5 million galaxies and high-redshift quasars.
• Key results include achieving sub-percent precision on angular distance and expansion rate, refining dark energy models.

An Overview of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) of SDSS-III

The paper "The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey of SDSS-III" presents a detailed account of the BOSS project, which is a part of the third phase of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-III). The primary aim of BOSS is to measure the scale of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the clustering of matter, with a larger volume coverage than any previous spectroscopic surveys. This effort is intended to refine the understanding of the universe's expansion history and the role of dark energy.

BOSS employed a refined spectroscopic technique with advanced instrumentation to observe 1.5 million luminous galaxies down to a magnitude of $i=19.9$ across a 10,000 square degree survey footprint. Furthermore, BOSS utilized quasars to trace intergalactic hydrogen, offering constraints on BAO at higher redshifts ($2.15 < z < 3.5$) than targeted by the galaxies. This dual approach provides a three-dimensional picture of large-scale cosmic structures.

The paper highlights early scientific results, including the first detection of large-scale clustering of the Ly$\alpha$ forest. Moreover, data quality assessments and forecasts estimate that BOSS will achieve sub-percent precision on the angular diameter distance and expansion rate, accurate to about 1.0% at lower redshifts ($z=0.3$ and $z=0.57$).

The practical implications of BOSS are significant in the field of cosmology, offering updated measures of the cosmic distance scale, crucial for constraining dark energy models. Additionally, BOSS data supports galaxy evolution research and other fields of astrophysical inquiry.

Future AI developments may leverage datasets such as BOSS to integrate BAO findings with other datasets, enhance predictive models, and tackle unresolved questions about dark energy and the universe's fate. The growing intersections of AI with cosmological research suggest enhanced cross-disciplinary applications deriving from comprehensive surveys like BOSS.