No Arabic abstract
Empirical theories of Dark Matter like MOND gravity and of Dark Energy like f(R) gravity were motivated by astronomical data. But could these theories be branches rooted from a more general hence natural framework? Here we propose the natural Lagrangian of such a framework based on simple dimensional analysis and co-variant symmetry requirements, and explore various outcomes in a top-down fashion. Our framework preserves the co-variant formulation of GR, but allows the expanding physical metric be bent by a single new species of Dark Fluid flowing in space-time. Its non-uniform stress tensor and current vector are simply functions of a vector field of variable norm, resembling the 4-vector electromagnetic potential description for the photon fluid, but is dark (e.g., by very early decoupling from the baryon-radiation fluid). The Dark Fluid framework naturally branches into a continuous spectrum of theories with Dark Energy and Dark Matter effects, including the $f(R)$ gravity, TeVeS-like theories, Einstein-Aether and $ uLambda$ theories as limiting cases. When the vector field degenerates into a pure Higgs-like scalar field, we obtain the physics for inflaton and quintessence. In this broad setting we emphasize the non-constant dynamical field behind the cosmological constant effect, and highlight plausible corrections beyond the classical MOND predictions. Choices of parameters can be made to pass BBN, PPN, and causality constraints. The Dark Fluid is inspired to unify/simplify the astronomically successful ingredients of previous constructions: the desired effects of inflaton plus quintessence plus Cold DM particle fields or MOND-like scalar field(s) are shown largely achievable by one vector field only.
We consider several new classes of viable vector field alternatives to the inflaton and quintessence scalar fields. Spatial vector fields are shown to be compatible with the cosmological anisotropy bounds if only slightly displaced from the potential minimum while dominant, or if driving an anisotropic expansion with nearly vanishing quadropole today. The Bianchi I model with a spatial field and an isotropic fluid is studied as a dynamical system, and several types of scaling solutions are found. On the other hand, time-like fields are automatically compatible with large-scale isotropy. We show that they can be dynamically important if non-minimal gravity couplings are taken into account. As an example, we reconstruct a vector-Gauss-Bonnet model which generates the concordance model acceleration at late times and supports an inflationary epoch at high curvatures. The evolution of vortical perturbations is considered.
The Universe is modeled as consisting of pressureless baryonic matter and a bulk viscous fluid which is supposed to represent a unified description of the dark sector. In the homogeneous and isotropic background the textit{total} energy density of this mixture behaves as a generalized Chaplygin gas. The perturbations of this energy density are intrinsically nonadiabatic and source relative entropy perturbations. The resulting baryonic matter power spectrum is shown to be compatible with the 2dFGRS and SDSS (DR7) data. A joint statistical analysis, using also Hubble-function and supernovae Ia data, shows that, different from other studies, there exists a maximum in the probability distribution for a negative present value of the deceleration parameter. Moreover, the unified model presented here favors a matter content that is of the order of the baryonic matter abundance suggested by big-bang nucleosynthesis. A problem of simple bulk viscous models, however, is the behavior of the gravitational potential and the reproduction of the CMB power spectrum.
We propose a unified single-field description of the galactic Dark Matter and various uniform scalar fields for the inflation and cosmological constant. The two types of effects could originate from a fluid of both spatially and temporally varying Vacuum Energy if the vacuum has an uneven pressure caused by a photon-like vector field (of perhaps an unstable massive boson). We propose a most general Lagrangian with a {bf N}on-{bf u}niform Cosmological Constant for this vacuum fluid (dubbed as a Nu-Lambda fluid), working within the framework of Einsteinian gravity. This theory includes a continuous spectrum of plausible dark energy theories and gravity theories, e.g., inflation, quintessence, k-essence, f(R), Generalized Einstein-Aether f(K), MOND, TeVeS, BSTV etc. theories. It also suggests new models such as a certain f(K+R) model, which suggests intriguing corrections to MOND depending of redshift and density. Some specific constructions of the Nu-Lambda fluid (e.g., Zhaos V-$Lambda$ model) closely resemble the $Lambda$CDM cosmology on large scale, but fit galaxy rotation curves as good as MOND. Perturbed Einstein Equations in a simple $f(K_4)$ model are solvable and show effects of a DM coupled to DE. Incorporating the perturbation equations here into standard simulations for cosmological structure growth offers a chance to falsify examples of the Nu-Lambda theories.
The expansion history of the Universe reconstructed from a combination of recent data indicates a preference for a changing Dark Energy (DE) density. Moreover, the DE density appears to be increasing with cosmic time, with its equation of state being below -1 on average, and possibly crossing the so-called phantom divide. Scalar-tensor theories, in which the scalar field mediates a force between matter particles, offer a natural framework in which the effective DE equation of state can be less than -1 and cross the phantom barrier. We consider the generalized Brans-Dicke (GBD) class of scalar-tensor theories and reconstruct their Lagrangian given the effective DE density extracted from recent data. Then, given the reconstructed Lagrangian, we solve for the linear perturbations and investigate the characteristic signatures of these reconstructed GBD in the cosmological observables, such as the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy, the galaxy number counts, and their cross-correlations. In particular, we demonstrate that the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect probed by the cross-correlation of CMB with the matter distribution can rule out scalar-tensor theories as the explanation of the observed DE dynamics independently from the laboratory and solar system fifth force constraints.
In the theories described by a volume normalized action functional, an arbitrary cosmological constant is eliminated from the physical picture of our Universe, and dynamical alternatives must be responsible for todays accelerated expansion as well as for the conjectured early-time inflation in the Universe. A few well-known such scenarios realized by a single homogeneous scalar field are examined in this new context, and their diverse fates are elucidated. Typical inflationary models are not affected at the level of the background evolution, and also give rise to the scalar perturbations equivalent to those obtained in the standard General Relativity; however, the primordial quantum tensor fluctuations are absent in the new framework, irrespective of the inflationary model. As a consequence, our proposal would be ruled out should the primordial tensor modes, or their indirect consequences, be discovered in observations.