Due to the finite speed of light and a vast, expanding universe, telescopes are just now receiving the light emitted by galaxies as they were forming in the very early universe. The light from these galaxies has been redshifted (stretched to longer, redder wavelengths) as a result of its journey through expanding space. Using sophisticated techniques and exceptional multi-wavelength optical and infrared data, we isolate a population of 378 galaxies in the process of formation when the Universe was only two billion years old. By matching the distinctive properties of the light spectra of these galaxies to models, the redshift, age, dust content, star formation rate and total stellar mass of each galaxy are determined. Comparing our results to similar surveys of galaxy populations at other redshifts, a picture emerges of the growth and evolution of massive, star-forming galaxies over the course of billions of years.

Due to the finite speed of light and a vast, expanding universe, telescopes are just now receiving the light emitted by galaxies as they were forming in the very early universe. The light from these galaxies has been redshifted (stretched to longer, redder wavelengths) as a result of its journey through expanding space. Using sophisticated techniques and exceptional multi-wavelength optical and infrared data, we isolate a population of 378 galaxies in the process of formation when the Universe was only two billion years old. By matching the distinctive properties of the light spectra of these galaxies to models, the redshift, age, dust content, star formation rate and total stellar mass of each galaxy are determined. Comparing our results to similar surveys of galaxy populations at other redshifts, a picture emerges of the growth and evolution of massive, star-forming galaxies over the course of billions of years.

This PhD thesis, written in english, studies the non-Gaussianity (NG) of extragalactic foregrounds to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the latter being one of the golden observables of today's cosmology. In the last decade has emerged research for deviations of the CMB to the Gaussian law, as they would discriminate the models for the generation of primordial perturbations. However the CMB measurements, e.g. by the Planck satellite, are contaminated by several foregrounds. I studied in particular the extragalactic foregrounds which trace the large scale structure of the universe : radio and infrared point-sources and the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (tSZ). I hence describe the statistical tools to characterise a random field : the correlation functions, and their harmonic counterpart : the polyspectra. In particular the bispectrum is the lowest order indicator of NG, with the highest potential signal to noise ratio (SNR). I describe how it can be estimated on data, accounting for a potential mask (e.g. galactic), and propose a method to visualise the bispectrum, which is more adapted than the already existing ones. I then describe the covariance of a polyspectrum measurement, a method to generate non-Gaussian simulations, and how the statistic of a 3D field projects onto the sphere when integrating along the line-of-sight. I then describe the generation of density perturbations by the standard inflation model and their possible NG, how they yield the CMB anisotropies and grow to form the large scale structure of today's universe. To describe this large scale structure, I present the halo model and propose a diagrammatic method to compute the polyspectra of the galaxy density field and to have a simple and powerful representation of the involved terms. I then describe the foregrounds to the CMB, galactic as well as extragalactic. I briefly describe the physics of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and how to describe its spatial distribution with the halo model. I then describe the extragalactic point-sources and present a prescription for the NG of clustered sources. For the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) I introduce a physical modeling with the halo model and the diagrammatic method. I compute numerically the 3D galaxy bispectrum and produce the first theoretical prediction of the CIB angular bispectrum. I show the contributions of the different terms and the temporal evolution of the galaxy bispectrum. For the CIB angular bispectrum, I show its different terms, its scale and configuration dependence, and how it varies with model parameters. By Fisher analysis, I show it allows very good constraints on these parameters, complementary to or better than those coming from the power spectrum. Finally, I describe my work on measuring NG. I first introduce an estimator for the amplitude of the CIB bispectrum, and show how to combine it with similar ones for radio sources and the CMB, for a joint constraint of the different sources of NG. I quantify the contamination of extragalactic point-sources to the estimation of primordial NG ; for Planck it is negligible for the central CMB frequencies. I then describe my measurement of the CIB bispectrum on Planck data ; it is very significantly detected at 217, 353 and 545 GHz with SNR ranging from 5.8 to 28.7. Its shape is consistent between frequencies, as well as the intrinsic amplitude of NG. Ultimately, I describe my measurement of the tSZ bispectrum, on simulations and on Compton parameter maps estimated by Planck, validating the robustness of the estimation thanks to realist foreground simulations. The tSZ bispectrum is very significantly detected with SNR~200. Its amplitude and its scale and configuration dependence are consistent with the projected map of detected clusters and tSZ simulations. Finally, this measurement allows to put a constraint on the cosmological parameters : sigma_8*(Omega_b/0.049)^0.35 = 0.74+/-0.04 in agreement with other tSZ statistics.

Due to the finite speed of light and a vast, expanding universe, telescopes are just now receiving the light emitted by galaxies as they were forming in the very early universe. The light from these galaxies has been redshifted (stretched to longer, redder wavelengths) as a result of its journey through expanding space. Using sophisticated techniques and exceptional multi-wavelength optical and infrared data, we isolate a population of 378 galaxies in the process of formation when the Universe was only two billion years old. By matching the distinctive properties of the light spectra of these galaxies to models, the redshift, age, dust content, star formation rate and total stellar mass of each galaxy are determined. Comparing our results to similar surveys of galaxy populations at other redshifts, a picture emerges of the growth and evolution of massive, star-forming galaxies over the course of billions of years.

Due to the finite speed of light and a vast, expanding universe, telescopes are just now receiving the light emitted by galaxies as they were forming in the very early universe. The light from these galaxies has been redshifted (stretched to longer, redder wavelengths) as a result of its journey through expanding space. Using sophisticated techniques and exceptional multi-wavelength optical and infrared data, we isolate a population of 378 galaxies in the process of formation when the Universe was only two billion years old. By matching the distinctive properties of the light spectra of these galaxies to models, the redshift, age, dust content, star formation rate and total stellar mass of each galaxy are determined. Comparing our results to similar surveys of galaxy populations at other redshifts, a picture emerges of the growth and evolution of massive, star-forming galaxies over the course of billions of years.

Cette thèse, écrite en anglais, étudie la non-Gaussianité (NG) des avant-plans extragalactiques au fond de rayonnement fossile (FDC), celui-ci étant une des observables de choix de la cosmologie actuelle. Ces dernières années a émergé la recherche de déviations du FDC à la loi Gaussienne, car elles permettraient de discriminer les modèles de génération des perturbations primordiales. Cependant les mesures du FDC, e.g. par le satellite Planck, sont contaminées par différents avant-plans. J'ai étudié en particulier les avant-plans extragalactiques traçant la structure à grande échelle de l'univers: les sources ponctuelles radio et infrarouges et l'effet Sunyaev-Zel'dovich thermique (tSZ). Je décris donc les outils statistiques caractérisant un champ aléatoire : les fonctions de corrélations, et leur analogue harmonique : les polyspectres. En particulier le bispectre est l'indicateur de plus bas ordre de NG avec le plus fort rapport signal sur bruit (SNR) potentiel. Je décris comment il peut être estimé sur des données en tenant compte d'un masque (e.g. galactique), et propose une méthode de visualisation du bispectre plus adaptée que les préexistantes. Je décris ensuite la covariance d'une mesure de polyspectre, une méthode pour générer des simulations non-Gaussiennes, et comment la statistique d'un champ 3D se projette sur la sphère lors de l'intégration sur la ligne de visée. Je décris ensuite la genèse des perturbations de densité par l'inflation standard et leur possible NG, comment elles génèrent les anisotropies du FDC et croissent pour former la structure à grande échelle de l'univers actuel. Pour décrire cette dite structure, j'expose le modèle de halo et propose une méthode diagrammatique pour calculer les polyspectres du champ de densité des galaxies et avoir une représentation simple et puissante des termes impliqués. Puis je décris les avant-plans au FDC, tant galactiques que extragalactiques. J'expose la physique de l'effet tSZ et comment décrire sa distribution spatiale avec le modèle de halo. Puis je décris les sources extragalactiques et présente une prescription pour la NG de sources corrélées. Pour le fond diffus infrarouge (FDI) j'introduis une modélisation physique par le modèle de halo et la méthode diagrammatique. Je calcule numériquement le bispectre 3D des galaxies et obtiens la première prédiction du bispectre angulaire FDI. Je montre les différentes contributions et l'évolution temporelle du bispectre des galaxies. Pour le bispectre du FDI, je montre ses différents termes, sa dépendence en échelle et en configuration, et comment il varie avec les paramètres du modèle. Par analyse de Fisher, je montre qu'il apporte de fortes contraintes sur ces paramètres, complémentaires ou supérieures à celles venant du spectre. Enfin, je décris mon travail de mesure de la NG. J'introduis d'abord un estimateur pour l'amplitude du bispectre FDI, et montre comment le combiner avec de similaires pour les sources radio et le FDC, pour une contrainte jointe des différentes sources de NG. Je quantifie la contamination des sources ponctuelles à l'estimation de NG primordiale ; pour Planck elle est négligeable aux fréquences centrales du FDC. Je décris ensuite ma mesure du bispectre FDI sur les données Planck ; il est détecté très significativement à 217, 353 et 545 GHz, avec des SNR allant de 5.8 à 28.7. Sa forme est cohérente entre les différentes fréquences, de même que l'amplitude intrinsèque de NG. Enfin, je décris ma mesure du bispectre tSZ, sur des simulations et sur les cartes tSZ estimées par Planck, validant la robustesse de l'estimation via des simulations d'avant-plans. Le bispectre tSZ est détecté avec un SNR~200. Son amplitude et sa dépendence en échelle et en configuration sont cohérentes avec la carte des amas détectés et avec les simulations. Enfin, cette mesure place une contrainte sur les paramètres cosmologiques : sigma_8 (Omega_b/0.049)^0.35 = 0.74+/-0.04 en accord avec les autres statistiques tSZ. / This PhD thesis, written in english, studies the non-Gaussianity (NG) of extragalactic foregrounds to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the latter being one of the golden observables of today's cosmology. In the last decade has emerged research for deviations of the CMB to the Gaussian law, as they would discriminate the models for the generation of primordial perturbations. However the CMB measurements, e.g. by the Planck satellite, are contaminated by several foregrounds. I studied in particular the extragalactic foregrounds which trace the large scale structure of the universe : radio and infrared point-sources and the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (tSZ). I hence describe the statistical tools to characterise a random field : the correlation functions, and their harmonic counterpart : the polyspectra. In particular the bispectrum is the lowest order indicator of NG, with the highest potential signal to noise ratio (SNR). I describe how it can be estimated on data, accounting for a potential mask (e.g. galactic), and propose a method to visualise the bispectrum, which is more adapted than the already existing ones. I then describe the covariance of a polyspectrum measurement, a method to generate non-Gaussian simulations, and how the statistic of a 3D field projects onto the sphere when integrating along the line-of-sight. I then describe the generation of density perturbations by the standard inflation model and their possible NG, how they yield the CMB anisotropies and grow to form the large scale structure of today's universe. To describe this large scale structure, I present the halo model and propose a diagrammatic method to compute the polyspectra of the galaxy density field and to have a simple and powerful representation of the involved terms. I then describe the foregrounds to the CMB, galactic as well as extragalactic. I briefly describe the physics of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and how to describe its spatial distribution with the halo model. I then describe the extragalactic point-sources and present a prescription for the NG of clustered sources. For the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) I introduce a physical modeling with the halo model and the diagrammatic method. I compute numerically the 3D galaxy bispectrum and produce the first theoretical prediction of the CIB angular bispectrum. I show the contributions of the different terms and the temporal evolution of the galaxy bispectrum. For the CIB angular bispectrum, I show its different terms, its scale and configuration dependence, and how it varies with model parameters. By Fisher analysis, I show it allows very good constraints on these parameters, complementary to or better than those coming from the power spectrum. Finally, I describe my work on measuring NG. I first introduce an estimator for the amplitude of the CIB bispectrum, and show how to combine it with similar ones for radio sources and the CMB, for a joint constraint of the different sources of NG. I quantify the contamination of extragalactic point-sources to the estimation of primordial NG ; for Planck it is negligible for the central CMB frequencies. I then describe my measurement of the CIB bispectrum on Planck data ; it is very significantly detected at 217, 353 and 545 GHz with SNR ranging from 5.8 to 28.7. Its shape is consistent between frequencies, as well as the intrinsic amplitude of NG. Ultimately, I describe my measurement of the tSZ bispectrum, on simulations and on Compton parameter maps estimated by Planck, validating the robustness of the estimation thanks to realist foreground simulations. The tSZ bispectrum is very significantly detected with SNR~200. Its amplitude and its scale and configuration dependence are consistent with the projected map of detected clusters and tSZ simulations. Finally, this measurement allows to put a constraint on the cosmological parameters : sigma_8*(Omega_b/0.049)^0.35 = 0.74+/-0.04 in agreement with other tSZ statistics.