734 research outputs found
Effects of inhomogeneities on apparent cosmological observables: "fake" evolving dark energy
Using the exact Lemaitre-Bondi-Tolman solution with a non-vanishing
cosmological constant , we investigate how the presence of a local
spherically-symmetric inhomogeneity can affect apparent cosmological
observables, such as the deceleration parameter or the effective equation of
state of dark energy (DE), derived from the luminosity distance under the
assumption that the real space-time is exactly homogeneous and isotropic. The
presence of a local underdensity is found to produce apparent phantom behavior
of DE, while a locally overdense region leads to apparent quintessence
behavior. We consider relatively small large scale inhomogeneities which today
are not linear and could be seeded by primordial curvature perturbations
compatible with CMB bounds. Our study shows how observations in an
inhomogeneous CDM universe with initial conditions compatible with the
inflationary beginning, if interpreted under the wrong assumption of
homogeneity, can lead to the wrong conclusion about the presence of "fake"
evolving dark energy instead of .Comment: 22 pages, 19 figures,Final version to appear in European Physical
Journal
Electronic correlation in the infrared optical properties of the quasi two dimensional -type BEDT-TTF dimer system
The polarized optical reflectance spectra of the quasi two dimensional
organic correlated electron system -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)],
Br and Cl are measured in the infrared region. The former shows the
superconductivity at 11.6 K and the latter does the
antiferromagnetic insulator transition at 28 K. Both the
specific molecular vibration mode of the BEDT-TTF molecule and
the optical conductivity hump in the mid-infrared region change correlatively
at 38 K of -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)]Br, although
no indication of but the insulating behaviour below 50-60 K are found in -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)]Cl. The
results suggest that the electron-molecular vibration coupling on the
mode becomes weak due to the enhancement of the itinerant
nature of the carriers on the dimer of the BEDT-TTF molecules below ,
while it does strong below because of the localized carriers on
the dimer. These changes are in agreement with the reduction and the
enhancement of the mid-infrared conductivity hump below and , respectively, which originates from the transitions between the upper
and lower Mott-Hubbard bands. The present observations demonstrate that two
different metallic states of -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)]Br are
regarded as {\it a correlated good metal} below including the
superconducting state and {\it a half filling bad metal} above . In
contrast the insulating state of -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)]Cl
below is the Mott insulator.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Multiple field inflation
Inflation offers a simple model for very early evolution of our Universe and
the origin of primordial perturbations on large scales. Over the last 25 years
we have become familiar with the predictions of single-field models, but
inflation with more than one light scalar field can alter preconceptions about
the inflationary dynamics and our predictions for the primordial perturbations.
I will discuss how future observational data could distinguish between
inflation driven by one field, or many fields. As an example, I briefly review
the curvaton as an alternative to the inflaton scenario for the origin of
structure.Comment: 27 pages, no figures. To appear in proceedings of 22nd IAP
Colloquium, Inflation +25, Paris, June 200
Meson exchange in the weak decay of Lambda hypernuclei and the Gamma_n/Gamma_p ratio
We take an approach to the Lambda non-mesonic weak decay in nuclei based on
the exchange of mesons. The one pion and one kaon exchange are considered,
together with the exchange of two pions, either correlated, leading to an
important scalar-isoscalar exchange (sigma-like exchange), or uncorrelated (box
diagrams). Extra effects of omega exchange in the scalar-isoscalar channel are
also considered. Constraints of chiral dynamics are used to generate these
exchanges. A drastic reduction of the OPE results for the Gamma_n/Gamma_p ratio
is obtained and the new results are compatible with all present experiments
within errors. The absolute rates obtained for different nuclei are also in
good agreement with experiment.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures, 8 tables, to be published in Nucl. Phys.
Simple Dynamics on the Brane
We apply methods of dynamical systems to study the behaviour of the
Randall-Sundrum models. We determine evolutionary paths for all possible
initial conditions in a 2-dimensional phase space and we investigate the set of
accelerated models. The simplicity of our formulation in comparison to some
earlier studies is expressed in the following: our dynamical system is a
2-dimensional Hamiltonian system, and what is more advantageous, it is free
from the degeneracy of critical points so that the system is structurally
stable. The phase plane analysis of Randall-Sundrum models with isotropic
Friedmann geometry clearly shows that qualitatively we deal with the same types
of evolution as in general relativity, although quantitatively there are
important differences.Comment: an improved version, 34 pages, 9 eps figure
Particle physics models of inflation
Inflation models are compared with observation on the assumption that the
curvature perturbation is generated from the vacuum fluctuation of the inflaton
field. The focus is on single-field models with canonical kinetic terms,
classified as small- medium- and large-field according to the variation of the
inflaton field while cosmological scales leave the horizon. Small-field models
are constructed according to the usual paradigm for beyond Standard Model
physicsComment: Based on a talk given at the 22nd IAP Colloquium, ``Inflation +25'',
Paris, June 2006 Curve omitted from final Figur
Limits on the gravity wave contribution to microwave anisotropies
We present limits on the fraction of large angle microwave anisotropies which
could come from tensor perturbations. We use the COBE results as well as
smaller scale CMB observations, measurements of galaxy correlations, abundances
of galaxy clusters, and Lyman alpha absorption cloud statistics. Our aim is to
provide conservative limits on the tensor-to-scalar ratio for standard
inflationary models. For power-law inflation, for example, we find T/S<0.52 at
95% confidence, with a similar constraint for phi^p potentials. However, for
models with tensor amplitude unrelated to the scalar spectral index it is still
currently possible to have T/S>1.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D.
Calculations extended to blue spectral index, Fig. 6 added, discussion of
results expande
Orbital resonances in discs around braneworld Kerr black holes
Rotating black holes in the brany universe of the Randall-Sundrum type are
described by the Kerr geometry with a tidal charge b representing the
interaction of the brany black hole and the bulk spacetime. For b<0 rotating
black holes with dimensionless spin a>1 are allowed. We investigate the role of
the tidal charge b in the orbital resonance model of QPOs in black hole
systems. The orbital Keplerian, the radial and vertical epicyclic frequencies
of the equatorial, quasicircular geodetical motion are given and their radial
profiles are discussed. The resonant conditions are given in three
astrophysically relevant situations: for direct (parametric) resonances, for
the relativistic precession model, and for some trapped oscillations of the
warped discs, with resonant combinational frequencies. It is shown, how b could
influence matching of the observational data indicating the 3:2 frequency ratio
observed in GRS 1915+105 microquasar with prediction of the orbital resonance
model; limits on allowed range of the black hole parameters a and b are
established. The "magic" dimensionless black hole spin enabling presence of
strong resonant phenomena at the radius where \nu_K:\nu_{\theta}:\nu_r=3:2:1 is
determined in dependence on b. Such strong resonances could be relevant even in
sources with highly scattered resonant frequencies, as those expected in Sgr
A*. The specific values of a and b are given also for existence of specific
radius where \nu_K:\nu_{\theta}:\nu_r=s:t:u with 5>=s>t>u being small natural
numbers. It is shown that for some ratios such situation is impossible in the
field of black holes. We can conclude that analysing the microquasars
high-frequency QPOs in the framework of orbital resonance models, we can put
relevant limits on the tidal charge of brany Kerr black holes.Comment: 31 pages, 19 figures, to appear in General Relativity and Gravitatio
Observational constraints on the curvaton model of inflation
Simple curvaton models can generate a mixture of of correlated primordial
adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations. The baryon and cold dark matter
isocurvature modes differ only by an observationally null mode in which the two
perturbations almost exactly compensate, and therefore have proportional
effects at linear order. We discuss the CMB anisotropy in general mixed models,
and give a simple approximate analytic result for the large scale CMB
anisotropy. Working numerically we use the latest WMAP observations and a
variety of other data to constrain the curvaton model. We find that models with
an isocurvature contribution are not favored relative to simple purely
adiabatic models. However a significant primordial totally correlated baryon
isocurvature perturbation is not ruled out. Certain classes of curvaton model
are thereby ruled out, other classes predict enough non-Gaussianity to be
detectable by the Planck satellite. In the appendices we review the relevant
equations in the covariant formulation and give series solutions for the
radiation dominated era.Comment: Minor changes and corrections to match version accepted by PR
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 we place the following limits on the
cosmological parameters and : (i) and (1) if the
equation of state of the dark energy is restricted to the interval (\emph{usual} quintessence) and (ii) and
() if violates the null energy condition and assume values (\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
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