15 research outputs found
Making Sense Of The New Cosmology
Over the past three years we have determined the basic features of the
Universe -- spatially flat; accelerating; comprised of 1/3 a new form of
matter, 2/3 a new form of energy, with some ordinary matter and a dash of
massive neutrinos; and apparently born from a burst of rapid expansion during
which quantum noise was stretched to astrophysical size seeding cosmic
structure. The New Cosmology greatly extends the highly successful hot big-bang
model. Now we have to make sense of all this: What is the dark matter particle?
What is the nature of the dark energy? Why this mixture? How did the matter --
antimatter asymmetry arise? What is the underlying cause of inflation (if it
indeed occurred)?Comment: 17 pages Latex (sprocl.sty). To appear in the Proceedings of 2001: A
Spacetime Odyssey (U. Michigan, May 2001, World Scientific
X-ray Observations of the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium
We present Chandra observations that provide the most direct evidence to date
for the pervasive, moderate density, shock-heated intergalactic medium
predicted by leading cosmological scenarios. We also comment briefly on future
observations with Constellation-X.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of the conference "IGM/Galaxy
Connection- The Distribution of Baryons at z=0". 6 page
Is the Lambda CDM Model Consistent with Observations of Large-Scale Structure?
The claim that large-scale structure data independently prefers the Lambda
Cold Dark Matter model is a myth. However, an updated compilation of
large-scale structure observations cannot rule out Lambda CDM at 95%
confidence. We explore the possibility of improving the model by adding Hot
Dark Matter but the fit becomes worse; this allows us to set limits on the
neutrino mass.Comment: To appear in Proceedings of "Sources and Detection of Dark
Matter/Energy in the Universe", ed. D. B. Cline. 6 pages, including 2 color
figure
Non-BBN Constraints On The Key Cosmological Parameters
Since the baryon-to-photon ratio "eta" is in some doubt at present, we ignore
the constraints on eta from big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) and fit the three
key cosmological parameters (h, Omega_M, eta) to four other observational
constraints: Hubble parameter, age of the universe, cluster gas (baryon)
fraction, and effective shape parameter "Gamma". We consider open and flat CDM
models and flat "Lambda"-CDM models, testing goodness of fit and drawing
confidence regions by the Delta-chi^2 method. CDM models with Omega_M = 1 (SCDM
models) are accepted only because we allow a large error on h, permitting h <
0.5. Open CDM models are accepted only for Omega_M \gsim 0.4. Lambda-CDM models
give similar results. In all of these models, large eta (\gsim 6) is favored
strongly over small eta, supporting reports of low deuterium abundances on some
QSO lines of sight, and suggesting that observational determinations of
primordial 4He may be contaminated by systematic errors. Only if we drop the
crucial Gamma constraint are much lower values of Omega_M and eta permitted.Comment: 12 pages, Kluwer Latex, 2 Postscript figures, to appear in the
proceedings of the ISSI Workshop, "The Primordial Nuclei and Their Galactic
Evolution" (Bern, May 6-10, 1997), ed. N. Prantzos, M. Tosi, and R. von
Steiger (Kluwer, Dordrecht
The primordial Helium-4 abundance determination: systematic effects
By extrapolating to O/H = N/H = 0 the empirical correlations Y-O/H and Y-N/H
defined by a relatively large sample of ~ 45 Blue Compact Dwarfs (BCDs), we
have obtained a primordial 4Helium mass fraction Yp= 0.2443+/-0.0015 with dY/dZ
= 2.4+/-1.0. This result is in excellent agreement with the average Yp=
0.2452+/-0.0015 determined in the two most metal-deficient BCDs known, I Zw 18
(Zsun/50) and SBS 0335-052 (Zsun/41), where the correction for He production is
smallest. The quoted error (1sigma) of < 1% is statistical and does not include
systematic effects. We examine various systematic effects including collisional
excitation of Hydrogen lines, ionization structure and temperature fluctuation
effects, and underlying stellar HeI absorption, and conclude that combining all
systematic effects, our Yp may be underestimated by ~ 2-4%. Taken at face
value, our Yp implies a baryon-to-photon number ratio eta = 4.7x10^-10 and a
baryon mass fraction Omega_b h^2_{100} = 0.017+/-0.005 (2sigma), consistent
with the values obtained from deuterium and Cosmic Microwave Background
measurements. Correcting Yp upward by 2-4% would make the agreement even
better.Comment: 12 pages, 5 PS figures, to appear in "Matter in the Universe", ed P.
Jetzer, K. Pretzl and R. von Steiger, Kluwer, Dordrecht (2002
Future Wave Conditions of Europe, in Response to High-End Climate Change Scenarios
Changes in future North Atlantic storminess will impact upon wave conditions along the European coasts, with implications for coastal erosion, overtopping, and flood risk. In this study we make a detailed analysis of historic and future wave conditions around the European Atlantic coast, making projections out to the year 2100 under Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5 future emissions scenarios. A decrease in mean significant wave height of the order 0.2 m is projected across most of the European coast. Increases in the annual maximum and 99th percentile wave height as large as 0.5â1 m are observed in some areas but with a more complex spatial pattern. An increase in waves to the north of Scotland is also observed, mainly caused by a reduction in sea ice. We generate a set of coastal wave projections at around 10âkm resolution around continental Europe, Ireland, and the British Isles. Widening of the probability density function (PDF) is observed, suggesting an increased intensity of rare high wave events in the future. The emergent signal of a reduced mean wave height is statistically robust, while the future changes in extreme waves have a wider confidence interval. An assessment of different extreme waves metrics reveals different climate change response at very high percentiles; thus, care should be taken when assessing future changes in rare wave events