Ja n 20 05 Peculiar Velocity and Deaberration of the Sky

Recent studies have found the earth's peculiar velocity to be significant in microwave background based tests for compact cosmic topology, and modifications to these tests have been proposed. Tests of non-gaussianity, weak lensing analysis and new tests using improved CMB data will also be sensitive to peculiar velocity. We propose here to simplify matters by showing how to construct a deaberrated CMB map to which any test requiring a Hubble flow viewpoint can be applied without further complication. In a similar manner deaberration can also be applied to object surveys used for example in topological searches and matter distribution analysis. In particular we have produced a revised list of objects with z > 1.0 using the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. Subject headings: large-scale structure of universe—relativity—cosmic microwave background—general: quasars