arXiv subjects

Tiago Barreiro

Publications and source records attributed to Tiago Barreiro.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Scaling solutions in three-form cosmology

A hybrid three-form model of dark energy is developed in order to identify scaling solutions, a long-sought feature in three-form cosmology. Exploiting Hodge dualities, the theory is formulated in terms of two scalar functions that are associated with the conjugate momentum, and the three-form dual vector in an isotropic background. The resulting Lagrangian yields a stable scaling attractor where the three-form energy density tracks the dominant background fluid. A dynamical mechanism is also identified that naturally drives the system out of this regime toward a late-time accelerated phase distinguishable from a cosmological constant. This constitutes the first realization of scaling behavior within a three-form dark energy framework.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Non-canonical 3-form dark energy

In this study, we meticulously construct a 3-form Lagrangian designed to mimic the dynamics of both dust matter in the past and dark energy driving the acceleration in the present era. A dynamical systems approach is used to investigate the underlying behavior of the cosmological background. By investigating the influence of the potential slope and initial conditions on the dynamical solutions, we identify distinct viable scenarios capable of replicating a De Sitter universe in the present epoch. An intriguing aspect of the model is the existence of solutions describing multiple inflationary phases in which the 3-form self-interacting potential decays rapidly.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Relaxing cosmological constraints on current neutrino masses

We show that a mass-varying neutrino model driven by scalar field dark energy relaxes the existing upper bound on the current neutrino mass to ${\sum m_ν< 0.72}$ eV. We extend the standard $Λ$ cold dark matter model by introducing two parameters: the rate of change of the scalar field with the number of $e$-folds and the coupling between neutrinos and the field. We investigate how they affect the matter power spectrum, the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and its lensing potential. The model is tested against Planck observations of temperature, polarization, and lensing, combined with baryon acoustic oscillation measurements that constrain the background evolution. The results indicate that small couplings favor a cosmological constant, while larger couplings favor a dynamical dark energy, weakening the upper bound on current neutrino masses.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Testing $Λ$-Free f(Q) Cosmology

We study a model of Symmetric Teleparallel gravity that is able to account for the current accelerated expansion of the universe without the need for dark energy component. We investigate this model by making use of dynamical system analysis techniques to identify the regions of the parameter space with viable cosmologies and constrain it using type Ia supernova (SnIa), cosmic microwave background (CMB) data and make forecasts using standard siren (SS) events. We conclude that this model is disfavored with respect to $Λ$CDM and forthcoming standard siren events can be decisive in testing the viability of the model.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Is there evidence for CIDER in the Universe?

In this work we analyze the full linear behaviour of the constrained interacting dark energy (CIDER) model, which is a conformally coupled quintessence model tailored to mimic a $Λ$CDM expansion. We compute the matter and temperature anisotropies power spectra and test the model against recent observational data. We shed light on some particular subtleties of the background behaviour that were not fully captured in previous works, and study the physics of the linear cosmological observables. One novelty found was that matter perturbations are enhanced at large scales when compared with the ones of the standard $Λ$CDM. The reason and impact of this trend on the cosmological observables and on the physics of the early Universe are considered. We find that the introduction of the coupling parameter alleviates the $σ_8$ tension between early and late time probes although Planck data favours the $Λ$CDM limit of the model.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Fundamental Physics with ESPRESSO, Constraining a simple parametrisation for varying $α$

The spectrograph ESPRESSO recently obtained a limit on the variation of the fine-structure constant, $α$, through measurements along the line of sight of a bright quasar with a precision of $1.36$ ppm at $1σ$ level. This imposes new constraints on cosmological models with a varying $α$. We assume such a model where the electromagnetic sector is coupled to a scalar field dark energy responsible for the current acceleration of the Universe. We parametrise the variation of $α$ with two extra parameters, one defining the cosmological evolution of the quintessence component and the other fixing the coupling with the electromagnetic field. The objective of this work is to constrain these parameters with both astrophysical and local probes. We also carried out a comparative analysis of how each data probe may constrain our parametrisation. We performed a Bayesian analysis by comparing the predictions of the model with observations. The astrophysical datasets are composed of quasar spectra measurements, including the latest ESPRESSO data point, as well as Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background. We combined these with local results from atomic clocks and the MICROSCOPE experiment. The constraints placed on the quintessence parameter are consistent with a null variation of the field, and are therefore compatible with a $Λ$CDM cosmology. The constraints on the coupling to the electromagnetic sector are dominated by the Eötvös parameter local bound. More precise measurements with ESPRESSO will be extremely important to study the cosmological evolution of $α$ as it probes an interval of redshift not accessible to other types of observations. However, for this particular model, current available data favour a null variation of $α$ resulting mostly from the strong MICROSCOPE limits.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Forecasting F(Q) cosmology with $Λ$CDM background using standard sirens

Forecast constraints for a Symmetric Teleparallel Gravity model with a $Λ$CDM background are made using forthcoming ground and space based gravitational waves observatories. A Bayesian analysis resorting to generated mock catalogs shows that LIGO is not expected to be able to distinguish this model from $Λ$CDM, while both LISA and the ET will, with the ET outperforming LISA. We also show that low redshift events are favored in order to improve the quality of the constrains.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

New Horizons for Fundamental Physics with LISA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has the potential to reveal wonders about the fundamental theory of nature at play in the extreme gravity regime, where the gravitational interaction is both strong and dynamical. In this white paper, the Fundamental Physics Working Group of the LISA Consortium summarizes the current topics in fundamental physics where LISA observations of GWs can be expected to provide key input. We provide the briefest of reviews to then delineate avenues for future research directions and to discuss connections between this working group, other working groups and the consortium work package teams. These connections must be developed for LISA to live up to its science potential in these areas.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Cosmology with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has two scientific objectives of cosmological focus: to probe the expansion rate of the universe, and to understand stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds and their implications for early universe and particle physics, from the MeV to the Planck scale. However, the range of potential cosmological applications of gravitational wave observations extends well beyond these two objectives. This publication presents a summary of the state of the art in LISA cosmology, theory and methods, and identifies new opportunities to use gravitational wave observations by LISA to probe the universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Simple parametrisation for coupled dark energy

We propose a phenomenological generalisation of the standard model with only one extra degree of freedom that parametrises the evolution of a scalar field responsible for the cosmic acceleration. The model also foresees an additional parameter in the form of a coupling between dark energy and dark matter. This model captures a large diversity of dark energy evolutions at low redshift and could usefully complement common CPL parametrisations widely used. In this context, we have been constraining the parametrisation with data from Planck and KiDS, bringing different results between the early and late universe observations.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

A simple parametrisation for coupled dark energy

As an alternative to the popular parametrisations of the dark energy equation of state, we construct a quintessence model where the scalar field has a linear dependence on the number of e-folds. Constraints on more complex models are typically limited by the degeneracies that increase with the number of parameters. The proposed parametrisation conveniently constrains the evolution of the dark energy equation of state as it allows for a wide variety of time evolutions. We also consider a non-minimal coupling to cold dark matter. We fit the model with Planck and KiDS observational data. The CMB favours a non-vanishing coupling with energy transfer from dark energy to dark matter. Conversely, gravitational weak lensing measurements slightly favour energy transfer from dark matter to dark energy, with a substantial departure of the dark energy equation of state from -1.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Testing $F(Q)$ gravity with redshift space distortions

A Bayesian statistical analysis using redshift space distortions data is performed to test a model of Symmetric Teleparallel Gravity where gravity is non-metrical. The cosmological background mimics a $Λ$CDM evolution but differences arise in the perturbations. The linear matter fluctuations are numerically evolved and the study of the growth rate of structures is analysed in this cosmological setting. The best fit parameters reveal that the $σ_8$ tension between Planck and Large Scale Structure data can be alleviated within this framework.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Spherical collapse in coupled quintessence with a $Λ$CDM background

In this work we study the growth of cold dark matter density perturbations in the nonlinear regime on a conformally coupled quintessence model in which the background is designed to mimic a $Λ$CDM cosmology. The spherical collapse of overdense regions is analyzed. We highlight the role of the coupling on the overall dynamics, trace the evolution of the density contrast throughout the cosmic history and compute perturbative parameters such as the critical density contrast. We find that the coupling has the influence of delaying the collapse due to the slower growth of matter perturbations. We follow to compute the cluster number counts using the Press-Schechter and Sheth-Tormen mass functions. In both cases, the transfer of energy between the dark energy field and dark matter suppresses the number of objects at low redshifts and enhances the number at high redshifts. Finally, we compute the expected cluster number counts for the future eROSITA mission and the current South Pole Telescope survey.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2019

Coupled quintessence with a $Λ$CDM background: removing the $σ_8$ tension

A well-known problem of the $Λ$CDM model is the tension between the relatively high level of clustering, as quantified by the parameter $σ_8$, found in cosmic microwave background experiments and the smaller one obtained from large-scale observations in the late Universe. In this paper we show that coupled quintessence, i.e. a single dark energy scalar field conformally coupled to dark matter through a constant coupling, can solve this problem if the background is taken to be identical to the $Λ$CDM one. We show that two competing effects arise. On one hand, the additional scalar force is attractive, and is therefore expected to increase the clustering. On the other, in order to obtain the same background as $Λ$CDM, coupled quintessence must have a smaller amount of dark matter near the present epoch. We show that the second effect is dominating today and leads to an overall slower growth. Comparing to redshift distortion data, we find that coupled quintessence with $Λ$CDM background solves the tension between early and late clustering. We find for the coupling $β$ and for $σ_8$ the best fit values $|β| = 0.079^{+ 0.059}_{- 0.067}$ and $σ_8 = 0.818^{+0.115}_{-0.088}$. These values also fit the lensing data from the KiDS-450 survey. We also estimate that the future missions SKA and Euclid will constrain $β$ with an error of $\pm\, 1.5\times10^{-3}$ and for $σ_8$ of $\pm \,1.8\times10^{-3}$ at $1σ$ level.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

Screening three-form fields

Screening mechanisms for a three-form field around a dense source such as the Sun are investigated. Working with the dual vector, we can obtain a thin-shell where field interactions are short range. The field outside the source adopts the configuration of a dipole which is a manifestly distinct behaviour from the one obtained with a scalar field or even a previously proposed vector field model. We identify the region of parameter space where this model satisfies present solar system tests.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Unveiling the Dynamics of the Universe

We explore the dynamics and evolution of the Universe at early and late times, focusing on both dark energy and extended gravity models and their astrophysical and cosmological consequences. Modified theories of gravity not only provide an alternative explanation for the recent expansion history of the universe, but they also offer a paradigm fundamentally distinct from the simplest dark energy models of cosmic acceleration. In this review, we perform a detailed theoretical and phenomenological analysis of different modified gravity models and investigate their consistency. We also consider the cosmological implications of well motivated physical models of the early universe with a particular emphasis on inflation and topological defects. Astrophysical and cosmological tests over a wide range of scales, from the solar system to the observable horizon, severely restrict the allowed models of the Universe. Here, we review several observational probes -- including gravitational lensing, galaxy clusters, cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization, supernova and baryon acoustic oscillations measurements -- and their relevance in constraining our cosmological description of the Universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Assisted coupled quintessence

We study models of quintessence consisting of a number of scalar fields coupled to several dark matter components. In the case of exponential potentials the scaling solutions can be described in terms of a single field. The corresponding effective logarithmic slope and effective coupling can be written in a simple form in terms of the individual slopes and couplings of the original fields. We also investigate solutions where the scalar potential is negligible, in particular those leading to transient matter dominated solutions. Finally, we compute the evolution equations for the linear perturbations which will allow these models to be tested against current and future observational data.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Interacting dark energy collapse with matter components separation

We use the spherical collapse model of structure formation to investigate the separation in the collapse of uncoupled matter (essentially baryons) and coupled dark matter in an interacting dark energy scenario. Following the usual assumption of a single radius of collapse for all species, we show that we only need to evolve the uncoupled matter sector to obtain the evolution for all matter components. This gives us more information on the collapse with a simplified set of evolution equations compared with the usual approaches. We then apply these results to four quintessence potentials and show how we can discriminate between different quintessence models.

astro-ph.CO↗