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Shinji Mukohyama

Publications and source records attributed to Shinji Mukohyama.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Ghost Dark Matter

We revisit ghost dark matter, the possibility that ghost condensation may serve as an alternative to dark matter. In particular, we investigate the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) background evolution and the large-scale structure (LSS) in the $Λ$GDM universe, i.e. a late-time universe dominated by a cosmological constant and ghost dark matter. The FRW background of the $Λ$GDM universe is indistinguishable from that of the standard $Λ$CDM universe if $M\gtrsim 1 {\rm eV}$, where $M$ is the scale of spontaneous Lorentz breaking. From the LSS we find a stronger bound: $M\gtrsim 10 {\rm eV}$. For smaller $M$, ghost dark matter would have non-negligible sound speed after the matter-radiation equality, and thus the matter power spectrum would significantly differ from observation. These bounds are compatible with the phenomenological upper bound $M\lesssim 100 {\rm GeV}$ known in the literature.

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Non-Gaussianity of superhorizon curvature perturbations beyond $δ$ N formalism

We develop a theory of nonlinear cosmological perturbations on superhorizon scales for a single scalar field with a general kinetic term and a general form of the potential. We employ the ADM formalism and the spatial gradient expansion approach, characterised by $O(ε^m)$, where $ε=1/(HL)$ is a small parameter representing the ratio of the Hubble radius to the characteristic length scale $L$ of perturbations. We obtain the general solution for a full nonlinear version of the curvature perturbation valid up through second-order in $ε$ ($m=2$). We find the solution satisfies a nonlinear second-order differential equation as an extension of the equation for the linear curvature perturbation on the comoving hypersurface. Then we formulate a general method to match a perturbative solution accurate to $n$-th-order in perturbation inside the horizon to our nonlinear solution accurate to second-order ($m=2$) in the gradient expansion on scales slightly greater than the Hubble radius. The formalism developed in this paper allows us to calculate the superhorizon evolution of a primordial non-Gaussianity beyond the so-called $δN$ formalism or separate universe approach which is equivalent to leading order ($m=0$) in the gradient expansion. In particular, it can deal with the case when there is a temporary violation of slow-roll conditions. As an application of our formalism, we consider Starobinsky's model, which is a single field model having a temporary non-slow-roll stage due to a sharp change in the potential slope. We find that a large non-Gaussianity can be generated even on superhorizon scales due to this temporary suspension of slow-roll inflation.

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Trispectrum from Ghost Inflation

Ghost inflation predicts almost scale-invariant primordial cosmological perturbations with relatively large non-Gaussianity. The bispectrum is known to have a large contribution at the wavenumbers forming an equilateral triangle and the corresponding nonlinear parameter $f_{NL}^{equil}$ is typically of order $O(10^2)$. In this paper we calculate trispectrum from ghost inflation and show that the corresponding nonlinear parameter $τ_{NL}$ is typically of order $O(10^4)$. We investigate the shape dependence of the trispectrum and see that it has some features different from DBI inflation. Therefore, our result may be useful as a template to distinguish ghost inflation from other models of inflation by future experiments.

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Stellar center is dynamical in Horava-Lifshitz gravity

In Horava-Lifshitz gravity, regularity of a solution requires smoothness of not only the spacetime geometry but also the foliation. As a result, the regularity condition at the center of a star is more restrictive than in general relativity. Assuming that the energy density is a piecewise-continuous, non-negative function of the pressure and that the pressure at the center is positive, we prove that the momentum conservation law is incompatible with the regularity at the center for any spherically-symmetric, static configurations. The proof is totally insensitive to the structure of higher spatial curvature terms and, thus, holds for any values of the dynamical critical exponent $z$. Therefore, we conclude that a spherically-symmetric star should include a time-dependent region near the center. We also comment on the condition under which linear instability of the scalar graviton does not show up.

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Observational Signatures of Gravitational Couplings in DBI Inflation

In scalar-tensor theories the scalar fields generically couple nontrivially to gravity. We study the observable properties of inflationary models with non-minimally coupled inflaton and Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) kinetic term. Within the assumptions of the priors of our Monte-Carlo simulations we find these models can generate new interesting observable signatures. Our discussion focuses on string theory inspired phenomenological models of relativistic D-brane inflation. While successful string theory constructions of ultra-violet DBI brane inflation remain elusive, we show that in suitable regions of the parameter space it is possible to use cosmological observables to probe the non-minimial coupling. Fortunately, the most observationally promising range of parameters include models yielding intermediate levels of non-gaussianity in the range consistent with WMAP 5-year data, and to be constrained further by the Planck satellite.

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Primordial magnetic field from non-inflationary cosmic expansion in Horava-Lifshitz gravity

The origin of large-scale magnetic field in the universe is one of the greatest mysteries in modern cosmology. We present a new mechanism for generation of large-scale magnetic field, based on the power-counting renormalizable theory of gravitation recently proposed by Horava. Contrary to the usual case in general relativity, the U(1) gauge symmetry of a Maxwell action in this theory permits terms breaking conformal invariance in the ultraviolet. Moreover, for high frequency modes, the anisotropic scaling intrinsic to the theory inevitably makes the sound horizon far outside the Hubble horizon. Consequently, non-inflationary cosmic expansion in the early universe naturally generates super-horizon quantum fluctuations of the magnetic field. Specializing our consideration to the case with the dynamical critical exponent $z=3$, we show an explicit set of parameters for which (i) the amplitude of generated magnetic field is large enough as a seed for the dynamo mechanism; (ii) backreaction to the cosmic expansion is small enough; and (iii) the high-energy dispersion relation is consistent with the most recent observational limits from MAGIC and FERMI.

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Can ghost condensate decrease entropy?

By looking for possible violation of the generalized second law, we might be able to find regions in the space of theories and states that do not allow holographic dual descriptions. We revisit three proposals for violation of the generalized second law in the simplest Higgs phase of gravity called ghost condensate. Two of them, (i) analogue of Penrose process and (ii) semiclassical heat flow, are based on Lorentz breaking effects, by which particles of different species can have different limits of speed. We show that processes in both (i) and (ii) are always slower than accretion of ghost condensate and cannot decrease the total entropy before the accretion increases the entropy. The other proposal is to use (iii) negative energy carried by excitations of ghost condensate. We prove an averaged null energy condition, which we conjecture prevents the proposal (iii) from violating the generalized second law in a coarse-grained sense.

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Cosmological Constraints on Rapid Roll Inflation

We obtain cosmological constraints on models of inflation which exhibit rapid roll solutions. Rapid roll attractors exist for potentials with large mass terms and are thus of interest for inflationary model building within string theory. We constrain a general ansatz for the power spectrum arising from rapid roll inflation that, in the small field limit, can be associated with tree level hybrid potentials with variable mass terms and nonminimal gravitational coupling $ξRϕ^2$. We consider perturbations generated through modulated reheating and/or curvaton mechanisms in place of the observationally unacceptable primary spectra generated by inflaton fluctuations in these models. The lack of a hierarchy amongst higher-order $k$-dependencies of the power spectrum results in models with potentially large runnings, allowing us to impose tight constraints on such models using CMB and LSS data. In particular, we find $n_s <1$ and $|α| < 0.01$. We conclude with a concrete realization of rapid roll inflation within warped throat brane inflation that is in good agreement with current data.

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Ghost condensate and generalized second law

Dubovsky and Sibiryakov recently proposed a scenario in which particles of different species propagate with different speeds due to their direct couplings to ghost condensate. It was argued that this extended version of ghost condensate allows a gedanken experiment leading to violation of the generalized second law. However, in the original ghost condensate scenario, difference in propagation speeds is suppressed by M^2/M_{Pl}^2, where M is the order parameter of spontaneous Lorentz breaking and M_{Pl} is the Planck scale. In this case the energy transfer necessary for the gedanken experiment is so slow that the timescale of decrease of entropy, if any, is always longer than the Jeans timescale of ghost condensate. Hence the generalized second law is not violated by the gedanken experiment in the original ghost condensate scenario. This conclusion trivially extends to gauged ghost condensation by taking into account accretion of gauged ghost condensate into a black hole.

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Caustic avoidance in Horava-Lifshitz gravity

There are at least four versions of Horava-Lishitz gravity in the literature. We consider the version without the detailed balance condition with the projectability condition and address one aspect of the theory: avoidance of caustics for constant time hypersurfaces. We show that there is no caustic with plane symmetry in the absence of matter source if λ\ne 1. If λ=1 is a stable IR fixed point of the renormalization group flow then λis expected to deviate from 1 near would-be caustics, where the extrinsic curvature increases and high-energy corrections become important. Therefore, the absence of caustics with λ\ne 1 implies that caustics cannot form with this symmetry in the absence of matter source. We argue that inclusion of matter source will not change the conclusion. We also argue that caustics with codimension higher than one will not form because of repulsive gravity generated by nonlinear higher curvature terms. These arguments support our conjecture that there is no caustic for constant time hypersurfaces. Finally, we discuss implications to the recently proposed scenario of ``dark matter as integration constant''.

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Dark matter as integration constant in Horava-Lifshitz gravity

In the non-relativistic theory of gravitation recently proposed by Horava, the Hamiltonian constraint is not a local equation satisfied at each spatial point but an equation integrated over a whole space. The global Hamiltonian constraint is less restrictive than its local version, and allows a richer set of solutions than in general relativity. We show that a component which behaves like pressureless dust emerges as an "integration constant" of dynamical equations and momentum constraint equations. Consequently, classical solutions to the infrared limit of Horava-Lifshitz gravity can mimic general relativity plus cold dark matter.

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Curvatons in Warped Throats

We present a curvaton model from type IIB string theory compactified on a warped throat with approximate isometries. Considering an (anti-)D3-brane sitting at the throat tip as a prototype standard model brane, we show that the brane's position in the isometry directions can play the role of curvatons. The basic picture is that the fluctuations of the (anti-)D3-brane in the angular isometry directions during inflation eventually turns into the primordial curvature perturbations, and subsequently the brane's oscillation excites other open string modes on the brane and reheat the universe. We find in the explicit case of the KS throat that a wide range of parameters allows a consistent curvaton scenario. It is also shown that the oscillations of branes at throat tips are capable of producing large non-Gaussianity, either through curvature or isocurvature perturbations. Since such setups naturally arise in warped (multi-)throat compactifications and are constrained by observational data, the model can provide tests for compactification scenarios. This work gives an explicit example of string theory providing light fields for generating curvature perturbations. Such mechanisms free the inflaton from being responsible for the perturbations, thus open up new possibilities for inflation models.

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Scale-invariant cosmological perturbations from Horava-Lifshitz gravity without inflation

Based on the renormalizable theory of gravitation recently proposed by Horava, we present a simple scenario to generate almost scale-invariant, super-horizon curvature perturbations. The anisotropic scaling with dynamical critical exponent z=3 implies that the amplitude of quantum fluctuations of a free scalar field generated in the early epoch of the expanding universe is insensitive to the Hubble expansion rate and, thus, scale-invariant. Those fluctuations are later converted to curvature perturbations by the curvaton mechanism or/and the modulated decay of heavy particles/oscillating fields. This scenario works, for example, for power law expansion a\propto t^p with p>1/3 and, thus, does not require inflation. Also, this scenario does not rely on any additional assumptions such as the detailed balance condition.

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Thermodynamic and dynamical stability of Freund-Rubin compactification

We investigate stability of two branches of Freund-Rubin compactification from thermodynamic and dynamical perspectives. Freund-Rubin compactification allows not only trivial solutions but also warped solutions describing warped product of external de Sitter space and internal deformed sphere. We study dynamical stability by analyzing linear perturbations around solutions in each branch. Also we study thermodynamic stability based on de Sitter entropy. We show complete agreement of thermodynamic and dynamical stabilities of this system. Finally, we interpret the results in terms of effective energy density in the four-dimensional Einstein frame and discuss cosmological implications.

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Phenomenological Aspects of Horava-Lifshitz Cosmology

We show that, assuming the dispersion relation proposed recently by Horava in the context of quantum gravity, radiation energy density exhibits a peculiar dependence on the scale factor; the radiation energy density decreases proportional to a^{-6}. This simple scaling can have an impact on cosmology. As an example, we show that the resultant baryon asymmetry as well as the stochastic gravity waves can be enhanced. We also discuss current observational constraint on the dispersion relation.

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Conformal Inflation, Modulated Reheating, and WMAP5

We investigate density perturbations generated through modulated reheating while inflation is driven by a conformally coupled scalar field. A large running of the spectral index is obtained, which reflects the basic nature of conformal inflation that higher-order time derivatives of the Hubble parameter during inflation are not necessarily small. This feature may allow us to distinguish between conformal inflation models and standard minimally coupled ones. We also investigate how the resulting fluctuations are modified when there is a deviation from an exact conformal coupling between the inflaton and gravity. Finally, we apply our results to the warped brane inflation model and see that observational bounds from the WMAP5 data suggest a blue tilted density perturbation spectrum.

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Consistent Anti-de Sitter-Space/Conformal-Field-Theory Dual for a Time-Dependent Finite Temperature System

We propose a consistent setup for the holographic dual of the strongly coupled large-Nc N=4 super Yang-Mills theory plasma which undergoes the Bjorken flow relevant to the quark-gluon plasma at BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and CERN LHC. The dual geometry is constructed order by order in a well-defined late-time expansion. The transport coefficients are determined by the regularity of the geometry. We prove, for the first time, that the dual geometry has an apparent horizon hence an event horizon, which covers a singularity at the origin. Further we prove that the dual geometry is regular to all orders in the late-time expansion under an appropriate choice of the transport coefficients. This choice is also shown to be unique. Our model serves as a concrete well-defined example of a time-dependent AdS/CFT dual.

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A Holographic Dual of Bjorken Flow

We propose a consistent setup for a holographic dual of Bjorken flow of strongly coupled large-Nc N=4 SYM-theory plasma. We employ Eddington-Finkelstein type coordinates for the dual geometry, and we propose a late-time expansion there. We construct the dual geometry order by order, and we show that the transport coefficients are determined by the regularity of the geometry. We also show that the dual geometry has an apparent horizon hence an event horizon, which covers the singularity at the origin. We prove that the dual geometry is regular at all orders under an appropriate choice of the transport coefficients. Our model is a concrete well-defined example of time-dependent AdS/CFT.

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