143 research outputs found
Cosmic bulk viscosity through backreaction
We consider an effective viscous pressure as the result of a backreaction of
inhomogeneities within Buchert's formalism. The use of an effective metric with
a time-dependent curvature radius allows us to calculate the luminosity
distance of the backreaction model. This quantity is different from its
counterpart for a "conventional" spatially flat bulk viscous fluid universe.
Both expressions are tested against the SNIa data of the Union2.1 sample with
only marginally different results for the distance-redshift relation and in
accordance with the CDM model. Future observations are expected to be
able to discriminate among these models on the basis of indirect measurements
of the curvature evolution.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, comments and references added, accepted for
publication in GR
Observational constraints on Rastall's cosmology
Rastall's theory is a modification of General Relativity, based on the
non-conservation of the stress-energy tensor. The latter is encoded in a
parameter such that restores the usual law. We test Rastall's theory in cosmology, on a flat
Robertson-Walker metric, investigating a two-fluid model and using the type Ia
supernovae Constitution dataset. One of the fluids is pressureless and obeys
the usual conservation law, whereas the other is described by an equation of
state , with constant. The Bayesian analysis of the
Constitution set does not strictly constrain the parameter and prefers
values of close to -1. We then address the evolution of small
perturbations and show that they are dramatically unstable if and
, i.e. General Relativity is the favored configuration. The only
alternative is , for which the dynamics becomes independent from
.Comment: Latex file, 14 pages, 6 figures in eps format. Substantial
modifications performed, main conclusions change
Viscous Cosmology
We discuss the possibility to implement a viscous cosmological model,
attributing to the dark matter component a behaviour described by bulk
viscosity. Since bulk viscosity implies negative pressure, this rises the
possibility to unify the dark sector. At the same time, the presence of
dissipative effects may alleviate the so called small scale problems in the
CDM model. While the unified viscous description for the dark sector
does not lead to consistent results, the non-linear behaviour indeed improves
the situation with respect to the standard cosmological model.Comment: Latex file, 7 pages, 6 figures. To appear in the proceedings of the
XIIth International Conference on Gravitation, Astrophysics and Cosmology,
June 28-July 5, 2015, PFUR, Moscow, Russi
Rastall Cosmology and the \Lambda CDM Model
Rastall's theory is based on the non-conservation of the energy-momentum
tensor. We show that, in this theory, if we introduce a two-fluid model, one
component representing vacuum energy whereas the other pressureless matter
(e.g. baryons plus cold dark matter), the cosmological scenario is the same as
for the \Lambda CDM model, both at background and linear perturbative levels,
except for one aspect: now dark energy may cluster. We speculate that this can
lead to a possibility of distinguishing the models at the non-linear
perturbative level.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in Physical Review
Is it possible to predict the success of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in acute respiratory failure due to COPD?
AbstractThere is now sufficient evidence that non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in selected patients with severe hypercapnic acute respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is more effective than pharmacological therapy alone. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors to predict the success of this technique. Fifty-nine consecutive patients with COPD admitted to a respiratory ward for 75 episodes of acute respiratory failure treated with NIPPV were analysed: success (77%) or failure (23%) were evaluated by survival and the need for endotracheal intubation. There were no significant differences in age, sex, cause of relapse and lung function tests between the two groups. Patients in whom NIPPV was unsuccessful were significantly underweight, had an higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, and a lower serum level of albumin in comparison with those in whom NIPPV was successful. They demonstrated significantly greater abnormalities in pH and P a CO2at baseline and after 2 h of NIPPV. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that, when all the variables were tested together, a high APACHE II score and a low albumin level continued to have a significant predictive effect. This analysis could predict the outcome in 82% of patients. In conclusion, our study suggests that low albumin serum levels and a high APACHE II score may be important indices in predicting the success of NIPPV
The Brans-Dicke-Rastall theory
We formulate a theory combining the principles of a scalar-tensor gravity and
Rastall's proposal of a violation of the usual conservation laws. We obtain a
scalar-tensor theory with two parameters and , the latter
quantifying the violation of the usual conservation laws. The only exact
spherically symmetric solution is that of Robinson-Bertotti besides
Schwarzschild solution. A PPN analysis reveals that General Relativity results
are reproduced when . The cosmological case displays a possibility
of deceleration/acceleration or acceleration/deceleration transitions during
the matter dominated phase depending on the values of the free parameters.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure
Note on the Evolution of the Gravitational Potential in Rastall Scalar Field Theories
We investigate the evolution of the gravitational potential in Rastall scalar
field theories. In a single component model a consistent perturbation theory,
formulated in the newtonian gauge, is possible only for , which is
the General Relativity limit. On the other hand, the addition of another
canonical fluid component allows also to consider the case .Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, Sections 2 and 5 enlarged, accepted for
publication in Physics Letters
Bulk viscous cosmology with causal transport theory
We consider cosmological scenarios originating from a single imperfect fluid
with bulk viscosity and apply Eckart's and both the full and the truncated
M\"uller-Israel-Stewart's theories as descriptions of the non-equilibrium
processes. Our principal objective is to investigate if the dynamical
properties of Dark Matter and Dark Energy can be described by a single viscous
fluid and how such description changes when a causal theory
(M\"uller-Israel-Stewart's, both in its full and truncated forms) is taken into
account instead of Eckart's non-causal theory. To this purpose, we find
numerical solutions for the gravitational potential and compare its behaviour
with the corresponding LambdaCDM case. Eckart's and the full causal theory seem
to be disfavoured, whereas the truncated theory leads to results similar to
those of the LambdaCDM model for a bulk viscous speed in the interval 10^{-11}
<< c_b^2 < 10^{-8}. Tentatively relating such value to a square propagation
velocity of the order of T/m of perturbations in a non-relativistic gas of
particles with mass m at the epoch of matter-radiation equality, this may be
compatible with a mass range 0.1 GeV < m << 100 GeV.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figure
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