|   | 
Details
   web
Records
Author Archidiacono, M.; Giusarma, E.; Hannestad, S.; Mena, O.
Title Cosmic Dark Radiation and Neutrinos Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication Advances in High Energy Physics Abbreviated Journal Adv. High. Energy Phys.
Volume 2013 Issue Pages 191047 - 14pp
Keywords
Abstract New measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) by the Planck mission have greatly increased our knowledge about the universe. Dark radiation, a weakly interacting component of radiation, is one of the important ingredients in our cosmological model which is testable by Planck and other observational probes. At the moment, the possible existence of dark radiation is an unsolved question. For instance, the discrepancy between the value of the Hubble constant, H-0, inferred from the Planck data and local measurements of H-0 can to some extent be alleviated by enlarging the minimal ACDM model to include additional relativistic degrees of freedom. From a fundamental physics point of view, dark radiation is no less interesting. Indeed, it could well be one of the most accessible windows to physics beyond the standard model, for example, sterile neutrinos. Here, we review the most recent cosmological results including a complete investigation of the dark radiation sector in order to provide an overview of models that are still compatible with new cosmological observations. Furthermore, we update the cosmological constraints on neutrino physics and dark radiation properties focusing on tensions between data sets and degeneracies among parameters that can degrade our information or mimic the existence of extra species.
Address [Archidiacono, Maria; Hannestad, Steen] Univ Aarhus, Dept Phys & Astron, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark, Email: archi@phys.au.dk
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Hindawi Publishing Corporation Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1687-7357 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000327959400001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1660
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Di Valentino, E.; Giusarma, E.; Lattanzi, M.; Melchiorri, A.; Mena, O.
Title Axion cold dark matter: Status after Planck and BICEP2 Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 90 Issue 4 Pages 043534 - 11pp
Keywords
Abstract We investigate the axion dark matter scenario (ADM), in which axions account for all of the dark matter in the Universe, in light of the most recent cosmological data. In particular, we use the Planck temperature data, complemented by WMAP E-polarization measurements, as well as the recent BICEP2 observations of B-modes. Baryon acoustic oscillation data, including those from the baryon oscillation spectroscopic survey, are also considered in the numerical analyses. We find that, in the minimal ADM scenario and for Delta(QCD) = 200 MeV, the full data set implies that the axion mass m(a) = 82.2 +/- 1.1 μeV [corresponding to the Peccei-Quinn symmetry being broken at a scale f(a) = (7.54 +/- 0.10) x 10(10) GeV], or m(a) = 76.6 +/- 2.6 μeV [f(a) = (8.08 +/- 0.27) x 10(10) GeV] when we allow for a nonstandard effective number of relativistic species N-eff. We also find a 2 sigma preference for N-eff > 3.046. The limit on the sum of neutrino masses is Sigma m(v) < 0.25 eV at 95% C.L. for N-eff = 3.046, or Sigma m(v) < 0.47 eV when N-eff is a free parameter. Considering extended scenarios where either the dark energy equation-of-state parameter w, the tensor spectral index n(t), or the running of the scalar index dn(s)/d ln k is allowed to vary does not change significantly the axion mass-energy density constraints. However, in the case of the full data set exploited here, there is a preference for a nonzero tensor index or scalar running, driven by the different tensor amplitudes implied by the Planck and BICEP2 observations. We also study the effect on our estimates of theoretical uncertainties, in particular the imprecise knowledge of the QCD scale Delta(QCD), in the calculation of the temperature-dependent axion mass. We find that in the simplest ADM scenario the Planck + WP data set implies that the axion mass m(a) = 63.7 +/- 1.2 μeV for Delta(QCD) = 400 MeV. We also comment on the possibility that axions do not make up for all the dark matter, or that the contribution of string-produced axions has been grossly underestimated; in that case, the values that we find for the mass can conservatively be considered as lower limits. Dark matter axions with mass in the 60-80 μeV (corresponding to an axion-photon coupling G(a gamma gamma) similar to 10(-14) GeV-1) range can, in principle, be detected by looking for axion-to-photon conversion occurring inside a tunable microwave cavity permeated by a high-intensity magnetic field, and operating at a frequency nu similar or equal to 15-20 GHz. This is out of the reach of current experiments like the axion dark matter experiment (limited to a maximum frequency of a few GHzs), but is, on the other hand, within the reach of the upcoming axion dark matter experiment-high frequency experiment that will explore the 4-40 GHz frequency range and then be sensitive to axion masses up to similar to 160 μeV.
Address [Di Valentino, Eleonora; Giusarma, Elena; Melchiorri, Alessandro] Univ Roma La Sapienza, Dept Phys, I-00185 Rome, Italy
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000340890100001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1893
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Boubekeur, L.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.; Ramirez, H.
Title Current status of modified gravity Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 90 Issue 10 Pages 103512 - 10pp
Keywords
Abstract We revisit the cosmological viability of the Hu-Sawicki modified gravity scenario. The impact of such a modification on the different cosmological observables, including gravitational waves, is carefully described. The most recent cosmological data, as well as constraints on the relationship between the clustering parameter sigma(8) and the current matter mass-energy density Omega(m) from cluster number counts and weak lensing tomography, are considered in our numerical calculations. The strongest bound we find is vertical bar f(R0)vertical bar < 3.7 x 10(-6) at 95% C.L. Forthcoming cluster surveys covering 10 000 deg(2) in the sky, with galaxy surface densities of O(10) arcmin(-2) could improve the precision in the sigma(8)-Omega(m) relationship, tightening the above constraint.
Address [Boubekeur, Lotfi; Mena, Olga; Ramirez, Hector] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, E-46071 Valencia, Spain
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000345534500005 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2017
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Giusarma, E.; Di Valentino, E.; Lattanzi, M.; Melchiorri, A.; Mena, O.
Title Relic neutrinos, thermal axions, and cosmology in early 2014 Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 90 Issue 4 Pages 043507 - 17pp
Keywords
Abstract We present up-to-date cosmological bounds on the sum of active neutrino masses as well as on extended cosmological scenarios with additional thermal relics, as thermal axions or sterile neutrino species. Our analyses consider all the current available cosmological data in the beginning of year 2014, including the very recent and most precise baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. In the minimal three-active-neutrino scenario, we find Sigma m(nu) < 0.22 eV at 95% C.L. from the combination of cosmic microwave background (CMB), baryon acoustic oscillation, and Hubble Space Telescope measurements of the Hubble constant. A nonzero value for the sum of the three active neutrino masses of similar to 0.3 eV is significantly favored at more than three standard deviations when adding the constraints on s 8 and Om from the Planck cluster catalog on galaxy number counts. This preference for nonzero thermal relic masses disappears almost completely in both the thermal axion and massive sterile neutrino schemes. Extra light species contribute to the effective number of relativistic degrees of freedom, parametrized via N-eff. We found that when the recent detection of B mode polarization from the BICEP2 experiment is considered, an analysis of the combined CMB data in the framework of LCDM + r models gives N-eff = 3.90 +/- 0.42, suggesting the presence of an extra relativistic relic at more than 95% C.L. from CMB-only data.
Address [Giusarma, Elena; Di Valentino, Eleonora; Melchiorri, Alessandro] Univ Roma La Sapienza, Dept Phys, I-00185 Rome, Italy
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000347985100004 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2075
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Boubekeur, L.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.; Ramirez, H.
Title Phenomenological approaches of inflation and their equivalence Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 91 Issue 8 Pages 083006 - 8pp
Keywords
Abstract In this work, we analyze two possible alternative and model-independent approaches to describe the inflationary period. The first one assumes a general equation of state during inflation due to Mukhanov, while the second one is based on the slow-roll hierarchy suggested by Hoffman and Turner. We find that, remarkably, the two approaches are equivalent from the observational viewpoint, as they single out the same areas in the parameter space, and agree with the inflationary attractors where successful inflation occurs. Rephrased in terms of the familiar picture of a slowly rolling, canonically normalized scalar field, the resulting inflaton excursions in these two approaches are almost identical. Furthermore, once the Galactic dust polarization data from Planck are included in the numerical fits, inflaton excursions can safely take sub-Planckian values.
Address [Boubekeur, Lotfi; Mena, Olga; Ramirez, Hector] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, E-46071 Valencia, Spain
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000353138800002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2196
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Boubekeur, L.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.; Ramirez, H.
Title Do current data prefer a nonminimally coupled inflaton? Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 91 Issue 10 Pages 103004 - 6pp
Keywords
Abstract We examine the impact of a nonminimal coupling of the inflaton to the Ricci scalar, 1/2 xi R phi(2), on the inflationary predictions. Such a nonminimal coupling is expected to be present in the inflaton Lagrangian on fairly general grounds. As a case study, we focus on the simplest inflationary model governed by the potential V proportional to phi(2), using the latest combined 2015 analysis of Planck and the BICEP2/Keck Array. We find that the presence of a coupling xi is favored at a significance of 99% C.L., assuming that nature has chosen the potential V proportional to phi(2) to generate the primordial perturbations and a number of e-foldings N = 60. Within the context of the same scenario, we find that the value of xi is different from zero at the 2 sigma level. When considering the cross-correlation polarization spectra from the BICEP2/Keck Array and Planck, a value of r = 0.038(-0.030)(+0.039) is predicted in this particular nonminimally coupled scenario. Future cosmological observations may therefore test these values of r and verify or falsify the nonminimally coupled model explored here.
Address [Boubekeur, Lotfi; Mena, Olga; Ramirez, Hector] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, E-46071 Valencia, Spain
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000354979300001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2237
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Di Valentino, E.; Gariazzo, S.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.
Title Robustness of cosmological axion mass limits Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 91 Issue 12 Pages 123505 - 12pp
Keywords
Abstract We present the cosmological bounds on the thermal axion mass in an extended cosmological scenario in which the primordial power spectrum of scalar perturbations differs from the usual power-law shape predicted by the simplest inflationary models. The power spectrum is instead modeled by means of a “piecewise cubic Hermite interpolating polynomial” (PCHIP). When using cosmic microwave background measurements combined with other cosmological data sets, the thermal axion mass constraints are degraded only slightly. The addition of the measurements of sigma(8) and Omega(m) from the 2013 Planck cluster catalog on galaxy number counts relaxes the bounds on the thermal axion mass, mildly favoring a similar to 1 eV axion mass, regardless of the model adopted for the primordial power spectrum. However, in general, such a preference disappears if the sum of the three active neutrino masses is also considered as a free parameter in our numerical analyses, due to the strong correlation between the masses of these two hot thermal relics.
Address [Di Valentino, Eleonora] CNRS, UMR 7095, Inst Astrophys Paris, F-75014 Paris, France
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000355623400003 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2253
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Di Valentino, E.; Giusarma, E.; Lattanzi, M.; Mena, O.; Melchiorri, A.; Silk, J.
Title Cosmological axion and neutrino mass constraints from Planck 2015 temperature and polarization data Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication Physics Letters B Abbreviated Journal Phys. Lett. B
Volume 752 Issue Pages 182-185
Keywords
Abstract Axions currently provide the most compelling solution to the strong CP problem. These particles may be copiously produced in the early universe, including via thermal processes. Therefore, relic axions constitute a hot dark matter component and their masses are strongly degenerate with those of the three active neutrinos, as they leave identical signatures in the different cosmological observables. In addition, thermal axions, while still relativistic states, also contribute to the relativistic degrees of freedom, parameterized via N-eff. We present the cosmological bounds on the relic axion and neutrino masses, exploiting the full Planck mission data, which include polarization measurements. In the mixed hot dark matter scenario explored here, we find the tightest and more robust constraint to date on the sum of the three active neutrino masses, Sigma m nu < 0.136eV at 95% CL, as it is obtained in the very well-known linear perturbation regime. The Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich cluster number count data further tightens this bound, providing a 95% CL upper limit of Sigma m nu < 0.126 eV in this very same mixed hot dark matter model, a value which is very close to the expectations in the inverted hierarchical neutrino mass scenario. Using this same combination of data sets we find the most stringent bound to date on the thermal axion mass, m(a) < 0.529 eV at 95% CL.
Address [Di Valentino, Eleonora; Silk, Joseph] CNRS, UMR7095, Inst Astrophys Paris, F-75014 Paris, France, Email: elena.giusarma@roma1.infn.it
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Elsevier Science Bv Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0370-2693 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000368026000026 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2524
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Escudero, M.; Ramirez, H.; Boubekeur, L.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.
Title The present and future of the most favoured inflationary models after Planck 2015 Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 02 Issue 2 Pages 020 - 21pp
Keywords inflation; cosmological parameters from CMBR; CMBR experiments
Abstract The value of the tensor-to-scalar ratio r in the region allowed by the latest Planck 2015 measurements can be associated to a large variety of inflationary models. We discuss here the potential of future Cosmic Microwave Background cosmological observations in disentangling among the possible theoretical scenarios allowed by our analyses of current Planck temperature and polarization data. Rather than focusing only on r, we focus as well on the running of the primordial power spectrum, alpha(s) and the running thereof, beta(s). If future cosmological measurements, as those from the COrE mission, confirm the current best-fit value for beta(s) greater than or similar to 10(-2) as the preferred one, it will be possible to rule-out the most favoured inflationary models.
Address [Escudero, Miguel; Ramirez, Hector; Boubekeur, Lotfi; Mena, Olga] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Apartado Correos 22085, E-46071 Valencia, Spain, Email: miguel.escudero@ific.uv.es;
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1475-7516 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000372467600021 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2590
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Di Valentino, E.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.; Melchiorri, A.; Silk, J.
Title Cosmological limits on neutrino unknowns versus low redshift priors Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 93 Issue 8 Pages 083527 - 11pp
Keywords
Abstract Recent cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements from the Planck mission have significantly improved previous constraints on the neutrino masses as well as the bounds on extended models with massless or massive sterile neutrino states. However, due to parameter degeneracies, additional low redshift priors are mandatory in order to sharpen the CMB neutrino bounds. We explore here the role of different priors on low redshift quantities, such as the Hubble constant, the cluster mass bias, and the reionization optical depth tau. Concerning current priors on the Hubble constant and the cluster mass bias, the bounds on the neutrino parameters may differ appreciably depending on the choices adopted in the analyses. With regard to future improvements in the priors on the reionization optical depth, a value of tau = 0.05 +/- 0.01, motivated by astrophysical estimates of the reionization redshift, would lead to Sigma m(nu) < 0.0926 eV at 90% C.L., when combining the full Planck measurements, baryon acoustic oscillation, and Planck clusters data, thereby opening the window to unravel the neutrino mass hierarchy with existing cosmological probes.
Address [Di Valentino, Eleonora; Silk, Joseph] CNRS, Inst Astrophys Paris, UMR7095, F-75014 Paris, France
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2470-0010 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000375203600002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2643
Permanent link to this record