119265606
Relativistic scalar fields and the quasistatic approximation in theories of modified gravity
Relativistic scalar fields are ubiquitous in modified theories of gravity. An important tool in understanding their impact on structure formation, especially in the context of N-body simulations, is the quasi-static approximation in which the time evolution of perturbations in the scalar fields is discarded. We show that this approximation must be used with some care by studying linearly perturbed scalar field cosmologies and quantifying the errors that arise from taking the quasi-static limit. We focus on f(R) and chameleon models and link the accuracy of the quasi-static approximation to the fast/slow-roll behaviour of the background and its proximity to {\Lambda}CDM. Investigating a large range of scales, from super- to sub-horizon, we find that slow-rolling ({\Lambda}CDM-like) backgrounds generically result in good quasi-static behaviour, even on (super-)horizon scales. We also discuss how the approximation might affect studying the non-linear growth of structure in numerical N-body simulations.
17421918
Living in a void: testing the Copernican principle with distant supernovae.
We show that the local redshift dependence of the luminosity distance can be used to test the Copernican principle that we are not in a central or otherwise special region of the Universe. Future surveys of type Ia supernovae that focus on a redshift range of approximately 0.1-0.4 will be ideally suited to observationally determine the validity of the Copernican principle on new scales, as well as probing the degree to which dark energy must be considered a necessary ingredient in the Universe.
119285987
Cosmology of Axions and Moduli: A Dynamical Systems Approach
xed point attractors, repellers and saddle points, which we analyse in detail. We also provide geometric interpretations of the phase space. The xed points can be used to bound the couplings in the model. A systematic scan of certain regions of parameter space reveals that the future evolution of the universe in this model can be rich, containing multiple epochs of accelerated expansion.
122687802
Imaging the early universe with the BOOMERanG Experiment
The BOOMERanG experiment has recently detected temperature fluctuations the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the otherwise isotropic radiation coming from the early Universe. These anisotropies have a low contrast (about 30 ppm) and feature a peculiar angular power spectrum at angles corresponding to sub-horizon scales at recombination. In the current cosmological model, these structures result from acoustic oscillations in the primeval plasma. In the framework of the Hot Big Bang theory with the inflationary hypothesis, the statistical properties of the image of the CMB allow us to measure most of the cosmological parameters.
36591368
Fast and precise map‐making for massively multi‐detector CMB experiments
Future cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarisation experiments aim to measure an unprecedentedly small signal - the primordial gravity wave component of the polarisation field B-mode. To achieve this, they will analyse huge dataset s, involving years worth of timeordered data (TOD) from massively multi-detector focal planes. This creates the need for fast and precise methods to complement the M-L approach in analysis pipelines. In this paper, we investigate fast map-making methods as applied to long duration, massively multi-detector, ground-based experiments, in the context of the search for B-modes. We focus on two alternative map-making approaches: destriping and TOD filtering , comparing their performance on simulated multi-detector polarisation data. We have written an optimised, parallel destriping code, the DEStriping CARTographer (DESCART), that is generalised for massive focal planes, including the potential effect of cross-correlate d TOD 1/f noise. We also determine the scaling of computing time for destriping as applied to a simulated full-season data-set for a realistic experiment. We find that destriping can out-perf orm filtering in estimating both the large-scale E and B-mode angular power spectra. In particular, filtering can produce significant spurious B-mode power via EB mixing. Whilst this can be removed, it contributes to the variance of B-mode bandpower estimates at scales near the primordial B-mode peak. For the experimental configuration we simulate, this has an effect o n the possible detection significance for primordial B-modes. Destriping is a viable alternative fast method to the full M-L approach that does not cause the problems associated with fil tering, and is flexible enough to
119408227
CMB likelihood functions for beginners and experts
Although the broad outlines of the appropriate pipeline for cosmological likelihood analysis with CMB data has been known for several years, only recently have we had to contend with the full, large-scale, computationally challenging problem involving both highly-correlated noise and extremely large datasets (N>1000). In this talk we concentrate on the beginning and end of this process. First, we discuss estimating the noise covariance from the data itself in a rigorous and unbiased way; this is essentially an iterated minimum-variance mapmaking approach. We also discuss the unbiased determination of cosmological parameters from estimates of the power spectrum or experimental bandpowers.
119098673
Pseudo-Photon Radiative Corrections in Non-Regular Backgrounds
Extended $U_e(1)\times U_g(1)$ electromagnetism containing both a photon and a pseudo-photon is introduced at variational level and is justified by the violation of the Bianchi identities in conceptual systems, either in the presence of magnetic monopoles or non-regular external fields, not being accounted by the standard Maxwell action. It is shown that in the perturbative quantum field theory regimes there are observable consequences both for the magnetic momenta and second order vacuum polarization radiative corrections in the presence of non-regular strong electromagnetic fields (e.g. rotating magnetic fields).
122214245
A two-Higgs doublet model with remarkable CP properties
We analyze generalized CP symmetries of two-Higgs doublet models, extending them from the scalar to the fermion sector of the theory. We show that, other than the usual CP transformation, there is only one of those symmetries which does not imply massless charged fermions. That single model which accommodates a fermionic mass spectrum compatible with experimental data possesses a remarkable feature. Through a soft breaking of the symmetry it displays a new type of spontaneous CP violation, which does not occur in the scalar sector responsible for the symmetry breaking mechanism but, rather, in the fermion sector.
16906939
Effect of Pions in Cosmic Rays
The effects of pions for vacuum polarization in background magnetic fields are considered. The effects of quark condensates is also briefly addresses. Although these effects are out of the measurement accuracy of laboratory experiments they may be relevant for gamma‐ray burst propagation. In particular, for emissions from the center of the galaxy, we show that the mixing between the neutral pion and photons results in a deviation of the gamma‐ray spectrum from the standard power‐law in the TeV range.
118891944
Contributions from dimension six strong flavor changing operators to tt plus gauge boson, and t plus Higgs boson production at the CERN LHC
We study the effects of a set of dimension six flavor changing effective operators on several processes of production of top quarks at the LHC. Namely, top anti-top production and associated production of a top and a gauge or Higgs boson. Analytical expressions for the cross sections of these processes are derived and presented.
748074
A Pseudo-Photon in Non-Trivial Background Fields
We show that in the presence of external fields for which either Ḃ 6= 0 or ∇ × E 6= 0 it is not possible to derive the classical Maxwell equations from an action with only one gauge field. We suggest that one possible solution is to consider a second physical pseudo-vector gauge field C. The action for this theory is originally motivated by the inclusion of magnetic monopoles. These particles play no role in this work and our argument is only based in, that the violation of the Bianchi identities, cannot be accounted at the action level with only the standard gauge field. We give a particular example for a periodic rotating external magnetic field. Our construction holds that at classical level both the vector and pseudo-vector gauge fields A and C are regular. We compare pseudo-photon with paraphoton (graviphoton) theories concluding that, besides the mechanisms of gauge symmetry already studied by the authors, the Bianchi identities violation are a crucial difference between both theories. We also show that the effects in PVLAS experiment due to the inclusion of pseudo-photons cannot be distinguished from the usual classical induced electric and magnetic fields due to the standard Maxwell equations. Therefore, although this kind of optical experiments cannot test the existence of pseudo-photons, they do not exclude its existence. PACS: ?03.50.De, ?03.70.+k, ?11.15.-q