We analyse the large‐scale correlation function of the 6dF Galaxy Survey (6dFGS) and detect a baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) signal at 105 h−1 Mpc. The 6dFGS BAO detection allows us to constrain the distance–redshift relation at zeff= 0.106. We achieve a distance measure of DV(zeff) = 457 ± 27 Mpc and a measurement of the distance ratio, rs(zd)/DV(zeff) = 0.336 ± 0.015 (4.5 per cent precision), where rs(zd) is the sound horizon at the drag epoch zd. The low‐effective redshift of 6dFGS makes it a competitive and independent alternative to Cepheids and low‐z supernovae in constraining the Hubble constant. We find a Hubble constant of H0= 67 ± 3.2 km s−1 Mpc−1 (4.8 per cent precision) that depends only on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe‐7 (WMAP‐7) calibration of the sound horizon and on the galaxy clustering in 6dFGS. Compared to earlier BAO studies at higher redshift, our analysis is less dependent on other cosmological parameters. The sensitivity to H0 can be used to break the degeneracy between the dark energy equation of state parameter w and H0 in the cosmic microwave background data. We determine that w=−0.97 ± 0.13, using only WMAP‐7 and BAO data from both 6dFGS and Percival et al. (2010). We also discuss predictions for the large‐scale correlation function of two future wide‐angle surveys: the Wide field ASKAP L‐band Legacy All‐sky Blind surveY (WALLABY) blind H i survey (with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, ASKAP) and the proposed Transforming Astronomical Imaging surveys through Polychromatic Analysis of Nebulae (TAIPAN) all‐southern‐sky optical galaxy survey with the UK Schmidt Telescope. We find that both surveys are very likely to yield detections of the BAO peak, making WALLABY the first radio galaxy survey to do so. We also predict that TAIPAN has the potential to constrain the Hubble constant with 3 per cent precision.

The definitive version can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ Copyright Royal Astronomical SocietyThe Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey has been operating since 2008 February on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope using the AAOmega fibre-fed spectrograph facility to acquire spectra with a resolution of R approximate to 1300 for 120 862 Sloan Digital Sky Survey selected galaxies. The target catalogue constitutes three contiguous equatorial regions centred at 9h (G09), 12h (G12) and 14.5h (G15) each of 12 x 4 deg2 to limiting fluxes of r(pet) < 19.4, r(pet) < 19.8 and r(pet) < 19.4 mag, respectively (and additional limits at other wavelengths). Spectra and reliable redshifts have been acquired for over 98 per cent of the galaxies within these limits. Here we present the survey footprint, progression, data reduction, redshifting, re-redshifting, an assessment of data quality after 3 yr, additional image analysis products (including ugrizYJHK photometry, Sersic profiles and photometric redshifts), observing mask and construction of our core survey catalogue (GamaCore). From this we create three science-ready catalogues: GamaCoreDR1 for public release, which includes data acquired during year 1 of operations within specified magnitude limits (2008 February to April); GamaCoreMainSurvey containing all data above our survey limits for use by the GAMA Team and collaborators; and GamaCoreAtlasSV containing year 1, 2 and 3 data matched to Herschel-ATLAS science demonstration data. These catalogues along with the associated spectra, stamps and profiles can be accessed via the GAMA website: http://www.gama-survey.org/

This paper describes the first catalogue of photometrically-derived stellar mass estimates for intermediate-redshift (z < 0.65; median z = 0.2) galaxies in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) spectroscopic redshift survey. These masses, as well as the full set of ancillary stellar population parameters, will be made public as part of GAMA data release 2. Although the GAMA database does include NIR photometry, we show that the quality of our stellar population synthesis fits is significantly poorer when these NIR data are included. Further, for a large fraction of galaxies, the stellar population parameters inferred from the optical-plus-NIR photometry are formally inconsistent with those inferred from the optical data alone. This may indicate problems in our stellar population library, or NIR data issues, or both; hese issues will be addressed for future versions of the catalogue. For now, we have chosen to base our stellar mass estimates on optical photometry only. In light of our decision to ignore the available NIR data, we examine how well stellar mass can be constrained based on optical data alone. We use generic properties of stellar population synthesis models to demonstrate that restframe colour alone is in principle a very good estimator of stellar mass-to-light ratio, M * /L i . Further, we use the observed relation between restframe (g − i) and M * /L i for real GAMA galaxies to argue that, modulo uncertainties in the stellar evolution models themselves, (g − i) colour can in practice be used to estimate M * /L i to an accuracy of 0.

We report the final redshift release of the 6dF Galaxy Survey (6dFGS), a combined redshift and peculiar velocity survey over the southern sky (|b| > 10°). Its 136 304 spectra have yielded 110 256 new extragalactic redshifts and a new catalogue of 125 071 galaxies making near‐complete samples with (K, H, J, rF, bJ) ≤ (12.65, 12.95, 13.75, 15.60, 16.75). The median redshift of the survey is 0.053. Survey data, including images, spectra, photometry and redshifts, are available through an online data base. We describe changes to the information in the data base since earlier interim data releases. Future releases will include velocity dispersions, distances and peculiar velocities for the brightest early‐type galaxies, comprising about 10 per cent of the sample. Here we provide redshift maps of the southern local Universe with z≤ 0.1, showing nearby large‐scale structures in hitherto unseen detail. A number of regions known previously to have a paucity of galaxies are confirmed as significantly underdense regions. The URL of the 6dFGS data base is http://www-wfau.roe.ac.uk/6dFGS.

We present a detailed analysis of redshift‐space distortions in the two‐point correlation function of the 6dF Galaxy Survey (6dFGS). The K‐band selected subsample which we employ in this study contains 81 971 galaxies distributed over 17 000 degree2 with an effective redshift zeff= 0.067. By modelling the 2D galaxy correlation function, , we measure the parameter combination f(zeff)σ8(zeff) = 0.423 ± 0.055, where is the growth rate of cosmic structure and σ8 is the rms of matter fluctuations in 8 h−1 Mpc spheres. Alternatively, by assuming standard gravity we can break the degeneracy between σ8 and the galaxy bias parameter b. Combining our data with the Hubble constant prior from Riess et al., we measure σ8= 0.76 ± 0.11 and Ωm= 0.250 ± 0.022, consistent with constraints from other galaxy surveys and the cosmic microwave background data from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 7 (WMAP7). Combining our measurement of fσ8 with WMAP7 allows us to test the cosmic growth history and the relationship between matter and gravity on cosmic scales by constraining the growth index of density fluctuations, γ. Using only 6dFGS and WMAP7 data we find γ= 0.547 ± 0.088, consistent with the prediction of General Relativity. We note that because of the low effective redshift of the 6dFGS our measurement of the growth rate is independent of the fiducial cosmological model (Alcock–Paczynski effect). We also show that our conclusions are not sensitive to the model adopted for non‐linear redshift‐space distortions. Using a Fisher matrix analysis we report predictions for constraints on fσ8 for the Wide‐field Australian SKA Pathfinder telescope L‐band Legacy All‐sky Blind surveY (WALLABY) and the proposed Transforming Astronomical Imaging surveys through Polychromatic Analysis of Nebulae (TAIPAN) survey. The WALLABY survey will be able to measure fσ8 with a precision of 4–10 per cent, depending on the modelling of non‐linear structure formation. This is comparable to the predicted precision for the best redshift bins of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, demonstrating that low‐redshift surveys have a significant role to play in future tests of dark energy and modified gravity.

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In 2009-2010, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) operated together with international partners Virgo and GEO600 as a network to search for gravitational waves of astrophysical origin. The sensitivity of these detectors was limited by a combination of noise sources inherent to the instrumental design and its environment, often localized in time or frequency, that couple into the gravitational-wave readout. Here we review the performance of the LIGO instruments during this epoch, the work done to characterize the detectors and their data, and the effect that transient and continuous noise artefacts have on the sensitivity of LIGO to a variety of astrophysical sources.

Using the complete Galaxy and Mass Assembly I (GAMA‐I) survey covering ∼142 deg2 to rAB= 19.4, of which ∼47 deg2 is to rAB= 19.8, we create the GAMA‐I galaxy group catalogue (G3Cv1), generated using a friends‐of‐friends (FoF) based grouping algorithm. Our algorithm has been tested extensively on one family of mock GAMA lightcones, constructed from Λ cold dark matter N‐body simulations populated with semi‐analytic galaxies. Recovered group properties are robust to the effects of interlopers and are median unbiased in the most important respects. G3Cv1 contains 14 388 galaxy groups (with multiplicity ≥2), including 44 186 galaxies out of a possible 110 192 galaxies, implying ∼40 per cent of all galaxies are assigned to a group. The similarities of the mock group catalogues and G3Cv1 are multiple: global characteristics are in general well recovered. However, we do find a noticeable deficit in the number of high multiplicity groups in GAMA compared to the mocks. Additionally, despite exceptionally good local spatial completeness, G3Cv1 contains significantly fewer compact groups with five or more members, this effect becoming most evident for high multiplicity systems. These two differences are most likely due to limitations in the physics included of the current GAMA lightcone mock. Further studies using a variety of galaxy formation models are required to confirm their exact origin. The G3Cv1 catalogue will be made publicly available as and when the relevant GAMA redshifts are made available at http://www.gama-survey.org.