3,249 research outputs found
Possible use of self-calibration to reduce systematic uncertainties in determining distance-redshift relation via gravitational radiation from merging binaries
By observing mergers of compact objects, future gravity wave experiments
would measure the luminosity distance to a large number of sources to a high
precision but not their redshifts. Given the directional sensitivity of an
experiment, a fraction of such sources (gold plated -- GP) can be identified
optically as single objects in the direction of the source. We show that if an
approximate distance-redshift relation is known then it is possible to
statistically resolve those sources that have multiple galaxies in the beam. We
study the feasibility of using gold plated sources to iteratively resolve the
unresolved sources, obtain the self-calibrated best possible distance-redshift
relation and provide an analytical expression for the accuracy achievable. We
derive lower limit on the total number of sources that is needed to achieve
this accuracy through self-calibration. We show that this limit depends
exponentially on the beam width and give estimates for various experimental
parameters representative of future gravitational wave experiments DECIGO and
BBO.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in PR
Observational signatures of f(R) dark energy models that satisfy cosmological and local gravity constraints
We discuss observational consequences of f(R) dark energy scenarios that
satisfy local gravity constraints (LGC) as well as conditions of the
cosmological viability. The model we study is given by m(r)=C(-r-1)^p (C>0,
p>1) with m=Rf_{,RR}/f_{,R} and r=-Rf_{,R}/f, which cover viable f(R) models
proposed so far in a high-curvature region designed to be compatible with LGC.
The equation of state of dark energy exhibits a divergence at a redshift z_c
that can be as close as a few while satisfying sound horizon constraints of
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). We study the evolution of matter density
perturbations in details and place constraints on model parameters from the
difference of spectral indices of power spectra between CMB and galaxy
clustering. The models with p>5 can be consistent with those observational
constraints as well as LGC. We also discuss the evolution of perturbations in
the Ricci scalar R and show that an oscillating mode (scalaron) can easily
dominate over a matter-induced mode as we go back to the past. This violates
the stability of cosmological solutions, thus posing a problem about how the
over-production of scalarons should be avoided in the early universe.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, version to appear in Physical Review
Evolving Newton's Constant, Extended Gravity Theories and SnIa Data Analysis
If Newton's constant G evolves on cosmological timescales as predicted by
extended gravity theories then Type Ia supernovae (SnIa) can not be treated as
standard candles. The magnitude-redshift datasets however can still be useful.
They can be used to simultaneously fit for both H(z) and G(z) (so that local
G(z) constraints are also satisfied) in the context of appropriate
parametrizations. Here we demonstrate how can this analysis be done by applying
it to the Gold SnIa dataset. We compare the derived effective equation of state
parameter w(z) at best fit with the corresponding result obtained by neglecting
the evolution G(z). We show that even though the results clearly differ from
each other, in both cases the best fit w(z) crosses the phantom divide w=-1. We
then attempt to reconstruct a scalar tensor theory that predicts the derived
best fit forms of H(z) and G(z). Since the best fit G(z) fixes the scalar
tensor potential evolution F(z), there is no ambiguity in the reconstruction
and the potential U(z) can be derived uniquely. The particular reconstructed
scalar tensor theory however, involves a change of sign of the kinetic term
as in the minimally coupled case.Comment: Minor changes. Accepted in Phys. Rev. D. 7 revtex pages, 5 figures.
The mathematica file with the numerical analysis of the paper is available at
http://leandros.physics.uoi.gr/snevol.ht
Anisotropic Cosmological Constant and the CMB Quadrupole Anomaly
There are evidences that the cosmic microwave background (CMB) large-angle
anomalies imply a departure from statistical isotropy and hence from the
standard cosmological model. We propose a LCDM model extension whose dark
energy component preserves its nondynamical character but wield anisotropic
vacuum pressure. Exact solutions for the cosmological scale factors are
presented, upper bounds for the deformation parameter are evaluated and its
value is estimated considering the elliptical universe proposal to solve the
quadrupole anomaly. This model can be constructed from a Bianchi I cosmology
with cosmological constant from two different ways: i) a straightforward
anisotropic modification of the vacuum pressure consistently with
energy-momentum conservation; ii) a Poisson structure deformation between
canonical momenta such that the dynamics remain invariant under scale factors
rescalings.Comment: 8 pages, 2 columns, 1 figure. v2: figure improved, added comments on
higher eccentricity powers and references. v3: typos corrected, version to
appear in PR
An interacting model for the cosmological dark sector
We discuss a new interacting model for the cosmological dark sector in which
the attenuated dilution of cold dark matter scales as , where f(a)
is an arbitrary function of the cosmic scale factor . From thermodynamic
arguments, we show that f(a) is proportional to entropy source of the particle
creation process. In order to investigate the cosmological consequences of this
kind of interacting models, we expand f(a) in a power series and viable
cosmological solutions are obtained. Finally, we use current observational data
to place constraints on the interacting function f(a).Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Phys. Rev. D (in press
A k-essence Model Of Inflation, Dark Matter and Dark Energy
We investigate the possibility for \textit{k}-essence dynamics to reproduce
the primary features of inflation in the early universe, generate dark matter
subsequently, and finally account for the presently observed acceleration. We
first show that for a purely kinetic \textit{k}-essence model the late time
energy density of the universe when expressed simply as a sum of a cosmological
constant and a dark matter term leads to a static universe. We then study
another \textit{k}-essence model in which the Lagrangian contains a potential
for the scalar field as well as a non-canonical kinetic term. We show that such
a model generates the basic features of inflation in the early universe, and
also gives rise to dark matter and dark energy at appropriate subsequent
stages. Observational constraints on the parameters of this model are obtained.Comment: 8 pages, Latex, minor changes to match with published versio
Density perturbations in f(R) gravity theories in metric and Palatini formalisms
We make a detailed study of matter density perturbations in both metric and
Palatini formalisms in theories whose Lagrangian density is a general function,
f(R), of the Ricci scalar. We derive these equations in a number of gauges. We
show that for viable models that satisfy cosmological and local gravity
constraints (LGC), matter perturbation equations derived under a sub-horizon
approximation are valid even for super-Hubble scales provided the oscillating
mode (scalaron) does not dominate over the matter-induced mode. Such
approximate equations are especially reliable in the Palatini formalism because
of the absence of scalarons.
Using these equations we make a comparative study of the behaviour of density
perturbations as well as gravitational potentials for a number of classes of
theories. In the metric formalism the parameter m=Rf_{,RR}/f_{,R}
characterising the deviation from the Lambda CDM model is constrained to be
very small during the matter era in order to ensure compatibility with LGC, but
the models in which m grows to the order of 10^{-1} around the present epoch
can be allowed. These models also suffer from an additional fine tuning due to
the presence of scalaron modes which are absent in the Palatini case.
In Palatini formalism LGC and background cosmological constraints provide
only weak bounds on |m| by constraining it to be smaller than ~ 0.1. This is in
contrast to matter density perturbations which, on galactic scales, place far
more stringent constraints on the present deviation parameter m of the order of
|m| < 10^{-5} - 10^{-4}. This is due to the peculiar evolution of matter
perturbations in the Palatini case which exhibits a rapid growth or a damped
oscillation depending on the sign of m.Comment: 36 pages including 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical
Review
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