arXiv subjects

R. S. Goncalves

Publications and source records attributed to R. S. Goncalves.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2015

A low-$z$ test for interacting dark energy

A non-minimal coupling between the dark matter and dark energy components may offer a way of solving the so-called coincidence problem. In this paper we propose a low-$z$ test for such hypothesis using measurements of the gas mass fraction $f_{\rm{gas}}$ in relaxed and massive galaxy clusters. The test applies to any model whose dilution of dark matter is modified with respect to the standard $a^{-3}$ scaling, as usual in interacting models, where $a$ is the cosmological scale factor. We apply the test to current $f_{\rm{gas}}$ data and perform Monte Carlo simulations to forecast the necessary improvements in number and accuracy of upcoming observations to detect a possible interaction in the cosmological dark sector. Our results show that improvements in the present relative error $σ_{\rm{gas}}/f_{\rm{gas}}$ are more effective to achieve this goal than an increase in the size of the $f_{\rm{gas}}$ sample.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Forecasting constraints on the cosmic duality relation with galaxy clusters

One of the fundamental hypotheses in observational cosmology is the validity of the so-called cosmic distance-duality relation (CDDR). In this paper, we perform Monte Carlo simulations based on the method developed in Holanda, Goncalves & Alcaniz (2012) [JCAP 1206 (2012) 022] to answer the following question: what is the number of galaxy clusters observations N_{crit} needed to check the validity of this relation at a given confidence level? At 2σ, we find that N_{crit} should be increased at least by a factor of 5 relative to the current sample size if we assume the current observational uncertainty σ_{obs}. Reducing this latter quantity by a factor of 2, we show that the present number of data would be already enough to check the validity of the CDDR at 2σ.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

A test for cosmic distance duality

Testing the cosmic distance duality relation (CDDR) constitutes an important task for cosmology and fundamental physics since any violation of it would be a clear evidence of new physics. In this {\it Letter}, we propose a new test for the CDDR using only measurements of the gas mass fraction of galaxy clusters from Sunyaev-Zeldovich ($f_{SZE}$) and X-ray surface brightness ($f_{X-ray}$) observations. We show that the relation between current $f_{X-ray}$ and $f_{SZE}$ observations is given by $f_{SZE}=ηf_{X-ray}$, where $η$ quantifies deviations from the CDDR. Since this latter expression is valid for the same object in a given galaxy cluster sample, the method proposed removes possible contaminations from different systematics error sources and redshift differences involved in luminosity and angular diameter distance measurements. We apply this cosmological model-independent methodology to the most recent $f_{X-ray}$ and $f_{SZE}$ data and show that no significant violation of the CDDR is found.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

Testing the cosmic distance duality with X-ray gas mass fraction and supernovae data

In this paper we discuss a new cosmological model-independent test for the cosmic distance duality relation (CDDR), $η= D_{L}(L)(1+z)^{-2}/D_{A}(z)=1$, where $D_{A}(z)$ and $D_{L}(z)$ are the angular and luminosity distances, respectively. Using the general expression for X-ray gas mass fraction ($f_{gas}$) of galaxy clusters, $f_{gas} \propto D_L{D_A}^{1/2}$, we show that $f_{gas}$ observations jointly with type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) data furnish a validity test for the CDDR. To perform our analysis we use 38 $f_{gas}$ measurements recently studied by two groups considering different assumptions to describe the clusters (La Roque {\it{et al.}} 2006 and Ettori {\it{et al.}} 2009) and two subsamples of SNe Ia distance luminosity extracted from the Union2 compilation. In our test we consider the $η$ parameter as a function of the redshift parameterized by two different functional forms. It is found that the La Roque {\it{et al.}} (2006) sample is in perfect agreement with the duality relation ($η= 1$) whereas the Ettori {\it{et al.}} (2009) sample presents a significant conflict.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

Thermodynamics and dark energy

A significant observational effort has been directed to unveil the nature of the so-called dark energy. However, given the large number of theoretical possibilities, it is possible that such a task cannot be performed on the basis only of the observational data. In this article we discuss some thermodynamic properties of this energy component by assuming that its constituents are massless quanta with a general time-dependent equation-of-state parameter $ω(z)=ω_0 + ω_a f(z)$, where $ω_0$ and $ω_a$ are constants and $f(z)$ may assume different forms. We show that very restrictive bounds can be placed on the $w_0$ - $w_a$ space when current observational data are combined with the thermodynamic constraints derived.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Constraining dark matter-dark energy interaction with gas mass fraction in galaxy clusters

The recent observational evidence for the current cosmic acceleration have stimulated renewed interest in alternative cosmologies, such as scenarios with interaction in the dark sector (dark matter and dark energy). In general, such models contain an unknown negative-pressure dark component coupled with the pressureless dark matter and/or with the baryons that results in an evolution for the Universe rather different from the one predicted by the standard $Λ$CDM model. In this work we test the observational viability of such scenarios by using the most recent galaxy cluster gas mass fraction versus redshift data (42 X-ray luminous, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters spanning the redshift range 0.063 < z < 1.063) (Allen et al. 2008) to place bounds on the parameter $ε$ that characterizes the dark matter/dark energy coupling. The resulting are consistent with, and typically as constraining as, those derived from other cosmological data. Although a time-independent cosmological constant ($Λ$CDM model) is a good fit to these galaxy cluster data, an interacting dark energy component cannot yet be ruled out.

astro-ph.CO↗