English

Observational signatures of the theories beyond Horndeski

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2015-05-29 v2 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

In the approach of the effective field theory of modified gravity, we derive the equations of motion for linear perturbations in the presence of a barotropic perfect fluid on the flat isotropic cosmological background. In a simple version of Gleyzes-Langlois-Piazza-Vernizzi (GLPV) theories, which is the minimum extension of Horndeski theories, we show that a slight deviation of the tensor propagation speed squared ct2c_{\rm t}^2 from 1 generally leads to the large modification to the propagation speed squared cs2c_{\rm s}^2 of a scalar degree of freedom ϕ\phi. This problem persists whenever the kinetic energy ρX\rho_X of the field ϕ\phi is much smaller than the background energy density ρm\rho_m, which is the case for most of dark energy models in the asymptotic past. Since the scaling solution characterized by the constant ratio ρX/ρm\rho_X/\rho_m is one way out for avoiding such a problem, we study the evolution of perturbations for a scaling dark energy model in the framework of GLPV theories in the Jordan frame. Provided the oscillating mode of scalar perturbations is fine-tuned so that it is initially suppressed, the anisotropic parameter η=Φ/Ψ\eta=-\Phi/\Psi between the two gravitational potentials Ψ\Psi and Φ\Phi significantly deviates from 1 for ct2c_{\rm t}^2 away from 1. For other general initial conditions, the deviation of ct2c_{\rm t}^2 from 1 gives rise to the large oscillation of Ψ\Psi with the frequency related to cs2c_{\rm s}^2. In both cases, the model can leave distinct imprints for the observations of CMB and weak lensing.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1503.06539,
  title  = {Observational signatures of the theories beyond Horndeski},
  author = {Antonio De Felice and Kazuya Koyama and Shinji Tsujikawa},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1503.06539},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

20 pages, 4 figures, published in JCAP