Hubble Rate Research Articles

Observational tests of Gauss-Bonnet like dark energy model

The consistency of some dynamical dark energy models based on Gauss-Bonnet invariant, ${\cal G}$, is studied compared with cosmological observational tests. The investigated models are modified form of Gauss Bonnet dark energy, MGB-DE and two other versions which are interacting MGB and $n_0$MGB. The energy density of proposed models are combinations of powers of the Hubble rate, H, and its time derivative. To inquire the performance of MGB dark energy models, we have used data analyzing methods and numerical solutions, in both background and perturbed levels, based on recent observational data from SNIa, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), Hubble parameter, CMB data, and structure formation data surveys. Employing joint data sets and comparing the results to those of LCDM, show that all versions of MGB-DE predicts the expansion history and evolution of structures appropriately as well as $\Lambda$CDM. If we use pure late universe data set, we see that all models of MGB-DE are successful in recent epoch, and there is not any significant evidence against or in favor of $\Lambda$CDM, whereas for early universe, statistical results indicate a significantly better agreement for $\Lambda$CDM as compared to all versions of MGB-DE models.

Unification of inflation with dark energy in f(R) gravity and axion dark matter

In this work we introduce an effective model of $f(R)$ gravity containing a non-minimal coupling to the axion scalar field. The axion field is described by the misalignment model, in which the primordial $U(1)$ Peccei-Quinn symmetry is broken during inflation and the $f(R)$ gravity is described by the $R^2$ model, and in addition, the non-minimal coupling has the form $\sim h(\phi)R^{\gamma}$, with $0<\gamma<0.75$. By appropriately constraining the non-minimal coupling at early times, the axion field remains frozen in its primordial vacuum expectation value, and the $R^2$ gravity dominates the inflationary era. As the Universe expands, when $H$ equals the axion mass $m_a$ and for cosmic times for which $m_a\gg H$, the axion field oscillates. By assuming a slowly varying evolution of the axion field, the axion energy density scales as $\rho_a\sim a^{-3}$, where $a$ is the scale factor, regardless of the background Hubble rate, thus behaving as cold dark matter. At late times, the axion still evolves as $\rho_a\sim a^{-3}$, however the Hubble rate of the expansion and thus the dynamical evolution of the Universe is controlled by terms containing the higher derivatives of $\sim R^{\gamma}$, which are related to the non-minimal coupling, and as we demonstrate, the resulting solution of the Friedman equation at late times is an approximate de Sitter evolution. The late-time de Sitter Hubble rate scales as $H\sim \Lambda^{1/2}$, where $\Lambda$ is an integration constant of the theory, which has its allowed values very close to the current value of the cosmological constant. Finally, the theory has a prediction for the existence of a pre-inflationary primordial stiff era, in which the energy density of the axion scales as $\rho_a\sim a^{-6}$.

New mechanism of producing superheavy Dark Matter

We study in detail the recently proposed mechanism of generating superheavy Dark Matter with the mass larger than the Hubble rate at the end of inflation. A real scalar field constituting Dark Matter linearly couples to the inflaton. As a result of this interaction, the scalar gets displaced from its zero expectation value. This offset feeds into the energy density of Dark Matter. This mechanism is universal and can be implemented in a generic inflationary scenario. Phenomenology of the model is comprised of Dark Matter decay into inflatons, which in turn decay into Standard Model species triggering cascades of high energy particles contributing to the cosmic ray flux. We evaluate the lifetime of Dark Matter and obtain limits on the inflationary scenarios, where this mechanism does not lead to the conflict with the Dark Matter stability considerations/studies of cosmic ray propagation.

One-loop quantum gravitational backreaction on the local Hubble rate

We determine corrections to the Hubble rate due to graviton loops in a cosmological background spacetime of constant deceleration parameter. The corrections are gauge-invariant, based on a recent proposal for all-order gauge-invariant observables in perturbative quantum gravity. We find explicit expressions for the cases of matter- and radiation-dominated eras and slow-roll inflation with vanishing second slow-roll parameter. Interestingly, in the latter case the corrections can be described by a quantum-corrected first slow-roll parameter, which brings the spacetime closer to de Sitter space.

Finite-time singularities in swampland-related dark-energy models

In this work we shall investigate the singularity structure of the phase space corresponding to an exponential quintessence dark-energy model recently related to swampland models. The dynamical system corresponding to the cosmological system is an autonomous polynomial dynamical system, and by using a mathematical theorem we shall investigate whether finite-time singularities can occur in the dynamical system variables. As we demonstrate, the solutions of the dynamical system are non-singular for all cosmic times and this result is general, meaning that the initial conditions corresponding to the regular solutions, belong to a general set of initial conditions and not to a limited set of initial conditions. As we explain, a dynamical system singularity is not directly related to a physical finite-time singularity. Then, by assuming that the Hubble rate with functional form , is a solution of the dynamical system, we investigate the implications of the absence of finite-time singularities in the dynamical system variables. As we demonstrate, Big Rip and a Type-IV singularities can always occur if and , respectively. However, Type-II and Type-III singularities cannot occur in the cosmological system, if the Hubble rate we quoted is considered a solution of the cosmological system.

On sign-changeable interaction in FLRW cosmology

We investigate an interacting two-fluid model in a spatially flat Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) Universe, when the energy transfer between these two dark components is produced by a factorizable nonlinear sign-changeable interaction depending linearly on the energy density and quadratically on the deceleration parameter. We solve the source equation and obtain the effective energy densities of the dark sector and their components. We show that the effective equation of state of the dark sector includes some of the several kinds of Chaplygin gas equations of state as well as a generalization of the polytropic equation of state. We use Bayesian statistics methods to constrain free parameters in the models during the most recent evolution considering supernovae type Ia and measurements of the Hubble expansion rate. The resulting constraints provide new information on sign-changeable interactions, its equivalences and compatibility with previous models and novel late time universe dynamics.

Matter growth in extended ΛCDM cosmology

On the basis of a previously established scalar–tensor extension of the [Formula: see text]CDM model, we develop an effective fluid approach for the matter growth function. This extended [Formula: see text]CDM (henceforth [Formula: see text]CDM) cosmology takes into account deviations from the Standard Model both via a modified background expansion and by the inclusion of geometric anisotropic stresses as well as of perturbations of the geometric dark-energy equivalent. The background dynamics is governed by an explicit analytic expression for the Hubble rate in which modifications of the Standard Model are given in terms of a single constant parameter [W. C. Algoner, H. E. S. Velten and W. Zimdahl, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 1611 (2016) 034]. To close the system of fluid-dynamical perturbation equations, we introduce two phenomenological parameters through which the anisotropic stress is related both to the total energy density perturbation of the cosmic substratum and to relative perturbations in the effective two-component system. We quantify the impact of deviations from the standard background, of anisotropic stresses and of nonvanishing perturbations of the effective dark-energy component on the matter growth rate function [Formula: see text] and confront the results with recent redshift-space distortion (RSD) measurements.

Friedmann-like universes with torsion

We consider spatially homogeneous and isotropic cosmologies with non-vanishing torsion, which assumes a specific form due to the high symmetry of these universes. Using covariant and metric-based techniques, we derive the torsional versions of the continuity, the Friedmann and the Raychaudhuri equations. These show how torsion can drastically change the standard evolution of the Friedmann models, by playing the role of the spatial curvature or that of the cosmological constant. We find, for example, that torsion alone can lead to exponential expansion and thus make the Einstein–de Sitter universe look like the de Sitter cosmos. Also, by modifying the expansion rate of the early universe, torsion could have affected the primordial abundance of helium-4. We show, in particular, that torsion can reduce the production of primordial helium-4, unlike other changes to the standard thermal history of the universe. These theoretical results allow us to impose strong observational bounds on the relative strength of the associated torsion field, confining its ratio to the Hubble rate within the narrow interval (-,0.005813,,+,0.019370) around zero. Finally, turning to static spacetimes, we demonstrate that there exist torsional analogues of the Einstein static universe with all three types of spatial geometry. These models can be stable when the torsion field and the universe’s spatial curvature have the appropriate profiles.

Constraints on massive vector dark energy models from integrated Sachs-Wolfe-galaxy cross-correlations

The gravitational-wave event GW170817, together with the electromagnetic counterpart, shows that the speed of tensor perturbations $c_T$ on the cosmological background is very close to that of light $c$ for the redshift $z<0.009$. In generalized Proca theories, the Lagrangians compatible with the condition $c_T=c$ are constrained to be derivative interactions up to cubic order, besides those corresponding to intrinsic vector modes. We place observational constraints on a dark energy model in cubic-order generalized Proca theories with intrinsic vector modes by running the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) code. We use the cross-correlation data of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) signal and galaxy distributions in addition to the data sets of cosmic microwave background, baryon acoustic oscillations, type Ia supernovae, local measurements of the Hubble expansion rate, and redshift-space distortions. We show that, unlike cubic-order scalar-tensor theories, the existence of intrinsic vector modes allows the possibility for evading the ISW-galaxy anticorrelation incompatible with the current observational data. As a result, we find that the dark energy model in cubic-order generalized Proca theories exhibits a better fit to the data than the cosmological constant, even by including the ISW-galaxy correlation data in the MCMC analysis.

K-essence f(R) gravity inflation

In this work we study a modified version of f(R) gravity in which higher order kinetic terms of a scalar field are added in the action of vacuum f(R) gravity. This type of theory is a type of k-essence f(R) gravity, and it belongs to the general class of f(R,ϕ,X) theories of gravity, where ϕ is a scalar field and X=12∂μϕ∂μϕ. We focus on the inflationary phenomenology of the model, in the slow-roll approximation, and we investigate whether viable inflationary evolutions can be realized in the context of this theory. We use two approaches, firstly by imposing the slow-roll conditions and by using a non-viable vacuum f(R) gravity. As we demonstrate, the spectral index of the primordial scalar perturbations and the tensor-to-scalar ratio of the resulting theory can be compatible with the latest observational data. In the second approach, we fix the functional form of the Hubble rate as a function of the e-foldings number, and we modify well-known vacuum f(R) gravity reconstruction techniques, in order to find the k-essence f(R) gravity which can realize the given Hubble rate. Accordingly, we calculate the slow-roll indices and the corresponding observational indices, and we also provide general formulas of these quantities in the slow-roll approximation. As we demonstrate, viability can be obtained in this case too, however the result is strongly model dependent. In addition, we discuss when ghosts can occur in the theory, and we investigate under which conditions ghosts can be avoided by using a particular class of models. Finally, we qualitatively discuss the existence of inflationary attractors for the non-slow-roll theory, and we provide hints towards finding general de Sitter attractors for the theory at hand.

Isocurvature perturbations during two-field inflation and reheating

We use Hamilton–Jacobi formalism to study the curvature and isocurvature perturbations during inflation. This formalism is suitable for going beyond slow roll regime. We solve the equation of fields’ perturbations for some two-field models, and calculate their spectra. We next use $$\delta N$$ formalism to calculate the curvature and isocurvature non-Gaussianity for a non-separable form of the Hubble expansion rate. Finally, using the sudden decay approximation, we obtain the link between the perturbations during inflation and after reheating for noninteracting fields.

Viscous self interacting dark matter cosmology for small redshift

The viscosity of dark matter in cosmological models may cause an accelerated expansion and when this effect is sufficiently large, it can explain the dark energy. In this work, attributing the origin of viscosity to self-interaction of dark matter, we study the viscous cosmology at small redshift (0⩽ z⩽2.5). Assuming the cluster scale to be virialized and by modeling a power law behavior of velocity gradients, we calculate the Hubble expansion rate, H(z) and the deceleration parameter, q(z). We then perform a χ2 analysis to estimate the best fit model parameters. By using the best fit values, we explain the cosmic chronometer and type Ia supernova data. We conclude that if the dissipative effects become prominent only at the late time of cosmic evolution and are smaller at higher redshift, we can explain the observational data without requiring any dark energy component. Our analysis is independent of any specific model of self interacting dark matter (SIDM).

Tracker and scaling solutions in DHOST theories

In quadratic-order degenerate higher-order scalar–tensor (DHOST) theories compatible with gravitational-wave constraints, we derive the most general Lagrangian allowing for tracker solutions characterized by ϕ˙/Hp=constant, where ϕ˙ is the time derivative of a scalar field ϕ, H is the Hubble expansion rate, and p is a constant. While the tracker is present up to the cubic-order Horndeski Lagrangian L=c2X−c3X(p−1)/(2p)□ϕ, where c2,c3 are constants and X is the kinetic energy of ϕ, the DHOST interaction breaks this structure for p≠1. Even in the latter case, however, there exists an approximate tracker solution in the early cosmological epoch with the nearly constant field equation of state wϕ=−1−2pH˙/(3H2). The scaling solution, which corresponds to p=1, is the unique case in which all the terms in the field density ρϕ and the pressure Pϕ obey the scaling relation ρϕ∝Pϕ∝H2. Extending the analysis to the coupled DHOST theories with the field-dependent coupling Q(ϕ) between the scalar field and matter, we show that the scaling solution exists for Q(ϕ)=1/(μ1ϕ+μ2), where μ1 and μ2 are constants. For the constant Q, i.e., μ1=0, we derive fixed points of the dynamical system by using the general Lagrangian with scaling solutions. This result can be applied to the model construction of late-time cosmic acceleration preceded by the scaling ϕ-matter-dominated epoch.

Inflation with mixed helicities and its observational imprint on CMB

In the framework of effective field theories with prominent helicity-0 and helicity-1 fields coupled to each other via a dimension-3 operator, we study the dynamics of inflation driven by the helicity-0 mode, with a given potential energy, as well as the evolution of cosmological perturbations, influenced by the presence of a mixing term between both helicities. In this scenario, the temporal component of the helicity-1 mode is an auxiliary field and can be integrated out in terms of the time derivative of the helicity-0 mode, so that the background dynamics effectively reduces to that in single-field inflation modulated by a parameter $\beta$ associated to the coupling between helicity-0 and helicity-1 modes. We discuss the evolution of a longitudinal scalar perturbation $\psi$ and an inflaton fluctuation $\delta \phi$, and explicitly show that a particular combination of these two, which corresponds to an isocurvature mode, is subject to exponential suppression by the vector mass comparable to the Hubble expansion rate during inflation. Furthermore, we find that the effective single-field description corrected by $\beta$ also holds for the power spectrum of curvature perturbations generated during inflation. We compute the standard inflationary observables such as the scalar spectral index $n_s$ and the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ and confront several inflaton potentials with the recent observational data provided by Planck 2018. Our results show that the coupling between helicity-0 and helicity-1 modes can lead to a smaller value of the tensor-to-scalar ratio especially for small-field inflationary models, so our scenario exhibits even better compatibility with the current observational data.

Gravitational production of super-Hubble-mass particles: an analytic approach

Through a mechanism similar to perturbative particle scattering, particles of mass mχ larger than the Hubble expansion rate Hinf during inflation can be gravitationally produced at the end of inflation without the exponential suppression powers of exp(−mχ/Hinf ). Here we develop an analytic formalism for computing particle production for such massive particles. We apply our formalism to specific models that have been previously been studied only numerically, and we find that our analytical approximations reproduce those numerical estimates well.

Cosmological study of autonomous dynamical systems in modified Tele-Parallel gravity

Cosmological approaches of an autonomous dynamical system studied in the framework of f(T) gravity are investigated in this paper. Our methods applied to flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker equations in f(T) gravity, consisting in extracting dynamical systems whose time-dependence is contained in a single parameter m depending on the Hubble rate of the Universe and its second derivative order. In our attempt to investigate the autonomous aspect of the dynamical systems reconstructed in both vacuum and non-vacuum f (T) gravities, two constant values of the parameter m have been at the heart of our present analysis. In the so-called quasi-de Sitter inflationary era ( $ m\simeq 0$ ), the corresponding autonomous dynamical systems provide stable de Sitter attractors and unstable de Sitter fixed points. Especially in vacuum f(T) gravity, the approximate form of the f(T) gravities near the stable and the unstable de Sitter fixed points has been performed. The matter dominated era case $ (m=-\frac{9}{2})$ leads to unstable fixed points confirming matter dominated era or not, and stable attractor fixed point describing dark energy dominated era. Another subtlety around the stable fixed point obtained at the matter dominated case in the non-vacuum f(T) gravity is that when the dark energy dominated era is reached, at the same time, the radiation perfect fluid dominated succumbs.

α -attractor-type double inflation

We study the background dynamics and primordial perturbation in $\alpha$-attractor-type double inflation. The model is composed of two minimally coupled scalar fields, where each of the fields has a potential of the $\alpha$-attractor type. We find that the background trajectory in this double inflation model is given by two almost straight lines connected with a turn in the field space. With this simple background, we can classify the property of the perturbations generated in this double inflation model just depending on whether the turn occurs before the horizon exit for the mode corresponding to the scale of interest or not. In the former case, the resultant primordial curvature perturbation coincides with the one obtained by the single-field $\alpha$-attractor. On the other hand, in the latter case, it is affected by the multifield effects, like the mixing with the isocurvature perturbation and the change of the Hubble expansion rate at the horizon exit. We obtain the approximated analytic solutions for the background, with which we can calculate the primordial curvature perturbation by the $\delta N$ formalism analytically, even when the multifield effects are significant. We also impose observational constraints on the model parameters and initial values of the fields in this double inflation model based on the Planck result.

Growth of matter perturbations in nonminimal teleparallel dark energy

We study the growth rate of matter perturbations in the context of teleparallel dark energy in a flat universe. We investigate the dynamics of different theoretical scenarios based on specific forms of the scalar field potential. Allowing for non-minimal coupling between torsion scalar and scalar field, we perform a phase-space analysis of the autonomous systems of equations through the study of critical points. We thus analyze the stability of the critical points, and discuss the cosmological implications searching for possible attractor solutions at late times. Furthermore, combing the growth rate data and the Hubble rate measurements, we place observational constraints on the cosmological parameters of the models through Monte Carlo numerical method. We find that the scenario with a non-minimal coupling is favoured with respect to the standard quintessence case. Adopting the best-fit results, we show that the dark energy equation of state parameter can cross the phantom divide. Finally, we compare our results with the predictions of the concordance $\Lambda$CDM paradigm by performing Bayesian model selection.

Backreaction of super-Hubble cosmological perturbations beyond perturbation theory

We discuss the effect of super-Hubble cosmological fluctuations on the locally measured Hubble expansion rate. We consider a large bare cosmological constant in the early universe in the presence of scalar field matter (the dominant matter component), which would lead to a scale-invariant primordial spectrum of cosmological fluctuations. Using the leading order gradient expansion we show that the expansion rate measured by a (secondary) clock field which is not comoving with the dominant matter component obtains a negative contribution from infrared fluctuations, a contribution whose absolute value increases in time. This is the same effect which a decreasing cosmological constant would produce. This supports the conclusion that infrared fluctuations lead to a dynamical relaxation of the cosmological constant. Our analysis does not make use of any perturbative expansion in the amplitude of the inhomogeneities.

Observational constraints on the free parameters of an interacting Bose–Einstein gas as a dark-energy model

Dark energy is modelled by a Bose-Einstein gas of particles with an attractive interaction. It is coupled to cold dark matter, within a flat universe, for the late-expansion description, producing variations in particle-number densities. The model's parameters, and physical association, are: $\Omega_{G0}$, $\Omega_{m0}$, the dark-energy rest-mass energy density and the dark-matter term scaling as a mass term, respectively; $\Omega_{i0}$, the self-interaction intensity; $x$, the energy exchange rate. Energy conservation relates such parameters. The Hubble equation omits $\Omega_{G0}$, but also contains $h$, the present-day expansion rate of the flat Friedman--Lem\^aitre--Robertson--Walker metric, and $\Omega_{b0}$, the baryon energy density, used as a prior. This results in the four effective chosen parameters $\Omega_{b0}$, $h$, $\Omega_{m0}$, $\Omega_{i0}$, fit with the Hubble expansion rate $H(z)$, and data from its value today, near distance, and supernovas. We derive wide $1\sigma$ and $2\sigma$ likelihood regions compatible with definite positive total CDM and IBEG mass terms. Additionally, the best-fit value of parameter $x$ relieves the coincidence problem, and a second potential coincidence problem related to the choice of $\Omega_{G0}$.