arXiv subjects

Mohammad Malekjani

Publications and source records attributed to Mohammad Malekjani.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Does Early Dark Energy Absorb the DESI Late-Time Dynamics Signal? A Combined Analysis

While the recent Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) measurements from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration are largely consistent with a flat $Λ$CDM cosmology, the preferred parameters are in mild tension with those determined from the cosmic microwave background (CMB). A late-time dynamical dark energy (DDE) solution has been proposed by the DESI collaboration to address this tension. In this work, we investigate whether the statistical preference for DDE is a genuine late-time phenomenon or an artifact of unresolved early-universe physics. To do so, we simultaneously allow for both early- and late-time modifications to the expansion history by combining the Early Dark Energy (EDE) framework with the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) parametrization. Excluding the DESI BAO measurements, our joint analysis of the CMB+Pantheon+ datasets demonstrates that within an EDE-extended framework, the CPL parameters remain statistically consistent with the standard $Λ$CDM model. This supports the hypothesis that a DDE signal at low redshifts can be effectively accounted for by an EDE component within the $Λ$CDM background. However, upon the inclusion of the DESI BAO measurements in the joint analysis, a statistically significant deviation from a cosmological constant emerges. Within this combined framework, the best-fit CPL parameters robustly indicate a departure from the standard $Λ$CDM model, favoring a phantom-to-quintessence transition in the DE equation of state. This demonstrates that the DESI preference for the late-time DDE is a robust signature that cannot be absorbed by modifying the physics of the early Universe.

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arXiv2025

How Complex is Dark Energy? A Bayesian Analysis of CPL Extensions with Recent DESI BAO Measurements

The nature of dark energy is one of the big puzzling issues in cosmology. While $Λ$CDM provides a good fit to the observational data, evolving dark energy scenarios, such as the CPL parametrization, offer a compelling alternative. In this paper, we present a Bayesian model comparison of various dark energy parametrizations using a joint analysis of Cosmic Microwave Background data, DESI Baryon Acoustic Oscillation measurements, and the PantheonPlus (or Union3) Supernovae type Ia sample. We find that while the $Λ$CDM model is initially favored over a constant $w$CDM model, the CPL parametrization is significantly preferred over $w$CDM, reinforcing recent evidence for an evolving dark energy component, consistent with DESI collaboration findings. Crucially, when testing higher-order CPL extensions, the so-called CPL$^+$ and CPL$^{++}$, our Bayesian analysis shows that the observational data do not favor these more complex scenarios compared to the standard CPL. This result indicates that adding excessive complexity to the CPL form is unwarranted by current observations. Interestingly, similar to the CPL parametrization, alternative two-parameter forms, specifically $w_{de}(a) = w_0 + w_b(1-a)^2$ and $w_{de}(a) = w_0 + w_c(1-a)^3$, yield a better fit to observational data than the standard $Λ$CDM cosmology. Our results challenge the necessity for overly complex CPL extensions and confirm that well-chosen two-parameter $w_0w_a$ parametrizations effectively capture DE evolution with current cosmological data, supporting the recent signals for dynamical dark energy by DESI collaboration.

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arXiv2025

$Λ$CDM model against redshift-binned data: A mock analysis based on SNIa and Cosmic Chronometers

Despite the broad successes of the flat $Λ$CDM model and its fitness to the various cosmological observations, it confronts challenges stemming from anomalies in the measurements of the Hubble constant ($H_0$) and the amplitude of matter fluctuations ($σ_8$). These inconsistencies have necessitated a reassessment of the model parameters, with a particular focus on their potential dependence on redshift. This study pioneers a new investigation to probe this redshift dependency by generating mock data simulated from observational data of Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) and cosmic chronometers (CC), thereby increasing the data density in this field. By sorting the data into high-redshift and low-redshift bins, we aim to refine the cosmological constraints on the parameters of the $Λ$CDM model and determine whether the noted dependence on redshift is due to a lack of high-redshift observational data or if they signify intrinsic issues within the model itself. Our approach employs the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm to minimize the $χ^2$ function, thus tightening the cosmological constraints. Our findings within the mock analysis reveal discrepancies between the values of $Ω_{m0}$ and $H_0$ derived from the mock data bins with high redshift and low redshift, indicating the potential deviation of the standard $Λ$ CDM cosmology from the high-redshift SNIa and CC data. If this deviation proposes a new physics beyond the standard model, then with better quality future data tracking the new physics, these discrepancies will be statistically significant.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

$Λ$CDM model against cosmography: A possible deviation after DESI 2024

In this study, we present an analysis of the standard flat-$Λ$CDM model using a cosmographic approach, incorporating recent DESI BAO observations and Supernovae Type Ia catalogues (SNIa), including the DES-SN5YR and Pantheon+ compilations. We find full consistency between the standard model and the cosmographic approach when considering DESI BAO and SNIa catalogues independently. When combining DESI BAO with SNIa data, we examine the impact of the Planck prior on the sound horizon at the drag epoch, $r_d$, and the Cepheid prior on the absolute magnitude, $M$. Applying the Planck prior on $r_d$ alone yields an $H_0$ value consistent with the Planck measurement, while applying the Cepheid prior on $M$ alone results in an $H_0$ value consistent with the SH0ES measurement. Without any priors, the $H_0$ value obtained has a large error margin, reconciling the Planck and SH0ES measurements. In all cases where individual priors are applied, we observe no significant tension between the flat-$Λ$CDM model and the cosmographic approach. However, when both Planck and Cepheid priors are applied simultaneously, significant tensions arise between the model and cosmography. This tension is even more pronounced when excluding LRG1 and LRG2 from the DESI measurements. These results indicate that the standard model cannot simultaneously reconcile high-redshift Planck CMB observations and local Cepheid measurements. This discrepancy supports the possibility of new physics beyond the standard model or, alternatively, the presence of unrecognized systematic errors in the observational data.

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arXiv2024

On Redshift Evolution & Negative Dark Energy Density in Pantheon+ Supernovae

Within the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) framework, the Hubble constant $H_0$ is an integration constant. Thus, consistency of the model demands observational constancy of $H_0$. We demonstrate redshift evolution of best fit $Λ$CDM parameters $(H_0, Ω_{m})$ in Pantheon+ supernove (SNe). Redshift evolution of best fit cosmological parameters is a prerequisite to finding a statistically significant evolution as well as identifying alternative models that are competitive with $Λ$CDM in a Bayesian model comparison. To assess statistical significance, we employ three different methods: i) Bayesian model comparison, ii) mock simulations and iii) profile distributions. The first shows a marginal preference for the vanilla $Λ$CDM model over an ad hoc model with 3 additional parameters and an unphysical jump in cosmological parameters at $z=1$. From mock simulations, we estimate the statistical significance of redshift evolution of best fit parameters and negative dark energy density ($Ω_m > 1$) to be in the $1-2 σ$ range, depending on the criteria employed. Importantly, in direct comparison to the same analysis with the earlier Pantheon sample we find that statistical significance of redshift evolution of best fit parameters has increased, as expected for a physical effect. Our profile distribution analysis demonstrates a shift in $(H_0, Ω_m)$ in excess of $95\%$ confidence level for SNe with redshifts $z > 1$ and also shows that a degeneracy in MCMC posteriors is not equivalent to a curve of constant $χ^2$. Our findings can be interpreted as a statistical fluctuation or unexplored systematics in Pantheon+ or $Λ$CDM model breakdown. The first two possibilities are disfavoured by similar trends in independent probes.

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arXiv2023

$S_8$ increases with effective redshift in $Λ$CDM cosmology

Hubble constant $H_0$ and weighted amplitude of matter fluctuations $S_8$ determinations are biased to higher and lower values, respectively, in the late Universe with respect to early Universe values inferred by the Planck collaboration within flat $Λ$CDM cosmology. If these anomalies are physical, i.e. not due to systematics, they naively suggest that $H_0$ decreases and $S_8$ increases with effective redshift. Here, subjecting matter density today $Ω_{m}$ to a prior, corresponding to a combination of Planck CMB and BAO data, we perform a consistency test of the Planck-$Λ$CDM cosmology and show that $S_8$ determinations from $f σ_8(z)$ constraints increase with effective redshift. Due to the redshift evolution, a $\sim 3 σ$ tension in the $S_8$ parameter with Planck at lower redshifts remarkably becomes consistent with Planck within $1 σ$ at high redshifts. This provides corroborating support for an $S_8$ discrepancy that is physical in origin. We further confirm that the flat $Λ$CDM model is preferred over a theoretically ad hoc model with a jump in $S_8$ at a given redshift. In the absence of the CMB+BAO $Ω_m$ prior, we find that $> 3 σ$ tensions with Planck in low redshift data are ameliorated by shifts in the parameters in high redshift data. Results here and elsewhere suggest that the $Λ$CDM cosmological parameters are redshift dependent. Fitting parameters that evolve with redshift is a recognisable hallmark of model breakdown.

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arXiv2022

Cosmological constrains on new generalized Chaplygin gas model

We use different combinations of data samples to investigate the new generalized Chaplygin gas (NGCG) model in the context of dark energy (DE) cosmology. Using the available cosmological data, we put constraints on the the free parameters of NGCG model based on the statistical Markov chain Monte Carlo method. We then find the best fit values of cosmological parameters and those confidence regions in NGCG cosmology. Our result for the matter density parameter calculated in NGCG model is in excellent agreement with that of the standard CDM cosmology. We also find that the equation of state of DE of the model slightly favors the phantom regime. We show that the big tension between the low- and high-redshift observations appearing in CDM universe to predict the Hubble constant H 0 can be alleviated in NGCG model. However, from the statistical point of view, our results show that the standard CDM model fits the observations better than the NGCG cosmology.

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arXiv2021

Cosmographic approach to Running Vacuum dark energy models: new constraints using BAOs and Hubble diagrams at higher redshifts

In this work we study different types of dark energy (DE) models in the framework of the cosmographic approach, with emphasis on the Running Vacuum models (RVMs). We assess their viability using different information criteria and compare them with the so-called Ghost DE models (GDEs) as well as with the concordance $Λ$CDM model. We use the Hubble diagrams for Pantheon SnIa, quasars (QSOs), gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as well as the data on baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAOs) in four different combinations. Upon minimizing the $χ^2$ function of the distance modulus in the context of the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method (MCMC), we put constraints on the current values of the standard cosmographic parameters in a model-independent way. It turns out that, in the absence of BAOs data, the various DE models generally exhibit cosmographic tensions with the observations at the highest redshifts (namely with the QSOs and GRBs data). However, if we include the robust observations from BAOs to our cosmographic sample, the $Λ$CDM and RVMs are clearly favored against the GDEs. Finally, judging from the perspective of the deviance information criterion (DIC), which enables us to compare models making use of the Markov chains of the MCMC method, we conclude that the RVMs are the preferred kind of DE models. We find it remarkable that these models, which had been previously shown to be capable of alleviating the $σ_8$ and $H_0$ tensions, appear now also as the most successful ones at the level of the cosmographic analysis.

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arXiv2021

Comparison between different methods of model selection in cosmology

There are several methods for model selection in cosmology which have at least two major goals, that of finding the correct model or predicting well. In this work we discuss through a study of well-known model selection methods like Akaike information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), deviance information criterion (DIC) and Bayesian evidence, how these different goals are pursued in each paradigm. We also apply another method for model selection which less seen in cosmological literature, the Cross-validation method. Using these methods we will compare two different scenarios in cosmology, $Λ$CDM model and dynamical dark energy. We show that each of the methods tends to different results in model selection. While BIC and Bayesian evidence overrule the dynamical dark energy scenarios with 2 or 3 extra degree of freedom, the DIC and cross-validation method prefer these dynamical models to $Λ$CDM model. Assuming the numerical results of different analysis and combining cosmological and statistical aspects of the subject, we propose cross-validation as an interesting method for model selection in cosmology that can lead to different results in comparison with usual methods of model selection.

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arXiv2020

Cosmography approach to dark energy cosmologies: new constrains using the Hubble diagrams of supernovae, quasars and gamma-ray bursts

In the context of cosmography approach and using the data of Hubble diagram for supernovae, quasars and gamma-ray bursts, we study some DE parametrizations and also the concordance $Λ$CDM universe. Using the different combinations of data sample including ({\it i}) supernovae (Pantheon), ({\it ii}) Pantheon + quasars and ({\it iii}) Pantheon + quasars + gamma-ray bursts and applying the minimization of $χ^2$ function of distance modulus of data samples in the context of Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, we first obtain the constrained values of the cosmographic parameters in model independent cosmography scenario. We then investigate our analysis, for different concordance $Λ$CDM cosmology, $w$CDM, CPL and Pade parametrizations. Comparing the numerical values of the cosmographic parameters obtained for DE scenarios with those of the model independent method, we show that the concordance $Λ$CDM model has a serious tension when we involve the quasars and gamma-ray bursts data in our analysis. While the high redshift quasars and gamma-ray bursts can falsify the concordance model, our results of cosmography approach indicate that the other DE parametrizations are still consistent with these observations.

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arXiv2019

Cosmological constrains on minimally and non-minimally coupled scalar field models

We study the minimally and non-minimally coupled scalar field models as possible alternatives for dark energy, the mysterious energy component that is driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. After discussing the dynamics at both the background and perturbation level, we confront the two models with the latest cosmological data. After obtaining updated constraints on their parameters we perform model selection using the basic information criteria. We found that the $Λ$CDM model is strongly favored when the local determination of the Hubble constant is not considered and that this statement is weakened once local $H_0$ is included in the analysis. We calculate the parameter combination $S_8=σ_8\sqrt{Ω_{m}/0.3}$ and show the decrement of the tension with respect to the Planck results in the case of minimally and non-minimally coupled scalar field models. Finally, for the coupling constant between DE and gravity, we obtain the constraint $ξ\simeq -0.06^{+0.19}_{-0.19}$, approaching the one from solar system tests $|ξ| \lesssim 10^{-2}$ and comparable to the conformal value $ξ=1/6$ at $1σ$ uncertainty.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Can dark energy be expressed as a power series of the Hubble parameter?

In this work we examine the possibility that the dark energy (DE) density, $ρ_{de}$ can be dynamical and appear as a power series expansion of the Hubble rate (and its derivatives), i.e.$ρ_{de}(H,\dot{H},...)$. For the present universe, however, only the terms $H$, $\dot{H}$ and $H^2$ can be relevant, together with an additive constant term. We fit these models to the current cosmological data on the main observables SNIa+$H(z)$+BAO+LSS+CMB+BBN. Our analysis involves both the background as well as the cosmic perturbation equations. The latter include, apart from the matter density perturbations, also the DE density perturbations. We assume that matter and dynamical DE are separately self-conserved. As a result the equation of state of the DE becomes a nontrivial function of the cosmological redshift, $w_D=w_D(z)$. The particular subset of DE models of this type having no additive constant term in $ρ_{de}$ include the so-called entropic-force and QCD-ghost DE models, as well as the pure linear model $ρ_{de} \sim H$ all of which are strongly disfavored in our fitting analysis. In contrast, the models that include the additive term plus one or both of the dynamical components $\dot{H}$ and $H^2$ appear more favored than the $Λ$CDM. In particular, the dynamical DE models provide a value of $σ_8\simeq 0.74-0.77$ which is substantially lower than that of the $Λ$CDM and hence more in accordance with the observations. This helps to significantly reduce the $σ_8$-tension in the structure formation data. At the same time the predicted value for $H_0$ is in between the local and Planck measurements, thus helping to alleviate this tension as well.

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arXiv2018

Can Holographic dark energy models fit the observational data?

In this work we investigate the holographic dark energy models with slowly time-varying model parameter defined based on the current Hubble horizon length scale. While the previous studies on the three popular holographic dark energy models defined based on the future event horizon, Ricci scale and Granda-Oliveros IR cutoffs showed that these models cannot fit the observational data [1], in this work we show that the holographic dark energy models with time-varying model parameter defined on the current Hubble radius are well favored by observations. Using the standard $χ^2$ minimization in the context of Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, we compare the ability of holographic dark energy models with time-varying $c^2$ parameter constructed on the current Hubble length scale against different sets of observational data namely expansion data, growth rate data and expansion+growth rate data respectively. Based on the values of Akaike and Bayesian information criteria, we find that these types of holographic dark energy models are well fitted to both expansion and growth rate observations as equal to $Λ$CDM cosmology. We also put constraints on the cosmological parameters and show that the transition epoch form early decelerated to current accelerated expansion calculated in holographic dark energy models with time-varying model parameter defined on the Hubble length is consistent with observations.

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arXiv2018

New parameterization for unified dark matter and dark energy

In this paper we investigate a new phenomenological parameterization for unified dark matter and dark energy based on the polynomial expansion of the barotropic equation of state parameter $w$. Our parameterization provides well-behaving evolution of $w$ for both small and big redshifts as well as in the far future. The dark fluid described by our parameterization behaves for big redshifts like a dark matter. Therefore one can parameterize dark energy and dark matter using a single dark fluid, like in the case of the Chaplygin gas. Within this parameterization we consider 2 models: one with DE barotropic parameter fixed to be $-1$ and the second one, where $w \neq -1$ is chosen to match the best fit to the data. We study main cosmological properties of these models at the expansion and perturbation levels. Based on Markov chain Monte Carlo method with currently available cosmic observational data sets, we constrain these models to determine the cosmological parameters at the level of background and clustering of matter. We consider the interaction between DM and DE which directly affects the evolution of matter and its clustering. Our model appears to be perfectly consistent with the $Λ$CDM model, while providing unification of DE and DM.

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arXiv2017

Constraints to dark energy using PADE parameterisations

We put constraints on dark energy properties using the PADE parameterisation, and compare it to the same constraints using Chevalier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) and $Λ$CDM, at both the background and the perturbation levels. The dark energy equation of state parameter of the models is derived following the mathematical treatment of PADE expansion. Unlike CPL parameterisation, the PADE approximation provides different forms of the equation of state parameter which avoid the divergence in the far future. Initially, we perform a likelihood analysis in order to put constraints on the model parameters using solely background expansion data and we find that all parameterisations are consistent with each other. Then, combining the expansion and the growth rate data we test the viability of PADE parameterisations and compare them with CPL and $Λ$CDM models respectively. Specifically, we find that the growth rate of the current PADE parameterisations is lower than $Λ$CDM model at low redshifts, while the differences among the models are negligible at high redshifts. In this context, we provide for the first time growth index of linear matter perturbations in PADE cosmologies. Considering that dark energy is homogeneous we recover the well known asymptotic value of the growth index, namely $γ_{\infty}=\frac{3(w_{\infty}-1)}{6w_{\infty}-5}$, while in the case of clustered dark energy we obtain $γ_{\infty}\simeq \frac{3w_{\infty}(3w_{\infty}-5)}{(6w_{\infty}-5)(3w_{\infty}-1)}$. Finally, we generalize the growth index analysis in the case where $γ$ is allowed to vary with redshift and we find that the form of $γ(z)$ in PADE parameterisation extends that of the CPL and $Λ$CDM cosmologies respectively.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

Spherical collapse model and cluster number counts in power law $f(T)$ gravity

We study the spherical collapse model (SCM) in the framework of spatially flat power law $f(T) \propto (-T)^{b}$ gravity model. We find that the linear and non-linear growth of spherical overdensities of this particular $f(T)$ model are affected by the power-law parameter $b$. Finally, we compute the predicted number counts of virialized haloes in order to distinguish the current $f(T)$ model from the expectations of the concordance $Λ$ cosmology. Specifically, the present analysis suggests that the $f(T)$ gravity model with positive (negative) $b$ predicts more (less) virialized objects with respect to those of $Λ$CDM.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Constraints on shear and rotation with massive galaxy clusters

A precise determination of the mass function is an important tool to verify cosmological predictions of the $Λ$CDM model and to infer more precisely the better model describing the evolution of the Universe. Galaxy clusters have been currently used to infer cosmological parameters, in particular the matter density parameter $Ω_{\rm m}$, the matter power spectrum normalization $σ_8$ and the equation of state parameter $w_{\rm de}$ of the dark energy fluid. In this work, using data on massive galaxy clusters ($M>8\times 10^{14}~h^{-1}~M_{\odot}$) in the redshift range $0.05\lesssim z\lesssim 0.83$ we put constraints on the parameter $α$ introduced within the formalism of the extended spherical collapse model to quantify deviations from sphericity due to shear and rotation. Since at the moment there is no physical model describing its functional shape, we assume it to be a logarithmic function of the cluster mass. By holding $σ_8$ fixed and restricting our analysis to a $Λ$CDM model, we find, at $1-σ$ confidence level, $Ω_{\rm m}=0.284\pm0.0064$, $h=0.678\pm0.017$ and $β=0.0019^{+0.0008}_{-0.0015}$, where $β$ represents the slope of the parameter $α$. This results translates into a $9\%$ decrement of the number of massive clusters with respect to a standard $Λ$CDM mass function, but better data are required to better constrain this quantity, since at the $2-σ$ and $3-σ$ confidence level we are only able to infer upper limits.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Growth of matter perturbations in clustered holographic dark energy cosmologies

We investigate the growth of matter fluctuations in holographic dark energy cosmologies. First we use an overall statistical analysis involving the latest observational data in order to place constraints on the cosmological parameters. Then we test the range of validity of the holographic dark energy models at the perturbation level and its variants from the concordance $Λ$ cosmology. Specifically, we provide a new analytical approach in order to derive, for the first time, the growth index of matter perturbations. Considering a homogeneous holographic dark energy we find that the growth index is $γ\approx \frac{4}{7}$ which is somewhat larger ($\sim 4.8\%$) than that of the usual $Λ$ cosmology, $γ^{(Λ)}\approx \frac{6}{11}$. Finally, if we allow clustering in the holographic dark energy models then the asymptotic value of the growth index is given in terms of the effective sound speed $c_{\rm eff}^2$, namely $γ\approx \frac{3(1-c_{\rm eff}^2)}{7}$.

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