On the Effective Equation of State of Dark Energy

In an effective field theory model with an ultraviolet momentum cutoff, there is a relation between the effective equation of state of dark energy and the ultraviolet cutoff scale. It implies that a measure of the equation of state of dark energy different from minus one, does not rule out vacuum energy as dark energy. It also indicates an interesting possibility that precise measurements of the infrared properties of dark energy can be used to probe the ultraviolet cutoff scale of effective quantum field theory coupled to gravity. In a toy model with a vacuum energy dominated universe with a Planck scale cutoff, the dark energy effective equation of state is -0.96.Comment: 7 pages, awarded honorable mention in the 2010 Gravity Research Foundation essay competitio

Brane-Bulk energy exchange and agegraphic dark energy

We consider the agegraphic models of dark energy in a braneworld scenario with brane-bulk energy exchange. We assume that the adiabatic equation for the dark matter is satisfied while it is violated for the agegraphic dark energy due to the energy exchange between the brane and the bulk. Our study shows that with the brane-bulk interaction, the equation of state parameter of agegraphic dark energy on the brane, $w_D$, can have a transition from normal state where $w_D >-1$ to the phantom regime where $w_D <-1$, while the effective equation of state for dark energy always satisfies $w^{\mathrm{eff}}_D\geq-1$.Comment: 13 pages, to appear in IJMP

On sign-changeable interaction in FLRW cosmology

We investigate an interacting two-fluid model in a spatially flat Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) Universe, when the energy transfer between these two dark components is produced by a factorisable nonlinear sign-changeable interaction depending linearly on the energy density and quadratically on the deceleration parameter. We solve the source equation and obtain the effective energy densities of the dark sector and their components. We show that the effective equation of state of the dark sector includes some of the several kind of Chaplygin gas equations of state as well as a generalization of the polytropic equation of state. We use bayesian statistics methods to constrain free parameters in the models during its most recent evolution considering supernovae type Ia and measurements of the Hubble expansion rate. The resulting constraints provide new information on sign-changeable interactions, its equivalences and compatibility with previous models and novel late time universe dynamics.Comment: 8 figure

Dark energy and dark matter from cosmological observations

The present status of our knowledge about the dark matter and dark energy is reviewed. Bounds on the content of cold and hot dark matter from cosmological observations are discussed in some detail. I also review current bounds on the physical properties of dark energy, mainly its equation of state and effective speed of sound.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Lepton-Photon 2005 proceedings, added figure and typos correcte

Super-acceleration on the Brane by Energy Flow from the Bulk

We consider a brane cosmological model with energy exchange between brane and bulk. Parameterizing the energy exchange term by the scale factor and Hubble parameter, we are able to exactly solve the modified Friedmann equation on the brane. In this model, the equation of state for the effective dark energy has a transition behavior changing from $w_{de}^{eff}>-1$ to $w_{de}^{eff}<-1$, while the equation of state for the dark energy on the brane has $w>-1$. Fitting data from type Ia supernova, Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, our universe is predicted now in the state of super-acceleration with $w_{de0}^{eff}=-1.21$.Comment: Revtex, 11 pages including 2 figures,v2: tpos fixed, references added, to appear in JCA

Linear and nonlinear interactions in the dark sector

We investigate models of interacting dark matter and dark energy for the universe in a spatially flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) space-time. We find the "source equation" for the total energy density and determine the energy density of each dark component. We introduce an effective one-fluid description to evidence that interacting and unified models are related with each other, analyze the effective model and obtain the attractor solutions. We study linear and nonlinear interactions, the former comprises a linear combination of the dark matter and dark energy densities, their first derivatives, the total energy density, its first and second derivatives and a function of the scale factor. The latter is a possible generalization of the linear interaction consisting of an aggregate of the above linear combination and a significant nonlinear term built with a rational function of the dark matter and dark energy densities homogeneous of degree one. We solve the evolution equations of the dark components for both interactions and examine exhaustively several examples. There exist cases where the effective one-fluid description produces different alternatives to the \LaCDM model and cases where the problem of coincidence is alleviated. In addition, we find that some nonlinear interactions yield an effective one-fluid model with a Chaplygin gas equation of state, whereas others generate cosmological models with de Sitter and power-law expansions. We show that a generic nonlinear interaction induces an effective equation of state which depends on the scale factor in the same way that the variable modified Chaplygin gas model, giving rise to the "relaxed Chaplygin gas model".Comment: Accepted for publication in PR

Non-adiabatic Chaplygin gas

The split of a generalised Chaplygin gas with an equation of state p = -A/\rho^{\alpha} into an interacting mixture of pressureless matter and a dark-energy component with equation of state p_{\Lambda} = - \rho_{\Lambda} implies the existence of non-adiabatic pressure perturbations. We demonstrate that the square of the effective (non-adiabatic) sound speed c_s of the medium is proportional to the ratio of the perturbations of the dark energy to those of the dark matter. Since, as demonstrated explicitly for the particular case \alpha = -1/2, dark-energy perturbations are negligible compared with dark-matter perturbations on scales that are relevant for structure formation, we find |c_s^2| << 1. Consequently, there are no oscillations or instabilities which have plagued previous adiabatic Chaplygin-gas models.Comment: Version to appear in Physics Letters

A cosmic equation of state for the inhomogeneous Universe: can a global far-from-equilibrium state explain Dark Energy?

A system of effective Einstein equations for spatially averaged scalar variables of inhomogeneous cosmological models can be solved by providing a `cosmic equation of state'. Recent efforts to explain Dark Energy focus on `backreaction effects' of inhomogeneities on the effective evolution of cosmological parameters in our Hubble volume, avoiding a cosmological constant in the equation of state. In this Letter it is argued that, if kinematical backreaction effects are indeed of the order of the averaged density (or larger as needed for an accelerating domain of the Universe), then the state of our regional Hubble volume would have to be in the vicinity of a far-from-equilibrium state that balances kinematical backreaction and average density. This property, if interpreted globally, is shared by a stationary cosmos with effective equation of state $p_{\rm eff} = -1/3 \rho_{\rm eff}$. It is concluded that a confirmed explanation of Dark Energy by kinematical backreaction may imply a paradigmatic change of cosmology.Comment: 7 pages, matches published version in Class. Quant. Gra