No Arabic abstract
Early Dark Energy (EDE) contributing a fraction $f_{rm EDE}(z_c)sim 10 %$ of the energy density of the universe around $z_csimeq 3500$ and diluting as or faster than radiation afterwards, can provide a resolution to the Hubble tension, the $sim 5sigma$ discrepancy between the $H_0$ value derived from early- and late-universe observations within $Lambda$CDM. However, it has been pointed out that Large-Scale Structure (LSS) data, which are in $sim3sigma$ tension with $Lambda$CDM and EDE cosmologies, might alter these conclusions. We reassess the viability of the EDE against a host of high- and low-redshift measurements, by combining LSS observations from recent weak lensing (WL) surveys with CMB, Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO), growth function (FS) and Supernova Ia (SNIa) data. Introducing a model whose only parameter is $f_{rm EDE}(z_c)$, we report a $sim 2sigma$ preference for non-zero $f_{rm EDE}(z_c)$ from Planck data alone and the tension with SH0ES is reduced below $2sigma$. Adding BAO, FS and SNIa does not affect this result, while the inclusion of a prior on $H_0$ from SH0ES increase the preference for non-zero EDE to $sim3.6sigma$. After checking the EDE non-linear matter power spectrum predicted by standard semi-analytical algorithms via a set of $N$-body simulations, we show that current WL data do not rule out EDE. We also caution against the interpretation of constraints obtained from combining statistically inconsistent data sets within the $Lambda$CDM cosmology. In light of the CMB lensing anomalies, we show that the lensing-marginalized CMB data also favor non-zero $f_{rm EDE}(z_c)$ at $sim2sigma$, predicts $H_0$ in $1.4sigma$ agreement with SH0ES and $S_8$ in $1.5sigma$ ($0.8sigma$) agreement with KV (DES) data. Alternatively, we discuss promising extensions of the EDE cosmology that could allow to fully restore cosmological concordance.
New Early Dark Energy (NEDE) is a component of vacuum energy at the electron volt scale, which decays in a first-order phase transition shortly before recombination [arXiv:1910.10739]. The NEDE component has the potential to resolve the tension between recent local measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe using supernovae (SN) data and the expansion rate inferred from the early Universe through measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) when assuming $Lambda$CDM. We discuss in depth the two-scalar field model of the NEDE phase transition including the process of bubble percolation, collision, and coalescence. We also estimate the gravitational wave signal produced during the collision phase and argue that it can be searched for using pulsar timing arrays. In a second step, we construct an effective cosmological model, which describes the phase transition as an instantaneous process, and derive the covariant equations that match perturbations across the transition surface. Fitting the cosmological model to CMB, baryonic acoustic oscillations and SN data, we report $H_0 = 69.6^{+1.0}_{-1.3} , textrm{km}, textrm{s}^{-1}, textrm{Mpc}^{-1}$ $(68 %$ C.L.) without the local measurement of the Hubble parameter, bringing the tension down to $2.5, sigma$. Including the local input, we find $H_0 = 71.4 pm 1.0 , textrm{km}, textrm{s}^{-1}, textrm{Mpc}^{-1}$ $(68 %$ C.L.) and strong evidence for a non-vanishing NEDE component with a $simeq 4, sigma$ significance.
A promising idea to resolve the long standing Hubble tension is to postulate a new subdominant dark-energy-like component in the pre-recombination Universe which is traditionally termed as the Early Dark Energy (EDE). However, as shown in Refs. cite{Hill:2020osr,Ivanov:2020ril} the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and large-scale structure (LSS) data impose tight constraints on this proposal. Here, we revisit these strong bounds considering the Planck CMB temperature anisotropy data at large angular scales and the SPTPol polarization and lensing measurements. As advocated in Ref. cite{Chudaykin:2020acu}, this combined data approach predicts the CMB lensing effect consistent with the $Lambda$CDM expectation and allows one to efficiently probe both large and small angular scales. Combining Planck and SPTPol CMB data with the full-shape BOSS likelihood and information from photometric LSS surveys in the EDE analysis we found for the Hubble constant $H_0=69.79pm0.99,{rm km,s^{-1}Mpc^{-1}}$ and for the EDE fraction $f_{rm EDE}<0.094,(2sigma)$. These bounds obtained without including a local distance ladder measurement of $H_0$ (SH0ES) alleviate the Hubble tension to a $2.5sigma$ level. Including further the SH0ES data we obtain $H_0=71.81pm1.19,{rm km,s^{-1}Mpc^{-1}}$ and $f_{rm EDE}=0.088pm0.034$ in full accordance with SH0ES. We also found that a higher value of $H_0$ does not significantly deteriorate the fit to the LSS data. Overall, the EDE scenario is (though weakly) favoured over $Lambda$CDM even after accounting for unconstrained directions in the cosmological parameter space. We conclude that the large-scale Planck temperature and SPTPol polarization measurements along with LSS data do not rule out the EDE model as a resolution of the Hubble tension. This paper underlines the importance of the CMB lensing effect for robust constraints on the EDE scenario.
Early dark energy (EDE) offers a particularly interesting theoretical approach to the Hubble tension, albeit one that introduces its own set of challenges, including a new `why then problem related to the EDE injection time at matter-radiation equality, and a mild worsening of the large-scale structure (LSS) tension. Both these challenges center on the properties of dark matter, which becomes the dominant component of the Universe at EDE injection and is also responsible for seeding LSS. Motivated by this, we explore the potential of couplings between EDE and dark matter to address these challenges, focusing on a mechanism similar to chameleon dark energy theories, deeming this chameleon early dark energy (CEDE). We study the cosmological implications of such theories by fitting to the CMB, BAO, supernovae and the local value of $H_0$. We find that the Hubble tension is resolved by CEDE with $H_0 = 71.19(71.85)pm 0.99$ km/s/Mpc. Further, the model provides an excellent fit to all the data, with no change to the CMB $chi^2$ relative to a $Lambda$CDM fit to just the CMB, BAO and SNe (i.e. excluding the $H_0$ tension for $Lambda$CDM). We find a mild preference $(sim 2sigma)$ for the chameleon coupling constant $beta >0$.
The Hubble tension can be significantly eased if there is an early component of dark energy that becomes active around the time of matter-radiation equality. Early dark energy models suffer from a coincidence problem -- the physics of matter-radiation equality and early dark energy are completely disconnected, so some degree of fine-tuning is needed in order for them to occur nearly simultaneously. In this paper we propose a natural explanation for this coincidence. If the early dark energy scalar couples to neutrinos then it receives a large injection of energy around the time that neutrinos become non-relativistic. This is precisely when their temperature is of order their mass, which, coincidentally, occurs around the time of matter-radiation equality. Neutrino decoupling therefore provides a natural trigger for early dark energy by displacing the field from its minimum just before matter-radiation equality. We discuss various theoretical aspects of this proposal, potential observational signatures, and future directions for its study.
Weak gravitational lensing is one of the key probes of the cosmological model, dark energy, and dark matter, providing insight into both the cosmic expansion history and large scale structure growth history. Taking into account a broad spectrum of physics affecting growth - dynamical dark energy, extended gravity, neutrino masses, and spatial curvature - we analyze the cosmological constraints. Similarly we consider the effects of a range of systematic uncertainties, in shear measurement, photometric redshifts, and the nonlinear power spectrum, on cosmological parameter extraction. We also investigate, and provide fitting formulas for, the influence of survey parameters such as redshift depth, galaxy number densities, and sky area. Finally, we examine the robustness of results for different fiducial cosmologies.