A Bayesian approach to the cosmic dipole in radio galaxy surveys: joint analysis of NVSS & RACS

Abstract

ABSTRACT We examine the sky distribution of radio galaxies in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) and the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS). Analyses of these samples have reported tension between their inferred dipoles and the kinematic dipole of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). This represents a challenge to the traditional assumption that the Universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales: the cosmological principle. We find that NVSS and RACS contain local radio sources that give a non-negligible contribution to the overall dipole signal. These need to be adequately accounted for since the aim is to probe the composition of the Universe at large scales. By appropriately considering these sources, the inferred dipole amplitude in either sample is reduced. None the less, we find support for a dipole aligning with that of the CMB but larger in amplitude, especially in the joint analysis. However, the ‘clustering dipole’ – the contribution of local sources to the net inferred dipole – appears to align with the direction of the CMB dipole, and its magnitude increases as deeper nearby sources are considered up to a comoving distance of ≈130 Mpc (h = 0.7). The significance of this observation in the context of the cosmological principle is unclear and prompts further inquiry.