Cosmological parameters from lenses distance ratio

Strong lensing provides popular techniques to investigate the mass distribution of intermediate redshift galaxies, testing galaxy evolution and formation scenarios. It especially probes the background cosmic expansion, hence constraining cosmological parameters. The measurement of Einstein radii and central velocity dispersions indeed allows to trace the ratio D_s/D_ls between the distance D_s from the observer to the source and the distance D_ls from the lens to the source. We present an improved method to explicitly include the two - component structure in the galaxy lens modeling, in order to analyze the role played by the redshift and the model dependence on a nuisance parameter, F_E, which is usually marginalized in the cosmological applications. We show how to deal with these problems and carry on a Fisher matrix analysis to infer the accuracy on cosmological parameters achieved by this method.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication on Monthly Notices of Royal Astronomical Societ

On boosted space-times with cosmological constant and their ultrarelativistic limit

The problem of deriving a shock-wave geometry with cosmological constant by boosting a Schwarzschild-de Sitter (or anti-de Sitter) black hole is re-examined. Unlike previous work in the literature, we deal with the exact Schwarzschild-de Sitter (or anti-de Sitter) metric. By virtue of peculiar cancellations in this exact calculation, where the metric does not depend linearly on the mass parameter, we find a singularity of distributional nature on a null hypersurface, which corresponds to a shock-wave geometry derived in a fully non-perturbative way. The result agrees with previous calculations, where the metric had been linearized in the mass parameter.Comment: 13 pages, Latex file. In the final version, the presentation has been improved, and two references have been adde

Testing a quintessence model with CMBR peaks locations

We show that a model of quintessence with exponential potential, which allows to obtain general exact solutions, can generate location of CMBR peaks which are fully compatible with present observational data

Riemann curvature of a boosted spacetime geometry

The ultrarelativistic boosting procedure had been applied in the literature to map the metric of Schwarzschild-de Sitter spacetime into a metric describing de Sitter spacetime plus a shock-wave singularity located on a null hypersurface. This paper evaluates the Riemann curvature tensor of the boosted Schwarzschild-de Sitter metric by means of numerical calculations, which make it possible to reach the ultrarelativistic regime gradually by letting the boost velocity approach the speed of light. Thus, for the first time in the literature, the singular limit of curvature through Dirac's delta distribution and its derivatives is numerically evaluated for this class of spacetimes. Eventually, the analysis of the Kretschmann invariant and the geodesic equation show that the spacetime possesses a scalar curvature singularity within a 3-sphere and it is possible to define what we here call boosted horizon, a sort of elastic wall where all particles are surprisingly pushed away, as numerical analysis demonstrates. This seems to suggest that boosted geometries are ruled by a sort of antigravity effect since all geodesics seem to refuse to enter the boosted horizon, even though their initial conditions are aimed at driving the particles towards the boosted horizon.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures. In the new version, a section and new references have been added, and the presentation has been amended and improve

Noether symmetry approach to scalar-field-dominated cosmology with dynamically evolving G and Lambda

This paper studies the cosmological equations for a scalar field Phi in the framework of a quantum gravity modified Einstein--Hilbert Lagrangian where G and Lambda are dynamical variables. It is possible to show that there exists a Noether symmetry for the point Lagrangian describing this scheme in a FRW universe. Our main result is that the Noether Symmetry Approach fixes both Lambda = Lambda(G) and the potential V = V(Phi) of the scalar field. The method does not lead, however, to easily solvable equations, by virtue of the higher dimensionality of the reduced configuration space involved, the additional variable being the running Newton coupling.Comment: 10 pages, Revtex

On the transition from complex to real scalar fields in modern cosmology

We study some problems arising from the introduction of a complex scalar field in cosmology, modelling its possible behaviors in both the inflationary and dark energy stages of the universe. Such examples contribute to show that, while the complex nature of the scalar field can be indeed important during inflation, it loses its meaning in the later dark-energy dominated era of cosmology, when the phase of the complex field is practically constant, and there is indeed a transition from complex to real scalar field. In our considerations, the Noether symmetry approach turns out to be a useful tool once again. We arrive eventually at a potential containing the sixth and fourth powers of the scalar field, and the resulting semiclassical quantum cosmology is studied to gain a better understanding of the inflationary stage.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures. In the new version, sections I, IV and VI have been improved, and two words have been added at the beginning of the titl

Spherically symmetric ADM gravity with variable G and Lambda(c)

This paper investigates the Arnowitt--Deser--Misner (hereafter ADM) form of spherically symmetric gravity with variable Newton parameter G and cosmological term Lambda(c). The Newton parameter is here treated as a dynamical variable, rather than being merely an external parameter as in previous work on closely related topics. The resulting Hamilton equations are obtained; interestingly, a static solution exists, that reduces to Schwarzschild geometry in the limit of constant G, describing a Newton parameter ruled by a nonlinear differential equation in the radial variable r. A remarkable limiting case is the one for which the Newton parameter obeys an almost linear growth law at large r. An exact solution for G as a function of r is also obtained in the case of vanishing cosmological constant. Some observational implications of these solutions are obtained and briefly discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures. The presentation has been improved in all section

The Accelerated expansion of the Universe as a crossover phenomenon

We show that the accelerated expansion of the Universe can be viewed as a crossover phenomenon where the Newton constant and the Cosmological constant are actually scaling operators, dynamically evolving in the attraction basin of a non-Gaussian infrared fixed point, whose existence has been recently discussed. By linearization of the renormalized flow it is possible to evaluate the critical exponents, and it turns out that the approach to the fixed point is ruled by a marginal and a relevant direction. A smooth transition between the standard Friedmann--Lemaitre--Robertson--Walker (FLRW) cosmology and the observed accelerated expansion is then obtained, so that $\Omega_M \approx \Omega_\Lambda$ at late times.Comment: 12 pages, latex, use bibtex. In the final version, the presentation has been improved, and new references have been adde

Noether symmetry approach in pure gravity with variable G and Lambda

We find exact cosmological solutions when the Newton parameter and the cosmological term are dynamically evolving in a renormalization-group improved Hamiltonian approach. In our derivation we use the Noether symmetry approach, leading to an interesting variable transformation which yields exact and general integration of the cosmological equations. The functional dependence of Lambda on G is determined by the method itself, therefore generalizing previous results on symmetry principles in cosmology. We find new functional relations between Lambda and G, jointly with power-law inflation for pure gravity.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures. In the final version, physical interpretation and presentation have been improved in all section