Constraints on Cold Dark Matter Accelerating Cosmologies and Cluster Formation

We discuss the properties of homogeneous and isotropic flat cosmologies in which the present accelerating stage is powered only by the gravitationally induced creation of cold dark matter (CCDM) particles ($\Omega_{m}=1$). For some matter creation rates proposed in the literature, we show that the main cosmological functions such as the scale factor of the universe, the Hubble expansion rate, the growth factor and the cluster formation rate are analytically defined. The best CCDM scenario has only one free parameter and our joint analysis involving BAO + CMB + SNe Ia data yields ${\tilde{\Omega}}_{m}= 0.28\pm 0.01$ ($1\sigma$) where $\tilde{{\Omega}}_{m}$ is the observed matter density parameter. In particular, this implies that the model has no dark energy but the part of the matter that is effectively clustering is in good agreement with the latest determinations from large scale structure. The growth of perturbation and the formation of galaxy clusters in such scenarios are also investigated. Despite the fact that both scenarios may share the same Hubble expansion, we find that matter creation cosmologies predict stronger small scale dynamics which implies a faster growth rate of perturbations with respect to the usual $\Lambda$CDM cosmology. Such results point to the possibility of a crucial observational test confronting CCDM with $\Lambda$CDM scenarios trough a more detailed analysis involving CMB, weak lensing, as well as the large scale structure.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication by Physical Rev.

New Cosmic Accelerating Scenario without Dark Energy

We propose an alternative, nonsingular, cosmic scenario based on gravitationally induced particle production. The model is an attempt to evade the coincidence and cosmological constant problems of the standard model ($\Lambda$CDM) and also to connect the early and late time accelerating stages of the Universe. Our space-time emerges from a pure initial de Sitter stage thereby providing a natural solution to the horizon problem. Subsequently, due to an instability provoked by the production of massless particles, the Universe evolves smoothly to the standard radiation dominated era thereby ending the production of radiation as required by the conformal invariance. Next, the radiation becomes sub-dominant with the Universe entering in the cold dark matter dominated era. Finally, the negative pressure associated with the creation of cold dark matter (CCDM model) particles accelerates the expansion and drives the Universe to a final de Sitter stage. The late time cosmic expansion history of the CCDM model is exactly like in the standard $\Lambda$CDM model, however, there is no dark energy. This complete scenario is fully determined by two extreme energy densities, or equivalently, the associated de Sitter Hubble scales connected by $\rho_I/\rho_f=(H_I/H_f)^{2} \sim 10^{122}$, a result that has no correlation with the cosmological constant problem. We also study the linear growth of matter perturbations at the final accelerating stage. It is found that the CCDM growth index can be written as a function of the $\Lambda$ growth index, $\gamma_{\Lambda} \simeq 6/11$. In this framework, we also compare the observed growth rate of clustering with that predicted by the current CCDM model. Performing a $\chi^{2}$ statistical test we show that the CCDM model provides growth rates that match sufficiently well with the observed growth rate of structure.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication by Phys. Rev. D. (final version, some references have corrected). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1106.193

Interacting dark energy in f(R)f(R) gravity

The field equations in $f(R)$ gravity derived from the Palatini variational principle and formulated in the Einstein conformal frame yield a cosmological term which varies with time. Moreover, they break the conservation of the energy--momentum tensor for matter, generating the interaction between matter and dark energy. Unlike phenomenological models of interacting dark energy, $f(R)$ gravity derives such an interaction from a covariant Lagrangian which is a function of a relativistically invariant quantity (the curvature scalar $R$). We derive the expressions for the quantities describing this interaction in terms of an arbitrary function $f(R)$, and examine how the simplest phenomenological models of a variable cosmological constant are related to $f(R)$ gravity. Particularly, we show that $\Lambda c^2=H^2(1-2q)$ for a flat, homogeneous and isotropic, pressureless universe. For the Lagrangian of form $R-1/R$, which is the simplest way of introducing current cosmic acceleration in $f(R)$ gravity, the predicted matter--dark energy interaction rate changes significantly in time, and its current value is relatively weak (on the order of 1% of $H_0$), in agreement with astronomical observations.Comment: 8 pages; published versio

Thermodynamics of Decaying Vacuum Cosmologies

The thermodynamic behavior of vacuum decaying cosmologies is investigated within a manifestly covariant formulation. Such a process corresponds to a continuous irreversible energy flow from the vacuum component to the created matter constituents. It is shown that if the specific entropy per particle remains constant during the process, the equilibrium relations are preserved. In particular, if the vacuum decays into photons, the energy density $\rho$ and average number density of photons $n$ scale with the temperature as $\rho \sim T^{4}$ and $n \sim T^{3}$. The temperature law is determined and a generalized Planckian type form of the spectrum, which is preserved in the course of the evolution, is also proposed. Some consequences of these results for decaying vacuum FRW type cosmologies as well as for models with ``adiabatic'' photon creation are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, uses LATE

New reflection matrices for the U_q(gl(m|n)) case

We examine super symmetric representations of the B-type Hecke algebra. We exploit such representations to obtain new non-diagonal solutions of the reflection equation associated to the super algebra U_q(gl(m|n)). The boundary super algebra is briefly discussed and it is shown to be central to the super symmetric realization of the B-type Hecke algebraComment: 13 pages, Latex. A few alterations regarding the representations. A reference adde

Gauge Invariance and Fractional Statistics

We present a new $(2+1)$-dimensional field theory showing exotic statistics and fractional spin. This theory is achieved through a redefinition of the gauge field $A_{\mu}$. New properties are found. Another way to implement the field redefinition is used with the same results obtained.Comment: 5 page

Chemical Potential and the Nature of the Dark Energy: The case of phantom

The influence of a possible non zero chemical potential $\mu$ on the nature of dark energy is investigated by assuming that the dark energy is a relativistic perfect simple fluid obeying the equation of state (EoS), $p=\omega \rho$ ($\omega <0, constant$). The entropy condition, $S \geq 0$, implies that the possible values of $\omega$ are heavily dependent on the magnitude, as well as on the sign of the chemical potential. For $\mu >0$, the $\omega$-parameter must be greater than -1 (vacuum is forbidden) while for $\mu < 0$ not only the vacuum but even a phantomlike behavior ($\omega <-1$) is allowed. In any case, the ratio between the chemical potential and temperature remains constant, that is, $\mu/T=\mu_0/T_0$. Assuming that the dark energy constituents have either a bosonic or fermionic nature, the general form of the spectrum is also proposed. For bosons $\mu$ is always negative and the extended Wien's law allows only a dark component with $\omega < -1/2$ which includes vacuum and the phantomlike cases. The same happens in the fermionic branch for $\mu 0$ are permmited only if $-1 < \omega < -1/2$. The thermodynamics and statistical arguments constrain the EoS parameter to be $\omega < -1/2$, a result surprisingly close to the maximal value required to accelerate a FRW type universe dominated by matter and dark energy ($\omega \lesssim -10/21$).Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure