Investigating dark energy experiments with principal components

We use a principal component approach to contrast different kinds of probes of dark energy, and to emphasize how an array of probes can work together to constrain an arbitrary equation of state history w(z). We pay particular attention to the role of the priors in assessing the information content of experiments and propose using an explicit prior on the degree of smoothness of w(z) that is independent of the binning scheme. We also show how a figure of merit based on the mean squared error probes the number of new modes constrained by a data set, and use it to examine how informative various experiments will be in constraining the evolution of dark energy.Comment: A significantly expanded version with an added PCA for weak lensing, a new detailed discussion of the correlation prior proposed in this work, and a new discussion outlining the differences between the Bayesian and the frequentist approaches to reconstructing w(z). Matches the version accepted to JCAP. 8 pages, 2 figure

Parent Skills Training: Expanding School-Based Services for Adolescent Mothers

This article reports the results of a collaborative intervention effort between a teen-parent program and a school of social work Social work faculty and students participated in a program aimed at strengthening parental skills and the utilization of social support among adolescent mothers who were enrolled in a special high school program. The results of this evaluation study point to additional factors, such as empathy training and stress management, which need to be included in a comprehensive service-delivery program for school-age mothers.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68359/2/10.1177_104973159200200203.pd

Linear and non-linear perturbations in dark energy models

I review the linear and second-order perturbation theory in dark energy models with explicit interaction to matter in view of applications to N-body simulations and non-linear phenomena. Several new or generalized results are obtained: the general equations for the linear perturbation growth; an analytical expression for the bias induced by a species-dependent interaction; the Yukawa correction to the gravitational potential due to dark energy interaction; the second-order perturbation equations in coupled dark energy and their Newtonian limit. I also show that a density-dependent effective dark energy mass arises if the dark energy coupling is varying.Comment: 12 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev; v2: added a ref. and corrected a typ

Lepton Mixing Matrix in Standard Model Extended by One Sterile Neutrino

We consider the simplest extension of the standard electroweak model by one sterile neutrino that allows for neutrino masses and mixing. We find that its leptonic sector contains much less free physical parameters than previously realized. In addition to the two neutrino masses, the lepton mixing matrix in charged current interactions involves (n-1) free physical mixing angles for n generations. The mixing matrix in neutral current interactions of neutrinos is completely fixed by the two masses. Both interactions conserve CP. We illustrate the phenomenological implications of the model by vacuum neutrino oscillations, tritium beta decay and neutrinoless double beta decay. It turns out that, due to the revealed specific structure in its mixing matrix, the model with any n generations cannot accommodate simultaneously the data by KamLAND, K2K and CHOOZ.Comment: 14 pages, no figures; version 2: (1) added a short paragraph at the end of subsec 2.2 to record the counting of physical parameters for any numbers of generations and sterile neutrinos for completeness; (2) added a note in ref list, item [18] to quote and comment on an earlier work; (3) added the second paper to ref list, item [17]; (4) fixed typo

Condensate cosmology -- dark energy from dark matter

Imagine a scenario in which the dark energy forms via the condensation of dark matter at some low redshift. The Compton wavelength therefore changes from small to very large at the transition, unlike quintessence or metamorphosis. We study CMB, large scale structure, supernova and radio galaxy constraints on condensation by performing a 4 parameter likelihood analysis over the Hubble constant and the three parameters associated with Q, the condensate field: Omega_Q, w_f and z_t (energy density and equation of state today, and redshift of transition). Condensation roughly interpolates between Lambda CDM (for large z_t) and sCDM (low z_t) and provides a slightly better fit to the data than Lambda CDM. We confirm that there is no degeneracy in the CMB between H and z_t and discuss the implications of late-time transitions for the Lyman-alpha forest. Finally we discuss the nonlinear phase of both condensation and metamorphosis, which is much more interesting than in standard quintessence models.Comment: 13 pages, 13 colour figures. Final version with discussion of TE cross-correlation spectra for condensation and metamorphosis in light of the WMAP result

Alternatives to Quintessence Model Building

We discuss the issue of toy model building for the dark energy component of the universe. Specifically, we consider two generic toy models recently proposed as alternatives to quintessence models, known as Cardassian expansion and the Chaplygin gas. We show that the former is enteriely equivalent to a class of quintessence models. We determine the observational constraints on the latter, coming from recent supernovae results and from the shape of the matter power spectrum. As expected, these restrict the model to a behaviour that closely matches that of a standard cosmological constant $\Lambda$.Comment: RevTex4; 7 pages, 4 figures. v2: Improved discussion of constraints on Chaplygin gas models. Other clarifications added. Phys Rev. D (in press

Model-independent dark energy test with sigma_8 using results from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe

By combining the recent WMAP measurements of the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and the results of the recent luminosity distance measurements to type-Ia supernovae, we find that the normalization of the matter power spectrum on cluster scales, sigma_8, can be used to discriminate between dynamical models of dark energy (quintessence models) and a conventional cosmological constant model (LCDM).Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures. Additional discussion and reference, matches PRD accepted versio

Fundamental constants and tests of general relativity - Theoretical and cosmological considerations

The tests of the constancy of the fundamental constants are tests of the local position invariance and thus of the equivalence principle. We summarize the various constraints that have been obtained and then describe the connection between varying constants and extensions of general relativity. To finish, we discuss the link with cosmology, and more particularly with the acceleration of the Universe. We take the opportunity to summarize various possibilities to test general relativity (but also the Copernican principle) on cosmological scales.Comment: Proceedings of the workshop ``The nature of gravity, confronting theory and experiment in space'', ISSI, Bern, october 200

The acceleration of the universe and the physics behind it

Using a general classification of dark enegy models in four classes, we discuss the complementarity of cosmological observations to tackle down the physics beyond the acceleration of our universe. We discuss the tests distinguishing the four classes and then focus on the dynamics of the perturbations in the Newtonian regime. We also exhibit explicitely models that have identical predictions for a subset of observations.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figure

CDMS, Supersymmetry and Extra Dimensions

The CDMS experiment aims to directly detect massive, cold dark matter particles originating from the Milky Way halo. Charge and lattice excitations are detected after a particle scatters in a Ge or Si crystal kept at ~30 mK, allowing to separate nuclear recoils from the dominating electromagnetic background. The operation of 12 detectors in the Soudan mine for 75 live days in 2004 delivered no evidence for a signal, yielding stringent limits on dark matter candidates from supersymmetry and universal extra dimensions. Thirty Ge and Si detectors are presently installed in the Soudan cryostat, and operating at base temperature. The run scheduled to start in 2006 is expected to yield a one order of magnitude increase in dark matter sensitivity.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of the 7th UCLA symposium on sources and detection of dark matter and dark energy in the universe, Marina del Rey, Feb 22-24, 200