In Validation of the DESI 2024 Lyα forest BAO analysis using synthetic datasets, authors use synthetic realizations to validate the measurement of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) from the DESI’s first-year data.

Key takeaways:

• Synthetic data based on Gaussian random fields effectively test BAO measurement frameworks.
• Simulations with synthetic data can produce realistic DESI spectra, including major contaminants.
• The validation process highlights the need for more advanced synthetic data sets, such as those simulating BAO broadening due to non-linear evolution.

This study is important as it demonstrates the use of synthetic data sets for significant cosmological measurements like BAO. The approach establishes a benchmark for assessing the reliability of BAO measurements, suggesting directions for future enhancements in the preparation of synthetic datasets for astronomical observations.