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Author (down) 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 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
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Author (down) Blennow, M.; Fernandez-Martinez, E.; Mena, O.; Redondo, J.; Serra, E.P.
Title Asymmetric Dark Matter and Dark Radiation Type Journal Article
Year 2012 Publication Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 07 Issue 7 Pages 022 - 23pp
Keywords dark matter theory; particle physics – cosmology connection; physics of the early universe
Abstract Asymmetric Dark Matter (ADM) models invoke a particle-antiparticle asymmetry, similar to the one observed in the Baryon sector, to account for the Dark Matter (DM) abundance. Both asymmetries are usually generated by the same mechanism and generally related, thus predicting DM masses around 5 GeV in order to obtain the correct density. The main challenge for successful models is to ensure efficient annihilation of the thermally produced symmetric component of such a light DM candidate without violating constraints from collider or direct searches. A common way to overcome this involves a light mediator, into which DM can efficiently annihilate and which subsequently decays into Standard Model particles. Here we explore the scenario where the light mediator decays instead into lighter degrees of freedom in the dark sector that act as radiation in the early Universe. While this assumption makes indirect DM searches challenging, it leads to signals of extra radiation at BBN and CMB. Under certain conditions, precise measurements of the number of relativistic species, such as those expected from the Planck satellite, can provide information on the structure of the dark sector. We also discuss the constraints of the interactions between DM and Dark Radiation from their imprint in the matter power spectrum.
Address [Blennow, Mattias] Max Planck Inst Kernphys, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany, Email: Mattias.Blennow@mpi-hd.mpg.de;
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 Edition
ISSN 1475-7516 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000307079600033 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1165
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Author (down) Bertolez-Martinez, T.; Esteban, I.; Hajjar, R.; Mena, O.; Salvado, J.
Title Origin of cosmological neutrino mass bounds: background versus perturbations Type Journal Article
Year 2025 Publication Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 06 Issue 6 Pages 058 - 37pp
Keywords cosmological neutrinos; cosmological parameters from CMBR; neutrino masses from cosmology; neutrino properties
Abstract The cosmological upper bound on the total neutrino mass is the dominant limit on this fundamental parameter. Recent observations soon to be improved have strongly tightened it, approaching the lower limit set by oscillation data. Understanding its physical origin, robustness, and model-independence becomes pressing. Here, we explicitly separate for the first time the two distinct cosmological neutrino-mass effects: the impact on background evolution, related to the energy in neutrino masses; and the “kinematic” impact on perturbations, related to neutrino free-streaming. We scrutinize how they affect CMB anisotropies, introducing two effective masses enclosing background ( mBackg. nu ) and perturbations ( mPert. nu) effects. We analyze CMB data, finding that the neutrino-mass bound is mostly a background measurement, i.e., how the neutrino energy density evolves with time. The bound on the “kinematic” variable mPert. nu is largely relaxed, mPert. nu <0.8 eV. This work thus adds clarity to the physical origin of the cosmological neutrino-mass bound, which is mostly a measurement of the neutrino equation of state, providing also hints to evade such a bound.
Address [Bertolez-Martinez, Toni; Salvado, Jordi] Univ Barcelona, Dept Fis Quant & Astrofis, Diagonal 647, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain, Email: antoni.bertolez@fqa.ub.edu;
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 Edition
ISSN 1475-7516 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:001522131000002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 6737
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Author (down) Barranco, L.; Boubekeur, L.; Mena, O.
Title Model-independent fit to Planck and BICEP2 data Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 90 Issue 6 Pages 063007 - 7pp
Keywords
Abstract Inflation is the leading theory to describe elegantly the initial conditions that led to structure formation in our Universe. In this paper, we present a novel phenomenological fit to the Planck, WMAP polarization (WP) and the BICEP2 data sets using an alternative parametrization. Instead of starting from inflationary potentials and computing the inflationary observables, we use a phenomenological parametrization due to Mukhanov, describing inflation by an effective equation of state, in terms of the number of e-folds and two phenomenological parameters alpha and beta. Within such a parametrization, which captures the different inflationary models in a model-independent way, the values of the scalar spectral index n(s), its running and the tensor-to-scalar ratio r are predicted, given a set of parameters (alpha, beta). We perform a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis of these parameters, and we show that the combined analysis of Planck and WP data favors the Starobinsky and Higgs inflation scenarios. Assuming that the BICEP2 signal is not entirely due to foregrounds, the addition of this last data set prefers instead the phi(2) chaotic models. The constraint we get from Planck and WP data alone on the derived tensor-to-scalar ratio is r < 0.18 at 95% C.L., value which is consistent with the one quoted from the BICEP2 Collaboration analysis, r = 0.16(-0.05)(+0-06), after foreground subtraction. This is not necessarily at odds with the 2 sigma tension found between Planck and BICEP2 measurements when analyzing data in terms of the usual n(s) and r parameters, given that the parametrization used here, for the preferred value n(s) similar or equal to 0.96, allows only for a restricted parameter space in the usual (n(s), r) plane.
Address [Barranco, Laura; Boubekeur, Lotfi; Mena, Olga] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular, 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 Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000342128700002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1933
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Author (down) Barenboim, G.; Fernandez-Martinez, E.; Mena, O.; Verde, L.
Title The dark side of curvature Type Journal Article
Year 2010 Publication Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 03 Issue 3 Pages 008 - 17pp
Keywords dark energy experiments; baryon acoustic oscillations; cosmological parameters from CMBR
Abstract Geometrical tests such as the combination of the Hubble parameter H(z) and the angular diameter distance d(A)(z) can, in principle, break the degeneracy between the dark energy equation of state parameter w(z), and the spatial curvature Omega(k) in a direct, model-independent way. In practice, constraints on these quantities achievable from realistic experiments, such as those to be provided by Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) galaxy surveys in combination with CMB data, can resolve the cosmic confusion between the dark energy equation of state parameter and curvature only statistically and within a parameterized model for w(z). Combining measurements of both H(z) and d(A)(z) up to sufficiently high redshifts z similar to 2 and employing a parameterization of the redshift evolution of the dark energy equation of state are the keys to resolve the w(z) – Omega(k) degeneracy.
Address [Barenboim, Gabriela] Univ Valencia, Dept Fis Teor, E-46100 Valencia, Spain, Email: Gabriela.Barenboim@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 Edition
ISSN 1475-7516 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes ISI:000276103000026 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ elepoucu @ Serial 465
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Author (down) Archidiacono, M.; Lopez-Honorez, L.; Mena, O.
Title Current constraints on early and stressed dark energy models and future 21 cm perspectives Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 90 Issue 12 Pages 123016 - 10pp
Keywords
Abstract Despite the great progress of current cosmological measurements, the nature of the dominant component of the Universe, coined dark energy, is still an open question. Early dark energy is a possible candidate which may also alleviate some fine-tuning issues of the standard paradigm. Using the latest available cosmological data, we find that the 95% C.L. upper bound on the early dark energy density parameter is Tau(eDE) < 0.009. On the other hand, the dark energy component may be a stressed and inhomogeneous fluid. If this is the case, the effective sound speed and the viscosity parameters are unconstrained by current data. Future omniscopelike 21 cm surveys, combined with present cosmic microwave background data, could be able to distinguish between standard quintessence scenarios from other possible models with 2 sigma significance, assuming a non-negligible early dark energy contribution. The precision achieved on the Omega(eDE) parameter from these 21 cm probes could be below O(10%).
Address [Archidiacono, Maria] Aarhus Univ, Dept Phys & Astron, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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 Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000347194400007 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2066
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Author (down) Archidiacono, M.; Giusarma, E.; Melchiorri, A.; Mena, O.
Title Dark radiation in extended cosmological scenarios Type Journal Article
Year 2012 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 86 Issue 4 Pages 043509 - 7pp
Keywords
Abstract Recent cosmological data have provided evidence for a “dark” relativistic background at high statistical significance. Parameterized in terms of the number of relativistic degrees of freedom N-eff, however, the current data seem to indicate a higher value than the one expected in the standard scenario based on three active neutrinos. This dark radiation component can be characterized not only by its abundance but also by its clustering properties, as its effective sound speed and its viscosity parameter. It is therefore crucial to study the correlations among the dark radiation properties and key cosmological parameters, as the dark energy equation of state or the running of the scalar spectral index, with current and future cosmic microwave background data. We find that dark radiation with viscosity parameters different from their standard values may be misinterpreted as an evolving dark energy component or as a running spectral index in the power spectrum of primordial fluctuations.
Address [Archidiacono, Maria; 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 Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000307276500002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1122
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Author (down) Archidiacono, M.; Giusarma, E.; Melchiorri, A.; Mena, O.
Title Neutrino and dark radiation properties in light of recent CMB observations Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 87 Issue 10 Pages 103519 - 10pp
Keywords
Abstract Recent cosmic microwave background measurements at high multipoles from the South Pole Telescope and from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope seem to disagree in their conclusions for the neutrino and dark radiation properties. In this paper we set new bounds on the dark radiation and neutrino properties in different cosmological scenarios combining the ACT and SPT data with the nine-year data release of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP-9), baryon acoustic oscillation data, Hubble Telescope measurements of the Hubble constant, and supernovae Ia luminosity distance data. In the standard three massive neutrino case, the two high multipole probes give similar results if baryon acoustic oscillation data are removed from the analyses and Hubble Telescope measurements are also exploited. A similar result is obtained within a standard cosmology with N-eff massless neutrinos, although in this case the agreement between these two measurements is also improved when considering simultaneously baryon acoustic oscillation data and Hubble Space Telescope measurements. In the N-eff massive neutrino case the two high multipole probes give very different results regardless of the external data sets used in the combined analyses. When considering extended cosmological scenarios with a dark energy equation of state or with a running of the scalar spectral index, the evidence for neutrino masses found for the South Pole Telescope in the three neutrino scenario disappears for all the data combinations explored here. Again, adding Hubble Telescope data seems to improve the agreement between the two high multipole cosmic microwave background measurements considered here. In the case in which a dark radiation background with unknown clustering properties is also considered, SPT data seem to exclude the standard value for the dark radiation viscosity c(vis)(2) = 1/3 at the 2 sigma C.L., finding evidence for massive neutrinos only when combining SPT data with baryon acoustic oscillation measurements.
Address Univ Aarhus, Dept Phys & Astron, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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 Edition
ISSN 1550-7998 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000319254500004 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1462
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) 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 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
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Author (down) Anderson, L. et al; Mena, O.
Title The clustering of galaxies in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: measuring D-A and H at z=0.57 from the baryon acoustic peak in the Data Release 9 spectroscopic Galaxy sample Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Abbreviated Journal Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.
Volume 439 Issue 1 Pages 83-101
Keywords cosmological parameters; cosmology: observations; dark energy; distance scale; large scale structure of Universe
Abstract We present measurements of the angular diameter distance to and Hubble parameter at z = 0.57 from the measurement of the baryon acoustic peak in the correlation of galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. Our analysis is based on a sample from Data Release 9 of 264 283 galaxies over 3275 square degrees in the redshift range 0.43 < z < 0.70. We use two different methods to provide robust measurement of the acoustic peak position across and along the line of sight in order to measure the cosmological distance scale. We find D-A(0.57) = 1408 +/- 45 Mpc and H(0.57) = 92.9 +/- 7.8 km s(-1) Mpc(-1) for our fiducial value of the sound horizon. These results from the anisotropic fitting are fully consistent with the analysis of the spherically averaged acoustic peak position presented in Anderson et al. Our distance measurements are a close match to the predictions of the standard cosmological model featuring a cosmological constant and zero spatial curvature.
Address [Anderson, Lauren] Univ Washington, Dept Astron, Seattle, WA 98195 USA, Email: djschlegel@lbl.gov
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Oxford Univ Press Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0035-8711 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000333297700026 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1738
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