A Null Test of the Cosmological Constant

We provide a consistency relation between cosmological observables in general relativity with the cosmological constant. Breaking of this relation at any redshift would imply the breakdown of the hypothesis of the cosmological constant as an explanation of the current acceleration of the universe.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, references added, to be published in Prog.Theor.Phy

The Luminosity Distance, the Equation of State, and the Geometry of the Universe

The second derivative of the luminosity distance with respect to the redshift is written in terms of the deceleration parameter $q_0$. We point out that the third derivative contains the information regarding the sound speed of cosmic matter as well as the curvature of the universe. We restrict physically possible parameter ranges of the coefficients. It is found that there is a relation between the coefficients in a flat universe model with matter such that $c_{s0}(1+w_{\rm x0})=0$ ($c_{s0}$ is the total sound speed of the matter component and $w_{\rm x0}$=$p_{\rm x0}/\rho_{\rm x0}$).Comment: 5 pages + 1 figure, one reference added, Prog.Theor.Phys. in pres

Cosmology with x-matter

Motivated by the possibility of $H_0t_0 > 1$ where $H_0$ and $t_0$ are the Hubble parameter and the age of the universe, respectively, we investigate the cosmology including x-matter. x-matter is expressed by the equation of state $p_x=w_0\rho_{x0} + c_s^2(\rho_x-\rho_{x0})$, where $p_x$, $\rho_x$ and $\rho_{x0}$ are the pressure, the density of x-matter and the density at present, respectively. $w_0$ and $c_s^2$ are functions of $\rho_x$ in general. x-matter has the most general form of the equation of state which is characterized by 1)violation of strong energy condition at present for $w_0 < -1/3$ ; 2) locally stable (i.e. $c_s^2\geq 0$); 3)causality is guaranteed ($c_s\leq 1$). Considering the case that $w_0$ and $c_s^2$ are constants, we find that there is a large parameter space of $(w_0,c_s^2,\Omega_{x0})$ in which the model universe is consistent with the age of the universe and the observations of distant Type I supernovae.Comment: minor changes, 4 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication as a Letter in MNRA

Determining the Equation of State of the Expanding Universe Using a New Independent Variable

To determine the equation of state of the universe, we propose to use a new independent variable $R\equiv (H_0/c)(d_L(z)/(1+z))$, where $H_0$ and $d_L(z)$ are the present Hubble parameter and the luminosity distance, respectively. For the flat universe suggested from the observation of the anisotropy of cosmic microwave background, the density and the pressure are expressed as $\rho/\rho_0=4(df/dR)^2/f^6$ and $p/\rho_0=-4/3(d^2f/dR^2)/f^5$ where $\rho_0$ is the present density and $f(R)=1/\sqrt{1+z(R)}$. In $(R, f)$ plane the sign as well as the strength of the pressure is in proportion to the curvature of the curve $f(R)$. We propose to adopt a Pade-like expression of $f(R)=1/\sqrt{u}$ with $u\equiv 1+\sum\limits_{n=1}^{N}u_nR^n$. For flat $\Lambda$ model the expansion up to N=7 has at most an error $< 0.2$ for $z < 1.7$ and any value of $\Lambda$. We also propose a general method to determine the equation of state of the universe which has $N-1$ free parameters. If the number of parameters are smaller than $N-1$, there is a consistency check of the equation of state so that we may confirm or refute each model.Comment: 12 pages, to be published in the Astrophysical Journa

Observational tests of x-matter models

We study gravitational lensing statistics, matter power spectra and the angular power spectra of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation in x-matter models. We adopt an equation-of-state of x-matter which can express a wide range of matter from the pressureless dust to the cosmological constant. A new ingredient in this model is the sound speed of the x-component in addition to the equation-of-state $w_0=p_{x0}/\rho_{x0}$. Except for the cosmological constant case, the perturbations of x-matter itself are considered. Our primary interest is in the effect of non-zero sound speed on the structure formation and the CMB spectra. It is found that there exist parameter ranges where x-matter models are consistent with all current observations. The x-matter generally leaves imprints in the CMB anisotropy and the matter power spectrum, which should be detectable in future observations.Comment: minor changes, 10 pages+14 figures, MNRAS in pres

Hoop Conjecture and Black Holes on a Brane

The initial data of gravity for a cylindrical matter distribution confined to a brane are studied in the framework of the single-brane Randall-Sundrum scenario. In this scenario, the 5-dimensional nature of gravity appears in the short-range gravitational interaction. We find that a sufficiently thin configuration of matter leads to the formation of a marginal surface, even if the configuration is infinitely long. This implies that the hoop conjecture proposed by Thorne does not hold on the brane: Even if a mass $M$ does not become compacted into a region whose circumference ${\cal C}$ in every direction satisfies ${\cal C}> 4\pi GM$, black holes with horizons can form in the Randall-Sundrum scenario.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, To be published in Progress of Theoretical Physics Supplement No. 148 "Brane World: New Perspective in Cosmology