664 research outputs found
Non-linear matter power spectrum from Time Renormalisation Group: efficient computation and comparison with one-loop
We address the issue of computing the non-linear matter power spectrum on
mildly non-linear scales with efficient semi-analytic methods. We implemented
M. Pietroni's Time Renormalization Group (TRG) method and its Dynamical 1-Loop
(D1L) limit in a numerical module for the new Boltzmann code CLASS. Our
publicly released module is valid for LCDM models, and optimized in such a way
to run in less than a minute for D1L, or in one hour (divided by number of
nodes) for TRG. A careful comparison of the D1L, TRG and Standard 1-Loop
approaches reveals that results depend crucially on the assumed initial
bispectrum at high redshift. When starting from a common assumption, the three
methods give roughly the same results, showing that the partial resumation of
diagrams beyond one loop in the TRG method improves one-loop results by a
negligible amount. A comparison with highly accurate simulations by M. Sato &
T. Matsubara shows that all three methods tend to over-predict non-linear
corrections by the same amount on small wavelengths. Percent precision is
achieved until k~0.2 h/Mpc for z>2, or until k~0.14 h/Mpc at z=1.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, revised title and conclusions, version accepted
in JCAP, code available at http://class-code.ne
The Cosmic Linear Anisotropy Solving System (CLASS) IV: Efficient implementation of non-cold relics
We present a new flexible, fast and accurate way to implement massive
neutrinos, warm dark matter and any other non-cold dark matter relics in
Boltzmann codes. For whatever analytical or numerical form of the phase-space
distribution function, the optimal sampling in momentum space compatible with a
given level of accuracy is automatically found by comparing quadrature methods.
The perturbation integration is made even faster by switching to an approximate
viscous fluid description inside the Hubble radius, which differs from previous
approximations discussed in the literature. When adding one massive neutrino to
the minimal cosmological model, CLASS becomes just 1.5 times slower, instead of
about 5 times in other codes (for fixed accuracy requirements). We illustrate
the flexibility of our approach by considering a few examples of standard or
non-standard neutrinos, as well as warm dark matter models.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Matches published version. Code
available at http://class-code.ne
Cosmological constraints on deviations from Lorentz invariance in gravity and dark matter
We consider a scenario where local Lorentz invariance is violated by the
existence of a preferred time direction at every space-time point. This
scenario can arise in the context of quantum gravity and its description at low
energies contains a unit time-like vector field which parameterizes the
preferred direction. The particle physics tests of Lorentz invariance preclude
a direct coupling of this vector to the fields of the Standard Model, but do
not bear implications for dark matter. We discuss how the presence of this
vector and its possible coupling to dark matter affect the evolution of the
Universe. At the level of homogeneous cosmology the only effect of Lorentz
invariance violation is a rescaling of the expansion rate. The physics is
richer at the level of perturbations. We identify three effects crucial for
observations: the rescaling of the matter contribution to the Poisson equation,
the appearance of an extra contribution to the anisotropic stress and the
scale-dependent enhancement of dark matter clustering. These effects result in
distinctive features in the power spectra of the CMB and density fluctuations.
Making use of the data from Planck and WiggleZ we obtain the most stringent
cosmological constraints to date on departures from Lorentz symmetry. Our
analysis provides the first direct bounds on deviations from Lorentz invariance
in the dark matter sector.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, revtex; footnote on isocurvature modes added,
discussion on the decoupling of the Standard Model fields from the aether
extended, a reference added; version to be published in JCA
CMB power spectrum parameter degeneracies in the era of precision cosmology
Cosmological parameter constraints from the CMB power spectra alone suffer
several well-known degeneracies. These degeneracies can be broken by numerical
artefacts and also a variety of physical effects that become quantitatively
important with high-accuracy data e.g. from the Planck satellite. We study
degeneracies in models with flat and non-flat spatial sections, non-trivial
dark energy and massive neutrinos, and investigate the importance of various
physical degeneracy-breaking effects. We test the CAMB power spectrum code for
numerical accuracy, and demonstrate that the numerical calculations are
accurate enough for degeneracies to be broken mainly by true physical effects
(the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, CMB lensing and geometrical and other
effects through recombination) rather than numerical artefacts. We quantify the
impact of CMB lensing on the power spectra, which inevitably provides
degeneracy-breaking information even without using information in the
non-Gaussianity. Finally we check the numerical accuracy of sample-based
parameter constraints using CAMB and CosmoMC. In an appendix we document recent
changes to CAMB's numerical treatment of massive neutrino perturbations, which
are tested along with other recent improvements by our degeneracy exploration
results.Comment: 27 pages, 28 figures. Latest CAMB version available from
http://camb.info/. Reduced number of figures, plot legend corrected and minor
edits to match published versio
On the Phase-Space Volume of Primordial Cosmological Perturbations
We show how to determine the typical phase space volume for
primordial gravitational waves produced during an inflationary stage, which is
invariant under squeezing. An expression for is found in the long
wavelength regime. The quasi-classical entropy of a pure vacuum initial state
defined as the logarithm of modulo a constant remains zero in spite of
the generation of fluctuations (creation of real gravitons).Comment: LaTeX (10 pages
Realistic sterile neutrino dark matter with KeV mass does not contradict cosmological bounds
International audiencePrevious fits of sterile neutrino dark matter models to cosmological dataassumed a peculiar production mechanism, which is not representative of thebest-motivated particle physics models given current data on neutrinooscillations. These analyses ruled out sterile neutrino masses smaller than8-10 keV. Here we focus on sterile neutrinos produced resonantly. We show thattheir cosmological signature can be approximated by that of mixed Cold plusWarm Dark Matter (CWDM). We use recent results on LambdaCWDM models to showthat for each mass greater than or equal to 2 keV, there exists at least onemodel of sterile neutrino accounting for the totality of dark matter, andconsistent with Lyman-alpha and other cosmological data. Resonant productionoccurs in the framework of the nuMSM (the extension of the Standard Model withthree right-handed neutrinos). The models we checked to be allowed correspondto parameter values consistent with neutrino oscillation data, baryogenesis andall other dark matter bounds
On the Entropy and the Density Matrix of Cosmological Perturbations
We look at the transition to the semiclassical behaviour and the decoherence
process for the inhomogeneous perturbations in the inflationary universe. Two
different decoherence mechanisms appear: one dynamical, accompanied with a
negligible, if at all, entropy gain, and the other, effectively irreversible
dephasing, due to a rapid variation in time of the off-diagonal density matrix
elements in the post-inflationary epoch. We thus settle the discrepancies in
the entropy content of perturbations evaluated by different authors.Comment: LaTeX2e with the epsf packag
Cosmology of the Randall-Sundrum model after dilaton stabilization
We provide the first complete analysis of cosmological evolution in the Randall-Sundrum model with stabilized dilaton. We give the exact expansion law for matter densities on the two branes with arbitrary equations of state. The effective four-dimensional theory leads to standard cosmology at low energy. The limit of validity of the low energy theory and possible deviations from the ordinary expansion law in the high energy regime are finally discussed
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