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Mingzhe Li

Publications and source records attributed to Mingzhe Li.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Search for dark matter signals with Fermi-LAT observation of globular clusters NGC 6388 and M 15

The globular clusters are probably good targets for dark matter (DM) searches in $γ$-rays due to the possible adiabatic contraction of DM by baryons. In this work we analyse the three-year data collected by {\it Fermi} Large Area Telescope of globular clusters NGC 6388 and M 15 to search for possible DM signals. For NGC 6388 the detection of $γ$-ray emission was reported by {\it Fermi} collaboration, which is consistent with the emission of a population of millisecond pulsars. The spectral shape of NGC 6388 is also shown to be consistent with a DM contribution if assuming the annihilation final state is $b\bar{b}$. No significant $γ$-ray emission from M 15 is observed. We give the upper limits of DM contribution to $γ$-ray emission in both NGC 6388 and M 15, for annihilation final states $b\bar{b}$, $W^+W^-$, $μ^+μ^-$, $τ^+τ^-$ and monochromatic line. The constraints are stronger than that derived from observation of dwarf galaxies by {\it Fermi}.

astro-ph.HE↗

On dark energy models of single scalar field

In this paper we revisit the dynamical dark energy model building based on single scalar field involving higher derivative terms. By imposing a degenerate condition on the higher derivatives in curved spacetime, one can select the models which are free from the ghost mode and the equation of state is able to cross the cosmological constant boundary smoothly, dynamically violate the null energy condition. Generally the Lagrangian of this type of dark energy models depends on the second derivatives linearly. It behaves like an imperfect fluid, thus its cosmological perturbation theory needs to be generalized. We also study such a model with explicit form of degenerate Lagrangian and show that its equation of state may cross -1 without any instability.

hep-th↗

Bouncing Galileon Cosmologies

We present nonsingular, homogeneous and isotropic bouncing solutions of the conformal Galileon model. We show that such solutions necessarily begin with a radiation-dominated contracting phase. This is followed by a quintom scenario in which the background equation of state crosses the cosmological constant boundary allowing for a nonsingular bounce which in turn is followed by Galilean Genesis. We analyze the spectrum of cosmological perturbations in this background. Our results show that the fluctuations evolve smoothly and without any pathology, but the adiabatic modes form a blue tilted spectrum. In order to achieve a scale-invariant primordial power spectrum as required by current observations, we introduce a light scalar field coupling to the Galileon kinetically. We find two couplings which yield a scale-invariant spectrum, one of which requires a fine tuning of the initial conditions. This model also predicts a blue tilted spectrum of gravitational waves stemming from quantum vacuum fluctuations in the contracting phase.

hep-th↗

On Dark Energy Isocurvature Perturbation

Determining the equation of state of dark energy with astronomical observations is crucially important to understand the nature of dark energy. In performing a likelihood analysis of the data, especially of the cosmic microwave background and large scale structure data the dark energy perturbations have to be taken into account both for theoretical consistency and for numerical accuracy. Usually, one assumes in the global fitting analysis that the dark energy perturbations are adiabatic. In this paper, we study the dark energy isocurvature perturbation analytically and discuss its implications for the cosmic microwave background radiation and large scale structure. Furthermore, with the current astronomical observational data and by employing Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, we perform a global analysis of cosmological parameters assuming general initial conditions for the dark energy perturbations. The results show that the dark energy isocurvature perturbations are very weakly constrained and that purely adiabatic initial conditions are consistent with the data.

astro-ph.CO↗

Spacetime variation of $α$ and the CMB power spectra after the recombination

The possible variation of the fine structure constant may be due to the non-minimal coupling of the electromagnetic field to a light scalar field which can be the candidate of dark energy. Its dynamical nature renders the fine structure constant varies with time as well as space. In this paper we point out the spatial fluctuation of the fine structure will modify the power spectra of the temperature and the polarization of the cosmic microwave background. We show explicitly that the fluctuations of the coupled scalar field generate new temperature anisotropies at the linear order and induce a $B$ mode to the polarization at higher order in general.

astro-ph.CO↗

Dark Energy Perturbations Revisited

In this paper we study the evolution of cosmological perturbations in the presence of dynamical dark energy, and revisit the issue of dark energy perturbations. For a generally parameterized equation of state (EoS) such as w_D(z) = w_0+w_1\frac{z}{1+z}, (for a single fluid or a single scalar field ) the dark energy perturbation diverges when its EoS crosses the cosmological constant boundary w_D=-1. In this paper we present a method of treating the dark energy perturbations during the crossing of the $w_D=-1$ surface by imposing matching conditions which require the induced 3-metric on the hypersurface of w_D=-1 and its extrinsic curvature to be continuous. These matching conditions have been used widely in the literature to study perturbations in various models of early universe physics, such as Inflation, the Pre-Big-Bang and Ekpyrotic scenarios, and bouncing cosmologies. In all of these cases the EoS undergoes a sudden change. Through a detailed analysis of the matching conditions, we show that δ_D and θ_D are continuous on the matching hypersurface. This justifies the method used[1-4] in the numerical calculation and data fitting for the determination of cosmological parameters. We discuss the conditions under which our analysis is applicable.

astro-ph.CO↗

Testing the Lorentz and CPT Symmetry with CMB polarizations and a non-relativistic Maxwell Theory

We present a model for a system involving a photon gauge field and a scalar field at quantum criticality in the frame of a Lifthitz-type non-relativistic Maxwell theory. We will show this model gives rise to Lorentz and CPT violation which leads to a frequency-dependent rotation of polarization plane of radiations, and so leaves potential signals on the cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization anisotropies.

hep-ph↗

$CPT$ Violating Electrodynamics and Chern-Simons Modified Gravity

The electrodynamics with a Chern-Simons term $p_μA_ν\widetilde{F}^{μν}$ violates Lorentz and $CPT$ symmetries with a non-vanishing $p_μ$. For a fixed vector $p_μ$, in this paper we point out that the energy-momentum tensor of this theory coupled to the gravity minimally is symmetric but not divergence free, which consequently makes the gravitational field equation inconsistent. To preserve the consistency, we introduce a Chern-Simons term in the gravity sector with the coefficient determined by the Lorentz and $CPT$ violating term in the electromagnetic field. Further we study the phenomenologies of the model on the cosmic microwave background radiation and the relic gravitational waves.

hep-ph↗

Cosmological CPT violating effect on CMB polarization

A dark energy scalar (or a function of the Ricci scalar) coupled with the derivative to the matter fields will violate the $CPT$ symmetry during the expansion of the Universe. This type of cosmological $CPT$ violation helps to generate the baryon number asymmetry and gives rise to the rotation of the photon polarization which can be measured in the astrophysical and cosmological observations, especially the experiments of the cosmic microwave background radiation. In this paper, we derive the rotation angle in a fully general relativistic way and present the rotation formulas used for the cosmic microwave background data analysis. Our formulas include the corrections from the spatial fluctuations of the scalar field. We also estimate the magnitude of these corrections in a class of dynamical dark energy models for quintessential baryo/leptogenesis.

astro-ph↗

Cosmological CPT Violation, Baryon/Leptogenesis and CMB Polarization

In this paper we study the cosmological CPT-violation and its implications in baryo/leptogenesis and CMB polarization. We propose specifically a variant of the models of gravitational leptogenesis. By performing a global analysis with the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, we find the current CMB polarization observations from the three-year WMAP (WMAP3) and the 2003 flight of BOOMERANG (B03) data provide a weak evidence for our model. However to verify and especially exclude this type of mechanism for baryo/leptogenesis with cosmological CPT-violation, the future measurements on CMB polarization from PLANCK and CMBpol are necessary.

hep-ph↗

A String-Inspired Quintom Model Of Dark Energy

We propose in this paper a quintom model of dark energy with a single scalar field $ϕ$ given by the lagrangian ${\cal L}=-V(ϕ)\sqrt{1-α^\prime\nabla_μϕ\nabla^μϕ+β^\prime ϕ\Boxϕ}$. In the limit of $β^\prime\to$0 our model reduces to the effective low energy lagrangian of tachyon considered in the literature. We study the cosmological evolution of this model, and show explicitly the behaviors of the equation of state crossing the cosmological constant boundary.

hep-th↗

Bouncing Universe with Quintom Matter

The bouncing universe provides a possible solution to the Big Bang singularity problem. In this paper we study the bouncing solution in the universe dominated by the Quintom matter with an equation of state (EoS) crossing the cosmological constant boundary. We will show explicitly the analytical and numerical bouncing solutions in three types of models for the Quintom matter with an phenomenological EoS, the two scalar fields and a scalar field with a modified Born-Infeld action.

gr-qc↗

Searching for CPT Violation with Cosmic Microwave Background Data from WMAP and BOOMERANG

We search for signatures of Lorentz and $CPT$ violations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropies by using the WMAP and the 2003 flight of BOOMERANG (B03) data. We note that if the Lorentz and $CPT$ symmetries are broken by a Chern-Simons term in the effective lagrangian, which couples the dual electromagnetic field strength tensor to an external four-vector, the polarization vectors of propagating CMB photons will get rotated. Using the WMAP data alone, one could put an interesting constraint on the size of such a term. Combined with the B03 data, we found that a nonzero rotation angle of the photons is mildly favored: $Δα= -6.0^{+4.0}_{-4.0}$ $^{+3.9}_{-3.7}$ deg (1, 2 $σ$).

astro-ph↗

Oscillating Quintom and the Recurrent Universe

Current observations seem to mildly favor an evolving dark energy with the equation of state getting across -1. This form of dark energy, dubbed Quintom, is studied phenomenologically in this paper with an oscillating equation of state. We find oscillating Quintom can unify the early inflation and current acceleration of the universe, leading to oscillations of the Hubble constant and a recurring universe. Our oscillating Quintom would not lead to a big crunch nor big rip. The scale factor keeps increasing from one period to another and leads naturally to a highly flat universe. The universe in this model recurs itself and we are only staying among one of the epochs, in which sense the coincidence problem is reconciled.

astro-ph↗

Perturbations of the Quintom Models of Dark Energy and the Effects on Observations

We study in this paper the perturbations of the quintom dark energy model and the effects of quintom perturbations on the current observations. Quintom describes a scenario of dark energy where the equation of state gets across the cosmological constant boundary $w = -1$ during evolution. We present a new method to show that the conventional dark energy models based on single k-essence field and perfect fluid cannot act as quintom due to the singularities and classical instabilities of perturbations around $w = -1$. One needs to add extra degrees of freedom for successful quintom model buildings. There are no singularities or classical instabilities in perturbations of realistic quintom models and they are potentially distinguishable from the cosmological constant. Basing on the realistic quintom models in this paper we provide one way to include the perturbations for dark energy models with parametrized equation of state across -1. Compare with those assuming no dark energy perturbations, we find that the parameter space which allows the equation of state to get across -1 will be enlarged in general when including the perturbations.

astro-ph↗

A Single Scalar Field Model of Dark Energy with Equation of State Crossing -1

In this paper we study the possibility of building models of dark energy with equation of state across -1 and propose explicitly a model with a single scalar field which gives rise to an equation of state larger than -1 in the past and less than -1 at the present time, consistent with the current observations.

hep-ph↗

Gravitational Leptogenesis and Its Signatures in CMB

We study the phenomenologies in astrophysics and particularly in CMB associated with the gravitational leptogenesis. Our results show that future CMB polarization experiments, such as PLANCK and CMBpol will make a possible test on this class of model for leptogenesis.

hep-ph↗

Natural Inflation, Planck Scale Physics and Oscillating Primordial Spectrum

In the ``natural inflation'' model, the inflaton potential is periodic. We show that Planck scale physics may induce corrections to the inflaton potential, which is also periodic with a greater frequency. Such high frequency corrections produce oscillating features in the primordial fluctuation power spectrum, which are not entirely excluded by the current observations and may be detectable in high precision data of cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy and large scale structure (LSS) observations.

astro-ph↗