arXiv subjects

Karim A. Malik

Publications and source records attributed to Karim A. Malik.

71 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

A general proof of the conservation of the curvature perturbation

Without invoking a perturbative expansion, we define the cosmological curvature perturbation, and consider its behaviour assuming that the universe is smooth over a sufficiently large comoving scale. The equations are simple, resembling closely the first-order equations, and they lead to results which generalise those already proven in linear perturbation theory and (in part) in second-order perturbation theory. In particular, the curvature perturbation is conserved provided that the pressure is a unique function of the energy density.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Adiabatic and entropy perturbations with interacting fluids and fields

We develop a gauge-invariant formalism for the study of density perturbations in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe with multiple interacting fluids and/or scalar fields. We show how N scalar fields may be described by N kinetic fluids (with maximally stiff equation of state) interacting with a non-dynamical potential (with vacuum equation of state). We split generic perturbations into adiabatic and entropic parts, and give the coupled first-order evolution equations on all scales, including energy and momentum exchange. We identify the non-adiabatic effects on large scales, and define adiabatic initial conditions in the presence of multiple fluids and fields.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

A new calculation of the mass fraction of primordial black holes

We revisit the calculation of the abundance of primordial black holes (PBHs) formed from primordial density perturbations, using a formation criterion derived by Shibata and Sasaki which refers to a metric perturbation variable rather than the usual density contrast. We implement a derivation of the PBH abundance which uses peaks theory, and compare it to the standard calculation based on a Press--Schechter-like approach. We find that the two are in reasonable agreement if the Press--Schechter threshold is in the range $Δ_{\rm th} \simeq 0.3$ to 0.5, but advocate use of the peaks theory expression which is based on a sounder theoretical footing.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

WMAP, neutrino degeneracy and non-Gaussianity constraints on isocurvature perturbations in the curvaton model of inflation

In the curvaton model of inflation, where a second scalar field, the "curvaton", is responsible for the observed inhomogeneity, a non-zero neutrino degeneracy may lead to a characteristic pattern of isocurvature perturbations in the neutrino, cold dark matter and baryon components. We find the current data can only place upper limits on the level of isocurvature perturbations. These can be translated into upper limits on the neutrino degeneracy parameter. In the case that lepton number is created before curvaton decay, we find that the limit on the neutrino degeneracy parameter is comparable with that obtained from Big-bang nucleosynthesis. For the case that lepton number is created by curvaton decay we find that the absolute value of the non-Gaussianity parameter, |f_nl|, must be less than 10 (95% confidence interval).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Curvature and isocurvature perturbations in a three-fluid model of curvaton decay

We study the evolution of the cosmological perturbations after inflation in curvaton models where the non-relativistic curvaton decays into both radiation and a cold dark matter component. We calculate the primordial curvature and correlated isocurvature perturbations inherited by the radiation and cold dark matter after the curvaton has decayed. We give the transfer coefficient in terms of the initial curvaton density relative to the curvaton decay rate.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

The Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in an Expanding Universe and its Effect on Dark Matter

We extend the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability to an expanding background. We study the evolution of a non-viscous irrotational fluid and find that for wavelengths much smaller than the Hubble scale small perturbations of the fluid are unstable for wavenumbers larger than a critical value. We then apply this result in the early universe, treating cold dark matter as a classical fluid with vanishing background pressure.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Defining perturbations on submanifolds

We study the definition of perturbations in the presence of a submanifold, like e.g. a brane. In the standard theory of cosmological perturbations, one compares quantities at the same coordinate points in the non-perturbed and the perturbed manifolds, identified via a (non-unique) mapping between the two manifolds. In the presence of a physical submanifold one needs to modify this definition in order to evaluate perturbations of quantities at the submanifold location. As an application, we compute the perturbed metric and the extrinsic curvature tensors at the brane position in a general gauge.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2003

Large-scale curvature and entropy perturbations for multiple interacting fluids

We present a gauge-invariant formalism to study the evolution of curvature perturbations in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe filled by multiple interacting fluids. We resolve arbitrary perturbations into adiabatic and entropy components and derive their coupled evolution equations. We demonstrate that perturbations obeying a generalised adiabatic condition remain adiabatic in the large-scale limit, even when one includes energy transfer between fluids. As a specific application we study the recently proposed curvaton model, in which the curvaton decays into radiation. We use the coupled evolution equations to show how an initial isocurvature perturbation in the curvaton gives rise to an adiabatic curvature perturbation after the curvaton decays.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Cosmological Brane Perturbations

Two approaches to the study of cosmological perturbations in the brane-world scenario are compared: the first uses the 5D equations directly whereas the second approach projects them onto the 4D brane and then uses the effective 4D equations.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Cosmological perturbations in the bulk and on the brane

We study cosmological perturbations in a brane-world scenario where the matter fields live on a four-dimensional brane and gravity propagates in the five-dimensional bulk. We present the equations of motion in an arbitrary gauge for metric perturbations in the bulk and matter perturbations on the brane. Gauge-invariant perturbations are then constructed corresponding to perturbations in longitudinal and Gaussian normal gauges. Longitudinal gauge metric perturbations may be directly derived from three master variables (separately describing scalar, vector and tensor metric perturbations) which obey five-dimensional wave-equations. Gaussian normal gauge perturbations are directly related to the induced metric perturbations on the brane with the additional bulk degrees of freedom interpreted as an effective Weyl energy-momentum tensor on the brane. We construct gauge-invariant perturbations describing the effective density, momentum and pressures of this Weyl fluid at the brane and throughout the bulk. We show that there exist gauge-invariant curvature perturbations on the brane and in the bulk that are conserved on large-scales when three-dimensional spatial gradients are negligible.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Cosmological Perturbations in an Inflationary Universe

After introducing gauge-invariant cosmological perturbation theory we give an improved set of governing equations for multiple fluids including energy transfer. Having defined adiabatic and entropic perturbations we derive the ``conservation law'' for the curvature perturbation on large scales using only the energy conservation equation. We then investigate the dynamics of assisted inflation. By choosing an appropriate rotation in field space we can write down explicitly the potential for the weighted mean field along the scaling solution and for fields orthogonal to it. This allows us to present analytic solutions describing homogeneous and inhomogeneous perturbations about the attractor solution without resorting to slow-roll approximations. Finally we analyze the simplest model of preheating analytically, and show that in linear perturbation theory the effect of preheating on the amplitude of the curvature perturbation on large scales is negligible. We end with some concluding remarks, possible extensions and an outlook to future work.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Cosmic vorticity on the brane

We study vector perturbations about four-dimensional brane-world cosmologies embedded in a five-dimensional vacuum bulk. Even in the absence of matter perturbations, vector perturbations in the bulk metric can support vector metric perturbations on the brane. We show that during de Sitter inflation on the brane vector perturbations in the bulk obey the same wave equation for a massless five-dimensional field as found for tensor perturbations. However, we present the second-order effective action for vector perturbations and find no normalisable zero-mode in the absence of matter sources. The spectrum of normalisable states is a continuum of massive modes that remain in the vacuum state during inflation.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Super-horizon perturbations and preheating

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

A new approach to the evolution of cosmological perturbations on large scales

We discuss the evolution of linear perturbations about a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background metric, using only the local conservation of energy-momentum. We show that on sufficiently large scales the curvature perturbation on spatial hypersurfaces of uniform-density is conserved when the non-adiabatic pressure perturbation is negligible. This is the first time that this result has been demonstrated independently of the gravitational field equations. A physical picture of long-wavelength perturbations as being composed of separate Robertson-Walker universes gives a simple understanding of the possible evolution of the curvature perturbation, in particular clarifying the conditions under which super-horizon curvature perturbations may vary.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Super-horizon perturbations and preheating

It has recently been claimed by Bassett et al that preheating after inflation may affect the amplitude of curvature perturbations on large scales, undermining the usual inflationary prediction. We analyze the simplest model, and confirm the results of Jedamzik and Sigl and of Ivanov that in linear perturbation theory the effect is negligible. However the dominant effect is second-order in the field perturbation and we show that this too is negligible, and hence conclude that preheating has no significant influence on large-scale perturbations in this model. We briefly discuss the likelihood of an effect in other models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Dynamics of Assisted Inflation

We investigate the dynamics of the recently proposed model of assisted inflation. In this model an arbitrary number of scalar fields with exponential potentials evolve towards an inflationary scaling solution, even if each of the individual potentials is too steep to support inflation on its own. By choosing an appropriate rotation in field space we can write down explicitly the potential for the weighted mean field along the scaling solution and for fields orthogonal to it. This demonstrates that the potential has a global minimum along the scaling solution. We show that the potential close to this attractor in the rotated field space is analogous to a hybrid inflation model, but with the vacuum energy having an exponential dependence upon a dilaton field. We present analytic solutions describing homogeneous and inhomogeneous perturbations about the attractor solution without resorting to slow-roll approximations. We discuss the curvature and isocurvature perturbation spectra produced from vacuum fluctuations during assisted inflation.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Gauge-Invariant Variables on Cosmological Hypersurfaces

We show how gauge-invariant cosmological perturbations may be constructed by an unambiguous choice of hypersurface-orthogonal time-like vector field (i.e., time-slicing). This may be defined either in terms of the metric quantities such as curvature or shear, or using some matter field. As an example, we show how linear perturbations in the covariant fluid-flow approach can then be presented in an explicitly gauge-invariant form in the coordinate based formalism.

gr-qc↗