Related papers: Generalized covariant prescriptions for averaging …
We examine the properties of a recently proposed observationally viable alternative to homogeneous cosmology with smooth dark energy, the timescape cosmology. In the timescape model cosmic acceleration is realized as an apparent effect…
We present methods to rigorously extract parameter combinations that are constrained by data from posterior distributions. The standard approach uses linear methods that apply to Gaussian distributions. We show the limitations of the linear…
The redshift of all cosmological sources drifts by a systematic velocity of order a few m/s over a century due to the deceleration of the Universe. The specific functional dependence of the predicted velocity shift on the source redshift…
We present an approach to cosmological perturbations based on a covariant perturbative expansion between two worldlines in the real inhomogeneous universe. As an application, at an arbitrary order we define an exact scalar quantity which…
We analyse the covariance of the one-dimensional mass power spectrum along lines of sight. The covariance reveals the correlation between different modes of fluctuations in the cosmic density field and gives the sample variance error for…
We introduce a generalization of the 4-dimensional averaging window function of Gasperini, Marozzi and Veneziano (2010) that may prove useful for a number of applications. The covariant nature of spatial scalar averaging schemes to address…
Theoretical descriptions of observable quantities in cosmological perturbation theory should be independent of coordinate systems. This statement is often referred to as gauge-invariance of observable quantities, and the sanity of their…
We study one loop quantum gravitational corrections to the long range force induced by the exchange of a massless scalar between two massive scalars. The various diagrams contributing to the flat space S-matrix are evaluated in a general…
Cosmological observables are used to construct cosmological models. Since cosmological observations are limited to the light cone, a fixed number of observables (even measured to arbitrary accuracy) may not uniquely determine a cosmological…
We discuss several issues related to a recent proposal for defining classical spatial averages to be used in the so-called cosmological backreaction problem. In the large averaging-volume limit all gauge dependence disappears and different…
The averaging problem in cosmology is of considerable importance for the correct interpretation of cosmological data. A rigorous mathematical definition of averaging in a cosmological model is necessary. In general, a spacetime is…
We show that the lensing efficiency of cosmic shear generically has a simple shape, even in the case of a tomographic survey with badly behaved photometric redshifts. We argue that source distributions for cosmic shear can therefore be more…
General covariant expressions for measurable angles, distances, velocities, and accelerations are provided in terms of fundamental parameters that can be applied in any setup. The relativistic aberration of light relationship is presented…
We use cosmography to present constraints on the kinematics of the Universe, without postulating any underlying theoretical model. To this end, we use a Monte Carlo Markov Chain analysis to perform comparisons to the supernova Ia Union 2…
Distances in cosmology are usually inferred from observed redshifts - an estimate that is dependent on the local peculiar motion - giving a distorted view of the three dimensional structure and affecting basic observables such as the…
The homogeneous, isotropic, and flat $\Lambda$CDM universe favored by observations of the cosmic microwave background can be described using only Euclidean geometry, locally correct Newtonian mechanics, and the basic postulates of special…
A consistent approach to Cosmology requires an explicit averaging of the Einstein equations, to describe a homogeneous and isotropic geometry. Such an averaging will in general modify the Einstein equations. The averaging procedure due to…
We relate the observable number of sources per solid angle and redshift to the underlying proper source density and velocity, background evolution and line-of-sight potentials. We give an exact result in the case of linearized perturbations…
We investigate some possible relations between physical observables and estimate the "cosmic variance" which affects these measurements. We focus on redshift and angular-distance and we discuss the difference in considering the redshift as…
We use cosmography to present constraints on the kinematics of the Universe without postulating any underlying theoretical model a priori. To this end, we use a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis to perform comparisons to the supernova Ia…