Microwave Background Research Articles

The de Sitter Swampland Conjectures in the Context of Chaplygin-Inspired Inflation

In this work, we discuss the de Sitter swampland conjectures in the context of the generalized Chaplygin-inspired inflationary model. We demonstrate that these conjectures can be satisfied, but only in the region of the parameter space far away from the General Relativity limit. The cosmic microwave background data had already been found to restrict the allowed inflationary potentials of this model. Our results impose a further limitation on the possible potentials.

TGF-β1 inhibitor enhances the therapeutic effect of microwave ablation on hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Microwave ablation (MWA) is a widely adopted treatment technique for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, MWA alone is of limited use and has a high recurrence rate. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is recognized as a potential therapeutic target for HCC patients. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate whether the TGF-β1 inhibitor could increase the efficacy of MWA therapy for HCC treatment. Methods In vitro, HCC cells challenged with TGF-β1 inhibitor (SB-525334), or normal saline were then heated by microwave. Methyl tetrazolium assays were performed to detect cell survival rate and half-maximal drug inhibitory concentration (IC50). Cell viability and apoptosis were detected by cell counting kit-8 assays, flow cytometry and western blotting. In vivo, the mice injected with HepG2 cells received oral gavage of SB-525334 (20 mg/kg) or normal saline and MWA at a power of 15 W. Tumor volume was recorded. Expression of Ki67 and apoptosis-related proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. TUNEL assays were used to detect cell death ratio. Histopathological changes were examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The mechanisms associated with the function of MWA combined with TGF-β1 inhibitor in HCC development were explored by western blotting. Results Combination of MWA and SB-525334 decreased the survival rate and promoted the apoptosis of HCC cells compared with MWA alone. SB-525334 enhanced the suppressive effect of MWA on tumor growth and amplified cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, MWA collaborated with SB-525334 inhibitor inactivated the TGF-β1/Smad2/Smad3 pathway. Conclusion TGF-β1 inhibitor enhances the therapeutic effect of MWA on HCC.

Generation of the CMB cosmic birefringence through axion-like particles, sterile and active neutrinos

The cosmic birefringence (CB) angle refers to the rotation of the linear polarization plane of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiations when parity-violating theories are considered. We analyzed the Quantum Boltzmann equation for an ensemble of CMB photons interacting with the right-handed sterile neutrino dark matter (DM) and axion-like particles (ALPs) DM in the presence of the scalar metric perturbation. We used the birefringence angle of CMB to study those probable candidates of DM. It is shown that the CB angle contribution of sterile neutrino is much less that two other sources considered here. Next, we combined the results of the cosmic neutrinos’ contribution and the contribution of the ALPs to producing the CMB birefringence and discussed the uncertainty on the parameter space of axions caused by the share of CMB-cosmic neutrino interaction in generating this effect. Finally, we plotted the EB power spectrum of the CMB and showed that this spectrum behaves differently in the presence of cosmic neutrinos and ALPs interactions in small l. Hence, future observed data for CEBl,\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$C^{l}_{EB},$$\\end{document} will help us to distinguish the CB angle value due to the various sources of its production.

On Dark Matter and Dark Energy in CCC+TL Cosmology

Relaxing the temporal constancy constraint on coupling constants in an expanding universe results in Friedmann equations containing terms that may be interpreted as dark energy and dark matter. When tired light (TL) was considered to complement the redshift due to the expanding universe, the resulting covarying coupling constants (CCC+TL) model not only fit the Type Ia supernovae data as precisely as the ΛCDM model, but also resolved concerns about the angular size of cosmic dawn galaxies observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. The model was recently shown to be compliant with the baryon acoustic oscillation features in the galaxy distribution and the cosmic microwave background (CMB). This paper demonstrates that dark energy and dark matter of the standard ΛCDM model are not arbitrary but can be derived from the CCC approach based on Dirac’s 1937 hypothesis. The energy densities associated with dark matter and dark energy turn out to be about the same in the ΛCDM and the CCC+TL models. However, the critical density in the new model can only account for the baryonic matter in the universe, raising concerns about how to account for observations requiring dark matter. We therefore analyze some key parameters of structure formation and show how they are affected in the absence of dark matter in the CCC+TL scenario. It requires reconsidering alternatives to dark matter to explain observations on gravitationally bound structures. The model’s consistency with the CMB power spectrum, BBN element abundances, and other critical observations is yet to be established.

Large curvature fluctuations from no-scale supergravity with a spectator field

We investigate the large curvature perturbations which can lead to the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs) in the context of no-scale supergravity. Our study does not depend on any exotic scenario, such as scalar potentials with inflection points or bulks, and aims to avoid the fine-tuning of model parameters to achieve the formation of PBHs. This formation relies on the quantum fluctuations of a light spectator stochastic field after the inflationary period. Our analysis is based on the SU(2,1)/SU(2)×U(1) symmetry, considering both the inflaton and the spectator field. Specifically, we examine existing no-scale models with Starobinsky-like scalar potentials that are consistent with observable constraints on inflation from measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). These models involve two chiral fields: the inflaton and the modulus field. We propose a novel role for the modulus field as a spectator field, responsible for generating PBHs. Our hypothesis suggests that while the inflaton field satisfies the CMB constraints of inflation, it is the modulus field acting as the spectator that leads to large curvature perturbations, capable to explain the production of PBHs. Additionally, we prioritize retaining the inflationary constraints from the CMB through the consideration of spectator fluctuations. Therefore, by exploring the relationship between these fields within the framework of the SU(2,1)/SU(2)×U(1) symmetry, our aim is to unveil their implications for the formation of PBHs.

Restoring cosmological concordance with axion-like early dark energy and dark matter characterized by a constant equation of state?

The Hubble tension persists as a challenge in cosmology. Even early dark energy (EDE) models, initially considered the most promising for alleviating the Hubble tension, fall short of addressing the issue without exacerbating other tensions, such as the S 8 tension. Considering that a negative dark matter (DM) equation of state (EoS) parameter is conducive to reduce the value of the σ 8 parameter, we extend the axion-like EDE model in this paper by replacing the cold dark matter (CDM) with DM characterized by a constant EoS w dm (referred to as WDM hereafter). We then impose constraints on this axion-like EDE extension model, along with three other models: the axion-like EDE model, ΛWDM, and ΛCDM. These constraints are derived from a comprehensive analysis incorporating data from the Planck 2018 cosmic microwave background, baryon acoustic oscillations, and the Pantheon compilation, as well as a prior on H 0 (i.e. H 0 = 73.04 ± 1.04, based on the latest local measurement by Riess et al) and a Gaussianized prior on S 8 (i.e. S 8 = 0.766 ± 0.017, determined through the joint analysis of KID1000+BOSS+2dLenS). We find that although the new model maintains the ability to alleviate the Hubble tension to ∼1.4σ, it still exacerbates the S 8 tension to a level similar to that of the axion-like EDE model.

Prediction and Distribution of Supernovae in the Epoch of Reionization Universal Model

The distribution of SNe during the epoch of reionization is usually determined by the Schmidt-kennicutt law, but the values and specific impact of different SNe types have been ambiguous. This study delves into the impact of Type Ia, Type Ib/Ic, & Type 2 Supernovae (SNe) effect on galaxy formation and distribution during the epoch of reionization, which in turn significantly influences and determines the symmetry and spread of elements, stars, galaxies, and even the cosmic microwave background radiation. The first phase determines the estimated amount of the SNe with neutral (hydrogen) fractions, photo-ionization rate for the H1 region, escape fraction with respect to redshift, and relative distribution of hydrogen number density all predicted by the THESAN simulations. The second phase determines the powers and scale of SNe in the reionization period using PDEs. The last phase calibrates the data on current SN remnants and progenitors such as mass, redshift, and composition to predict the evolution of SNE behavior since the epoch of reionization to contemporary astronomy. Then, using the provided data on SNe, this study will form a constructive model layering all three phases to determine the effect of different types of SNe during the ionization period and their patterns leading to today. Further research using the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope and telescopes specifically built to study redshift (like HERA and JWST) to have smaller error margins and more reliable data to determine a better fit for the distribution and impact of SNe in the Epoch.

Analysis of the Composition and Characteristics of Dark Matter

Today, astronomers use different methods to study the structure and evolution of the universe. However, they will all be affected by other factors such as light or electromagnetic radiation. It is impossible to accurately observe the structure of the universe in the distant past. To find objects that fit the criteria, the existence of dark matter was assumed. It only has a gravitational effect and will be less affected. The composition and characteristics of dark matter are important research foundations. In this paper, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and power spectrum are used to study the status of dark matter in the universe. The search found Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) to be a candidate in the dark matter component. The three types of dark matter are cold dark matter, warm dark matter, and hot dark matter. Comparing their respective characteristics, it is concluded that cold dark matter (CDM) is the condition for observing large-scale structures. The result is that dark matter constitutes the second largest component of the universe. WIMPs are more suitable candidates than Neutrinos. CDM is best suited for studying large-scale structures over time. Eventually, it will be discovered that dark matter has strong stability, which will help astronomers find the process of universe evolution. Dark matter is also an important player that is best used to study the structure and evolution of the universe.

Higgs Inflation in Unimodular Gravity

Abstract The discovery of the Higgs mechanism within the context of spontaneous symmetry breaking has offered a new perspective on early-time cosmic inflation and also on the relationship between elementary particles and dark energy, believed to drive the universe’s accelerating expansion. We suggest an inflation scenario driven by the Higgs boson within the framework of unimodular gravity, where the Higgs field acts as the inflaton and has a significant non-minimal coupling to the gravity. We present a detailed analysis of the problem in the Jordan and then Einstein frame for a unimodular Higgs inflation, followed by a comparison of our findings with the cosmic microwave background observations made by the Planck Collaboration and other joint data sets. Therefore, new constraints are imposed on the non-minimal coupling parameter, $\xi$, by determining the magnitudes required for effective cosmic inflation. We demonstrate that a substantial non-minimal coupling of order $\xi \sim 10^{2}\!-\!10^{4}$ is required for this model to match with the observed primordial spectrum.

Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) science: Resolving the hot and ionized Universe through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect

An omnipresent feature of the multi-phase “cosmic web” — the large-scale filamentary backbone of the Universe — is that warm/hot (≳ 105 K) ionized gas pervades it. This gas constitutes a relevant contribution to the overall universal matter budget across multiple scales, from the several tens of Mpc-scale intergalactic filaments, to the Mpc intracluster medium (ICM), all the way down to the circumgalactic medium (CGM) surrounding individual galaxies, on scales from ∼ 1 kpc up to their respective virial radii (∼ 100 kpc). The study of the hot baryonic component of cosmic matter density represents a powerful means for constraining the intertwined evolution of galactic populations and large-scale cosmological structures, for tracing the matter assembly in the Universe and its thermal history. To this end, the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect provides the ideal observational tool for measurements out to the beginnings of structure formation. The SZ effect is caused by the scattering of the photons from the cosmic microwave background off the hot electrons embedded within cosmic structures, and provides a redshift-independent perspective on the thermal and kinematic properties of the warm/hot gas. Still, current and next-generation (sub)millimeter facilities have been providing only a partial view of the SZ Universe due to any combination of: limited angular resolution, spectral coverage, field of view, spatial dynamic range, sensitivity, or all of the above. In this paper, we motivate the development of a wide-field, broad-band, multi-chroic continuum instrument for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) by identifying the scientific drivers that will deepen our understanding of the complex thermal evolution of cosmic structures. On a technical side, this will necessarily require efficient multi-wavelength mapping of the SZ signal with an unprecedented spatial dynamic range (from arcsecond to degree scales) and we employ detailed theoretical forecasts to determine the key instrumental constraints for achieving our goals.

Re-examining the Lithium abundance problem in Big-Bang nucleosynthesis

One of the three testaments in favor of the big bang theory is the prediction of the primordial elemental abundances in the big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). The Standard BBN is a parameter-free theory due to the precise knowledge of the baryon-to-photon ratio of the Universe obtained from studies of the anisotropies of cosmic microwave background radiation. Although the computed abundances of light elements during primordial nucleosynthesis and those determined from observations are in good agreement throughout a range of nine orders of magnitude, there is still a disparity of 7Li abundance overestimated by a factor of ∼2.5 when calculated theoretically. The number of light neutrino flavors, the neutron lifetime and the baryon-to-photon ratio in addition to the astrophysical nuclear reaction rates determine the primordial abundances. We previously looked into the impact of updating baryon-to-photon ratio and neutron lifetime and changing quite a few reaction rates on the yields of light element abundances in BBN. In this work, calculations are performed using new reaction rates for 3H(p, γ)4He, 6Li(p, γ)7Be, 7Be(p, γ)8B, 13N(p, γ)14O, 7Li(n, γ)8Li and 11B(n, γ)12B along with the latest measured value of neutron lifetime. We observe from theoretical calculations that these changes result in improvement by causing further reduction in the abundance of 7Li than calculated earlier.

Primordial gravitational waves assisted by cosmological scalar perturbations

Primordial gravitational waves are a crucial prediction of inflation theory, and their detection through their imprints on the cosmic microwave background is actively being pursued. However, these attempts have not yet been successful. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to detect primordial gravitational waves by searching for a signal of second-order tensor perturbations. These perturbations were produced due to nonlinear couplings between the linear tensor and scalar perturbations in the early universe. We anticipate a blue-tilted tensor spectral index, and suggest that the tensor-to-scalar ratio can potentially be measured with high precision using a detector network composed of the ground-based Einstein Telescope and the space-borne LISA project on a decade timescale.

Modified holographic Ricci interacting dark energy models: dynamical system analysis and Bayesian comparison

We perform a dynamical system analysis and a Bayesian model selection for a new set of interacting scenarios in the framework of modified holographic Ricci dark energy (MHR-IDE) models. The dynamical analysis shows a modified radiation epoch and a late-time attractor corresponding to an accelerated phase of holographic dark energy. In the Bayesian comparison, we use a combination of background data including type Ia supernovae, cosmic chronometers, the local value of the Hubble constant, baryon acoustic oscillations, and cosmic microwave background data. We find evidence against all the MHR-IDE scenarios studied in comparison with the Λ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\varLambda $$\\end{document}CDM when the full joint analysis is considered.

Gravitational waves produced by domain walls during inflation

We study the properties of the stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB) produced by domain walls (DWs) during inflation without forming a network. We numerically simulate the DW production caused by a second-order phase transition and calculate the SGWB spectrum using a 1000×1000×1000 lattice. We show that the SGWB can be observed directly by future terrestrial and space gravitational-wave detectors and through the B-mode spectrum in the cosmic microwave background. With numerical simulations, we derive an empirical formula for the strength and qualitative features of the SGWB spectrum. The details of the SGWB spectrum also contain information about the later evolution of the Universe. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Integrating Cosmic Microwave Background Readings with Celestial Navigation to Enhance Deep Space Navigation.

This research unveils a cutting-edge navigation system for deep space missions that utilizes cosmic microwave background (CMB) sensor readings to enhance spacecraft positioning and velocity estimation accuracy significantly. By exploiting the Doppler-shifted CMB spectrum and integrating it with optical measurements for celestial navigation, this approach employs advanced data processing through the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF), enabling precise navigation amid the complexities of space travel. The simulation results confirm the system's exceptional precision and resilience in deep space missions, marking a significant advancement in astronautics and paving the way for future space exploration endeavors.

Inflation and reheating predictions in polynomial inflation with small and large fields

We explore the inflationary dynamics and reheating predictions of the fourth-order generalized polynomial inflation model featuring adjustable saddle-point position and flatness near the saddle point for both small and large field cases, based on the latest Planck 2018 Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and BICEP/Keck data. We observe that the small field case, with saddle points proximate to the origin, exhibits a significantly lower tensor-to-scalar ratio compared to the large field case. Additionally, the spectral index of the curvature perturbation increases as the flatness near the potential saddle point decreases. Through an analysis of the interplay between inflation and reheating parameters derived from the expansion history of the pivot CMB scale, we establish a permissible range for the reheating parameters. We find that both the small and large cases of polynomial inflation can be consistent with the latest observations due to potential flatness reduction, except for the case where the saddle point deviates significantly from the origin, and the reheating process accentuates the disparities in parameter space between small and large field inflationary scenarios.

Improving constraints on inflation with CMB delensing

The delensing of cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps will be increasingly valuable for extracting as much information as possible from future CMB surveys. Delensing provides many general benefits, including sharpening of the acoustic peaks, more accurate recovery of the damping tail, and reduction of lensing-induced B-mode power. In this paper we present several applications of delensing focused on testing theories of early-universe inflation with observations of the CMB. We find that delensing the CMB results in improved parameter constraints for reconstructing the spectrum of primordial curvature fluctuations, probing oscillatory features in the primordial curvature spectrum, measuring the spatial curvature of the universe, and constraining several different models of isocurvature perturbations. In some cases we find that delensing can recover almost all of the constraining power contained in unlensed spectra, and it will be a particularly valuable analysis technique to achieve further improvements in constraints for model parameters whose measurements are not expected to improve significantly when utilizing only lensed CMB maps from next-generation CMB surveys. We also quantify the prospects of testing the single-field inflation tensor consistency condition using delensed CMB data; we find it to be out of reach of current and proposed experimental technology and advocate for alternative detection methods.

Identifying frequency de-correlated dust residuals in B-mode maps by exploiting the spectral capability of bolometric interferometry

Context. Astrophysical polarized foregrounds represent the most critical challenge in cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode experiments, requiring multifrequency observations to constrain astrophysical foregrounds and isolate the CMB signal. However, recent observations indicate that foreground emission may be more complex than anticipated. Not properly accounting for these complexities during component separation can lead to a bias in the recovered tensor-to-scalar ratio. Aims. In this paper we investigate how the increased spectral resolution provided by band-splitting in bolometric interferometry (BI) through a technique called spectral imaging can help control the foreground contamination in the case of an unaccounted-for Galactic dust frequency de-correlation along the line of sight (LOS). Methods. We focused on the next-generation ground-based CMB experiment CMB-S4 and compared its anticipated sensitivity, frequency, and sky coverage with a hypothetical version of the same experiment based on BI (CMB-S4/BI). We performed a Monte Carlo analysis based on parametric component separation methods (FGBuster and Commander) and computed the likelihood of the recovered tensor-to-scalar ratio, r. Results. The main result is that spectral imaging allows us to detect systematic uncertainties on r from frequency de-correlation when this effect is not accounted for in the component separation. Conversely, an imager such as CMB-S4 would detect a biased value of r and would be unable to spot the presence of a systematic effect. We find a similar result in the reconstruction of the dust spectral index, and we show that with BI we can more precisely measure the dust spectral index when frequency de-correlation is present and not accounted for in the component separation. Conclusions. The in-band frequency resolution provided by BI allows us to identify dust LOS frequency de-correlation residuals where an imager with a similar level of performance would fail. This creates the possibility of exploiting this potential in the context of future CMB polarization experiments that will be challenged by complex foregrounds in their quest for B-mode detection.

Finding origins of CMB anomalies in the inflationary quantum fluctuations

In this paper, we present compelling evidence for the parity asymmetry (a discrete symmetry separate from isotropy) in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) map, measured through two-point temperature correlations. Any asymmetry associated with discrete symmetries, such as parity, challenges our understanding of quantum physics associated with primordial physics rather than LCDM (Λ Cold-Dark-Matter) itself. We commence by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the Planck CMB, focusing on the distribution of power in low-multipoles and temperature anticorrelations at parity conjugate points in position space. We find tension with the near scale-invariant power-law power spectrum of Standard Inflation (SI), with p-values of the order 𝒪(10-4 - 10-3). Alternatively, we explore the framework of direct-sum inflation (DSI), where a quantum fluctuation arises as a direct sum of two components evolving forward and backward in time at parity conjugate points in physical space. This mechanism results in a parity-asymmetric scale-dependent power spectrum, particularly prominent at low-multipoles, without any additional free model parameters. Our findings indicate that DSI is consistent with data on parity asymmetry, the absence of power at θ > 60°, and power suppression at low-even-multipoles which are major data anomalies in the SI model. Furthermore, we discover that the parameters characterizing the hemispherical power asymmetry anomaly become statistically insignificant when the large SI quadrupole amplitude is reduced to align with the data. DSI explains this low quadrupole with a p-value of 3.5%, 39 times higher than SI. Combining statistics from parameters measuring parity and low-ℓ angular power spectrum, we find that DSI is 50-650 times more probable than SI. In summary, our investigation suggests that while CMB temperature fluctuations exhibit homogeneity and isotropy, they also display parity-asymmetric behavior consistent with predictions of DSI. This observation provides a tantalizing evidence for the quantum mechanical nature of gravity.

On the detectability of the moving lens signal in CMB experiments

Upcoming cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments are expected to detect new signals probing interaction of CMB photons with intervening large-scale structure. Among these the moving-lens effect, the CMB temperature anisotropy induced by cosmological structures moving transverse to our line of sight, is anticipated to be measured to high significance in the near future. In this paper, we investigate two possible strategies for the detection of this signal: pairwise transverse-velocity estimation and oriented stacking. We expand on previous studies by including in the analysis realistic simulations of competing signals and foregrounds. We confirm that the moving lens effect can be detected at ≥ 10σ level by a combination of CMB-S4 and LSST surveys. We show that the limiting factors in the detection depend on the strategy: for the stacking analysis, correlated extragalactic foregrounds, namely the cosmic infrared background and thermal Sunyaev Zel'dovich effect, play the most important role. The addition of foregrounds make the signal-to-noise ratio be most influenced by large and nearby objects. As for the pairwise detection, halo lensing and pair number counts are the main issues. In light of our findings, we elaborate on possible strategies to improve the analysis approach for the moving lens detection with upcoming experiments. We also deliver to the community all the simulations and tools we developed for this study.