Weak lensing,dark matter and dark energy

Weak gravitational lensing is rapidly becoming one of the principal probes of dark matter and dark energy in the universe. In this brief review we outline how weak lensing helps determine the structure of dark matter halos, measure the expansion rate of the universe, and distinguish between modified gravity and dark energy explanations for the acceleration of the universe. We also discuss requirements on the control of systematic errors so that the systematics do not appreciably degrade the power of weak lensing as a cosmological probe.     

Direct couplings of mimetic dark matter and their cosmological effects

The original mimetic model was proposed to take the role of dark matter. In this paper we consider possible direct interactions of mimetic dark matter with other matter in the universe, especially standard model particles such as baryons and photons. By imposing shift symmetry, the mimetic dark matter field can only have derivative couplings. We discuss the possibilities of generating baryon number asymmetry and cosmic birefringence in the universe based on the derivative couplings of mimetic dark matter to baryons and photons.     

Secular effects on inflation from one-loop quantum gravity

In this Letter we revisit and extend a previous analysis where the possible relevance of quantum gravity effects in a cosmological setup was studied. The object of interest are non-local (logarithmic) terms generated in the effective action of gravity due to the exchange in loops of massless modes (such as photons or the gravitons themselves). We correct one mistake existing in the previous work and discuss the issue in a more general setting in different cosmological scenarios. We obtain the one-loop quantum-corrected evolution equations for the cosmological scale factor up to a given order in a derivative expansion in two particular cases: a matter dominated universe with vanishing cosmological constant, and in a de Sitter universe. We show that the quantum corrections, albeit tiny, may have a secular effect that eventually modifies the expansion rate. For a de Sitter universe they tend to slow down the rate of the expansion, while the effect may be the opposite in a matter dominated universe.     

The dynamical evolution of 3-space in a higher dimensional steady state universe

We investigate a class of cosmological solutions of Einstein’s field equations in higher dimensions with a cosmological constant and an ideal fluid matter distribution as a source. We discuss the dynamical evolution of the universe subject to two constraints that (i) the total volume scale factor of the universe is constant and (ii) the effective energy density is constant. We obtain various interesting new dynamics for the external space that yield a time varying deceleration parameter including oscillating cases when the flat/curved external and curved/flat internal spaces are considered. We also comment on how the universe would be conceived by an observer in four dimensions who is unaware of the extra dimensions.     

Entropy of the Universe and Hierarchical Dark Matter

We discuss the relationship between dark matter and the entropy of the universe, with the premise that dark matter exists in the form of primordial black holes (PBHs) in a hierarchy of mass tiers. The lightest tier includes all PBHs with masses below one hundred solar masses. The second-lightest tier comprises intermediate-mass PIMBHs within galaxies, including the Milky Way. Supermassive black holes at galactic centres are in the third tier. We are led to speculate that there exists a fourth tier of extremely massive PBHs, more massive than entire galaxies. We discuss future observations by the Rubin Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope.     

Modified Holographic Ricci Dark Energy in Chameleon Brans–Dicke Cosmology and Its Thermodynamic Consequence

The objective of this paper is to discuss the Chameleon Brans–Dicke gravity with non-minimally matter coupling of scalar field. We take modified Holographic Ricci dark energy model in this gravity with its energy density in interaction with energy density of cold dark matter. We assume power-law ansatz for scale factor and scalar field to discuss potential as well as coupling functions in the evolving universe. These reconstructed functions are plotted versus scalar field and time for different values of power component of scale factor n. We observe that potential and coupling functions represent increasing behavior, in particular, consistent results for a specific value of n. Finally, we have examined validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics and we have observed its validity for all values of n.     

Gravitino dark matter from inflaton decay

We discuss a scenario that gravitinos produced non-thermally by an inflaton decay constitute dark matter in the present universe. We find that this scenario is realized for wide ranges of the inflaton mass and the vacuum expectation value. What is intriguing about this scenario is that the gravitino dark matter can have a relatively large free streaming length at matter-radiation equality, which can be probed by future observation on QSO-galaxy strong lens system.     

Singularities in Bianchi cosmologies

We discuss how infinite density singularities may be shown to occur in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universes and orthogonal spatially homogeneous universes, but how very different behaviours are possible in tilted homogeneous cosmologies. After considering various possibilities that arise in this case, we illustrate them by examining the behaviour of exact solutions of Einstein's equations for a homogeneous cosmology which is a locally rotationally symmetric tilted Bianchi type V universe. These universes - which can be arbitrarily similar to a Robertson-Walker universe at late times - show a variety of singular behaviours quite different from those in the ‘orthogonal’ case. In particular, there exist such universes in which two singularities occur at the early stages of the universe, but in which the density of matter is finite at all times.     

Holographic dual of de Sitter universe with AdS bubbles

We study the proposal that a de Sitter (dS) universe with an Anti-de Sitter (AdS) bubble can be replaced by a dS universe with a boundary CFT. To explore this duality, we consider incident gravitons coming from the dS universe through the bubble wall into the AdS bubble in the original picture. In the dual picture, this process has to be identified with the absorption of gravitons by CFT matter. We have obtained a general formula for the absorption probability in general d+1 spacetime dimensions. The result shows the different behavior depending on whether spacetime dimensions are even or odd. We find that the absorption process of gravitons from the dS universe by CFT matter is controlled by localized gravitons (massive bound state modes in the Kaluza-Klein decomposition) in the dS universe. The absorption probability is determined by the effective degrees of freedom of the CFT matter and the effective gravitational coupling constant which encodes information of localized gravitons. We speculate that the dual of (d+1)-dimensional dS universe with an AdS bubble is also dual to a d-dimensional dS universe with CFT matter.     

Cosmological Relics of the High Energy Cold Dark Matter Particle in the Universe

We demonstrate that if the universe is dominated by the massive cold dark matter, then besides the generally believed thermal distribution of the dark matter relics, there may exist some very energetic nonthermal relics of the dark matter particles in the universe from some unknown sources, such as from decay of supermassive X particle released from topological defect collapse or annihilation. Very interesting, we point out that these high energy dark matter particles may be observable in the current and future cosmic ray experiments.     

Thermodynamics of diffusive DM/DE systems

We discuss the energy density, temperature and entropy of dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE) as functions of the scale factor a in an expanding universe. In a model of non-interacting dark components we repeat a derivation from thermodynamics of the well-known relations between the energy density, entropy and temperature. In particular, the entropy is constant as a consequence of the energy conservation. We consider a model of a DM/DE interaction where the DM energy density increase is proportional to the particle density. In such a model the dependence of the energy density and the temperature on the scale factor a is substantially modified. We discuss (as a realization of the model) DM which consists of relativistic particles diffusing in an environment of DE. The energy gained by the dark matter comes from a cosmological fluid with a negative pressure. We define the entropy and free energy of such a non-equilibrium system. We show that during the universe evolution the entropy of DM is increasing whereas the entropy of DE is decreasing. The total entropy can increase (in spite of the energy conservation) as the DM and DE temperatures are different. We discuss non-equilibrium thermodynamics on the basis of the notion of the relative entropy.     

Does Operator Ordering Need Wormhole Dominance in the Wavefunction of the Universe?

In dealing with the wavefunction of the universe there is a debate on the various proposals about the boundary condition of the wavefunction of the universe. At present we have three proposals, namely, the Hartle-Hawking proposal, the tunneling proposal and the Linde proposal. Recently it has been argued that the operator ambiguity factor has a decisive role in deciding the consequences of the various wavefunction at the zero scale factor region. In the present paper we discuss the role of operator ordering in the light of wormhole dominance proposal proposed by one of the authors and compare the results with that of others obtained earlier. We present an interpretation of operator ordering as a contribution of some sort of matter fields and discuss the role of complex path WKB analysis in avoiding the initial singularity and allowing us to incorporate the contribution of wormhole in the wavefunction of the universe.     

Modified holographic dark energy in non-flat Kaluza–Klein universe with varying <Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis>

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of modified holographic dark energy with variable G in non-flat Kaluza–Klein universe. We consider the non-interacting and interacting scenarios of the modified holographic dark energy with dark matter and obtain the equation of state parameter through logarithmic approach. It turns out that the universe remains in different dark energy eras for both cases. Further, we study the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics in this scenario. We also justify that the statefinder parameters satisfy the limit of ΛCDM model.     

The premature recollapse problem in closed inflationary universes

We discuss whether closed universe can avoid recollapsing before inflation ensues. We show that in general closed universe are not equivalent to recollapsing universes or positive curvature universes. Closed universes will not in general recollapse if the matter content violates the strong energy condition. This violation is also a necessary condition for inflation to occur. When the strong energy condition holds closed universes can only recollapse if they possess S³ or S²×S¹ spatial topology. Even when the topology is S³ and the strong energy condition holds it is not known whether anisotropic closed universes do all recollapse. We give examples to show that closed universes which begin in an extremely anisotropic state cannot recollapse until they are close to isotropy. This suggests that if the initial conditions prior to inflation are sufficiently anisotropic then the universe cannot recollapse until it has been isotropized by inflation. We also discuss the existence of inflation in isotropic cosmological models in R+R² lagrangian theories of gravity and extend a result of Whitt to show that such theories are conformally equivalent to general relativity plus a scalar field with an asymmetric potential.     

Curvature in causal BD-type inflationary cosmology

We study a closed model of the universe filled with viscous fluid and quintessence matter components in a Brans-Dicke type cosmological model. The dynamical equations imply that the universe may look like an accelerated flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe at low redshift. We consider here dissipative processes which follow a causal thermodynamics. The theory is applied to viscous fluid inflation, where accepted values for the total entropy in the observable universe are obtained.     

Weak Gravity Conjecture and Holographic Dark Energy Model with Interaction and Spatial Curvature

In the paper, we apply the weak gravity conjecture to the holographic quintessence model of dark energy. Three different holographic dark energy models are considered: without the interaction in the non-flat universe; with interaction in the flat universe; with interaction in the non-flat universe. We find that
only in the models with the spatial curvature and interaction term proportional to the energy density of matter, it is possible for the weak gravity conjecture to be satisfied. And it seems that the weak gravity conjecture favors an open universe and the decaying of matter into dark energy.     

A Cosmological Model of the Early Universe Based on ECG with Variable Λ-Term in Lyra Geometry

In this paper, we study interacting extended Chaplygin gas as dark matter and quintessence scalar field as dark energy with an effective Λ-term in Lyra manifold. As we know Chaplygin gas behaves as dark matter at the early universe while cosmological constant at the late time. Modified field equations are given and motivation of the phenomenological models discussed in details. Four different models based on the interaction term are investigated in this work. Then, we consider other models where Extended Chaplygin gas and quintessence field play role of dark matter and dark energy respectively with two different forms of interaction between the extended Chaplygin gas and quintessence scalar field for both constant and varying Λ. Concerning to the mathematical hardness of the problems we discuss results numerically and graphically. Obtained results give us hope that proposed models can work as good models for the early universe with later stage of evolution containing accelerated expansion.     

Perfect fluid dark matter

Taking the flat rotation curve as input and treating the matter content in the galactic halo region as perfect fluid we obtain a space–time metric at the galactic halo region in the framework of general relativity. We find that the resultant space–time metric is a non-relativistic dark matter induced space–time embedded in a static Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker universe i.e. the flat rotation curve not only leads to the existence of dark matter but also suggests about the background geometry of the universe. Within its range of validity the flat rotation curve and the demand that the dark matter to be non-exotic together indicate for a (nearly) flat universe as favored by the modern cosmological observations. We obtain the expressions for energy density and pressure of dark matter there and consequently the equation of state of dark matter. Various other aspects of the solutions are also analyzed.     

Cosmological Black Holes

In this paper we propose a model for the formation of the cosmological voids. We show that cosmological voids can form directly after the collapse of extremely large wavelength perturbations into low-density black holes or cosmological black holes (CBH). Consequently the voids are formed by the comoving expansion of the matter that surrounds the collapsed perturbation. It follows that the universe evolves, in first approximation, according to the Einstein-Straus cosmological model. We discuss finally the possibility to detect the presence of these black holes through their weak and strong lensing effects and their influence on the cosmic background radiation.