arXiv subjects

Jaume de Haro

Publications and source records attributed to Jaume de Haro.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Inflationary Potential as seen from Different Angles: Model Compatibility from Multiple CMB Missions

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropies, as observed by independent astronomical missions such as WMAP, Planck, and most recently the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and the South Pole Telescope have played a vital role in accurately constraining cosmological theories and models, establishing cosmic inflation as the most widely accepted theory for describing the physics of the early Universe. However, the absence of a definitive detection of B-mode polarization and the emerging discrepancies among different CMB experiments present a challenge in determining which inflationary models best explain the observed data. In this work, we further explore this difficulty and conduct a case study by analyzing four well-known inflationary potentials in light of the latest CMB temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements and lensing data released by the Planck satellite and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope. Additionally, we incorporate B-modes polarization data from the BICEP/Keck Collaboration, as well as Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and Redshift Space Distortions measurements from BOSS DR12 and eBOSS DR16. We show that the most typical models such as Starobinsky and $α$-attractors are in disagreement with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope small-scale CMB measurements, particularly when combined with B-modes polarization data. On the other hand, these potentials are in perfect agreement with the Planck measurements at larger angular scales. This dichotomy makes it challenging to identify a single model or a group of models that can be universally considered as the preferred choice based on all available CMB observations.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Reheating constraints in Instant Preheating

We use Instant Preheating as a mechanism to reheat the universe when its evolution is modeled by a non-oscillating background. Once we obtain the reheating temperature, we calculate the number of e-folds using two different methods, which allows us to establish a relationship between the reheating temperature and the spectral index of scalar perturbations. We explore this connection to constrain the spectral index for different Quintessential Inflation models.

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arXiv2023

An analytic formula to calculate the reheating temperature via gravitational particle production

We present for smooth non-oscillating backgrounds an analytic formula which calculates the energy density of massive and massless particles created via gravitational particle production, thus giving the corresponding reheating temperature. It can be applied to models of Quintessential Inflation such as $α$-attractors, and shows that for masses larger than the Hubble rate at the end of inflation, namely $H_{END}$, the reheating temperature is exponentially suppressed. On the contrary, for masses of the order of $H_{END}$ one obtains a maximum reheating temperature of the order of $10^7$ GeV. Finally, to overcome the constraints coming from the overproduction of Gravitational Waves in Quintessential Inflation, we have shown that the viable masses which ensure the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis success are in the range between {$2\times 10^{10}$ GeV and $ 4\times 10^{13}$ GeV}, leading to a maximum reheating temperature of the order {$10^5-10^7$ GeV}.

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arXiv2022

The problem of calculating the $β$-Bogoliubov coefficient in Non-Oscillating models

The calculation of the Bogoliubov coefficients is a key piece to obtain the reheating temperature of the Universe. In all cases this calculation is performed either in toy models where some derivative of the potential is discontinuous at some points or by making some approximations to the model. The result of these calculations is applied to more realistic models without checking if they really apply to this realistic model because the exact calculation of the Bogoliubov coefficients for a viable model, which is usually depicted by a smooth potential, requires a very complicated numerical calculation. Here we want to point out the difficulties that one encounters when trying to compute numerically these coefficients for a smooth potential without making approximations, which could lead to completely different results.

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arXiv2022

Cosmology Intertwined: A Review of the Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Associated with the Cosmological Tensions and Anomalies

In this paper we will list a few important goals that need to be addressed in the next decade, also taking into account the current discordances between the different cosmological probes, such as the disagreement in the value of the Hubble constant $H_0$, the $σ_8$--$S_8$ tension, and other less statistically significant anomalies. While these discordances can still be in part the result of systematic errors, their persistence after several years of accurate analysis strongly hints at cracks in the standard cosmological scenario and the necessity for new physics or generalisations beyond the standard model. In this paper, we focus on the $5.0\,σ$ tension between the {\it Planck} CMB estimate of the Hubble constant $H_0$ and the SH0ES collaboration measurements. After showing the $H_0$ evaluations made from different teams using different methods and geometric calibrations, we list a few interesting new physics models that could alleviate this tension and discuss how the next decade's experiments will be crucial. Moreover, we focus on the tension of the {\it Planck} CMB data with weak lensing measurements and redshift surveys, about the value of the matter energy density $Ω_m$, and the amplitude or rate of the growth of structure ($σ_8,fσ_8$). We list a few interesting models proposed for alleviating this tension, and we discuss the importance of trying to fit a full array of data with a single model and not just one parameter at a time. Additionally, we present a wide range of other less discussed anomalies at a statistical significance level lower than the $H_0$--$S_8$ tensions which may also constitute hints towards new physics, and we discuss possible generic theoretical approaches that can collectively explain the non-standard nature of these signals.[Abridged]

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Some topics in Cosmology -- Clearly explained by means of simple examples --

This is a very comprehensible review of some key issues in Modern Cosmology. Simple mathematical examples and analogies are always used, whenever available. The starting point is the well know Big Bang Cosmology (BBC). We deal with the mathematical singularities appearing in this theory and discuss some ways to remove them. Next, and before introducing the inflationary paradigm by means of some clear examples, we review the horizon and flatness problems of the old BBC model. We then consider the current cosmic acceleration and, as a procedure to deal with both periods of acceleration in a unified way, we study quintessential inflation. Finally, the reheating stage of the universe, via gravitational particle production, which took place after inflation ended, is discussed in simple mathematical terms, by involving the so-called $α$-attractors in the context of quintessential inflation.

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arXiv2021

Gravitational particle production of superheavy massive particles in Quintessential Inflation II: $α$-attractors

We compute the gravitational production of conformally coupled superheavy particles during the phase transition from the end of inflation to the beginning of kination for $α$-attractors potentials in the context of Quintessential Inflation ($α$-QI), showing that the maximum value of the reheating temperature, independently of the value of the parameter $α$, is near $10^9$ GeV. This result, which contradicts the usual belief that the reheating via the production of superheavy massive particles leads to an inefficient reheating temperature, is due to the fact that in our numerical calculations we take into account the contribution of the large wavelength modes to the reheating temperature, which never happens in analytical calculations where only ultraviolet modes are considered.

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arXiv2021

Gravitational particle production of superheavy massive particles in Quintessential Inflation: A numerical analysis

We compute numerically the reheating temperature due to the gravitational production of conformally coupled superheavy particles during the phase transition from the end of inflation to the beginning of kination in two different Quintessential Inflation (QI) scenarios, namely Lorentzian Quintessential Inflation (LQI) and $α$-attractors in the context of Quintessential Inflation ($α$-QI). Once these superheavy particles have been created, they must decay into lighter ones to form a relativistic plasma, whose energy density will eventually dominate the one of the inflaton field in order to reheat after inflation our universe with a very high temperature, in both cases greater than $10^7$ GeV, contrary to the usual belief that heavy masses suppress the particle production and, thus, lead to an inefficient reheating temperature. Finally, we will show that the over-production of Gravitational Waves (GWs) during this phase transition, when one deals with our models, does not disturb the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) success.

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arXiv2021

A review of Quintessential Inflation

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arXiv2021

$α$ attractors in Quintessential Inflation motivated by Supergravity

An exponential kind of quintessential inflation potential motivated by supergravity is studied. This type belongs to the class of α-attractor models. The model was studied for the first time by Dimopoulos and Owen in [J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 06 (2017) 027], in which the authors introduced a negative cosmological constant in order to ensure a zero-vacuum energy density at late times. However, in this paper, we disregard this cosmological constant, showing that the obtained results are very close to the ones obtained recently in the context of Lorentzian quintessential inflation and thus depicting with great accuracy the early- and late-time acceleration of our Universe. The model is compatible with the recent observations. Finally, we review the treatment of the α-attractor and we show that our potential depicts the late time cosmic acceleration with an effective equation of state equal to -1.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Theoretical and observational bounds on some interacting vacuum energy scenarios

The dynamics of interacting dark matter-dark energy models is characterized through an interaction rate function quantifying the energy flow between these dark sectors. In most of the interaction functions, the expansion rate Hubble function is considered and sometimes it is argued that, as the interaction function is a local property, the inclusion of the Hubble function may influence the overall dynamics. This is the starting point of the present article where we consider a very simple interacting cosmic scenario between vacuum energy and the cold dark matter characterized by various interaction functions originated from a general interaction function: $Q= Γρ_{c}^{α}ρ_{x}^{1-α-β}(ρ_{c}+ρ_{x})^β$, where $ρ_c$, $ρ_x$ are respectively the cold dark matter density and vacuum energy density; $α$, $β$ are real numbers and $Γ$ is the coupling parameter with dimension equal to the dimension of the Hubble rate. We investigate four distinct interacting cosmic scenarios and constrain them both theoretically and observationally. Our analyses clearly reveal that the interaction models should be carefully handled.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Understanding the phenomenology of interacting dark energy scenarios and their theoretical bounds

Non-gravitational interaction between dark matter and dark energy has been considered in a spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) universe. The interaction rate is assumed to be linear in the energy densities of dark matter and dark energy and it is also proportional to the Hubble rate of the FLRW universe. This kind of interaction model leads to an autonomous linear dynamical system, and depending on the coupling parameters, could be solved analytically by calculating the exponential of the matrix, defining the system. We show here that such interaction rate has a very deep connection with some well known cosmological theories. We then investigate the theoretical bounds on the coupling parameters of the interaction rate in order that the energy densities of the dark sector remain positive throughout the evolution of the universe and asymptotically converge to zero at very late times. Our analyses also point out that such linear interacting model may encounter with finite time future singularities depending on the coupling parameters as well as the dark energy state parameter.

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arXiv2019

Understanding gravitational particle production in quintessential inflation

The diagonalization method, introduced by a group of Russian scientists at the beginning of seventies, is used to compute the energy density of superheavy massive particles produced due to a sudden phase transition from inflation to kination in quintessential inflation models, the models unifying inflation with quintessence originally proposed by Peebles-Vilenkin. These superheavy particles must decay in lighter ones to form a relativistic plasma, whose energy density will eventually dominate the one of the inflaton field, in order to have a hot universe after inflation. In the present article we show that, in order that the overproduction of Gravitational Waves (GWs) during this phase transition does not disturb the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) success, the decay has to be produced after the end of the kination regime, obtaining a maximum reheating temperature in the TeV regime.

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arXiv2019

Limiting curvature mimetic gravity and its relation to Loop Quantum Cosmology

Considering as usual that the underlying geometry of our universe is well described by the spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker line element, we review how the background of holonomy corrected Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC) could be obtained as a simple modified version of the mimetic gravity. We also analyze the scalar and tensor perturbations of this modified mimetic model, from which we find that at the level of tensor perturbations it is indistinguishable from General Relativity while at the level of scalar perturbations, the modified mimetic model, which has the same background as LQC, does not exhibit the same properties as LQC in the so-called deformed algebra approach.

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arXiv2018

The Dapor-Liegener model of Loop Quantum Cosmology: A dynamical analysis

The Dapor-Liegener model of Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC), which depicts an emergent universe from a de Sitter regime in the contracting phase is studied from the mathematical viewpoint of dynamical systems and compared with the standard model of LQC. Dealing with perturbations, on the contrary to standard LQC where at early times all the scales are inside the Hubble radius, we show that it is impossible to implement the matter bounce scenario due to the fact that an emergent de Sitter regime in the contracting phase implies that all the scales are outside of the Hubble radius in a past epoch.

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arXiv2018

Cosmological perturbations in a class of fully covariant modified theories: Application to models with the same background as standard LQC

Bouncing cosmologies are obtained by adding to the Einstein-Hilbert action a term of the form $\sqrt{-g}f(χ)$, with $χ$ a scalar depending on the Hubble parameter only, not on its derivatives, and which is here shown to arise from the divergence of the unitary time-like eigenvector of the stress tensor. At background level, the dynamical equations for a given $f$-theory are calculated, showing that the simplest bouncing cosmology resulting leads to exactly the same equations as those for holonomy corrected Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC). When dealing with perturbations, the equation for tensor ones is the same as in General Relativity (GR); for scalar perturbations, when one uses the $f$-theory which leads to the same background as the standard version of holonomy corrected LQC, one obtains similar equations (although a bit more elaborated) as those coming from LQC in the so-called deformed algebra approach.

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arXiv2018

Note on bouncing backgrounds

The theory of inflation is one of the fundamental and revolutionary developments of modern cosmology that became able to explain many issues of early universe in the context of the standard cosmological model (SCM). However, the initial singularity of the universe, where physics is indefinite, is still obscure in the combined `SCM+inflation' scenario. An alternative to `SCM+inflation' without the initial singularity is thus always welcome, and bouncing cosmology is an attempt of that. The current work is thus motivated to investigate the bouncing solutions in modified gravity theories when the background universe is described by the spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) geometry. We show that the simplest way to obtain the bouncing cosmologies in such spacetime is to consider some kind of Lagrangians whose gravitational sector depends only on the square of the Hubble parameter of the FLRW universe. For these modified Lagrangians, the corresponding Friedmann equation, a constraint in the dynamics of the universe, depicts a curve in the phase space $(H,rho)$, where $H$ is the Hubble parameter and $rho$ being the energy density of the universe. As a consequence, a bouncing cosmology is obtained when this curve is closed and crosses the axis $H = 0$ at least twice, and whose simplest particular example is the ellipse depicting the well-known holonomy corrected Friedmann equation in Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC). Sometimes, a crucial point in such theories is the appearance of the Ostrogradski instability at the perturbative level, however, fortunately enough, in the present work as long as the linear level of perturbations is concerned, this instability does not appear but such instability may appear at the higher-order of perturbations.

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arXiv2018

Viable Inflationary Evolution from Loop Quantum Cosmology Scalar-Tensor Theory

In this work we construct a bottom-up reconstruction technique for Loop Quantum Cosmology scalar-tensor theories, from the observational indices. Particularly, the reconstruction technique is based on fixing the functional form of the scalar-to-tensor ratio as a function of the $e$-foldings number. The aim of the technique is to realize viable inflationary scenarios, and the only assumption that must hold true in order for the reconstruction technique to work is that the dynamical evolution of the scalar field obeys the slow-roll conditions. We shall use two functional forms for the scalar-to-tensor ratio, one of which corresponds to a popular inflationary class of models, the $α$-attractors. For the latter, we shall calculate the leading order behavior of the spectral index and we shall demonstrate that the resulting inflationary theory is viable and compatible with the latest Planck and BICEP2/Keck-Array data. In addition, we shall find the classical limit of the theory, and as we demonstrate, the Loop Quantum Cosmology corrected theory and the classical theory are identical at leading order in the perturbative expansion quantified by the parameter $ρ_c$, which is the critical density of the quantum theory. Finally, by using the formalism of slow-roll scalar-tensor Loop Quantum Cosmology, we shall investigate how several inflationary potentials can be realized by the quantum theory, and we shall calculate directly the slow-roll indices and the corresponding observational indices. In addition, the $f(R)$ gravity frame picture is presented.

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