Weak gravitational lensing of the CMB

Weak gravitational lensing has several important effects on the cosmic microwave background (CMB): it changes the CMB power spectra, induces non-Gaussianities, and generates a B-mode polarization signal that is an important source of confusion for the signal from primordial gravitational waves. The lensing signal can also be used to help constrain cosmological parameters and lensing mass distributions. We review the origin and calculation of these effects. Topics include: lensing in General Relativity, the lensing potential, lensed temperature and polarization power spectra, implications for constraining inflation, non-Gaussian structure, reconstruction of the lensing potential, delensing, sky curvature corrections, simulations, cosmological parameter estimation, cluster mass reconstruction, and moving lenses/dipole lensing.     

Detecting relics of a thermal gravitational wave background in the early Universe

A thermal gravitational wave background can be produced in the early Universe if a radiation dominated epoch precedes the usual inflationary stage. This background provides a unique way to study the initial state of the Universe. We discuss the imprint of this thermal spectra of gravitons on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectra, and its possible detection by CMB observations. Assuming the inflationary stage is a pure de Sitter expansion we find that, if the number of e-folds of inflation is smaller than 65, the signal of this thermal spectrum can be detected by the observations of Planck and PolarBear experiments, or the planned EPIC experiments. This bound can be even looser if inflation-like stage is the sub-exponential.     

Constraints on Deceleration Parameter of a 5D Bounce Cosmological Model from Recent Cosmic Observations

We study the constraint on deceleration parameter q from the recent SNela Gold dataset and observational Hubble data by using a model-independent deceleration parameter q（z） = 1/2 - a/（1 ＋ z）^b under the flve-dimensional bounce cosmological model. For the cases of SNeIa Gold dataset, Hubble data, and their combination, the present results show that the constraints on transition redshift ZT are 0.35-0.07^＋0.14,0.68-0.58^＋1.47,and 0.55-0.09^＋0.18 with 1σ errors,respectively.     

The oscillating dark energy: future singularity and coincidence problem

We consider the oscillating dark energy with periodic equation of state in two equivalent formulations: ideal fluid or scalar–tensor theory. It is shown that such dark energy suggests the natural way for the unification of early-time inflation with late-time acceleration. We demonstrate how it describes the transition from deceleration to acceleration or from non-phantom to phantom era and how it solves the coincidence problem. The occurrence of finite-time future singularity for the oscillating (phantom) universe is also investigated.     

New method to constrain the relativistic free-streaming gas in the Universe

We discuss a method to constrain the fraction density f of the relativistic gas in the radiation-dominant stage, by their impacts on a relic gravitational waves and the cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-polarization power spectrum. We find that the uncertainty of f   strongly depends on the noise power spectra of the CMB experiments and the amplitude of the gravitational waves. Taking into account of the CMBPol instrumental noises, an uncertainty Δf=0.046$\mathrm{\Delta }f=0.046$ is obtained for the model with tensor-to-scalar ratio r=0.1$r=0.1$. For an ideal experiment with only the reduced cosmic lensing as the contamination of B  -polarization, Δf=0.008$\mathrm{\Delta }f=0.008$ is obtained for the model with r=0.1$r=0.1$. So the precise observation of the CMB B-polarization provides a great opportunity to study the relativistic components in the early Universe.     

Generalized Chaplygin gas model: Constraints from Hubble parameter versus redshift data

We examine observational constraints on the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) model for dark energy from the 9 Hubble parameter data points, the 115 SNLS Sne Ia data and the size of baryonic acoustic oscillation peak at redshift, z=0.35$z=0.35$. At a 95.4% confidence level, a combination of three data sets gives 0.67?As?0.83$0.67?A_s?0.83$ and −0.21?α?0.42$-0.21?\alpha ?0.42$, which is within the allowed parameters ranges of the GCG as a candidate of the unified dark matter and dark energy. It is found that the standard Chaplygin gas model (α=1$\alpha =1$) is ruled out by these data at the 99.7% confidence level.     

Enhanced polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation from thermal gravitational waves

If inflation was preceded by a radiation era, then at the time of inflation there will exist a decoupled thermal distribution of gravitons. Gravitational waves generated during inflation will be amplified by the process of stimulated emission into the existing thermal distribution of gravitons. Consequently, the usual zero temperature scale invariant tensor spectrum is modified by a temperature dependent factor. This thermal correction factor amplifies the B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation by an order of magnitude at large angles, which may now be in the range of observability of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe.     

Cosmological models and latest observational data

In this note, we consider the observational constraints on some cosmological models by using the 307 Union type Ia supernovae (SNIa), the 32 calibrated gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at z>1.4, the updated shift parameter R from WMAP 5-year data (WMAP5), and the distance parameter A of the measurement of the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) peak in the distribution of SDSS luminous red galaxies with the updated scalar spectral index n _s from WMAP5. The tighter constraints obtained here update the ones obtained previously in the literature.     

Gauge-invariant metric fluctuations from NKK theory of gravity: de Sitter expansion

In this Letter we study gauge-invariant metric fluctuations from a noncompact Kaluza–Klein (NKK) theory of gravity in de Sitter expansion. We recover the well-known result δρ/ρ?2Φ$\delta \rho /\rho ?2\Phi$, obtained from the standard 4D semiclassical approach to inflation. The spectrum for these fluctuations should be dependent of the fifth (spatial-like) coordinate.     

遗迹引力波对宇宙微波背景辐射极化的影响

根据宇宙大爆炸理论的预言,宇宙经历了由暴涨阶段到辐射阶段到物质阶段再到如今的加速膨胀阶段.在辐射阶段所残留的退耦的自由光子便形成了现在人们所观测到的宇宙微波背景辐射.如果没有扰动,微波背景辐射将是各向同性的,但是在宇宙形成的初期存在各种各样的扰动,因此宇宙微波背景辐射呈现各向异性.针对由遗迹引力波对微波背景辐射极化所产生的各向异性的影响,重点讨论电场型极化和磁场型极化. 关键词： 遗迹引力波 微波背景辐射 极化各向异性     

Accelerated D-Dimensional Compactified Universe in Gauss--Bonnet--Dilatonic Scalar Gravity from D-Brane/M-Theory

We discuss a particular d-dimensional Gauss- Ronnet-dilatonie universe compactified on S^1 motivated from Mtheory. We examine the time-evolution of the dynamical equations where many interesting consequences are revealed and discussed in some details. Under reasonable conditions, the discussed model can provide a mechanism to realize, in higher-dimensions （d 〉 4）, the accelerated expansion of the universe in the presence of dark energy, without the presence of phantom energy and without the contraction of some internal dimension.     

An analytic approach to tunnelling magnetoresistance

We present an analytic model for the barrier transmission coefficient that can be used to calculate the tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) for metal-insulator-metal systems. It removes the approximations inherent in the Simmons’ and Brinkman models currently used to fit experimental systems that give much lower predictions of the barrier height than would be expected. The model is accurate enough to directly relate to the experiment and hence device optimisation by predicting junction parameters that are in line with bulk properties.     

The emergence of background geometry from quantum fluctuations

We show how the quantization of two-dimensional gravity leads to an (Euclidean) quantum space–time where the average geometry is that of constant negative curvature and where the Hartle–Hawking boundary condition arises naturally.     

Gravitational waves generated during inflation from a 5D vacuum theory of gravity in a de Sitter expansion

In this Letter we study the generation of gravitational waves during inflation from a 5D vacuum theory of gravity. Within this formalism, on an effective 4D de Sitter background, we recover the typical results obtained with 4D inflationary theory in general relativity, for the amplitude of gravitational waves generated during inflation. We also obtain a range of values for the amplitude of tensor to scalar ratio which is in agreement with COBE observations.     

Neutron- and muon-induced background in underground physics experiments

Background induced by neutrons in deep underground laboratories is a critical issue for all experiments looking for rare events, such as dark matter interactions or neutrinoless ββ decay. Neutrons can be produced either by natural radioactivity, via spontaneous fission or (α, n) reactions, or by interactions initiated by high-energy cosmic rays. In all underground experiments, Monte Carlo simulations of neutron background play a crucial role for the evaluation of the total background rate and for the optimization of rejection strategies. The Monte Carlo methods that are commonly employed to evaluate neutron-induced background and to optimize the experimental setup, are reviewed and discussed. Focus is given to the issue of reliability of Monte Carlo background estimates. We dedicate this work to the memory of our friend and colleague Nicola Ferrari, who prematurely passed away in July 2006.     

On full rate of reconnection in the nonstationary vortex tangle: A master equation approach

The expression for the reconnection frequency in the nonstationary vortex tangle is obtained. An approach based on the master equation for the length distribution of vortex loops is developed.     

Mixing-induced CP violating sources for electroweak baryogenesis from a semiclassical approach

The effects of flavor mixing in electroweak baryogenesis is investigated in a generalized semiclassical WKB approach. Through calculating the non-adiabatic corrections to the particle currents, it is shown that extra CP violation sources arise from the off-diagonal part of the equation of motion of particles moving inside the bubble wall. This type of mixing-induced source is of first order in a derivative expansion of the Higgs condensate, but it is oscillation suppressed. The numerical importance of the mixing-induced source is discussed in the minimal supersymmetric standard model and compared with the source term induced by a semiclassical force. It is found that in a large parameter space where oscillation suppression is not strong enough, the mixing-induced source can dominate over that from the semiclassical force.