Naturalness and stability of the generalized Chaplygin gas in the seesaw cosmon scenario

The seesaw mechanism is conceived on the basis that a mass scale, $\xi$, and a dimensionless scale, $s$, can be fine-tuned in order to control the dynamics of active and sterile neutrinos through cosmon-type equations of motion: the seesaw cosmon equations. This allows for sterile neutrinos to be a dark matter candidate. In this scenario, the dynamical masses and energy densities of active and sterile neutrinos can be consistently embedded into the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG), the unified dark sector model. In addition, dark matter adiabatically coupled to dark energy allows for a natural decoupling of the (active) mass varying neutrino (MaVaN) component from the dark sector. Thus MaVaN's turn into a secondary effect. Through the scale parameters, $\xi$ and $s$, the proposed scenario allows for a convergence among three distinct frameworks: the cosmon scenario, the seesaw mechanism for mass generation and the GCG model. It is found that the equation of state of the perturbations is the very one of the GCG background cosmology so that all the results from this approach are maintained, being smoothly modified by active neutrinos. Constrained by the seesaw relations, it is shown that the mass varying mechanism is responsible for the stability against linear perturbations and is indirectly related to the late time cosmological acceleration.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figure

The Revival of the Unified Dark Energy-Dark Matter Model ?

We consider the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) proposal for unification of dark energy and dark matter and show that it admits an unique decomposition into dark energy and dark matter components once phantom-like dark energy is excluded. Within this framework, we study structure formation and show that difficulties associated to unphysical oscillations or blow-up in the matter power spectrum can be circumvented. Furthermore, we show that the dominance of dark energy is related to the time when energy density fluctuations start deviating from the linear $\delta \sim a$ behaviour.Comment: 6 pages, 4 eps figures, Revtex4 style. New References are added. Some typos are corrected. Conclusions remain the sam

Weak Lensing, Shear and the Cosmic Virial Theorem in a Model with a Scale-Dependent Gravitational Coupling

It is argued that, in models where the gravitational coupling is scale-dependent, predictions concerning weak gravitational lensing and shear are essentially similar to the ones derived from General Relativity. This is consistent with recent negative results of observations of the MS1224, CL2218 and A1689 systems aimimg to infer from those methods the presence of dark matter. It is shown, however, that the situation is quite different when an analysis based on the Cosmic Virial Theorem is concerned.Comment: Footnote and references added. Version to in Gen. Relativity and Gravitation Vol. 29 (1997

Perturbative approach for mass varying neutrinos coupled to the dark sector in the generalized Chaplygin gas scenario

We suggest a perturbative approach for generic choices for the universe equation of state and introduce a novel framework for studying mass varying neutrinos (MaVaN's) coupled to the dark sector. For concreteness, we examine the coupling between neutrinos and the underlying scalar field associated with the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG), a unification model for dark energy and dark matter. It is shown that the application of a perturbative approach to MaVaN mechanisms translates into a constraint on the coefficient of a linear perturbation, which depends on the ratio between a neutrino energy dependent term and scalar field potential terms. We quantify the effects on the MaVaN sector by considering neutrino masses generated by the seesaw mechanism. After setting the GCG parameters in agreement with general cosmological constraints, we find that the squared speed of sound in the neutrino-scalar GCG fluid is naturally positive. In this scenario, the model stability depends on previously set up parameters associated with the equation of state of the universe. Our results suggest that the GCG is a particularly suitable candidate for constructing a stable MaVaN scenario.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure

Compactification, Vacuum Energy and Quintessence

We study the possibility that the vacuum energy density of scalar and internal-space gauge fields arising from the process of dimensional reduction of higher dimensional gravity theories plays the role of quintessence. We show that, for the multidimensional Einstein-Yang-Mills system compactified on a $R \times S^3 \times S^d$ topology, there are classically stable solutions such that the observed accelerated expansion of the Universe at present can be accounted for without upsetting structure formation scenarios or violating observational bounds on the vacuum energy density.Comment: 15 pages, Latex, Third Award in 1999 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundatio

Stability Conditions For a Noncommutative Scalar Field Coupled to Gravity via the Positive Energy Theorem

The stability requirements for a noncommutative scalar field coupled to gravity is investigated through the positive energy theorem. It is shown that for a noncommutative scalar with a polynomial potential, the stability conditions are similar to the ones for the commutative case. This result remains valid even whether the space-time has horizons.Comment: 6 pages. Talk presented by C. Z. at the "Invisible Universe International Conference", Paris, Palais de l'UNESCO, June 29- July 3. To appear in the Proceeding

WMAP Constraints on the Generalized Chaplygin Gas Model

The generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) model explains the recent accelerated expansion of the Universe via an exotic background fluid whose equation of state is given by p=-A/\rho^\alpha, where A is a positive constant and 0<\alpha\le 1. The model is an interesting alternative to scenarios involving scalar field potentials, with the ensuing unnatural fine tuning conditions for the underlying particle physics theories. We derive constraints on the parameter space of the model from bounds on the location of the first few peaks and troughs of the the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) power spectrum arising from recent WMAP and BOOMERanG data.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Wormhole Effects on Yang-Mills Theory

In this paper wormhole effects on $SO(3)$ YM theory are examined. The wormhole wave functions for the scalar, the vector and the tensor expansion modes are computed assuming a small gauge coupling which leads to an effective decoupling of gravity and YM theory. These results are used to determine the wormhole vertices and the corresponding effective operators for the lowest expansion mode of each type. For the lowest scalar mode we find a renormalization of the gauge coupling from the two point function and the operators \tr (F^3), \tr (F^2\tilde{F}) from the three point function. The two point function for the lowest vector mode contributes to the gauge coupling renormalization only whereas the lowest tensor mode can also generate higher derivative terms.Comment: 15 pages, TUM--TH--165/9

A Curvature Principle for the interaction between universes

We propose a Curvature Principle to describe the dynamics of interacting universes in a multi-universe scenario and show, in the context of a simplified model, how interaction drives the cosmological constant of one of the universes toward a vanishingly small value. We also conjecture on how the proposed Curvature Principle suggests a solution for the entropy paradox of a universe where the cosmological constant vanishes.Comment: Essay selected for an honorable mention by the Gravity Research Foundation, 2007. Plain latex, 8 page