arXiv subjects

I. Waga

Publications and source records attributed to I. Waga.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Top-Hat Spherical Collapse with Clustering Dark Energy. I. Radius Evolution and Critical Contrast Density

Understanding the influence of dark energy on the formation of structures is currently a major challenge in Cosmology, since it can distinguish otherwise degenerated viable models. In this work we consider the Top-Hat Spherical-Collapse (SC) model with dark energy, which can partially (or totally) cluster, according to a free parameter $γ$. The {\it lack of} energy conservation has to be taken into account accordingly, as we will show. We determine characteristic quantities for the SC model, such as the critical contrast density and radius evolution, with particular emphasis on their dependence on the clustering parameter $γ$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2017

Calculation of the critical overdensity in the spherical-collapse approximation

Critical overdensity $δ_c$ is a key concept in estimating the number count of halos for different redshift and halo-mass bins, and therefore, it is a powerful tool to compare cosmological models to observations. There are currently two different prescriptions in the literature for its calculation, namely, the differential-radius and the constant-infinity methods. In this work we show that the latter yields precise results {\it only} if we are careful in the definition of the so-called numerical infinities. Although the subtleties we point out are crucial ingredients for an accurate determination of $δ_c$ both in general relativity and in any other gravity theory, we focus on $f(R)$ modified-gravity models in the metric approach; in particular, we use the so-called large ($F=1/3$) and small-field ($F=0$) limits. For both of them, we calculate the relative errors (between our method and the others) in the critical density $δ_c$, in the comoving number density of halos per logarithmic mass interval $n_{\ln M}$ and in the number of clusters at a given redshift in a given mass bin $N_{\rm bin}$, as functions of the redshift. We have also derived an analytical expression for the density contrast in the linear regime as a function of the collapse redshift $z_c$ and $Ω_{m0}$ for any $F$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

From cosmic deceleration to acceleration: new constraints from SN Ia and BAO/CMB

We use type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) data in combination with recent baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) and cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations to constrain a kink-like parametrization of the deceleration parameter ($q$). This $q$-parametrization can be written in terms of the initial ($q_i$) and present ($q_0$) values of the deceleration parameter, the redshift of the cosmic transition from deceleration to acceleration ($z_t$) and the redshift width of such transition ($τ$). By assuming a flat space geometry, $q_i=1/2$ and adopting a likelihood approach to deal with the SN Ia data we obtain, at the 68% confidence level (C.L.), that: $z_t=0.56^{+0.13}_{-0.10}$, $τ=0.47^{+0.16}_{-0.20}$ and $q_0=-0.31^{+0.11}_{-0.11}$ when we combine BAO/CMB observations with SN Ia data processed with the MLCS2k2 light-curve fitter. When in this combination we use the SALT2 fitter we get instead, at the same C.L.: $z_t=0.64^{+0.13}_{-0.07}$, $τ=0.36^{+0.11}_{-0.17}$ and $q_0=-0.53^{+0.17}_{-0.13}$. Our results indicate, with a quite general and model independent approach, that MLCS2k2 favors Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati-like cosmological models, while SALT2 favors $Λ$CDM-like ones. Progress in determining the transition redshift and/or the present value of the deceleration parameter depends crucially on solving the issue of the difference obtained when using these two light-curve fitters.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

$γ$ gravity: Steepness control

We investigate a simple generalization of the metric exponential $f(R)$ gravity theory that is cosmologically viable and compatible with solar system tests of gravity. We show that, as compared to other viable $f(R)$ theories, its steep dependence on the Ricci scalar $R$ facilitates agreement with structure constraints, opening the possibility of $f(R)$ models with equation-of-state parameter that could be differentiated from a cosmological constant ($w_{de}=-1$) with future surveys at both background and perturbative levels.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

Type Ia supernova parameter estimation: a comparison of two approaches using current datasets

By using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) first year type Ia supernova (SN Ia) compilation, we compare two different approaches (traditional χ^2 and complete likelihood) to determine parameter constraints when the magnitude dispersion is to be estimated as well. We consider cosmological constant + Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) and spatially flat, constant w Dark Energy + Cold Dark Matter (FwCDM) cosmological models and show that, for current data, there is a small difference in the best fit values and $\sim$ 30% difference in confidence contour areas in case the MLCS2k2 light-curve fitter is adopted. For the SALT2 light-curve fitter the differences are less significant ($\lesssim$ 13% difference in areas). In both cases the likelihood approach gives more restrictive constraints. We argue for the importance of using the complete likelihood instead of the χ^2 approach when dealing with parameters in the expression for the variance.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2007

Bulk viscosity and deflationary universes

We analyze the conditions that make possible the description of entropy generation in the new inflationary model by means of a nearequilibrium process. We show that there are situations in which the bulk viscosity cannot describe particle production during the coherent field oscillations phase.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Cosmology, Thermodynamics and Matter Creation

Several approaches to the matter creation problem in the context of cosmological models are summarily reviewed. A covariant formulation of the general relativistic imperfect simple fluid endowed with a process of matter creation is presented. By considering the standard big bang model, it is shown how the recent results of Prigogine et alii \cite{1} can be recovered and, at the same time their limits of validity are explicited.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Is it possible to observationally distinguish adiabatic Quartessence from LambdaCDM?

The equation of state (EOS) in quartessence models interpolates between two stages: $p\simeq 0$ at high energy densities and $p\approx -ρ$ at small ones. In the quartessence models analyzed up to now, the EOS is convex, implying increasing adiabatic sound speed ($c_{s}^{2}$) as the energy density decreases in an expanding Universe. A non-negligible $c_{s}^{2}$ at recent times is the source of the matter power spectrum problem that plagued all convex (non-silent) quartessence models. Viability for these cosmologies is only possible in the limit of almost perfect mimicry to $Λ$CDM. In this work we investigate if similarity to $Λ$CDM is also required in the class of quartessence models whose EOS changes concavity as the Universe evolves. We focus our analysis in the simple case in which the EOS has a step-like shape, such that at very early times $p\simeq0$, and at late times $p\simeq const<0$. For this class of models a non-negligible $c_{s}^{2}$ is a transient phenomenon, and could be relevant only at a more early epoch. We show that agreement with a large set of cosmological data requires that the transition between these two asymptotic states would have occurred at high redshift ($z_t\gtrsim38$). This leads us to conjecture that the cosmic expansion history of any successful non-silent quartessence is (practically) identical to the $Λ$CDM one.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Matter Power Spectrum for Convex Quartessence

The possibility of unifying dark-matter and dark-energy has recently attracted considerable interest. In this so called quartessence scenario, a single component is responsible for both the clustering of matter and the accelerated expansion of the universe. A model archetype for such scenario is provided by the Chaplygin gas. Although this model is in agreement with the data on the expansion history, problems arise in the power spectrum of density fluctuations for adiabatic perturbations. In this contribution we consider other quartessence models and confirm that instabilities and oscillations in the matter power spectrum are a characteristic of more generic quartessence models, namely those with a convex equation of state. We show that, as in the Chaplygin case, this kind of problem can be solved by considering intrinsic non-adiabatic perturbations such that, as an initial condition, the perturbed fluid is gradient pressure free. We also discuss how the problems of adiabatic quartessence can be circumvented by other types of equations of state.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Skewness as a test for Quartessence

Quartessence is one of the alternatives to Lambda-CDM that has lately attracted considerable interest. According to this unifying dark matter/energy scenario, the Universe evolved from an early non-relativistic matter-dominated phase to a more recent accelerated expansion phase, driven by a single fluid component. Recently, it has been shown that some problems of the quartessence model, such as the existence of instabilities and oscillations in the matter power spectrum, can be avoided if a specific type of intrinsic entropy perturbation is considered. In the present article we explore the role of skewness in constraining this non-adiabatic scenario. We show that non-adiabatic quartessence and quintessence have different signatures for the skewness of the density distribution on large scales and suggest that this quantity might prove helpful to break possible degeneracies between them.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Entropy perturbations in quartessence Chaplygin models

We show that entropy perturbations can eliminate instabilities and oscillations, in the mass power spectrum of the quartessence Chaplygin models. Our results enlarge the current parameter space of models compatible with large scale structure and cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Probing the dark energy with redshift space quasar clustering distortion

We have run Monte Carlo simulations, for quasar clustering redshift distortions in the Two-Degree Field QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ), in order to elicit the power of redshift distortions (geometric Alcock-Paczynski and linear kinematic) to constrain the cosmological density and equation of state parameters, Omega_{m0}, Omega_{x0}, w, of a pressureless matter + dark energy model. It turns out that, for the cosmological constant case (w = -1), the test is especially sensitive to the difference Delta := Omega_{m0} - Omega_{Lambda 0}, whereas for the spatially flat case (k = 0), it is quite competitive with SNAP and DEEP, besides being complimentary to them; furthermore, we find that, whereas not knowing the actual value of the bias does not compromise the correct recovering of Delta, taking into account the linear velocity effect is absolutely relevant, all within the 2 sigma confidence level.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Probing the dark energy with quasar clustering

We show, through Monte Carlo simulations, that the Alcock-Paczynski test, as applied to quasar clustering, is a powerful tool to probe the cosmological density and equation of state parameters, Omega_{m0}, Omega_{x0} and w. By taking into account the effect of peculiar velocities upon the correlation function we obtain, for the Two-Degree Field QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ), the predicted confidence contours for the cosmological constant (w = -1) and spatially flat (Omega_{m0} + Omega_{x0}=1) cases. It turns out that, for w = -1, the test is especially sensitive to the difference Omega_{m0} - Omega_{Lambda 0}, thus being ideal to combine with CMB results. We also find out that, for the flat case, it is competitive with future supernova and galaxy number count tests, besides being complementary to them.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Quasar clustering redshift distortion constraints on dark energy

Redshift distortions, both geometrical and kinematical, of quasar clustering are simulated, for the Two-Degree Field QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ), showing that they are very effective to constrain the cosmological density and equation of state parameters, Omega_{m0}, Omega_{x0} and w. Particularly, it emerges that, for the cosmological constant case, the test is especially sensitive to the difference Omega_{m0} - Omega_{Lambda 0}, whereas, for the spatially flat case, it is quite competitive with future supernova and galaxy count tests, besides being complimentary to them.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

Cosmological properties of a class of $Λ$ decaying cosmologies

We investigate some properties of flat cosmological models with a $Λ$ term that decreases with time as $Λ\propto a^{-m}$ (a is the scale factor and m is a parameter $0\leq m < 3$). The models are equivalent to standard cosmology with matter and radiation plus an exotic fluid with the equation of state $p_x = (m/3 -1)ρ_x$. We study the effect of the decaying $Λ$ term on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy and by using a seminumeric method we compute the angular power spectrum (up to l=20) for different values of m and $Ω_{m0}$. We also investigate the constraints imposed on the models by the magnitude-redshift test in which high-redshift type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are used as standard candles. We obtain the 95.4%, 90%, and 68% confidence levels on the parameters m and $Ω_{m0}$ and compare them with those arising from lensing statistics. Our analysis reveals that the SNe Ia constraints are stronger for low values of m and $Ω_{m0}$, while those from lensing statistics are more important for $m > \sim 1$. Models with $Ω_{m0} > \sim 0.2$ and $m > \sim 1.6$ are in good agreement with the data.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1995

Cosmology with Ultra-light Pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone Bosons

We explore the cosmological implications of an ultra-light pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson. With global spontaneous symmetry breaking scale $f \simeq 10^{18}$ GeV and explicit breaking scale comparable to MSW neutrino masses, $M \sim 10^{-3}$ eV, such a field, which acquires a mass $m_ϕ\sim M^2/f \sim H_0$, would have become dynamical at recent epochs and currently dominate the energy density of the universe. The field acts as an effective cosmological constant for several expansion times and then relaxes into a condensate of coherent non-relativistic bosons. Such a model can reconcile dynamical estimates of the density parameter, $Ω_m \sim 0.2$, with a spatially flat universe, and can yield an expansion age $H_0 t_0 \simeq 1$ while remaining consistent with limits from gravitational lens statistics.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1995

Decaying $Λ$ cosmologies and statistical properties of gravitational lenses

In this paper we investigate the statistical properties of gravitational lenses for models in which a cosmological term decreases with time as $Λ\propto a^{-m}$, where $a$ is the scale factor and $m$ is a parameter ($0 \leq m < 3$). We show that for given low values of the present matter density parameter $Ω_{m0}$, there is a wide range of values for $m$ for which the lensing rate is significantly smaller than that in cosmological constant ($Λ$) models. We also show that models with low $Ω_{m0}$ and $m\stackrel{>}{\sim}2$ have high likelihood to reproduce the observed lens statistics in the HST snapshot survey.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1994

The Andante Regime of Scalar Field Dynamics

The andante regime of scalar field dynamics in the chaotic inflationary Universe is defined as the epoch when the field is rolling moderately slowly down its interaction potential, but at such a rate that first-order corrections to the slow-roll approximation become important. These conditions should apply towards the end of inflation as the field approaches the global minimum of the potential. Solutions to the Einstein-scalar field equations for the class of power law potentials $V(ϕ) \propto ϕ^{2n}$ are found in this regime in terms of the inverse error function.

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