34 research outputs found
Observational constraints on braneworld chaotic inflation
We examine observational constraints on chaotic inflation models in the
Randall-Sundrum Type II braneworld. If inflation takes place in the high-energy
regime, the perturbations produced by the quadratic potential are further from
scale-invariance than in the standard cosmology, in the quartic case more or
less unchanged, while for potentials of greater exponent the trend is reversed.
We test these predictions against a data compilation including the WMAP
measurements of microwave anisotropies and the 2dF galaxy power spectrum. While
in the standard cosmology the quartic potential is at the border of what the
data allow and all higher powers excluded, we find that in the high-energy
regime of braneworld inflation even the quadratic case is under strong
observational pressure. We also investigate the intermediate regime where the
brane tension is comparable to the inflationary energy scale, where the
deviations from scale-invariance prove to be greater.Comment: 5 pages RevTeX4 file with three figures incorporated. Minor changes
to match version accepted by Physical Review
Inflationary Attractor from Tachyonic Matter
We study the complete evolution of a flat and homogeneous universe dominated
by tachyonic matter. We demonstrate the attractor behaviour of the tachyonic
inflation using the Hamilton-Jacobi formalism. We else obtain analytical
approximations to the trajectories of the tachyon field in different regions.
The numerical calculation shows that an initial non-vanishing momentum does not
prevent the onset of inflation. The slow-rolling solution is an attractor.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, RevTe
Quintessence arising from exponential potentials
We demonstrate how exponential potentials that could arise in the early
Universe as a result of Kaluza-Klein type compactifications of string theory,
can lead to cosmological solutions which correspond to the currently observed
accelerating Universe. The idea is simple, relying solely on the known scaling
properties associated with exponential potentials. In particular we show that
the existence of stable attractor solutions implies that the results hold for a
wide range of coupling constants and initial conditions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, published versio
Braneworld Tensor Anisotropies in the CMB
Cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations provide in principle a
high-precision test of models which are motivated by M theory. We set out the
framework of a program to compute the tensor anisotropies in the CMB that are
generated in braneworld models. In the simplest approximation, we show the
braneworld imprint as a correction to the power spectra for standard
temperature and polarization anisotropies.Comment: Minor corrections and references added. Accepted for publication in
Phys. Rev.
Double Inflation in Supergravity and the Large Scale Structure
The cosmological implication of a double inflation model with hybrid + new
inflations in supergravity is studied. The hybrid inflation drives an inflaton
for new inflation close to the origin through supergravity effects and new
inflation naturally occurs. If the total e-fold number of new inflation is
smaller than , both inflations produce cosmologically relevant density
fluctuations. Both cluster abundances and galaxy distributions provide strong
constraints on the parameters in the double inflation model assuming
standard cold dark matter scenario. The future satellite
experiments to measure the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave
background will make a precise determination of the model parameters possible.Comment: 19 pages (RevTeX file
Cosmological constraints from galaxy clustering
In this manuscript I review the mathematics and physics that underpins recent
work using the clustering of galaxies to derive cosmological model constraints.
I start by describing the basic concepts, and gradually move on to some of the
complexities involved in analysing galaxy redshift surveys, focusing on the 2dF
Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) and the Sloan Digital Sky survey (SDSS).
Difficulties within such an analysis, particularly dealing with redshift space
distortions and galaxy bias are highlighted. I then describe current
observations of the CMB fluctuation power spectrum, and consider the importance
of measurements of the clustering of galaxies in light of recent experiments.
Finally, I provide an example joint analysis of the latest CMB and large-scale
structure data, leading to a set of parameter constraints.Comment: 30 pages, 13 figures. Lecture given at Third Aegean Summer School,
The invisible universe: Dark matter and Dark energ
Inflation and Braneworlds: Degeneracies and Consistencies
Scalar and tensor perturbations arising in an inflationary braneworld
scenario driven by a single scalar field are considered, where the bulk on
either side of the brane corresponds to Anti-de Sitter spaces with different
cosmological constants. A consistency relation between the two spectra is
derived and found to have an identical form to that arising in standard
single-field inflation based on conventional Einstein gravity. The dS/CFT
correspondence may provide further insight into the origin of this degeneracy.
Possible ways of lifting such a degeneracy are discussed.Comment: 10 page
In-session gaming as a tool in treating adolescent problematic gaming
For some adolescent gamers, playing online games may become problematic, impairing functioning in personal, family, and other life domains. Parental and family factors are known to influence the odds that adolescents may develop problematic gaming (PG), negative parenting and conflictual family dynamics increasing the risk, whereas positive parenting and developmentally supportive family dynamics protecting against PG. This suggests that a treatment for adolescent PG should not only address the gaming behaviors and personal characteristics of the youth, but also the parental and family domains. An established research-supported treatment meeting these requirements is multidimensional family therapy (MDFT), which we adapted for use as adolescent PG treatment. We report here on one adaptation, applying in-session gaming.In-session demonstration of the "problem behavior" is feasible and informative in PG. In the opening stage of therapy, we use in-session gaming to establish an alliance between the therapist and the youth. By inviting them to play games, the therapist demonstrates that they are taken seriously, thus boosting treatment motivation.Later in treatment, gaming is introduced in family sessions, offering useful opportunities to intervene in family members' perspectives and interactional patterns revealed in vivo as the youth plays the game. These sessions can trigger strong emotions and reactions from the parents and youth and give rise to maladaptive transactions between the family members, thus offering ways to facilitate new discussions and experiences of each other. The insights gained from the game demonstration sessions aid the therapeutic process, more so than mere discussion about gaming