arXiv subjects

Massimo Giovannini

Publications and source records attributed to Massimo Giovannini.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Faraday rotation, stochastic magnetic fields and CMB maps

The high- and low-frequency descriptions of the pre-decoupling plasma are deduced from the Vlasov-Landau treatment generalized to curved space-times and in the presence of the relativistic fluctuations of the geometry. It is demonstrated that the interplay between one-fluid and two-fluid treatments is mandatory for a complete and reliable calculation of the polarization observables. The Einstein-Boltzmann hierarchy is generalized to handle the dispersive propagation of the electromagnetic disturbances in the pre-decoupling plasma. Given the improved physical and numerical framework, the polarization observables are computed within the magnetized $Λ$CDM paradigm (m$Λ$CDM). In particular, the Faraday-induced B-mode is consistently estimated by taking into account the effects of the magnetic fields on the initial conditions of the Boltzmann hierarchy, on the dynamical equations and on the dispersion relations. The complete calculations of the angular power spectra constitutes the first step for the derivation of magnetized maps of the CMB temperature and polarization which are here obtained for the first time and within the minimal m$Λ$CDM model. The obtained results set the ground for direct experimental scrutiny of large-scale magnetism via the low and high frequency instruments of the Planck explorer satellite.

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arXiv2008

CMB polarization induced by stochastic magnetic fields

The complete calculation of the CMB polarization observables (i.e. E- and B-modes) is reported within the conventional $Λ$CDM paradigm supplemented by a stochastic magnetic field. Intriguing perspectives for present and forthcoming CMB polarization experiments are outlined.

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arXiv2008

Generalized CMB initial conditions with pre-equality magnetic fields

The most general initial conditions of CMB anisotropies, compatible with the presence of pre-equality magnetic fields, are derived. When the plasma is composed by photons, baryons, electrons, CDM particles and neutrinos, the initial data of the truncated Einstein-Boltzmann hierarchy contemplate one magnetized adiabatic mode and four (magnetized) non-adiabatic modes. After obtaining the analytical form of the various solutions, the Einstein-Boltzmann hierarchy is numerically integrated for the corresponding sets of initial data. The TT, TE and EE angular power spectra are illustrated and discussed for the magnetized generalization of the CDM-radiation mode, of the baryon-radiation mode and of the non-adiabatic mode of the neutrino sector. Mixtures of initial conditions are examined by requiring that the magnetized adiabatic mode dominates over the remaining non-adiabatic contributions. In the latter case, possible degeneracies between complementary sets of initial data might be avoided through the combined analysis of the TT, TE and EE angular power spectra at high multipoles (i.e. $\ell >1000$).

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arXiv2007

Magnetized CMB observables: a dedicated numerical approach

Large-scale magnetic fields affect the scalar modes of the geometry whose ultimate effect is to determine the anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB in what follows). For the first time, a consistent numerical approach to the magnetized CMB anisotropies is pursued with the aim of assessing the angular power spectra of temperature and polarization when the scalar modes of the geometry and a stochastic background of inhomogeneous magnetic fields are simultaneously present in the plasma. The effects related to the magnetized nature of the plasma are taken into account both at the level of the dynamical equations and at the level of the initial conditions of the Einstein-Boltzmann hierarchy. The temperature and polarization observables are exploited to infer the peculiar signatures of a pre-equality magnetic field. Using the extrapolated best fit to the three year WMAP data the increase and distortions of the first seven peaks in the TT autocorrelations are monitored for different values of the regularized magnetic field intensity and for the physical range of spectral indices. Similar analyses are also conducted for the first few anticorrelation (and corrrelation) peaks of the TE power spectra. Possible interesting degeneracies and stimulating perspectives are pointed out and explored.

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arXiv2007

A magnetized completion of the $Λ$CDM paradigm

The standard $Λ$CDM paradigm is complemented with a magnetized contribution whose effects on the anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) are assessed by means of a dedicated numerical approach. The accuracy on the temperature and polarization correlations stems from the inclusion of the large-scale magnetic fields both at the level of the initial conditions and at the level of the Einstein-Boltzmann hierarchy which is consistently embedded in a generalized magnetohydrodynamical framework. Examples of the calculations of the temperature and polarization angular power spectra are illustrated and discussed. The reported results and the described numerical tools set the ground for a consistent inclusion of a magnetized contribution in current strategies of cosmological parameter estimation.

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arXiv2007

Magnetogenesis, spectator fields and CMB signatures

A viable class of magnetogenesis models can be constructed by coupling the kinetic term of the hypercharge to a spectator field whose dynamics does not affect the inflationary evolution. The magnetic power spectrum is explicitly related to the power spectrum of (adiabatic) curvature inhomogeneities when the quasi-de Sitter stage of expansion is driven by a single scalar degree of freedom. Depending upon the value of the slow-roll parameters, the amplitude of smoothed magnetic fields over a (comoving) Mpc scale can be as large as 0.01--0.1 nG at the epoch of the gravitational collapse of the protogalaxy. The contributions of the magnetic fields to the Sachs-Wolfe plateau and to the temperature autocorrelations in the Doppler region compare favourably with the constraints imposed by galactic magnetogenesis. Stimulating lessons are drawn on the interplay between magnetogenesis models and their possible CMB signatures.

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arXiv2007

Time-dependent gravitating solitons in five dimensional warped space-times

Time-dependent soliton solutions are explicitly derived in a five-dimensional theory endowed with one (warped) extra-dimension. Some of the obtained geometries, everywhere well defined and technically regular, smoothly interpolate between two five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space-times for fixed value of the conformal time coordinate. Time dependent solutions containing both topological and non-topological sectors are also obtained. Supplementary degrees of freedom can be also included and, in this case, the resulting multi-soliton solutions may describe time-dependent kink-antikink systems.

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arXiv2007

Large-scale magnetic fields, curvature fluctuations and the thermal history of the Universe

It is shown that gravitating magnetic fields affect the evolution of curvature perturbations in a way that is reminiscent of a pristine non-adiabatic pressure fluctuation. The gauge-invariant evolution of curvature perturbations is used to constrain the magnetic power spectrum. Depending on the essential features of the thermodynamic history of the Universe, the explicit derivation of the bound is modified. The theoretical uncertainty in the constraints on the magnetic energy spectrum is assessed by comparing the results obtained in the case of the conventional thermal history with the estimates stemming from less conventional (but phenomenologically allowed) post-inflationary evolutions.

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arXiv2007

Semi-analytical approach to magnetized temperature autocorrelations

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature autocorrelations, induced by a magnetized adiabatic mode of curvature inhomogeneities, are computed with semi-analytical methods. As suggested by the latest CMB data, a nearly scale-invariant spectrum for the adiabatic mode is consistently assumed. In this situation, the effects of a fully inhomogeneous magnetic field are scrutinized and constrained with particular attention to harmonics which are relevant for the region of Doppler oscillations. Depending on the parameters of the stochastic magnetic field a hump may replace the second peak of the angular power spectrum. Detectable effects on the Doppler region are then expected only if the magnetic power spectra have quasi-flat slopes and typical amplitude (smoothed over a comoving scale of Mpc size and redshifted to the epoch of gravitational collapse of the protogalaxy) exceeding 0.1 nG. If the magnetic energy spectra are bluer (i.e. steeper in frequency) the allowed value of the smoothed amplitude becomes, comparatively, larger (in the range of 20 nG). The implications of this investigation for the origin of large-scale magnetic fields in the Universe are discussed. Connections with forthcoming experimental observations of CMB temperature fluctuations are also suggested and partially explored.

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arXiv2007

Why CMB physics?

The aim of these lectures is to introduce some basic problems arising in gravitation and modern cosmology. All along the discussion the guiding theme is provided by the phenomenological and theoretical properties of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). These lectures have been prepared for a regular Phd course of the University of Milan-Bicocca.

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arXiv2007

Testing PVLAS axions with resonant photon splitting

The photon splitting gamma -> gamma gamma in a time-independent and inhomogeneous magnetized background is considered when neutral and ultralight spin-0 particles are coupled to two-photons. Depending on the inhomogeneity scale of the external field, resonant photon splitting can occur. If an optical laser crosses a magnetic field of few Tesla with typical inhomogeneity scale of the order of the meter, a potentially observable rate of photon splittings is expected for the PVLAS range of couplings and masses.

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arXiv2006

Magnetic fields, strings and cosmology

The main motivations and challenges related with the physics of large-scale magnetic fields are briefly analyzed. The interplay between large-scale magnetic fields and scalar CMB anisotropies is addressed with specific attention on recent progresses.

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arXiv2006

Gravitating multidefects from higher dimensions

Warped configurations admitting pairs of gravitating defects are analyzed. After devising a general method for the construction of multidefects, specific examples are presented in the case of higher-dimensional Einstein-Hilbert gravity. The obtained profiles describe diverse physical situations such as (topological) kink-antikink systems, pairs of non-topological solitons and bound configurations of a kink and of a non-topological soliton. In all the mentioned cases the geometry is always well behaved (all relevant curvature invariants are regular) and tends to five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space-time for large asymptotic values of the bulk coordinate. Particular classes of solutions can be generalized to the framework where the gravity part of the action includes, as a correction, the Euler-Gauss-Bonnet combination. After scrutinizing the structure of the zero modes, the obtained results are compared with conventional gravitating configurations containing a single topological defect.

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arXiv2006

Kink-antikink, trapping bags and five-dimensional Gauss-Bonnet gravity

Five-dimensional Gauss-Bonnet gravity, with one warped extra-dimension, allows classes of solutions where two scalar fields combine either in a kink-antikink system or in a trapping bag configuration. While the kink-antikink system can be interpreted as a pair of gravitating domain walls with opposite topological charges, the trapping bag solution consists of a domain wall supplemented by a non-topological defect. In both classes of solutions, for large absolute values of the bulk coordinate (i.e. far from the core of the defects), the geometry is given by five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space.

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arXiv2006

Non-topological gravitating defects in five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space

A class of five-dimensional warped solutions is presented. The geometry is everywhere regular and tends to five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space for large absolute values of the bulk coordinate. The physical features of the solutions change depending on the value of an integer parameter. In particular, a set of solutions describes generalized gravitating kinks where the scalar field interpolates between two different minima of the potential. The other category of solutions describes instead gravitating defects where the scalar profile is always finite and reaches the same constant asymptote both for positive and negative values of the bulk coordinate. In this sense the profiles are non-topological. The physical features of the zero modes are discussed.

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arXiv2006

Tight coupling expansion and fully inhomogeneous magnetic fields

The tight coupling expansion, appropriately generalized to include large-scale magnetic fields, allows the estimate of the brightness perturbations of CMB anisotropies for typical wavelengths that are larger than the Hubble radius after matter-radiation equality. After discussing the basic features of the the pre-decoupling initial conditions in the presence of fully inhomogeneous magnetic fields, the tight coupling expansion is studied both analytically and numerically. From the requirement that the amplitudes and phases of Sakharov oscillations are (predominantly) adiabatic and from the inferred value of the plateau in the temperature autocorrelation, the effects of the magnetized contribution can be systematically investigated and constrained.

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arXiv2006

Entropy perturbations and large-scale magnetic fields

An appropriate gauge-invariant framework for the treatment of magnetized curvature and entropy modes is developed. It is shown that large-scale magnetic fields, present after neutrino decoupling, affect curvature and entropy perturbations. The evolution of different magnetized modes is then studied across the matter-radiation transition both analytically and numerically. From the observation that, after equality (but before decoupling) the (scalar) Sachs-Wolfe contribution must be (predominantly) adiabatic, constraints on the magnetic power spectra are deduced. The present results motivate the experimental analysis of more general initial conditions of CMB anisotropies (i.e. mixtures of magnetized adiabatic and isocurvature modes during the pre-decoupling phase). The role of the possible correlations between the different components of the fluctuations is partially discussed.

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arXiv2006

Transfer matrices for magnetized CMB anisotropies

Large-scale magnetic fields can affect scalar cosmological perturbations whose evolution is described in the conformally Newtonian gauge and within the tight coupling approximation. The magnetized curvature perturbations present after matter radiation equality (and prior to decoupling) are computed in terms of an appropriate transfer matrix allowing a general estimate of the Sachs-Wolfe plateau. From the observation that CMB initial conditions should be (predominantly) adiabatic, the contribution of the magnetic field intensity can be constrained.

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