Constraints on Cosmological Models from the Large-Scale Velocity Field

The Cosmic Mach number M is the ratio of the bulk flow velocity of the galaxrvelocity field on some scale R to the unall scale velocity dispersion within refcions of scale R. Because M is the ratio of two velocities, it is inn-dimansionat and the Here, independent of the amplitude of the power specHim and of the biasplnmeter in the linear theory. We have measured the Mach rnlmber for two observational samples: a spiral galaxy sample(AHM) of Aaronson and hiscoBlaborators with absolute distances measured by the infrared Ttillr-Fisher relatioa and an elliptical galaxy sample(EGALS) of Faber or 0, with distances determined by the relation. The effective depths distances of galaxies from the Local Group of these samples are 1639 km/s and 2862 e/s, respectivelr. The Machnumbers from these observed peculiar velocity Selds He fund as M=0.95 for AHMand M=0.59 for EGALS. We comPBre these calculated Mach numbers with thosefrom meck surweys drawn fuom three cosnulogical medels: the stand8rd biased nh=0.5 CDM modet an open CDM rrudel with gh=0.2, and a medd with thepower-law power specelm P(k)-k-1 and n=1. The Mach rnlmber test can give robust constraints on these cosmelogical nudels whose power spectra have very different shapes at large scales.