Quantifying Tensions between CMB and Distance Datasets in Models with Free Curvature or Lensing Amplitude

Recent measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) by the Planck Collaboration have produced arguably the most powerful observational evidence in support of the standard model of cosmology, i.e. the spatially flat $\Lambda$CDM paradigm. In this work, we perform model selection tests to examine whether the base CMB temperature and large scale polarization anisotropy data from Planck 2015 (P15) prefer any of eight commonly used one-parameter model extensions with respect to flat $\Lambda$CDM. We find a clear preference for models with free curvature, $\Omega_\mathrm{K}$, or free amplitude of the CMB lensing potential, $A_\mathrm{L}$. We also further develop statistical tools to measure tension between datasets. We use a Gaussianization scheme to compute tensions directly from the posterior samples using an entropy-based method, the surprise, as well as a calibrated evidence ratio presented here for the first time. We then proceed to investigate the consistency between the base P15~CMB data and six other CMB and distance datasets. In flat $\Lambda$CDM we find a $4.8\sigma$ tension between the base P15~CMB data and a distance ladder measurement, whereas the former are consistent with the other datasets. In the curved $\Lambda$CDM model we find significant tensions in most of the cases, arising from the well-known low power of the low-$\ell$ multipoles of the CMB data. In the flat $\Lambda$CDM $+A_\mathrm{L}$ model, however, all datasets are consistent with the base P15~CMB observations except for the CMB lensing measurement, which remains in significant tension. This tension is driven by the increased power of the CMB lensing potential derived from the base P15~CMB constraints in both models, pointing at either potentially unresolved systematic effects or the need for new physics beyond the standard flat $\Lambda$CDM model.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, 6 table

Curved Space or Curved Vacuum?

While the simple picture of a spatially flat, matter plus cosmological constant universe fits current observation of the accelerated expansion, strong consideration has also been given to models with dynamical vacuum energy. We examine the tradeoff of ``curving'' the vacuum but retaining spatial flatness, vs. curving space but retaining the cosmological constant. These different breakdowns in the simple picture could readily be distinguished by combined high accuracy supernovae and cosmic microwave background distance measurements. If we allow the uneasy situation of both breakdowns, the curvature can still be measured to 1%, but at the price of degrading estimation of the equation of state time variation by 60% or more, unless additional information (such as weak lensing data or a tight matter density prior) is included.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures; minor changes to match version accepted to Astroparticle Physics and correct typo at bottom of page

Regularization of spherical and axisymmetric evolution codes in numerical relativity

Several interesting astrophysical phenomena are symmetric with respect to the rotation axis, like the head-on collision of compact bodies, the collapse and/or accretion of fields with a large variety of geometries, or some forms of gravitational waves. Most current numerical relativity codes, however, can not take advantage of these symmetries due to the fact that singularities in the adapted coordinates, either at the origin or at the axis of symmetry, rapidly cause the simulation to crash. Because of this regularity problem it has become common practice to use full-blown Cartesian three-dimensional codes to simulate axi-symmetric systems. In this work we follow a recent idea idea of Rinne and Stewart and present a simple procedure to regularize the equations both in spherical and axi-symmetric spaces. We explicitly show the regularity of the evolution equations, describe the corresponding numerical code, and present several examples clearly showing the regularity of our evolutions.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Several changes. Main corrections are in eqs. (2.12) and (5.14). Accepted in Gen. Rel. Gra

Excision boundary conditions for black hole initial data

We define and extensively test a set of boundary conditions that can be applied at black hole excision surfaces when the Hamiltonian and momentum constraints of general relativity are solved within the conformal thin-sandwich formalism. These boundary conditions have been designed to result in black holes that are in quasiequilibrium and are completely general in the sense that they can be applied with any conformal three-geometry and slicing condition. Furthermore, we show that they retain precisely the freedom to specify an arbitrary spin on each black hole. Interestingly, we have been unable to find a boundary condition on the lapse that can be derived from a quasiequilibrium condition. Rather, we find evidence that the lapse boundary condition is part of the initial temporal gauge choice. To test these boundary conditions, we have extensively explored the case of a single black hole and the case of a binary system of equal-mass black holes, including the computation of quasi-circular orbits and the determination of the inner-most stable circular orbit. Our tests show that the boundary conditions work well.Comment: 23 pages, 23 figures, revtex4, corrected typos, added reference, minor content changes including additional post-Newtonian comparison. Version accepted by PR

Testing flatness of the universe with probes of cosmic distances and growth

When using distance measurements to probe spatial curvature, the geometric degeneracy between curvature and dark energy in the distance-redshift relation typically requires either making strong assumptions about the dark energy evolution or sacrificing precision in a more model-independent approach. Measurements of the redshift evolution of the linear growth of perturbations can break the geometric degeneracy, providing curvature constraints that are both precise and model-independent. Future supernova, CMB, and cluster data have the potential to measure the curvature with an accuracy of sigma(Omega_K)=0.002, without specifying a particular dark energy phenomenology. In combination with distance measurements, the evolution of the growth function at low redshifts provides the strongest curvature constraint if the high-redshift universe is well approximated as being purely matter dominated. However, in the presence of early dark energy or massive neutrinos, the precision in curvature is reduced due to additional degeneracies, and precise normalization of the growth function relative to recombination is important for obtaining accurate constraints. Curvature limits from distances and growth compare favorably to other approaches to curvature estimation proposed in the literature, providing either greater accuracy or greater freedom from dark energy modeling assumptions, and are complementary due to the use of independent data sets. Model-independent estimates of curvature are critical for both testing inflation and obtaining unbiased constraints on dark energy parameters.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.