Related papers: Theoretical Limits on Agegraphic Quintessence from…
A nearly-massless, slowly-rolling scalar field $\phi$ may provide most of the energy density of the current universe. One potential difficulty with this idea is that couplings to ordinary matter, even if suppressed by the Planck scale,…
We propose a new quintessence scenario in the brane cosmology, assuming that a quintessence field $Q$ is confined in our 3-dimensional brane world. With a potential $V(Q)= \mu^{\alpha+4} Q^{-\alpha}~(\alpha\geq 2)$, we find that the density…
We show how the scalar field, a candidate of quintessence, in a proposed model of the scalar-tensor theories of gravity provides a way to understand a small but nonzero cosmological constant as indicated by recent observations. A particular…
We study the observational constraints on the exponential gravity model of f(R)=-beta*Rs(1-e^(-R/Rs)). We use the latest observational data including Supernova Cosmology Project (SCP) Union2 compilation, Two-Degree Field Galaxy Redshift…
Cosmological neutrino mass bounds are becoming increasingly stringent. The latest limit within $\Lambda$CDM from Planck 2018+ACT lensing+DESI is $\sum m_\nu < 0.072\,{\rm eV}$ at 95\% CL, very close to the minimum possible sum of neutrino…
In this work we investigate the evolution of matter density perturbations for two different quintessence models. One of them is based on the Einstein theory of gravity, while the other is based on the Brans-Dicke scalar tensor theory. We…
We have recently shown that a class of counterexamples to (weak) cosmic censorship in anti-de Sitter spacetime is removed if the weak gravity conjecture holds. Surprisingly, the minimum value of the charge to mass ratio necessary to…
We consider the gravitational correction to the coupling of the scalar fields. Weak gravity conjecture says that the gravitational correction to the running of scalar coupling should be less than the contribution from scalar fields. For…
For any realistic theory of quintessence that allows for a violation of the equivalence principle (VEP), we study the experimental constraints on such theories coming from ordinary matter as well as neutrinos. We discuss and compare…
By considering linear-order departures from general relativity, we compute a novel expression for the weak lensing convergence power spectrum under alternative theories of gravity. This comprises an integral over a 'kernel' of general…
We investigate some aspects of quintessence models with a non-minimally coupled scalar field and in particular we show that it can behave as a component of matter with $-3 \lesssim P/\rho \lesssim 0$. We study the properties of…
Recent data, including the three--year WMAP data, the full 2dF galaxy power spectrum and the first--year data of the Supernova Legacy Survey, are used to constrain model parameters in quintessence cosmologies. In particular, we discuss the…
A quantum correction to the Brans-Dicke theory due to interactions among matter fields is calculated, resulting in violation of WEP, hence giving a constraint on the parameter $\omega$ far more stringent than accepted so far. The tentative…
We use data from the WMAP temperature maps to constrain a scale-dependent generalization of the popular 'local' model for primordial non-Gaussianity. In the model where the parameter fNL is allowed to run with scale k, fNL(k) = fNL*…
Based on recent work on nuclear binding, we update and extend the anthropic constraints on the light quark masses, with results that are more tightly constrained than previously obtained. We find that heavy nuclei would fall apart (because…
Recently, gravitational microlensing has been investigated in the framework of the weak field limit of fourth order gravity theory. However, solar system data (i.e. planetary periods and light bending) can be used to put strong constraints…
Scalar field models of quintessence typically require that the expectation value of the field today is of order the Planck mass, if we want them to explain the observed acceleration of the Universe. This suggests that we should be…
We study the Weak Gravity Conjecture in the presence of scalar fields. The Weak Gravity Conjecture is a consistency condition for a theory of quantum gravity asserting that for a U(1) gauge field, there is a particle charged under this…
We study the change of the effective fine structure constant in the cosmological models of a scalar field with a non-vanishing coupling to the electromagnetic field. Combining cosmological data and terrestrial observations we place…
We study the cosmological evolution of the universe when quintessence is modeled within supergravity, supersymmetry is broken in a hidden sector, and we also include observable matter in a third independent sector. We find that the presence…