We propose a new model of Early Dark Energy (EDE) as a solution to the Hubble tension in cosmology, the apparent discrepancy between local measurements of the Hubble constant $H_0\simeq 74$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ and $H_0\simeq 67$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ inferred from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). In Chain EDE, the Universe undergoes a series of first order phase transitions, starting at a high energy vacuum in a potential, and tunneling down through a chain of every lower energy metastable minima. As in all EDE models, the contribution of the vacuum energy to the total energy density of the universe is initially negligible, but reaches $\sim 10\%$ around matter-radiation equality, before cosmological data require it to redshift away quickly -- at least as fast as radiation. We indeed obtain this required behavior with a series of $N$ tunneling events, and show that for $N>600$ the phase transitions are rapid enough to allow fast percolation and thereby avoid large scale anisotropies in the CMB. We construct a specific example of Chain EDE featuring a scalar field in a quasiperiodic potential (a tilted cosine), which is ubiquitous in axion physics and, therefore, carries strong theoretical motivation. Interestingly, the energy difference between vacua can be roughly the size of today's Dark Energy (meV scale). Therefore, the end result of Chain EDE could provide a natural explanation of Dark Energy, if the tunneling becomes extremely slow in the final step before the field reaches zero (or negative) energy. We discuss a simple mechanism which can stop the scalar field in the desired minimum. Thus Chain EDE offers the exciting prospect to explain EDE and Dark Energy by the same scalar field.
A current problem within the ΛCDM framework is the tension between late and early time measurements of the Hubble parameter today, H0. We entertain the possibility that dark energy modeled as multiple interacting axion-like-particle species can alleviate the current Hubble tension. We then test these parameters against the milder tension between the CMB and large scale structure (LSS) observations of σ8 to ensure that these models do not exacerbate the tension. We find that there exist parameter spaces for models of two and three axion-like-particles which can potentially alleviate the Hubble …
One of the problem revealed recently in cosmology is a so-called Hubble tension (HT), which is the difference between values of the present Hubble constant, measured by observation of the universe at redshift $z \lesssim 1$, and by observations of a distant universe with CMB fluctuations originated at $z \sim 1100$. In this paper we suggest, that this discrepancy may be explained by deviation of the cosmological expansion from a standard Lambda-CDM %simple Friedman model of a flat universe, during the period after recombination at $z \lesssim 1100$, due to action of additional variable compone…
We consider a low redshift $(z<0.7)$ cosmological dataset comprising megamasers, cosmic chronometers, type Ia SNe and BAO, which we bin according to their redshift. For each bin, we read the value of $H_0$ by fitting directly to the flat $Λ$CDM model. Doing so, we find that $H_0$ descends with redshift, allowing one to fit a line with a \textit{non-zero} slope of statistical significance $2.1 \, σ$. Our analysis rests on the use of cosmic chronometers to break a degeneracy in BAO data and it will be imperative to revisit this feature as data improves. Nevertheless, our results provide the firs…
Evolution and abundance of the large-scale structures we observe today, such as clusters of galaxies, is sensitive to the statistical properties of dark matter primordial density fluctuations, which is assumed to follow a Gaussian probability distribution function. Within this assumption, a significant disagreement have been found between clusters counts made by Planck and their prediction when calibrated by CMB angular power spectrum. The purpose of this work is to relax the Gaussianty assumption and test if Non-Gaussianity in dark matter primordial density fluctuations, could alleviate the t…
The existence of a scaling network of current-carrying cosmic strings in our Universe is expected to continuously create loops endowed with a conserved current during the cosmological expansion. These loops radiate gravitational waves and may stabilise into centrifugally supported configurations. We show that this process generates an irreducible population of vortons which has not been considered so far. In particular, we expect vortons to be massively present today even if no loops are created at the time of string formation. We determine their cosmological distribution, and estimate their r…
A $Λ$CDM Extension Explaining the Hubble Tension and the Spatial Curvature $Ω_{k,0} = -0.012 \pm 0.010$ Measured by the Final PR4 of the Planck Mission
To further shed light on whether pre-recombination models can resolve the Hubble tension, we explore constraints on the cosmic background evolution that are insensitive to early-universe physics. The analysis of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy has been thought to highly rely on early-universe physics. However, we show that the fact that the sound horizon at recombination being close to that at the end of the drag epoch is insensitive to early-universe physics. This allows us to link the absolute sizes of the two horizons and treat them as free parameters. Jointly, the CMB peak…
Statistical analyses of the measurements of the Hubble-Lemaître constant $H_0$ (163 measurements between 1976 and 2019) show that the statistical error bars associated with the observed parameter measurements have been underestimated -- or the systematic errors were not properly taken into account -- in at least 15-20\% of the measurements. The fact that the underestimation of error bars for $H_0$ is so common might explain the apparent discrepancy of values, which is formally known today as the Hubble tension. Here we have carried out a recalibration of the probabilities with this sample of m…
We develop a new phenomenological model that addresses current tensions between observations of the early and late Universe. Our scenario features: (i) a decaying dark energy fluid (DDE), which undergoes a transition at $z \sim 5,000$, to raise today's value of the Hubble parameter -- addressing the $H_0$ tension, and (ii) an ultra-light axion (ULA), which starts oscillating at $z\gtrsim 10^4$, to suppress the matter power spectrum -- addressing the $S_8$ tension. Our Markov Chain Monte Carlo analyses show that such a Dark Sector model fits a combination of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), B…
The current Hubble constant tension is usually presented by comparing constraints on $H_0$ only. However, the post-recombination background cosmic evolution is determined by two parameters in the standard $Λ$CDM model, the Hubble constant ($H_0$) and today's matter energy fraction ($Ω_{\rm{m}}$). If we therefore compare all constraints individually in the $H_0$-$Ω_{\rm{m}}$ plane, (1) various constraints can be treated as independently as possible, (2) single-sided constraints are easier to consider, (3) compatibility among different constraints can be viewed in a more robust way, (4) the mode…
We explore the implications of a rapid appearance of dark energy between the redshifts ($z$) of one and two on the expansion rate and growth of perturbations. Using both Gaussian process regression and a parameteric model, we show that this is the preferred solution to the current set of low-redshift ($z<3$) distance measurements if $H_0=73~\rm km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}$ to within 1\% and the high-redshift expansion history is unchanged from the $Λ$CDM inference by the Planck satellite. Dark energy was effectively non-existent around $z=2$, but its density is close to the $Λ$CDM model value today, …
This paper is dedicated to assessing modified cosmological settings based on the gravitational Standard-Model Extension (SME). Our analysis rests upon the Hubble tension (HT), which is a discrepancy between the observational determination of the Hubble parameter via data from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and Type Ia supernovae, respectively. While the latter approach is model-independent, the former highly depends on the model used to describe the physics of the early Universe. Motivated by the HT, we take into account two recently introduced cosmological models as test frameworks of …
Unified cosmological models have received a lot of attention in astrophysics community for explaining both the dark matter and dark energy evolution. The Chaplygin cosmologies, a well known name in this group have been investigated matched with observations from different sources. Obviously, Chaplygin cosmologies have to obey restrictions in order to be consistent with the observational data. As a consequence, alternative unified models, differing from Chaplygin model, are of special interest. In the present work we consider a specific example of such a unified cosmological model, that is quan…
The standard cosmological paradigm narrates a reassuring story of a universe currently dominated by an enigmatic dark energy component. Disquietingly, its universal explaining power has recently been challenged by, above all, the $\sim4σ$ tension in the values of the Hubble constant. Another, less studied anomaly is the repeated observation of integrated Sachs-Wolfe imprints $\sim5\times$ stronger than expected in the $Λ$CDM model from R>100 $Mpc/h$ super-structures. Here we show that the inhomogeneous AvERA model of emerging curvature is capable of telling a plausible albeit radically differe…
The rate at which the universe is expanding today is a fundamental parameter in cosmology which governs our understanding of structure formation and dark energy. However, current measurements of the Hubble constant, $H_0$, show a significant tension ($\sim 4-6σ$) between early- and late-Universe observations. There are ongoing efforts to check the diverse observational results and also to investigate possible theoretical ways to resolve the tension~-- which could point to radical extensions of the standard model. Here we demonstrate the potential of next-generation spectroscopic galaxy surveys…
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 attr…
We consider the cosmological dynamics of a scalar field in a potential with multiple troughs and peaks. We show that the dynamics of the scalar field will evolve from light dark matter-like behaviour (such as that of a light axion) to a combination of heavy dark matter-like and dark energy-like behaviour. We discuss the phenomenology of such a model, explaining how it can give rise to the cosmological constant, as well as how it can decouple the dark sector densities between the time of recombination and today, for both the homogeneous background and perturbations. The final form of the dark m…
Reionizing the Universe with galaxies appears to require significant star formation in low-mass halos at early times, while local dwarf galaxy counts tell us that star formation has been minimal in small halos around us today. Using simple models and the ELVIS simulation suite, we show that reionization scenarios requiring appreciable star formation in halos with $M_{\rm vir} \approx 10^{8}\,M_{\odot}$ at $z=8$ are in serious tension with galaxy counts in the Local Group. This tension originates from the seemingly inescapable conclusion that 30 - 60 halos with $M_{\rm vir} > 10^{8}\,M_{\odot}$…
The tension between measurements of the Hubble constant obtained at different redshifts may provide a hint of new physics active in the relatively early universe, around the epoch of matter-radiation equality. A leading paradigm to resolve the tension is a period of early dark energy, in which a scalar field contributes a subdominant part of the energy budget of the universe at this time. This scenario faces significant fine-tuning problems which can be ameliorated by a non-trivial coupling of the scalar to the standard model neutrinos. These become non-relativistic close to the time of matter…
(Lovelock)$^2$ inflation: explaining the ACT data and equivalence to Higgs-Gauss-Bonnet inflation
Anqing Normal University（安庆师范大学）；University of Science and Technology of China（中国科学技术大学）；INFN（意大利国家核物理研究所）；Fudan University（复旦大学）；Al-Farabi Kazakh National University（阿尔法拉比哈萨克国立大学）
基于ACT数据重新审视暴胀的斯塔罗宾斯基模型，用二次\(f(L)\)引力\(\sim L + L^2\)解决数据矛盾，其标量 - 张量形式改变暴胀慢滚动力学，还发现与希格斯 - 高斯 - 博内特暴胀等效，改进了对宇宙学数据的拟合。
We present a simple (microscopic) model in which bulk viscosity plays a role in explaining the present acceleration of the universe. The effect of bulk viscosity on the Friedmann equations is to turn the pressure into an "effective" pressure containing the bulk viscosity. For a sufficiently large bulk viscosity, the effective pressure becomes negative and could mimic a dark energy equation of state. Our microscopic model includes self-interacting spin-zero particles (for which the bulk viscosity is known) that are added to the usual energy content of the universe. We study both background equa…
We consider a cosmological model in which a fraction $f$ of the Dark Matter (DM) is allowed to decay in an invisible relativistic component, and compute the resulting constraints on both the decay width (or inverse lifetime) $Γ$ and $f$ from purely gravitational arguments. We report a full derivation of the Boltzmann hierarchy, correcting a mistake in previous literature, and compute the impact of the decay --as a function of the lifetime-- on the CMB and matter power spectra. From CMB only, we obtain that no more than 3.8 % of the DM could have decayed in the time between recombination and to…
In this work, we explore the phenomenology of generalized dark matter (GDM) which interacts with photons ($γ$). We assume that DM establishes elastic scattering with $γ$ when it has already become nonrelativistic, otherwise the abundance of DM today is disfavored by current observations. Within this scenario, the equation of state (EoS) of DM is determined by its mass ($m_χ$) and the DM-$γ$ scattering cross-section. The distinctive imprints of a nonzero EoS of DM on CMB angular power spectrum allow us to set a lower limit on $m_χ$ with Planck 2018 data alone, i.e., $m_χ > 8.7$ keV at $95\%$ C.…
We consider an extension of the Standard Model that accounts for the muon $g-2$ tension and neutrino masses and study in detail dark matter phenomenology. The model under consideration includes a WIMP and a FIMP scalar dark matter candidates and thus gives rise to two-component dark matter scenarios. We discuss different regimes and mechanisms of production, including the novel freeze-in semi-production, and show that the WIMP and FIMP together compose the observed relic density today. The presence of the extra scalar fields allows phase transitions of the first order. We examine the evolution…
An alternative to the postulate of dark energy required to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe is to adopt an inhomogeneous cosmological model to explain the supernovae data without dark energy. We adopt a void cosmology model, based on the inhomogeneous Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi solution of Einstein's field equations. The model can resolve observational anomalies in the $ΛCDM$ model, such as the discrepancy between the locally measured value of the Hubble constant, $H_0=73.24\pm 1.74\,{\rm km}\,{\rm s}^{-1}\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$, and the $H_0=66.93\pm 0.62\,{\rm km}\,{\rm s}^{-1}\,{\rm M…
The distance ladder using supernovae yields higher values of the Hubble constant $H_0$ than those inferred from measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and galaxy surveys, a discrepancy that has come to be known as the `Hubble tension'. This has motivated the exploration of extensions to the standard cosmological model in which higher values of $H_0$ can be obtained from CMB measurements and galaxy surveys. The trouble, however, goes beyond $H_0$; such modifications affect other quantities, too. In particular, their effects on cosmic times are usually neglected. We explore here t…
The canonical scalar-tensor theory model which exhibits spontaneous scalarization in the strong-gravity regime of neutron stars has long been known to predict a cosmological evolution for the scalar field which generically results in severe violations of present-day Solar System constraints on deviations from general relativity. We study if this tension can be alleviated by generalizing this model to include a disformal coupling between the scalar field $φ$ and matter, where the Jordan frame metric ${\tilde g}_{μν}$ is related to the Einstein frame one $g_{μν}$ by ${\tilde g}_{μν}=A(φ)^2 (g_{μ…
The growth index of matter fluctuations is computed for ten distinct accelerating cosmological models and confronted to the latest growth rate data via a two-step process. First, we implement a joint statistical analysis in order to place constraints on the free parameters of all models using solely background data. Second, using the observed growth rate of clustering from various galaxy surveys we test the performance of the current cosmological models at the perturbation level while either marginalizing over $σ_8$ or having it as a free parameter. As a result, we find that at a statistical l…
In this work, we first discuss the possibility that dark energy models with negative energy density values in the past can alleviate the $H_0$ tension, as well as the discrepancy with the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) Lyman-$α$ data, both which prevail within the $Λ$CDM model. We then investigate whether two minimal extensions of the $Λ$CDM model, together or separately, can successfully realize such a scenario: (i) the spatial curvature, which, in the case of spatially closed universe, mimics a negative density source and (ii) simple-graduated dark energy (gDE), which promotes the null in…
Explaining the well established observation that the expansion rate of the universe is apparently accelerating is one of the defining scientific problems of our age. Within the standard model of cosmology, the repulsive 'dark energy' supposedly responsible has no explanation at a fundamental level, despite many varied attempts. A further important dilemma in the standard model is the Lithium problem, which is the substantial mismatch between the theoretical prediction for 7-Li from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the value that we observe today. This observation is one of the very few we have fro…
