A Numerical Study of Cosmic Shear Statistics
  We explore the stability of the variance and skewness of the cosmic gravitational convergence field, using two different approaches: first we simulate a whole MEGACAM survey (100 sq. degrees). The reconstructed mass map, obtained from a shear map, shows that the state-of-the-art data analysis methods can measure weak-lensing statistics at angular scales ranging from 2.5' to 25'. We looked also at the influence of a varying signal-to-noise ratio over the shear map (due to local variations of source density) on the mass reconstruction, by means of Monte-Carlo simulation. The effect at small scales can easily be corrected-for in most of the relevant cases. These results enhance the confidence in the capability of future large surveys to measure accurately cosmologically interesting quantities. 
A. Thion (1), Y. Mellier (1,2), F. Bernardeau (3), E. Bertin (1,2), T.   Erben (4), L. van Waerbeke(5) ((1) IAP, (2) Obs. Pa...