Abstract: A deep understanding of the epoch of reionization is still missing in our knowledge of the universe. While future probes will allow us to test the precise evolution of the free electron fraction from redshifts between z similar or equal to 6 and z similar or equal to 20, at present one could ask what kind of reionization processes are allowed by present cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization measurements. An early contribution to reionization could imply a departure from the standard picture where star formation determines the reionization onset. By considering a broad class of possible reionization parameterizations, we find that current data do not require an early reionization component in our universe and that only one marginal class of models, based on a particular realization of reionization, may point to that. In addition, the frequentist Akaike information criterion (AIC) provides strong evidence against alternative reionization histories, favoring the most simple reionization scenario, which describes reionization by means of only one (constant) reionization optical depth tau.

Abstract: Using some of the latest cosmological data sets publicly available, we derive the strongest bounds in the literature on the sum of the three active neutrino masses, M-nu, within the assumption of a background flat Lambda CDM cosmology. In the most conservative scheme, combining Planck cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) data, as well as the up-to-date constraint on the optical depth to reionization (tau), the tightest 95% confidence level upper bound we find is M-nu < 0.151 eV. The addition of Planck high-l polarization data, which, however, might still be contaminated by systematics, further tightens the bound to M-nu < 0.118 eV. A proper model comparison treatment shows that the two aforementioned combinations disfavor the inverted hierarchy at similar to 64% C.L. and similar to 71% C.L., respectively. In addition, we compare the constraining power of measurements of the full- shape galaxy power spectrum versus the BAO signature, from the BOSS survey. Even though the latest BOSS full-shape measurements cover a larger volume and benefit from smaller error bars compared to previous similar measurements, the analysis method commonly adopted results in their constraining power still being less powerful than that of the extracted BAO signal. Our work uses only cosmological data; imposing the constraint M-nu > 0.06 eV from oscillations data would raise the quoted upper bounds by O(0.1 sigma) and would not affect our conclusions.

Abstract: We explore cosmological constraints on the sum of the three active neutrino masses M-v in the context of dynamical dark energy (DDE) models with equation of state (EoS) parametrized as a function of redshift z by w(z) = w(0) + w(a)z/ (1 + z), and satisfying w(z) >= -1 for all z. We make use of cosmic microwave background data from the Planck satellite, baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, and supernovae la luminosity distance measurements, and perform a Bayesian analysis. We show that, within these models, the bounds on M-v do not degrade with respect to those obtained in the Lambda CDM case; in fact, the bounds arc slightly tighter, despite the enlarged parameter space. We explain our results based on the observation that, for fixed choices of w(0), w(a) such that w(z) >= -1 (but not w = -1 for all z), the upper limit on M-v is tighter than the Lambda CDM limit because of the well-known degeneracy between w and M-v. The Bayesian analysis we have carried out then integrates over the possible values of w(0)-w(a) such that w(z) >= -1, all of which correspond to tighter limits on M-v than the Lambda CDM limit. We find a 95% credible interval (C.I.) upper bound of M-v < 0.13 eV. This bound can be compared with the 95% C.I. upper bounds of M-v < 0.16 eV, obtained within the Lambda CDM model, and M-v < 0.41 eV, obtained in a DDE model with arbitrary EoS (which allows values of w < -1). Contrary to the results derived for DDE models with arbitrary EoS, we find that a dark energy component with w(z) >= -1 is unable to alleviate the tension between high-redshift observables and direct measurements of the Hubble constant H o . Finally, in light of the results of this analysis, we also discuss the implications for DDE models of a possible determination of the neutrino mass ordering by laboratory searches.