A fit of the angular 3–point function and biased galaxy formation

A study of the 3-point function, based on the analysis of momenta (as was done, e.g., in Sharp et.al. 1984) deduced from the Zwicky catalog, indicates that an expression containing a cubic term, besides the usual second degree polynomials of 2–point functions, provides a good fit of angular data

Mixed Models with n>1 and Large Scale Structure constraints

Recent data on CBR anisotropies show a Doppler peak higher than expected in CDM cosmological models, if the spectral index $n=1$. However, CDM and LCDM models with n>1 can hardly be consistent with LSS data. Mixed models, instead, whose transfer function is naturally steeper because of free--streaming in the hot component, may become consistent with data if n>1, when Omega_h is large. This is confirmed by our detailed analysis, extended both to models with a hot component whose momentum space distribution had a thermal origin (like massive neutrinos), and to models with a non--cold component arising from heavier particle decay. In this work we systematically search models which fulfill all constraints which can be implemented at the linear level. We find that a stringent linear constraint arises from fitting the extra-power parameter Gamma. Other significant constraints arise comparing the expected abundances of galaxy clusters and high-z systems with observational data. Keeping to models with Gamma \geq 0.13, a suitable part of the space parameter still allows up to \sim 30% of hot component (it is worth outlining that our stringent criteria allow only models with 0.10 \mincir Omega_h \mincir 0.16, if n \leq 1). We also outline that models with such large non--cold component would ease the solution of the so--called baryon catastrophe in galaxy clusters.Comment: 28 pages + 9 figures, uses elsart.sty, to be published in New Astronom

EVAPORATION OF QUARK DROPS DURING THE COSMOLOGICAL Q-H TRANSITION

We have carried out a study of the hydrodynamics of disconnected quark regions during the final stages of the cosmological quark-hadron transition. A set of relativistic Lagrangian equations is presented for following the evaporation of a single quark drop and results from the numerical solution of this are discussed. A self-similar solution is shown to exist and the formation of baryon number density inhomogeneities at the end of the drop contraction is discussed.Comment: 12 pages Phys. Rev. format, uuencoded postscript file including 12 figure

Cosmic opacity to CMB photons and polarization measurements

Anisotropy data analysis leaves a significant degeneracy between primeval spectral index (n_s) and cosmic opacity to CMB photons (\tau). Low--l polarization measures, in principle, can remove it. We perform a likelihood analysis to see how cosmic variance possibly affects such a problem. We find that, for a sufficiently low noise level (\sigma_{pix}) and if \tau is not negligibly low, the degeneracy is greatly reduced, while the residual impact of cosmic variance on n_s and \tau determinations is under control. On the contrary, if \sigma_{pix} is too high, cosmic variance effects appear to be magnified. We apply general results to specific experiments and find that, if favorable conditions occur, it is possible that a 2--\sigma detection of a lower limit on \tau is provided by the SPOrt experiment. Furthermore, if the PLANCK experiment will measure polarization with the expected precision, the error on low--l harmonics is adequate to determine \tau, without significant magnification of the cosmic variance. This however indicates that high sensitivity might be more important than high resolution in \tau determinations. We also outline that a determination of \tau is critical to perform detailed analyses on the nature of dark energy and/or on the presence of primeval gravitational waves.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, to be published on New Astronom

Do WMAP data favor neutrino mass and a coupling between Cold Dark Matter and Dark Energy?

Within the frame of cosmologies where Dark Energy (DE) is a self--interacting scalar field, we allow for a CDM--DE coupling and non--zero neutrino masses, simultaneously. In their 0--0 version, i.e. in the absence of coupling and neutrino mass, these cosmologies provide an excellent fit to WMAP, SNIa and deep galaxy sample spectra, at least as good as \LambdaCDM. When the new degrees of freedom are open, we find that CDM--DE coupling and significant neutrino masses (~0.1eV per \nu species) are at least as likely as the 0--0 option and, in some cases, even statistically favoured. Results are obtained by using a Monte Carlo Markov Chain approach.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, submitted to JCA

Dynamical Dark Energy model parameters with or without massive neutrinos

We use WMAP5 and other cosmological data to constrain model parameters in quintessence cosmologies, focusing also on their shift when we allow for non-vanishing neutrino masses. The Ratra-Peebles (RP) and SUGRA potentials are used here, as examples of slowly or fastly varying state parameter w(a). Both potentials depend on an energy scale \Lambda. Here we confirm the results of previous analysis with WMAP3 data on the upper limits on \Lambda, which turn out to be rather small (down to ~10^{-9} in RP cosmologies and ~10^{-5} for SUGRA). Our constraints on \Lambda are not heavily affected by the inclusion of neutrino mass as a free parameter. On the contrary, when the neutrino mass degree of freedom is opened, significant shifts in the best-fit values of other parameters occur.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, submitted to JCA

Nature of Dark Energy and Polarization Measurements

High sensitivity polarization measures, on wide angular scales, together with data on anisotropy, can be used to fix DE parameters. In this paper, first of all, we aim to determine the sensitivity needed to provide significant limits. Our analysis puts in evidence that there is a class of DE models that polarization measures can possibly exclude soon. This class includes models with DE due to a Ratra-Peebles (RP) potential. Using a likelihood analysis, we show that it is possible to distinguish RP models from LCDM and other dynamical DE models, already with the sensitivity of experiments like SPOrt or WMAP, thanks to their negative TE correlation at low-l, when the optical depth tau is sufficiently large. On the contrary, fixing the energy scale Lambda for RP potentials or distinguishing between LCDM and other DE potentials requires a much lower pixel noise, that no planned polarization experiment will achieve. While reviewing this paper after the referee report, the first-year WMAP data were released. WMAP finds large positive anisotropy-polarization correlations at low l; this apparently excludes DE models with RP potentials.Comment: 28 pages, 16 figures, to be published in New Astronomy; replaced with accepted versio

Primordial nuggets survival and QCD pairing

We revisit the problem of boiling and surface evaporation of quark nuggets in the cosmological quark-hadron transition with the explicit consideration of pairing between quarks in a color-flavor locked (CFL) state. Assuming that primordial quark nuggets are actually formed, we analyze the consequences of pairing on the rates of boiling and surface evaporation in order to determine whether they could have survived with substantial mass. We find a substantial quenching of the evaporation + boiling processes, which suggests the survival of primordial nuggets for the currently considered range of the pairing gap $\Delta$. Boiling is shown to depend on the competition of an increased stability window and the suppression of the rate, and is not likely to dominate the destruction of the nuggets. If surface evaporation dominates, the fate of the nuggets depend on the features of the initial mass spectrum of the nuggets, their evaporation rate, and the value of the pairing gap, as shown and discussed in the text.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Measuring the metric: a parametrized post-Friedmanian approach to the cosmic dark energy problem

We argue for a ``parametrized post-Friedmanian'' approach to linear cosmology, where the history of expansion and perturbation growth is measured without assuming that the Einstein Field Equations hold. As an illustration, a model-independent analysis of 92 type Ia supernovae demonstrates that the curve giving the expansion history has the wrong shape to be explained without some form of dark energy or modified gravity. We discuss how upcoming lensing, galaxy clustering, cosmic microwave background and Lyman alpha forest observations can be combined to pursue this program, which generalizes the quest for a dark energy equation of state, and forecast the accuracy that the proposed SNAP satellite can attain.Comment: Replaced to match accepted PRD version. References and another example added, section III omitted since superceded by astro-ph/0207047. 11 PRD pages, 7 figs. Color figs and links at http://www.hep.upenn.edu/~max/gravity.html or from [email protected]