Testing gravity with galaxy-galaxy lensing and redshift-space distortions using CFHT-Stripe 82, CFHTLenS, and BOSS CMASS datasets

The combination of galaxy-galaxy lensing (GGL) and redshift space distortion of galaxy clustering (RSD) is a privileged technique to test general relativity predictions and break degeneracies between the growth rate of structure parameter f and the amplitude of the linear power spectrum σ8. We performed a joint GGL and RSD analysis on 250 sq. deg using shape catalogues from CFHTLenS and CFHT-Stripe 82 and spectroscopic redshifts from the BOSS CMASS sample. We adjusted a model that includes non-linear biasing, RSD, and Alcock–Paczynski effects. We used an N-body simulation supplemented by an abundance matching prescription for CMASS galaxies to build a set of overlapping lensing and clustering mocks. Together with additional spectroscopic data, this helps us to quantify and correct several systematic errors, such as photometric redshifts. We find f(z = 0.57) = 0.95 ± 0.23, σ8(z = 0.57) = 0.55 ± 0.07 and Ωm = 0.31 ± 0.08, in agreement with Planck cosmological results 2018. We also estimate the probe of gravity EG = 0.43 ± 0.10, in agreement with ΛCDM−GR predictions of EG = 0.40. This analysis reveals that RSD efficiently decreases the GGL uncertainty on Ωm by a factor of 4 and by 30% on σ8. We make our mock catalogues available on the Skies and Universe database