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Author Barranco, L.; Boubekeur, L.; Mena, O.
Title Model-independent fit to Planck and BICEP2 data Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication (up) 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 Boubekeur, L.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.; Ramirez, H.
Title Current status of modified gravity Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication (up) 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 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
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Author 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 (up) 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 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 (up) 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 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
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Author Boubekeur, L.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.; Ramirez, H.
Title Phenomenological approaches of inflation and their equivalence Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication (up) 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 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 (up) 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 Palomares-Ruiz, S.; Vincent, A.C.; Mena, O.
Title Spectral analysis of the high-energy IceCube neutrinos Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication (up) Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 91 Issue 10 Pages 103008 - 28pp
Keywords
Abstract A full energy and flavor-dependent analysis of the three-year high-energy IceCube neutrino events is presented. By means of multidimensional fits, we derive the current preferred values of the high-energy neutrino flavor ratios, the normalization and spectral index of the astrophysical fluxes, and the expected atmospheric background events, including a prompt component. A crucial assumption resides on the choice of the energy interval used for the analyses, which significantly biases the results. When restricting ourselves to the similar to 30 TeV-3 PeV energy range, which contains all the observed IceCube events, we find that the inclusion of the spectral information improves the fit to the canonical flavor composition at Earth, (1: 1: 1)(circle plus), with respect to a single-energy bin analysis. Increasing both the minimum and the maximum deposited energies has dramatic effects on the reconstructed flavor ratios as well as on the spectral index. Imposing a higher threshold of 60 TeV yields a slightly harder spectrum by allowing a larger muon neutrino component, since above this energy most atmospheric tracklike events are effectively removed. Extending the high-energy cutoff to fully cover the Glashow resonance region leads to a softer spectrum and a preference for tau neutrino dominance, as none of the expected electron (anti) neutrino induced showers have been observed so far. The lack of showers at energies above 2 PeV may point to a broken power-law neutrino spectrum. Future data may confirm or falsify whether the recently discovered high-energy neutrino fluxes and the long-standing detected cosmic rays have a common origin.
Address [Palomares-Ruiz, Sergio; Mena, Olga] 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:000355173100001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2242
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Author Di Valentino, E.; Gariazzo, S.; Giusarma, E.; Mena, O.
Title Robustness of cosmological axion mass limits Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication (up) 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 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
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Author Gariazzo, S.; Lopez-Honorez, L.; Mena, O.
Title Primordial power spectrum features and f(NL) constraints Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication (up) Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 92 Issue 6 Pages 063510 - 12pp
Keywords
Abstract The simplest models of inflation predict small non-Gaussianities and a featureless power spectrum. However, there exist a large number of well-motivated theoretical scenarios in which large non-Gaussianties could be generated. In general, in these scenarios the primordial power spectrum will deviate from its standard power law shape. We study, in a model-independent manner, the constraints from future large-scale structure surveys on the local non-Gaussianity parameter f(NL) when the standard power law assumption for the primordial power spectrum is relaxed. If the analyses are restricted to the large-scale-dependent bias induced in the linear matter power spectrum by non-Gaussianites, the errors on the f(NL) parameter could be increased by 60% when exploiting data from the future DESI survey, if dealing with only one possible dark matter tracer. In the same context, a nontrivial bias vertical bar delta f(NL)vertical bar similar to 2.5 could be induced if future data are fitted to the wrong primordial power spectrum. Combining all the possible DESI objects slightly ameliorates the problem, as the forecasted errors on f(NL) would be degraded by 40% when relaxing the assumptions concerning the primordial power spectrum shape. Also, the shift on the non-Gaussianity parameter is reduced in this case, vertical bar delta f(NL)vertical bar similar to 1.6. The addition of cosmic microwave background priors ensures robust future f(NL) bounds, as the forecasted errors obtained including these measurements are almost independent on the primordial power spectrum features, and vertical bar delta f(NL)vertical bar similar to 0.2, close to the standard single-field slow-roll paradigm prediction.
Address [Gariazzo, Stefano] Univ Turin, Dept Phys, I-10125 Turin, 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:000360886300004 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2382
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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 (up) 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 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