152 research outputs found
Do the cosmological observational data prefer phantom dark energy?
The dynamics of expansion and large scale structure formation of the Universe
are analyzed for models with dark energy in the form of a phantom scalar field
which initially mimics a -term and evolves slowly to the Big Rip
singularity. The discussed model of dark energy has three parameters -- the
density and the equation of state parameter at the current epoch,
and , and the asymptotic value of the equation of state parameter at
, . Their best-fit values are determined jointly
with all other cosmological parameters by the MCMC method using observational
data on CMB anisotropies and polarization, SNe Ia luminosity distances, BAO
measurements and more. Similar computations are carried out for CDM
and a quintessence scalar field model of dark energy. It is shown that the
current data slightly prefer the phantom model, but the differences in the
maximum likelihoods are not statistically significant. It is also shown that
the phantom dark energy with monotonically increasing density in future will
cause the decay of large scale linear matter density perturbations due to the
gravitational domination of dark energy perturbations long before the Big Rip
singularity.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables; comments and references added; version
accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.
Performance study update of observations in divergent mode for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
Due to the limited field of view (FoV) of Cherenkov telescopes, the time
needed to achieve target sensitivity for surveys of the extragalactic and
Galactic sky is large. To optimize the time spent to perform such surveys, a
so-called "divergent mode" of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO)
was proposed as an alternative observation strategy to the traditional parallel
pointing. In the divergent mode, each telescope points to a position in the sky
that is slightly offset, in the outward direction, from the original center of
the field of view. This bring the advantage of increasing the total
instantaneous arrays' FoV. From an enlarged field of view also benefits the
search for very-high-energy transient sources, making it possible to cover
large sky regions in follow-up observations, or to quickly cover the
probability sky map in case of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB), Gravitational Waves
(GW), and other transient events. In this contribution, we present the proposed
implementation of the divergent pointing mode and its first preliminary
performance estimation for the southern CTAO array.Comment: Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC
2023), 2023 (arXiv:2309.08219
Large-scale structure formation in cosmology with classical and tachyonic scalar fields
The evolution of scalar perturbations is studied for 2-component
(non-relativistic matter and dark energy) cosmological models at the linear and
non-linear stages. The dark energy is assumed to be the scalar field with
either classical or tachyonic Lagrangian and constant equation-of-state
parameter w. The fields and potentials were reconstructed for the set of
cosmological parameters derived from observations. The comparison of the
calculated within these models and experimental large-scale structure
characteristics is made. It is shown that for w=const such analysis can't
remove the existing degeneracy of the dark energy models.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, text corrected, references added, accepted by
Kinematics and Physics of Celestial Bodie
Understanding the origin and impact of relativistic cosmic particles with very-high-energy gamma-rays
This white paper briefly summarizes the importance of the study of relativistic cosmic rays, both as a constituent of our Universe, and through their impact on stellar and galactic evolution. The focus is on what can be learned over the coming decade through ground-based gamma-ray observations over the 20 GeV to 300 TeV range
Probing extreme environments with the Cherenkov Telescope Array
The physics of the non-thermal Universe provides information on the
acceleration mechanisms in extreme environments, such as black holes and
relativistic jets, neutron stars, supernovae or clusters of galaxies. In the
presence of magnetic fields, particles can be accelerated towards relativistic
energies. As a consequence, radiation along the entire electromagnetic spectrum
can be observed, and extreme environments are also the most likely sources of
multi-messenger emission. The most energetic part of the electromagnetic
spectrum corresponds to the very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma-ray regime,
which can be extensively studied with ground based Imaging Atmospheric
Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). The results obtained by the current generation of
IACTs, such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS, demonstrate the crucial importance
of the VHE band in understanding the non-thermal emission of extreme
environments in our Universe. In some objects, the energy output in gamma rays
can even outshine the rest of the broadband spectrum. The Cherenkov Telescope
Array (CTA) is the next generation of IACTs, which, with cutting edge
technology and a strategic configuration of ~100 telescopes distributed in two
observing sites, in the northern and southern hemispheres, will reach better
sensitivity, angular and energy resolution, and broader energy coverage than
currently operational IACTs. With CTA we can probe the most extreme
environments and considerably boost our knowledge of the non-thermal Universe.Comment: Submitted as input to ASTRONET Science Vision and Infrastructure
roadmap on behalf of the CTA consortiu
Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to TeV photon emission from the Large Magellanic Cloud
A deep survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud at âŒ0.1-100 TeV photon energies with the Cherenkov Telescope Array is planned. We assess the detection prospects based on a model for the emission of the galaxy, comprising the four known TeV emitters, mock populations of sources, and interstellar emission on galactic scales. We also assess the detectability of 30 Doradus and SN 1987A, and the constraints that can be derived on the nature of dark matter. The survey will allow for fine spectral studies of N 157B, N 132D, LMC P3, and 30 Doradus C, and half a dozen other sources should be revealed, mainly pulsar-powered objects. The remnant from SN 1987A could be detected if it produces cosmic-ray nuclei with a flat power-law spectrum at high energies, or with a steeper index 2.3-2.4 pending a flux increase by a factor of >3-4 over âŒ2015-2035. Large-scale interstellar emission remains mostly out of reach of the survey if its >10 GeV spectrum has a soft photon index âŒ2.7, but degree-scale 0.1-10 TeV pion-decay emission could be detected if the cosmic-ray spectrum hardens above >100 GeV. The 30 Doradus star-forming region is detectable if acceleration efficiency is on the order of 1â10 per cent of the mechanical luminosity and diffusion is suppressed by two orders of magnitude within <100 pc. Finally, the survey could probe the canonical velocity-averaged cross-section for self-annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles for cuspy Navarro-Frenk-White profiles
Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to spectral signatures of hadronic PeVatrons with application to Galactic Supernova Remnants
The local Cosmic Ray (CR) energy spectrum exhibits a spectral softening at
energies around 3~PeV. Sources which are capable of accelerating hadrons to
such energies are called hadronic PeVatrons. However, hadronic PeVatrons have
not yet been firmly identified within the Galaxy. Several source classes,
including Galactic Supernova Remnants (SNRs), have been proposed as PeVatron
candidates. The potential to search for hadronic PeVatrons with the Cherenkov
Telescope Array (CTA) is assessed. The focus is on the usage of very high
energy -ray spectral signatures for the identification of PeVatrons.
Assuming that SNRs can accelerate CRs up to knee energies, the number of
Galactic SNRs which can be identified as PeVatrons with CTA is estimated within
a model for the evolution of SNRs. Additionally, the potential of a follow-up
observation strategy under moonlight conditions for PeVatron searches is
investigated. Statistical methods for the identification of PeVatrons are
introduced, and realistic Monte--Carlo simulations of the response of the CTA
observatory to the emission spectra from hadronic PeVatrons are performed.
Based on simulations of a simplified model for the evolution for SNRs, the
detection of a -ray signal from in average 9 Galactic PeVatron SNRs is
expected to result from the scan of the Galactic plane with CTA after 10 hours
of exposure. CTA is also shown to have excellent potential to confirm these
sources as PeVatrons in deep observations with hours of
exposure per source.Comment: 34 pages, 16 figures, Accepted for publication in Astroparticle
Physic
Rheumatoid arthritis: pathological mechanisms and modern pharmacologic therapies.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the lining of the synovial joints and is associated with progressive disability, premature death, and socioeconomic burdens. A better understanding of how the pathological mechanisms drive the deterioration of RA progress in individuals is urgently required in order to develop therapies that will effectively treat patients at each stage of the disease progress. Here we dissect the etiology and pathology at specific stages: (i) triggering, (ii) maturation, (iii) targeting, and (iv) fulminant stage, concomitant with hyperplastic synovium, cartilage damage, bone erosion, and systemic consequences. Modern pharmacologic therapies (including conventional, biological, and novel potential small molecule disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) remain the mainstay of RA treatment and there has been significant progress toward achieving disease remission without joint deformity. Despite this, a significant proportion of RA patients do not effectively respond to the current therapies and thus new drugs are urgently required. This review discusses recent advances of our understanding of RA pathogenesis, disease modifying drugs, and provides perspectives on next generation therapeutics for RA
Cosmology with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has two scientific objectives of cosmological focus: to probe the expansion rate of the universe, and to understand stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds and their implications for early universe and particle physics, from the MeV to the Planck scale. However, the range of potential cosmological applications of gravitational wave observations extends well beyond these two objectives. This publication presents a summary of the state of the art in LISA cosmology, theory and methods, and identifies new opportunities to use gravitational wave observations by LISA to probe the universe
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