The cosmic ray positron excess and neutralino dark matter

Using a new instrument, the HEAT collaboration has confirmed the excess of cosmic ray positrons that they first detected in 1994. We explore the possibility that this excess is due to the annihilation of neutralino dark matter in the galactic halo. We confirm that neutralino annihilation can produce enough positrons to make up the measured excess only if there is an additional enhancement to the signal. We quantify the `boost factor' that is required in the signal for various models in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model parameter space, and study the dependence on various parameters. We find models with a boost factor greater than 30. Such an enhancement in the signal could arise if we live in a clumpy halo. We discuss what part of supersymmetric parameter space is favored (in that it gives the largest positron signal), and the consequences for other direct and indirect searches of supersymmetric dark matter.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, matches published version (PRD

Constraining the dark energy with galaxy clusters X-ray data

The equation of state characterizing the dark energy component is constrained by combining Chandra observations of the X-ray luminosity of galaxy clusters with independent measurements of the baryonic matter density and the latest measurements of the Hubble parameter as given by the HST key project. By assuming a spatially flat scenario driven by a "quintessence" component with an equation of state $p_x = \omega \rho_x$ we place the following limits on the cosmological parameters $\omega$ and $\Omega_{\rm{m}}$: (i) $-1 \leq \omega \leq -0.55$ and $\Omega_{\rm m} = 0.32^{+0.027}_{-0.014}$ (1$\sigma$) if the equation of state of the dark energy is restricted to the interval $-1 \leq \omega < 0$ (\emph{usual} quintessence) and (ii) $\omega = -1.29^{+0.686}_{-0.792}$ and $\Omega_{\rm{m}} = 0.31^{+0.037}_{-0.034}$ ($1\sigma$) if $\omega$ violates the null energy condition and assume values $< -1$ (\emph{extended} quintessence or ``phantom'' energy). These results are in good agreement with independent studies based on supernovae observations, large-scale structure and the anisotropies of the cosmic background radiation.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, LaTe

Solar Wakes of Dark Matter Flows

We analyze the effect of the Sun's gravitational field on a flow of cold dark matter (CDM) through the solar system in the limit where the velocity dispersion of the flow vanishes. The exact density and velocity distributions are derived in the case where the Sun is a point mass. The results are extended to the more realistic case where the Sun has a finite size spherically symmetric mass distribution. We find that regions of infinite density, called caustics, appear. One such region is a line caustic on the axis of symmetry, downstream from the Sun, where the flow trajectories cross. Another is a cone-shaped caustic surface near the trajectories of maximum scattering angle. The trajectories forming the conical caustic pass through the Sun's interior and probe the solar mass distribution, raising the possibility that the solar mass distribution may some day be measured by a dark matter detector on Earth. We generalize our results to the case of flows with continuous velocity distributions, such as that predicted by the isothermal model of the Milky Way halo.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figure

Probing Dark Energy with Supernovae: Exploiting Complementarity with the Cosmic Microwave Background

A primary goal for cosmology and particle physics over the coming decade will be to unravel the nature of the dark energy that drives the accelerated expansion of the Universe. In particular, determination of the equation-of-state of dark energy, w equivalent p/rho, and its time variation, dw/dz, will be critical for developing theoretical understanding of the new physics behind this phenomenon. Type Ia supernovae (SNe) and cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy are each sensitive to the dark energy equation-of-state. SNe alone can determine w(z) with some precision, while CMB anisotropy alone cannot because of a strong degeneracy between the matter density Omega_M and w. However, we show that the Planck CMB mission can significantly improve the power of a deep SNe survey to probe w and especially dw/dz. Because CMB constraints are nearly orthogonal to SNe constraints in the Omega_M-w plane, for constraining w(z) Planck is more useful than precise determination of Omega_M. We discuss how the CMB/SNe complementarity impacts strategies for the redshift distribution of a supernova survey to determine w(z) and conclude that a well-designed sample should include a substantial number of supernovae out to redshifts z ~ 2.Comment: More discussion of CMB systematics and many new references added. Matches the PRD versio

Higher Dimensional Cosmological Implications Of A Decay Law For Λ\Lambda Term : Expressions For Some Observable Quantities

Implications of cosmological model with a cosmological term of the form $\Lambda = \beta \frac{\ddot {a}}{a}$, where $\beta$ is a constant, are analyzed in multidimensional space time. The proper distance, the luminosity distance-redshift, the angular diameter distance-redshift, and look back time-redshift for the model are presented. It has been shown that such models are found to be compatible with the recent observations. This work has thus generalized to higher dimensions the well-know result in four dimensional space time. It is found that there may be significant difference in principle at least,from the analogous situation in four dimensional space time.Comment: 11 pages, no figur

Non-minimal Maxwell-Modified Gauss-Bonnet Cosmologies: Inflation and Dark Energy

In this paper we show that power-law inflation can be realized in non-minimal gravitational coupling of electromagnetic field with a general function of Gauss-Bonnet invariant. Such a non-minimal coupling may appear due to quantum corrections. We also consider modified Maxwell-$F(G)$ gravity in which non-minimal coupling between electromagnetic field and $f(G)$ occur in the framework of modified Gauss-Bonnet gravity. It is shown that inflationary cosmology and late-time accelerated expansion of the universe are possible in such a theory.Comment: 10 pages, no figur

Cosmological consequences of a Chaplygin gas dark energy

A combination of recent observational results has given rise to what is currently known as the dark energy problem. Although several possible candidates have been extensively discussed in the literature to date the nature of this dark energy component is not well understood at present. In this paper we investigate some cosmological implications of another dark energy candidate: an exotic fluid known as the Chaplygin gas, which is characterized by an equation of state $p = -A/\rho$, where $A$ is a positive constant. By assuming a flat scenario driven by non-relativistic matter plus a Chaplygin gas dark energy we study the influence of such a component on the statistical properties of gravitational lenses. A comparison between the predicted age of the universe and the latest age estimates of globular clusters is also included and the results briefly discussed. In general, we find that the behavior of this class of models may be interpreted as an intermediary case between the standard and $\Lambda$CDM scenarios.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.