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Hrvoje Stefancic

Publications and source records attributed to Hrvoje Stefancic.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2010

The Relaxed Universe: towards solving the cosmological constant problem dynamically from an effective action functional of gravity

We present an unconventional approach for addressing the old cosmological constant (CC) problem in a class of F(R,G) models of modified gravity. For a CC of arbitrary size and sign the corresponding cosmological evolution follows an expansion history which strikingly resembles that of our real universe. The effects of the large CC are relaxed dynamically and there is no fine-tuning at any stage. In addition, the relaxation mechanism alleviates the coincidence problem. The upshot is that a large cosmological constant and the observed cosmic expansion history coexist peacefully in the Relaxed Universe. This model universe can be thought of as an interesting preliminary solution of the cosmological constant problem, in the sense that it provides a successful dynamical mechanism able to completely avoid the fine-tuning problem (the toughest aspect of the CC problem). However, since the Relaxed Universe is formulated within the context of modified gravity, it may still suffer of some of the known issues associated with these theories, and therefore it can be viewed only as a toy-model proposal towards a final solution of the CC problem.

hep-th↗
arXiv2009

Phase diagram of epidemic spreading - unimodal vs. bimodal probability distributions

The disease spreading on complex networks is studied in SIR model. Simulations on empirical complex networks reveal two specific regimes of disease spreading: local containment and epidemic outbreak. The variables measuring the extent of disease spreading are in general characterized by a bimodal probability distribution. Phase diagrams of disease spreading for empirical complex networks are introduced. A theoretical model of disease spreading on m-ary tree is investigated both analytically and in simulations. It is shown that the model reproduces qualitative features of phase diagrams of disease spreading observed in empirical complex networks. The role of tree-like structure of complex networks in disease spreading is discussed.

physics.soc-ph↗
arXiv2009

Relaxing a large cosmological constant

The cosmological constant (CC) problem is the biggest enigma of theoretical physics ever. In recent times, it has been rephrased as the dark energy problem in order to encompass a wider spectrum of possibilities. It is, in any case, a polyhedric puzzle with many faces, including the cosmic coincidence problem, i.e. why the density of matter is presently so close to the CC density. However, the oldest, toughest and most intriguing face of this polyhedron is the big CC problem, namely why the measured value of the CC at present is so small as compared to any typical density scale existing in high energy physics, especially taking into account the many phase transitions that our Universe has undergone since the early times, including inflation. In this letter, we propose to extend the field equations of General Relativity by including a class of invariant terms that automatically relax the value of the CC irrespective of the initial size of the vacuum energy in the early epochs. We show that, at late times, the Universe enters an eternal de Sitter stage mimicking a tiny positive cosmological constant. Thus, these models could solve the big CC problem and have also a bearing on the cosmic coincidence problem. Remarkably, they mimic the LCDM model to a large extent, but they still leave some characteristic imprints that should be testable in the next generation of experiments.

hep-th↗
arXiv2008

The inhomogeneous equation of state and the speed of convergence to a small cosmological constant

The mechanism for the relaxation of the cosmological constant is studied and elaborated. In the model used for the analysis of the relaxation mechanism the universe contains two components: a cosmological constant of an arbitrary size and sign and a component with an inhomogeneous equation of state. Owing to the dynamics of the second component the universe asymptotically tends to a de Sitter phase of expansion characterized by a small effective positive cosmological constant. An analysis of the asymptotic expansion for a general inhomogeneous equation of state of the second component is made. Several concrete examples are presented and the stability and speed of convergence to their fixed points are analyzed. It is found that the speed of convergence to a fixed point is large whenever the absolute value of the cosmological constant is large.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2008

The inhomogeneous equation of state and the road towards the solution of the cosmological constant problem

We present a cosmological model containing a cosmological constant $Λ$ and a component with an inhomogeneous equation of state. We study the form of the inhomogeneous equation of state for which the model exhibits the relaxation of the cosmological constant, i.e. it asymptotically tends to the de Sitter regime characterized by a small positive effective cosmological constant. The effect of the relaxation of the cosmological constant is observed both for negative and positive values of $Λ$ and for a range of model parameters. A special emphasis is put on the study of the details of the CC relaxation mechanism and the robustness of the mechanism to the variation of model parameters. It is found that within the studied model the effective cosmological constant at large scale factor values is small because the absolute value of the real cosmological constant is large.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2008

The solution of the cosmological constant problem from the inhomogeneous equation of state - a hint from modified gravity?

The cosmological constant problem is studied in a two component cosmological model. The universe contains a cosmological constant of an arbitrary size and sign and an additional component with an inhomogeneous equation of state. It is shown that, in a proper parameter regime, the expansion of the universe with a large absolute value of the cosmological constant may asymptotically tend to de Sitter space corresponding to a small effective positive cosmological constant. It is argued that such a behavior can be regarded as a solution of the cosmological constant problem in this model. The mechanism behind the relaxation of the cosmological constant is discussed. A connection with modified gravity theories is discussed and an example of a possible realization of the cosmological constant relaxation in f(R) modified gravity is described.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2007

On Cosmological Implications of Gravitational Trace Anomaly

We study the infrared effective theory of gravity that stems from the quantum trace anomaly. Quantum fluctuations of the metric induce running of the cosmological constant and the Newton constant at cosmological scales. By imposing the generalized Bianchi identity we obtain a prediction for the scale dependence of the dark matter and dark energy densities in terms of the parameters of the underlying conformal theory. For certain values of the model parameters the dark energy equation of state and the observed spectral index of the primordial density fluctuations can be simultaneously reproduced.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2007

Cosmologies with variable parameters and dynamical cosmon: implications on the cosmic coincidence problem

Dynamical dark energy (DE) has been proposed to explain various aspects of the cosmological constant (CC) problem(s). For example, it is very difficult to accept that a strictly constant Lambda-term constitutes the ultimate explanation for the DE in our Universe. It is also hard to acquiesce in the idea that we accidentally happen to live in an epoch where the CC contributes an energy density value right in the ballpark of the rapidly diluting matter density. It should perhaps be more plausible to conceive that the vacuum energy, is actually a dynamical quantity as the Universe itself. More generally, we could even entertain the possibility that the total DE is in fact a mixture of vacuum energy and other dynamical components (e.g. fields, higher order terms in the effective action etc) which can be represented collectively by an effective entity X (dubbed the ``cosmon''). The ``cosmon'', therefore, acts as a dynamical DE component different from the vacuum energy. While it can actually behave phantom-like by itself, the overall DE fluid may effectively appear as standard quintessence, or even mimic at present an almost exact CC behavior. Thanks to the versatility of such cosmic fluid we can show that a composite DE system of this sort (``LXCDM'') may have a key to resolving the mysterious coincidence problem.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2006

Composite dark energy: cosmon models with running cosmological term and gravitational coupling

In the recent literature on dark energy (DE) model building we have learnt that cosmologies with variable cosmological parameters can mimic more traditional DE pictures exclusively based on scalar fields (e.g. quintessence and phantom). In a previous work we have illustrated this situation within the context of a renormalization group running cosmological term, Lambda. Here we analyze the possibility that both the cosmological term and the gravitational coupling, G, are running parameters within a more general framework (a variant of the so-called ``LXCDM models'') in which the DE fluid can be a mixture of a running Lambda and another dynamical entity X (the ``cosmon'') which may behave quintessence-like or phantom-like. We compute the effective EOS parameter, w, of this composite fluid and show that the LXCDM can mimic to a large extent the standard LCDM model while retaining features hinting at its potential composite nature (such as the smooth crossing of the cosmological constant boundary w=-1). We further argue that the LXCDM models can cure the cosmological coincidence problem. All in all we suggest that future experimental studies on precision cosmology should take seriously the possibility that the DE fluid can be a composite medium whose dynamical features are partially caused and renormalized by the quantum running of the cosmological parameters.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2006

On the way from matter-dominated era to dark energy universe

We develop the general program of the unification of matter-dominated era with acceleration epoch for scalar-tensor theory or dark fluid. The general reconstruction of single scalar-tensor theory is fulfilled. The explicit form of scalar potential for which the theory admits matter-dominated era, transition to acceleration and (asymptotically deSitter) acceleration epoch consistent with WMAP data is found. The interrelation of the epochs of deceleration-acceleration transition and matter dominance-dark energy transition for dark fluids with general EOS is investigated. We give several examples of such models with explicit EOS (using redshift parametrization) where matter-dark energy domination transition may precede the deceleration-acceleration transition. As some by-product, the reconstruction scheme is applied to scalar-tensor theory to define the scalar potentials which may produce the dark matter effect. The obtained modification of Newton potential may explain the rotation curves of galaxies.

hep-th↗
arXiv2006

Dark-energy equation of state: how far can we go from Λ?

The equation of state of dark energy is investigated to determine how much it may deviate from the equation of state of the cosmological constant (CC). Two aspects of the problem are studied: the "expansion" around the vacuum equation of state and the problem of the crossing of the cosmological constant boundary.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2006

LXCDM cosmologies: solving the cosmological coincidence problem?

We explore the possibility of having a composite (self-conserved) dark energy (DE) whose dynamics is controlled by the quantum running of the cosmological parameters. We find that within this scenario it is feasible to find an explanation for the cosmological coincidence problem and at the same time a good qualitative description of the present data.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2006

LXCDM: a cosmon model solution to the cosmological coincidence problem?

We consider the possibility that the total dark energy (DE) of the Universe is made out of two dynamical components of different nature: a variable cosmological term, Lambda, and a dynamical ``cosmon'', X, possibly interacting with Lambda but not with matter -- which remains conserved. We call this scenario the LXCDM model. One possibility for X would be a scalar field, but it is not the only one. The overall equation of state (EOS) of the LXCDM model can effectively appear as quintessence or phantom energy depending on the mixture of the two components. Both the dynamics of Lambda and of X could be linked to high energy effects near the Planck scale. In the case of Lambda it may be related to the running of this parameter under quantum effects, whereas X might be identified with some fundamental field (say, a dilaton) left over as a low-energy ``relic'' by e.g. string theory. We find that the dynamics of the LXCDM model can trigger a future stopping of the Universe expansion and can keep the ratio rho_D/rho_m (DE density to matter-radiation density) bounded and of order 1. Therefore, the model could explain the so-called ``cosmological coincidence problem''. This is in part related to the possibility that the present value of the cosmological term can be Lambda<0 in this framework (the current total DE density nevertheless being positive). However, a cosmic halt could occur even if Lambda>0 because of the peculiar behavior of X as ``Phantom Matter''. We describe various cosmological scenarios made possible by the composite and dynamical nature of LXCDM, and discuss in detail their impact on the cosmological coincidence problem.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2006

Cosmology with variable parameters and effective equation of state for Dark Energy

A cosmological constant, Lambda, is the most natural candidate to explain the origin of the dark energy (DE) component in the Universe. However, due to experimental evidence that the equation of state (EOS) of the DE could be evolving with time/redshift (including the possibility that it might behave phantom-like near our time) has led theorists to emphasize that there might be a dynamical field (or some suitable combination of them) that could explain the behavior of the DE. While this is of course one possibility, here we show that there is no imperative need to invoke such dynamical fields and that a variable cosmological constant (including perhaps a variable Newton's constant too) may account in a natural way for all these features.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2005

Dynamical dark energy or variable cosmological parameters?

One of the main aims in the next generation of precision cosmology experiments will be an accurate determination of the equation of state (EOS) for the dark energy (DE). If the latter is dynamical, the resulting barotropic index ωshould exhibit a non-trivial evolution with the redshift. Usually this is interpreted as a sign that the mechanism responsible for the DE is related to some dynamical scalar field, and in some cases this field may behave non-canonically (phantom field). Present observations seem to favor an evolving DE with a potential phantom phase near our time. In the literature there is a plethora of dynamical models trying to describe this behavior. Here we show that the simplest option, namely a model with a variable cosmological term, Λ=Λ(t), leads in general to a non-trivial effective EOS, with index ω_e, which may naturally account for these data features. We prove that in this case there is always a ``crossing'' of the ω_e=-1 barrier near our time. We also show how this effect is modulated (or even completely controled) by a variable Newton's constant G=G(t).

astro-ph↗
arXiv2005

Crossing of the Cosmological Constant Boundary - an Equation of State Description

The phenomenon of the dark energy transition between the quintessence regime ($w > -1$) and the phantom regime ($w < -1$), also known as the cosmological constant boundary crossing, is analyzed in terms of the dark energy equation of state. It is found that the dark energy equation of state in the dark energy models which exhibit the transition is {\em implicitly} defined. The generalizations of the the models explicitly constructed to exhibit the transition are studied to gain insight into the mechanism of the transition. It is found that the cancellation of the terms corresponding to the cosmological constant boundary makes the transition possible.

astro-ph↗