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R. de Ritis

Publications and source records attributed to R. de Ritis.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2005

Statistics of gravitational lenses in the clumpy Universe

We evaluate the effect of small scale inhomogeneities on large scale observations within the statistics of gravitationally lensed quasars. At this aim, we consider a cosmological model whose large scale properties (dynamics, matter distribution) are the same as in Friedmann-Lemaitre models, but whose matter distribution is locally inhomogeneous. We use the well known Dyer-Roder distances to allow a simple analytical expression of the optical depth, and pay particular attention on the different role played by the different notions of distances (filled beam angular diameter distance and Dyer-Roder distances) when calculating this quantity, following the prescription from Ehlers & Schneider for a coherent formalism. We find that the expected number of gravitationally lensed quasars is a decreasing function of the clumpiness parameter.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2003

Approximate angular diameter distance in a locally inhomogeneous universe with nonzero cosmological constant

We discuss the general and approximate angular diameter distance in the Friedman-Robertson-Walker cosmological models with nonzero cosmological constant. We modify the equation for the angular diameter distance by taking into account the fact that locally the distribution of matter is non homogeneous. We present exact solutions of this equation in a few special cases. We propose an approximate analytic solution of this equation which is simple enough and sufficiently accurate to be useful in practical applications.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2001

Microlensing search towards M31

We present the first results of the analysis of data collected during the 1998-99 observational campaign at the 1.3 meter McGraw-Hill Telescope, towards the Andromeda galaxy (M31), aimed to the detection of gravitational microlensing effects as a probe of the presence of dark matter in our and in M31 halo. The analysis is performed using the pixel lensing technique, which consists in the study of flux variations of unresolved sources and has been proposed and implemented by the AGAPE collaboration. We carry out a shape analysis by demanding that the detected flux variations be achromatic and compatible with a Paczynski light curve. We apply the Durbin-Watson hypothesis test to the residuals. Furthermore, we consider the background of variables sources. Finally five candidate microlensing events emerge from our selection. Comparing with the predictions of a Monte Carlo simulation, assuming a standard spherical model for the M31 and Galactic haloes, and typical values for the MACHO mass, we find that our events are only marginally consistent with the distribution of observable parameters predicted by the simulation.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2001

Constraints on the slope of the dark halo mass function by microlensing observables

We investigate the dark halo lens mass function (MF) for a wide class of spheroidal non singular isothermal models comparing observed and observable microlensing quantities for MACHO observations towards LMC and taking into account the detection efficiency. We evaluate the microlensing observable quantities, i.e. observable optical depth, number of events and mean duration, for models with homogenous power - law MF changing the upper and lower mass limits and the flattening of the dark halo. By applying the simple technique of the inverse problem method we are then able to get some interesting constraints on the slope $α$ of the MF and on the dark halo mass fraction f made out by MACHOs consistently with previous results.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2001

Distances in inhomogeneous quintessence cosmology

We investigate the properties of cosmological distances in locally inhomogeneous universes with pressureless matter and dark energy (quintessence), with constant equation of state. We give exact solutions for angular diameter distances in theempty beam approximation. In this hypothesis, the distance-redshift equation is derived fron the multiple lens-plane theory. The case of a flat universe is considered with particular attention. We show how this general scheme makes distances degenerate with respect to w_X and the smoothness parameters, alpha, accounting for the homogeneously distributed fraction of energy of the i-components. We analyse how this degeneracy influences the critical redshift where the angular diameter distance takes its maximum, and put in evidence future prospects for measuring the smoothness parameter of the pressureless matter, alpha_M.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

Effective cosmological "constant " and quintessence

In this paper we present exactly solved extended quintessence models; furthermore, through a dynamical effective Q-cosmological "constant", we recover some of the L decaying cases found in the literature. Finally we introduce a sort of complementarity between the Q-dominated or L-dominated expansions of the Universe.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

The cosmological lens equation in a universe with non zero cosmological constant

We derive and solve exactly the Dyer-Roeder equation in a Friedman-Robertson-Walker cosmological model with non zero cosmological constant. To take into account non homogeneous distribution of matter we use the phenomenological clumpiness parameter. We propose also a general form of an approximate solution which is simple enough to be useful in practical applications and sufficiently accurate in the interesting range of redshifts.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

Quintessence duality

We join quintessence cosmological scenarios with the duality simmetry existing in string dilaton cosmologies. Actually, we consider the tracker potential type $V = V_0/ϕ^α$ and show that duality is only established if $α= - 2$.

hep-th↗
arXiv1999

Detecting planets around stars in nearby galaxies

The only way to detect planets around stars at distances of several kpc is by (photometric or astrometric) microlensing observations. In this paper, we show that the capability of photometric microlensing extends to the detection of signals caused by planets around stars in nearby galaxies (e.g. M31) and that there is no other method that can achieve this. Due to the large crowding, microlensing experiments towards M31 can only observe the high-magnification part of a lensing light curve. Therefore, the dominating channel for microlensing signals by planets is in distortions near the peak of high-magnification events as discussed by Griest and Safizadeh. We calculate the probability to detect planetary anomalies for microlensing experiments towards M31 and find that jupiter-like planets around stars in M31 can be detected. Though the characterization of the planet(s) involved in this signal will be difficult, the absence of such signals can yield strong constraints on the abundance of jupiter-like planets.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

Tracker fields from nonminimally coupled theory

We extend the concept of quintessence to a flat nonminimally coupled scalar - tensor theories of gravity. By means of Noether's symmetries for the cosmological pointlike Lagrangian L, it is possible to exhibit exact solutions for a class of models depending on a free parameter s. This parameter comes out in the relationship existing between the coupling F(ϕ) and the potential V(ϕ) because of such a symmetry for L. When inverse power law potentials are taken in account, a whole family of exact solutions parametrized by such an s is proposed as a class of tracker fields, and some considerations are made about them.

hep-th↗
arXiv1999

Slott-Agape Project

SLOTT-AGAPE (Systematic Lensing Observation at Toppo Telescope - Andromeda Gravitational Amplification Pixel Lensing Experiment) is a new collaboration project among international partners from England, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland that intends to perform microlensing observation by using M31 as target. The MACHOs search is made thanks to the pixel lensing technique.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1998

The inverse problem in microlensing: from the optical depth to the galaxy models parameters

We present in this paper a simple method to obtain informations on galaxy models parameters using the measured value of the microlensing optical depth. Assuming a 100 percent MACHO's dark halo, we ask the predicted optical depth for a given model to be the same as the observed one, in a given direction. Writing the optical depth in terms of the given halo model parameters and inverting this relation with respect to one of them, it is possible to get information on it, fixing under reasonable hypothesis the other parameters. This is what we call the "inverse problem in microlensing. We apply this technique to the class of power-law models with flat rotation curves, determining the range for the core radius R_c compatible with the constraints on the halo flattening q and the measures of the optical depth towards LMC. Next, we apply the same method to a simple triaxial model, evaluating the axial ratios.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1998

Asymptotic Freedom Cosmology

For a general class of scalar--tensor gravity theories, we discuss how to recover asymptotic freedom regimes when cosmic time $t\to\pm\infty$. Such a feature means that the effective gravitational coupling $G_{eff}\to 0$, while cosmological solutions can asymptotically assume de Sitter or power--law behaviours. In our opinion, through this mechanism, it is possible to cure some shortcomings in inflationary and in string--dilaton cosmology.

gr-qc↗
arXiv1998

Recovering the effective cosmological constant in extended gravity theories

In the framework of extended gravity theories, we discuss the meaning of a time dependent "cosmological constant" and give a set of conditions to recover asymptotic de Sitter behaviour for a class of cosmological models independently of initial data. To this purpose we introduce a time-dependent (effective) quantity which asymptotically becomes the true cosmological constant. We will deal with scalar-tensor, fourth and higher than fourth-order theories.

gr-qc↗