Time drift of cosmological redshifts as a test of the Copernican principle

We present the time drift of the cosmological redshift in a general spherically symmetric spacetime. We demonstrate that its observation would allow us to test the Copernican principle and so determine if our Universe is radially inhomogeneous, an important issue in our understanding of dark energy. In particular, when combined with distance data, this extra observable allows one to fully reconstruct the geometry of a spacetime describing a spherically symmetric underdense region around us, purely from background observations.     

Inhomogeneous Cosmologies, the Copernican Principle and the Cosmic Microwave Background: More on the EGS Theorem

We discuss inhomogeneous cosmological models which satisfy the Copernican principle. We construct some inhomogeneous cosmological models starting from the ansatz that the all the observers in the models view an isotropic cosmic microwave background. We discuss multi-fluid models, and illustrate how more general inhomogeneous models may be derived, both in General Relativity and in scalar-tensor theories of gravity. Thus we illustrate that the cosmologicalprinciple, the assumption that the Universe we live in is spatially homogeneous, does not necessarily follow from the Copernican principle and the high isotropy of the cosmic microwave background. We also present some new conformally flat two-fluid solutions of Einstein's field equations.     

A general test of the Copernican principle

To date, there has been no general way of determining if the Copernican principle--that we live at a typical position in the Universe--is in fact a valid assumption, significantly weakening the foundations of cosmology as a scientific endeavor. Here we present an observational test for the Copernican assumption which can be automatically implemented while we search for dark energy in the coming decade. Our test is entirely independent of any model for dark energy or theory of gravity and thereby represents a model-independent test of the Copernican principle.     

Confirmation of the Copernican principle at Gpc radial scale and above from the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect power spectrum

The Copernican principle, a cornerstone of modern cosmology, remains largely unproven at the Gpc radial scale and above. Here will show that violations of this type will inevitably cause a first order anisotropic kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. If large scale radial inhomogeneities have an amplitude large enough to explain the "dark energy" phenomena, the induced kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich power spectrum will be much larger than the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and/or South Pole Telescope upper limit. This single test confirms the Copernican principle and rules out the adiabatic void model as a viable alternative to dark energy.     

Indications of a spatial variation of the fine structure constant

We previously reported Keck telescope observations suggesting a smaller value of the fine structure constant α at high redshift. New Very Large Telescope (VLT) data, probing a different direction in the Universe, shows an inverse evolution; α increases at high redshift. Although the pattern could be due to as yet undetected systematic effects, with the systematics as presently understood the combined data set fits a spatial dipole, significant at the 4.2 σ level, in the direction right ascension 17.5 ± 0.9 h, declination -58 ± 9 deg. The independent VLT and Keck samples give consistent dipole directions and amplitudes, as do high and low redshift samples. A search for systematics, using observations duplicated at both telescopes, reveals none so far which emulate this result.     

A test of the Copernican principle

The blackbody nature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation spectrum is used in a modern test of the Copernican principle. The reionized universe serves as a mirror to reflect CMB photons, thereby permitting a view of ourselves and the local gravitational potential. By comparing with measurements of the CMB spectrum, a limit is placed on the possibility that we occupy a privileged location, residing at the center of a large void. The Hubble diagram inferred from lines of sight originating at the center of the void may be misinterpreted to indicate cosmic acceleration. Current limits on spectral distortions are shown to exclude the largest voids which mimic cosmic acceleration. More sensitive measurements of the CMB spectrum could prove the existence of such a void or confirm the validity of the Copernican principle.     

Is Dark Energy an illusion?

Much evidence has accumulated that within the context of general relativistic Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) cosmology there must exist a new, and gravitationally repulsive, substance in the Universe. The effect of this new type of energy density on the expansion of the Universe is to cause its acceleration, and the name that is given to it is ‘Dark Energy’. To say whether or not Dark Energy really exists, however, requires a definite model for the Universe. That is, to be sure of the existence of Dark Energy, and the cosmological acceleration it causes, we must first be sure of the cosmological model we are using to interpret our observations. This is the subject of the present contribution, which will concentrate on the observational status of the Copernican Principle, which is at the heart of the FRW model. In particular, we will outline recent progress that has been made toward answering the question ‘can the observations usually requiring the existence of Dark Energy be accounted for without introducing any new and exotic types of energy density, if we are prepared to give up some of the assumptions of the standard cosmological model?’, or, alternatively, ‘is Dark Energy an illusion?’.     

A Valid Finite Bounded Expanding Carmelian Universe Without Dark Matter

The solution of Einstein’s field equations in Cosmological General Relativity (CGR), where the Galaxy is at or cosmologically near the center of a finite yet bounded spherically symmetrical isotropic gravitational field, is identical with the unbounded solution. I show that this leads to the conclusion that the Universe may be viewed as a finite expanding “white hole.” This is not the white hole solution of Einstein’s spacetime but has similarities to it. The fact that CGR has been successful in describing the distance modulus verses redshift data of the high-redshift type Ia supernovae means that the data cannot be used to distinguish between unbounded models and those with finite bounded radii of at least cτ ( ${\approx}c H_{0}^{-1}$ ). According to Carmelian theory, whether or not the Universe is finite bounded or unbounded it is spatially flat all epochs where it was matter dominated. As a consequence in a finite bounded universe no gravitational redshift in the light from distant source galaxies would be observed.     

Relic keV sterile neutrinos and reionization

A sterile neutrino with a mass of several keV can account for cosmological dark matter, as well as explain the observed velocities of pulsars. We show that x rays produced by the decays of these relic sterile neutrinos can boost the production of molecular hydrogen, which can speed up the cooling of gas and the early star formation, which can, in turn, lead to a reionization of the Universe at a high enough redshift to be consistent with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe results.     

Apparent clustering of intermediate-redshift galaxies as a probe of dark energy

We show that the apparent redshift-space clustering of galaxies in the redshift range of 0.2-0.4 provides surprisingly useful constraints on dark-energy components in the Universe, because of the right balance between the density of objects and the survey depth. We apply Fisher matrix analysis to the luminous red galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, as a concrete example. Possible degeneracies in the evolution of the equation of state and the other cosmological parameters are clarified.     

New constraints on macroscopic compact objects as dark matter candidates from gravitational lensing of type Ia supernovae

We use the distribution, and particularly the skewness, of high redshift type Ia supernovae brightnesses relative to the low redshift sample to constrain the density of macroscopic compact objects (MCOs) in the Universe. The supernova data favor dark matter made of microscopic particles (such as the lightest supersymmetric partner) over MCOs with masses between 10(-2)Mo and 10(10)Mo at 89% confidence. Future data will greatly improve this limit. Combined with other constraints, MCOs larger than one-tenth the mass of Earth (approximately 10(-7)Mo) can be eliminated as the sole constituent of dark matter.     

Reconstruction of a scalar-tensor theory of gravity in an accelerating universe

The present acceleration of the Universe strongly indicated by recent observational data can be modeled in the scope of a scalar-tensor theory of gravity. We show that it is possible to determine the structure of this theory along with the present density of dustlike matter from two observable cosmological functions: the luminosity distance and the linear density perturbation in the dustlike matter component as functions of redshift. Explicit results are presented in the first order in the small inverse Brans-Dicke parameter omega(-1).     

How to determine an effective potential for a variable cosmological term

It is shown that if a variable cosmological term in the present Universe is described by a scalar field with minimal coupling to gravity and with some phenomenological self-interaction potential V(ϕ), then this potential can be unambiguously determined from the following observational data: either from the behavior of density perturbations in dustlike matter component as a function of redshift (given the Hubble constant additionally), or from the luminosity distance as a function of redshift (given the present density of dustlike matter in terms of the critical value). Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 10, 721–726 (25 November 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Current lookback time-redshift bounds on dark energy

We investigate observational constraints on dark energy models from lookback time (LT) estimates of 32 old passive galaxies distributed over the redshift interval 0.11?z?1.84$0.11?z?1.84$. To build up our LT sample we combine the age measurements for these 32 objects with estimates of the total age of the Universe, as obtained from current CMB data. We show that LT data may provide bounds on the cosmological parameters with accuracy competitive with type Ia Supernova methods. In order to break possible degeneracies between models parameters, we also discuss the bounds when our lookback time versus redshift sample is combined with the recent measurement of the baryonic acoustic oscillation peak and the derived age of the Universe from current CMB measurements.     

Constraints on dark energy from the lookback time versus redshift test

We use lookback time versus redshift data from galaxy clusters (Capozziello et al., 2004 [9]) and passively evolving galaxies (Simon et al., 2005 [62]), and apply a Bayesian prior on the total age of the Universe based on WMAP measurements, to constrain dark energy cosmological model parameters. Current lookback time data provide interesting and moderately restrictive constraints on cosmological parameters. When used jointly with current baryon acoustic peak and Type Ia supernovae apparent magnitude versus redshift data, lookback time data tighten the constraints on parameters and favor slightly smaller values of the nonrelativistic matter energy density.     

Dimming supernovae without cosmic acceleration

We present a simple model where photons propagating in extragalactic magnetic fields can oscillate into very light axions. The oscillations may convert some of the photons, departing a distant supernova, into axions, making the supernova appear dimmer and hence more distant than it really is. Averaging over different configurations of the magnetic field we find that the dimming saturates at about one-third of the light from the supernovae at very large redshifts. This results in a luminosity distance versus redshift curve almost indistinguishable from that produced by the accelerating Universe, if the axion mass and coupling scale are m approximately 10(-16) eV, M approximately 4 x 10(11) GeV. This phenomenon may be an alternative to the accelerating Universe for explaining supernova observations.     

Scale dependent dimension of luminous matter in the universe

We suggest a geometrical model for the distribution of luminous matter in the Universe, where the apparent dimension, D(l), increases linearly with the logarithm of the scale l. Beyond the correlation length, xi, the Universe is homogeneous, and D = 3. Comparison with data from the SARS redshift catalog, and the LEDA database provides a good fit with a correlation length xi approximately 300 Mpc. This type of scaling structure was recently discovered in a simple reaction-diffusion "forest-fire" model, indicating a broad class of scaling phenomena.     

Subaru studies of the cosmic dawn

An overview on the current status of the census of the early Universe population is given. Observational surveys of high redshift objects provide direct opportunities to study the early epoch of the Universe. The target population included are Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAE), Lyman Break Galaxies (LBG), gravitationally lensed galaxies, quasars and gamma-ray bursts (GRB). The basic properties of these objects and the methods used to study them are reviewed. The present paper highlights the fact that the Subaru Telescope group made significant contributions in this field of science to elucidate the epoch of the cosmic dawn and to improve the understanding of how and when infant galaxies evolve into mature ones.     

The cosmological constant revisited

I briefly review the observational evidence for a small cosmological constant at the present epoch. This evidence mainly comes from high redshift observations of Type 1a supernovae, which, when combined with CMB observations strongly support a flat Universe with Ω _m + Ω_A ⋍ 1. Theoretically a cosmological constant can arise from zero point vacuum fluctuations. In addition ultra-light scalar fields could also give rise to a Universe which is accelerating driven by a time dependent Λ-term induced by the scalar field potential. Finally a Λ dominated Universe also finds support from observations of galaxy clustering and the age of the Universe.