The unphysical spin-2 massive degrees of freedom in higher derivative gravity may be either massive unphysical ghosts or tachyonic ghosts. In the last case there is no Planck-scale threshold protecting vacuum cosmological solutions from instabilities. Within the anomaly-induced action formalism the photon-driven IR running of the coefficient of the Weyl-squared term makes the ghost eventually becoming tachyon, that should produce a gravitational explosion of vacuum. This effect is stable under higher loop corrections and takes place also in known versions of perturbative quantum gravity. However, the contribution of massless fields in the far IR are not the same in flat and de~Sitter spaces. In the asymptotically deSitter case one can observe a kind of IR decoupling, which protects the cosmological solution from the future tachyonic instabilities.
Several different explicit reconstructions of f(R) gravity are obtained from the background FRW expansion history. It is shown that the only theory whose Lagrangian is a simple function of the Ricci scalar R, that admits an exact LCDM expansion history is standard General Relativity with a positive cosmological constant and the only way to obtain this behaviour of the scale factor for more general functions of R is to add additional degrees of freedom to the matter sector.
We derive the exact third-order analytic solution of the matter density fluctuation in the proper-time hypersurface in a $Λ$CDM universe, accounting for the explicit time-dependence and clarifying the relation to the initial condition. Furthermore, we compare our analytic solution to the previous calculation in the comoving gauge, and to the standard Newtonian perturbation theory by providing Fourier kernels for the relativistic effects. Our results provide an essential ingredient for a complete description of galaxy bias in the relativistic context.
Cosmological observations indicate that our universe is flat and dark energy (DE) dominated at present. The luminosity distance plays an important role in the investigation of the evolution and structure of the universe. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the luminosity distance d_L is associated computationally heavy numerical quadratures in practice. In this Letter we find a series solution of the luminosity distance in a spatially flat LCDM cosmological model. And it is further shown that the series solution has a relative error of less than 0.36% for any relative parameter β(β= Omega_m / Omeg…
We investigate some cosmological features of the LCDM model in the framework of the generalized teleparallel theory of gravity f(T) where T denotes the torsion scalar. Its reconstruction is performed giving rise to an integration constant Q and other input parameters according to which we point out more analysis. Thereby, we show that for some values of this constant, the first and second laws of thermodynamics can be realized in the equilibrium description, for the universe with the temperature inside the horizon equal to that at the apparent horizon. Moreover, still within these suitable val…
Recently, spatially inhomogeneous cosmological models have been proposed as an alternative to the LCDM model, with the aim of reproducing the late time dynamics of the Universe without introducing a cosmological constant or dark energy. This paper investigates the possibility of distinguishing such models from the standard LCDM using background or large scale structure data. It also illustrates and emphasizes the necessity of testing the Copernican principle in order to confront the tests of general relativity with the large scale structure.
The use of luminous red galaxies as cosmic chronometers provides us with an indispensable method of measuring the universal expansion rate H(z) in a model-independent way. Unlike many probes of the cosmological history, this approach does not rely on integrated quantities, such as the luminosity distance, and therefore does not require the pre-assumption of any particular model, which may bias subsequent interpretations of the data. We employ three statistical tools -- the Akaike, Kullback, and Bayes Information Criteria (AIC, KIC and BIC) -- to compare the LCDM model and the R_h=ct Universe w…
In the framework of the minimal quartet-metric gravity/systogravity, a scalar graviton/systolon is stated as a universal dark component, with supplementary manifestations in the different contexts either as dark matter or dark energy. An ensuing extension to the standard ΛCDM model is developed. A modification of the late expansion of the Universe, with an attractor of a scalar master equation defining an effective cosmological constant, which supersedes the true one, is proposed. A new partial solution to the cosmological constant problem is discussed.
If the spacetime metric has anisotropic spatial curvature, one can afford to expand the universe isotropically, provided that the energy-momentum tensor satisfy a certain con- straint. This leads to the so-called shear-free metrics, which have the interesting property of violating the cosmological principle while still preserving the isotropy of the cosmic mi- crowave background (CMB) radiation. In this work we show that shear-free cosmologies correspond to an attractor solution in the space of models with anisotropic spatial curva- ture. Through a rigorous definition of linear perturbation th…
The analysis of Type Ia supernova data over the past decade has been a notable success story in cosmology. These standard candles offer us an unparalleled opportunity of studying the cosmological expansion out to a redshift of ~1.5. The consensus today appears to be that LCDM offers the best explanation for the luminosity-distance relationship seen in these events. However, a significant incompatibility is now emerging between the standard model and other equally important observations, such as those of the cosmic microwave background. LCDM does not provide an accurate representation of the co…
The Lambda-Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model agrees with most of the cosmological observations, but has some hindrances from observed data at smaller scales such as galaxies. Recently, Berezhiani and Khoury (2015) proposed a new theory involving interacting superfluid dark matter with three model parameters, which explains galactic dynamics with great accuracy. In the present work, we study the cosmological behaviour of this model in the linear regime of cosmological perturbations. In particular, we compute both analytically and numerically the matter linear growth factor and obtain new bounds for…
We use recently published redshift space distortion measurements of the cosmological growth rate, f sigma_8(z), to examine whether the linear evolution of perturbations in the R_h=ct cosmology is consistent with the observed development of large scale structure. We find that these observations favour R_h=ct over the version of LCDM optimized with the joint analysis of Planck and linear growth rate data, particularly in the redshift range 0 < z < 1, where a significant curvature in the functional form of f sigma_8(z) predicted by the standard model---but not by R_h=ct---is absent in the data. W…
Cosmological observational analysis frequently assumes that the Universe is spatially flat. We aim to non-perturbatively check the conditions under which a flat or nearly flat expanding dust universe, including the LCDM model if interpreted as strictly flat, forbids the gravitational collapse of structure. We quantify spatial curvature at turnaround. We use the Hamiltonian constraint to determine the pointwise conditions required for an overdensity to reach its turnaround epoch in an exactly flat spatial domain. We illustrate this with a plane-symmetric, exact, cosmological solution of the Ein…
We show that loitering at high redshifts ($z \gsim 6$) can easily arise in braneworld models of dark energy which, in addition to being spatially flat, also accelerate at late times. Loitering is characterized by the fact that the Hubble parameter dips in value over a narrow redshift range which we shall refer to as the `loitering epoch'. During loitering, density perturbations are expected to grow rapidly. In addition, since the expansion of the universe slows down, its age near loitering dramatically increases. An early epoch of loitering is expected to boost the formation of high redshift g…
We investigate the stability of the Einstein static universe as a non-LRS Bianchi type IX solution of the Einstein equations in the presence of both non-tilted and tilted fluids. We find that the static universe is unstable to homogeneous perturbations of Bianchi type IX to the future and the past.
We discuss the modified gravity which may produce the current cosmic aceleration of the universe and eliminates the need for dark energy. It is shown that such models where the action quickly grows with the decrease of the curvature define the FRW universe with the minimal curvature. It is required the infinite time to reach the minimal curvature during the universe evolution. It is demonstrated that quantum effects of conformal fields may strongly suppress the instabilities discovered in modified gravity. We also briefly speculate on the modification of gravity combined with the presence of t…
The evolution of inhomogeneities in a spherical collapse model is studied by expanding the Einstein equation in powers of inverse radial parameter. In the linear regime, the density contrast is obtained for flat, closed and open universes. In addition to the usual modes, an infinite number of new growing modes are contained in the solutions for pressureless open and closed universes. In the nonlinear regime, we obtain the leading growing modes in closed forms for a flat universe and also, in the limits of small and large times, for an open universe.
The R_h=ct Universe is a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) cosmology which, like LCDM, assumes the presence of dark energy in addition to (baryonic and non-luminous) matter and radiation. Unlike LCDM, however, it is also constrained by the equation of state (EOS) p=-rho/3, in terms of the total pressure p and energy density rho. One-on-one comparative tests between R_h=ct and LCDM have been carried out using over 14 different cosmological measurements and observations. In every case, the data have favoured R_h=ct over the standard model, with model selection tools yielding a likelihood ~90-95% …
We explore exact f(R) gravity solutions that mimic Chaplygin-gas inspired LCDM cosmology. Starting with the original and modified Chaplygin gas equations of state, we reconstruct the forms of f(R) Lagrangians. The resulting solutions are generally quadratic in the Ricci scalar, but have appropriate LCDM solutions in limiting cases. These solutions, given appropriate initial conditions, can be potential candidates for scalar field-driven early universe expansion (inflation) and dark energy-driven late-time cosmic acceleration.
Strongly gravitationally lensed quasar-galaxy systems allow us to compare competing cosmologies as long as one can be reasonably sure of the mass distribution within the intervening lens. In this paper, we assemble a catalog of 69 such systems, and carry out a one-on-one comparison between the standard model, LCDM, and the R_h=ct Universe. We find that both models account for the lens observations quite well, though the precision of these measurements does not appear to be good enough to favor one model over the other. Part of the reason is the so-called bulge-halo conspiracy that, on average,…
Properties of Braneworld models of dark energy are reviewed. Braneworld models admit the following interesting possibilities: (i) The effective equation of state can be w < -1 as well as w > -1. In the former case the expansion of the universe is well behaved at all times and the universe does not run into a future `Big Rip' singularity which is usually encountered by Phantom models. (ii) For a class of Braneworld models the acceleration of the universe can be a transient phenomenon. In this case the current acceleration of the universe is sandwiched between two matter dominated epochs. Such a…
We consider class of modified $f(R)$ gravities with the effective cosmological constant epoch at the early and late universe. Such models pass most of solar system tests as well they satisfy to cosmological bounds. Despite their very attractive properties, it is shown that one realistic class of such models may lead to significant Newton law corrections which become small at the future universe only. The model with acceptable Newton law regime shows the matter instability. This suggests that more complicated version of such theory (or extended parameters space) should be investigated.
We investigate the Einstein static universe (ESU) and the emergent universe scenario in the framework of Hořava-Lifshitz-like $F(R)$ gravity. We first perform a dynamical analysis in the phase space, and amongst others we show that a spatially open universe filled with matter satisfying the strong energy condition can exhibit a stable static phase. Additionally, we examine the behavior of the scenario under scalar perturbations and extract the conditions under which it is free of perturbative instabilities, showing that the obtained background ESU solutions are free of such instabilities. Howe…
In this paper, we propose to use the mimetic Horndeski model as a model for the dark universe. Both cold dark matter (CDM) and dark energy (DE) phenomena are described by a single component, the mimetic field. In linear theory, we show that this component effectively behaves like a perfect fluid with zero sound speed and clusters on all scales. For the simpler mimetic cubic Horndeski model, if the background expansion history is chosen to be identical to a perfect fluid DE (PFDE) then the mimetic model predicts the same power spectrum of the Newtonian potential as the PFDE model with zero soun…
We use a recently proposed luminosity distance measure for relatively nearby active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to test the predicted expansion of the Universe in the R_h=ct and LCDM cosmologies. This comparative study is particularly relevant to the question of whether or not the Universe underwent a transition from decelerated to accelerated expansion, which is believed to have occurred---on the basis of Type Ia SN studies---within the redshift range (0 < z < 1.3) that will eventually be sampled by these objects. We find that the AGN Hubble Diagram constructed from currently available sources doe…
Horava gravity has been proposed as a renormalizable, higher-derivative, Lorentz-violating quantum gravity model without ghost problems. A Horava gravity based dark energy (HDE) model for dynamical dark energy has been also proposed earlier by identifying all the extra (gravitational) contributions from the Lorentz-violating terms as an effective energy-momentum tensor in Einstein equation. We consider a complete CMB, BAO, and SNe Ia data test of the HDE model by considering general perturbations over the background perfect HDE fluid. Except from BAO, we obtain the preference of non-flat unive…
For the past two hundred years, parametric instabilities have been studied in various physical systems, such as fluids, mechanical devices and even inflationary cosmology. It was not until a few decades ago that this subharmonic unstable response arose as a central mechanism for the thermalisation of the Early Universe, in a theory known as preheating. Here we study a parametrically driven two-fluid interface to simulate the key aspects of inflationary preheating dynamics through the onset of nonlinear Faraday waves. We present a detailed analysis of the effective field theory description for …
Bimetric gravity theories allow for many different types of cosmological solutions, but not all of them are theoretically allowed. In this work we discuss the conditions to satisfy the Higuchi bound and to avoid gradient instabilities in the scalar sector at the linear level. We find that in expanding universes the ratio of the scale factors of the reference and observable metric has to increase at all times. This automatically implies a ghost-free helicity-2 and helicity-0 sector and enforces a phantom dark energy. Furthermore, the condition for the absence of gradient instabilities in the sc…
The behavior of fundamental fields in strong gravity or nontrivial environments is important for our understanding of nature. This problem has interesting applications in the context of dark matter, of dark energy physics or of quantum field theory. The dynamics of fundamental fields has been studied mainly in static or stationary backgrounds, whereas most of our Universe is dynamic. In this paper we investigate "blueshift" and parametric instabilities of scalar fields in dynamical backgrounds, which can be triggered (for instance) by oscillating stars in scalar-tensor theories of gravity. We …
