arXiv subjects

Abhishek Atreya

Publications and source records attributed to Abhishek Atreya.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

Primordial magnetic field generation in the Quark Gluon Plasma phase

In this work we investigate the possibility of generation of primordial magnetic field in the early universe near the QCD phase transition epoch via the collapse of $Z(3)$ domains. The $Z(3)$ domain walls arise in the deconfined phase of the QCD (above $T\sim 200$ MeV) and their collapse leads to a net quark concentration near the wall boundary due to non-trivial reflection of quarks. We look at the response of leptons to this quark excess and find that leptons do not cancel the electric charge concentration due to the quarks. The wall collapse and a net charge concentration can lead to the generation of vorticity and turbulence in the primordial plasma. We estimate the magnitude of the magnetic field generated and find that it can be quite large $\mathcal{O}(10^{15-18}\mathrm{G})$. The mechanism is independent of the order of the QCD phase transition.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Viscous Self Interacting Dark Matter Cosmology For Small Redshift

The viscosity of dark matter in cosmological models may cause an accelerated expansion and when this effect is sufficiently large, it can explain the dark energy. In this work, attributing the origin of viscosity to self-interaction of dark matter, we study the viscous cosmology at small redshift $(0\leq z\leq2.5)$. Assuming the cluster scale to be virialized and by modeling a power law behavior of velocity gradients, we calculate the Hubble expansion rate, $H(z)$ and the deceleration parameter, $q(z)$. We then perform a $χ^{2}$ analysis to estimate the best fit model parameters. By using the best fit values, we explain the cosmic chronometer and type Ia supernova data. We conclude that if the dissipative effects become prominent only at the late time of cosmic evolution and are smaller at higher redshift, we can explain the observational data without requiring any dark energy component. Our analysis is independent of any specific model of self interacting dark matter.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2017

Viscous Self Interacting Dark Matter and Cosmic Acceleration

Self interacting dark matter (SIDM) provides us with a consistent solution to certain astrophysical observations in conflict with collision-less cold DM paradigm. In this work we estimate the shear viscosity $(η)$ and bulk viscosity $(ζ)$ of SIDM, within kinetic theory formalism, for galactic and cluster size SIDM halos. To that extent we make use of the recent constraints on SIDM crossections for the dwarf galaxies, LSB galaxies and clusters. We also estimate the change in solution of Einstein's equation due to these viscous effects and find that $σ/m$ constraints on SIDM from astrophysical data provide us with sufficient viscosity to account for the observed cosmic acceleration at present epoch, without the need of any additional dark energy component. Using the estimates of dark matter density for galactic and cluster size halo we find that the mean free path of dark matter $\sim$ few Mpc. Thus the smallest scale at which the viscous effect start playing the role is cluster scale. Astrophysical data for dwarf, LSB galaxies and clusters also seems to suggest the same. The entire analysis is independent of any specific particle physics motivated model for SIDM.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

Cosmological Implications of QGP Bulk Viscosity

Recent studies of the hot QCD matter indicate that the bulk viscosity ($ζ$) of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) rises sharply near the critical point of the QCD phase transition. In this work, we show that such a sharp rise of the bulk viscosity will lead to an effective negative pressure near the critical temperature, $T_{c}$ which in turn drives the Universe to inflate. This inflation has a natural graceful exist when the viscous effect evanesce. We estimate that, depending upon the peak value of $ζ$, universe expands by a factor of $10$ to $80$ times in a very short span ($Δt\sim 10^{-8}$ seconds). Another important outcome of the bulk viscosity dominated dynamics is the cavitation of QGP around $T \sim 1.5T_{c}$. This would lead to the phenomenon of formation of cavitation bubbles within the QGP phase. The above scenario is independent of the order of QCD phase transition. We delineate some of the important cosmological consequences of the inflation and the cavitation.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Primordial Magnetic Field Via Weibel Instability In The Quark Gluon Plasma Phase

The origin of the observed large scale magnetic fields in the Universe is a mystery. The seed of these magnetic fields has been attributed to physical process in the early universe. In this work we provide a mechanism for the generation of a primordial magnetic field in the early universe via the Weibel instability in the quark gluon plasma. The Weibel instability occurs in the plasma if there is an anisotropy in the particle distribution function of the particles. In early universe, the velocity anisotropy required for Weibel instability to operate is generated in the quark gluon plasma by the collapse of closed $Z(3)$ domain walls that arise in the deconfined phase of the QCD (above $T\sim 200$ MeV). Such large domains can arise in the context of certain low energy scale inflationary models. The closed domains undergo supersonic collapse and the velocity anisotropy is generated in the shocks produced in the wake of the collapsing domain walls. This results in a two stream Weibel instability in the ultra-relativistic quark gluon plasma. The instability in turn generates strong magnetic fields in the plasma. We find that the field strengths generated can be comparable to the equipartition energy density at the QCD scale which is of the order of $10^{18}$ G.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

A Novel Mechanism for $J/ψ$ Disintegration in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions

In this paper we discuss the possibility of $J/ψ$ disintegration due the $Z(3)$ domain walls that are expected to form in QGP medium. These domain walls give rise to localised color electric field which disintegrates $J/ψ$, on interaction, by changing the color composition and simultaneously exciting it to higher states of $c\bar{c}$ system.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Spontaneous CP violating quark scattering from asymmetric $Z\left(3\right)$ interfaces in QGP

In this paper, we extend our earlier study of spontaneous CP violating scattering of quarks and anti-quarks from QCD $Z\left(3\right)$ domain walls for the situation when these walls have asymmetric profiles of the Polyakov loop order parameter $l(x)$. Dynamical quarks lead to explicit breaking of $Z(3)$ symmetry, which lifts the degeneracy of the $Z(3)$ vacua arising from spontaneous breaking of the $Z(3)$ symmetry in the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) phase. Resulting domain walls have asymmetric profile of $l(x)$ (under reflection $x \rightarrow -x$ for a domain wall centered at the origin). We calculate the background gauge field profile $A_0$ associated with this domain wall profile. Interestingly, even with the asymmetric $l(x)$ profile, quark-antiquark scattering from the corresponding gauge field configuration does not reflect this asymmetry. We show that the expected asymmetry in scattering arises when we include the effect of asymmetric profile of $l(x)$ on the effective mass of quarks and antiquarks and calculate resultant scattering. We discuss the effects of such asymmetric Z(3) walls in generating quark and antiquark density fluctuations in cosmology, and in relativistic heavy-ion collisions e.g. event-by-event baryon fluctuations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Reviving quark nuggets as a candidate for dark matter

We discuss a novel mechanism for segregation of baryons and anti-baryons in the quark-gluon plasma phase which can lead to formation of quark and antiquark nuggets in the early universe, irrespective of the order of the quark-hadron phase transition. This happens due to CP violating scattering of quarks and antiquarks from moving $Z(3)$ domain walls. CP violation here is spontaneous in nature and arises from the nontrivial profile of the background gauge field ($A_{0}$ ) between different $Z(3)$ vacua. We study the effect of this spontaneous CP violation on the baryon transport across the collapsing large $Z(3)$ domain walls (which can arise in the context of certain low energy scale inflationary models). Our results show that this CP violation can lead to large concentrations of baryons and anti-baryons in the early universe. The quark and antiquark nuggets, formed by this alternate mechanism, can provide a viable dark matter candidate within standard model without violating any observational constraints.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Spontaneous CP violation in quark scattering from QCD Z(3) interfaces

In this paper, we explore the possibility of spontaneous CP violation in the scattering of quarks and anti-quarks from QCD Z(3) domain walls. The CP violation here arises from the nontrivial profile of the background gauge field $(A_{0})$ between different Z(3) vacua. We calculate the spatial variation of $A_{0}$ across the Z(3) interface from the profile of the Polyakov loop $L(\vec{x})$ for the Z(3) interface and calculate the reflection of quarks and antiquarks using the Dirac equation. This spontaneous CP violation has interesting consequences for the relativistic heavy-ion collision experiments, such as baryon enhancement at high $P_{T}$. It also acts as a source of additional J/$ψ$ suppression. We also discuss its implications for the early universe.

hep-ph↗