Related papers: How flat is the Universe?
In the simplest cosmological models consistent with General Relativity, the total volume of the Universe is either finite or infinite, depending on whether or not the spatial curvature is positive. Current data suggest that the curvature is…
The case for a flat Cold Dark Matter model with a positive cosmological constant $\Lambda$ has been recently strongly advocated by some theoreticians. In this paper we give the observers point of view to the light of the most recent…
The Universe could be spatially flat, positively curved or negatively curved. Each option has been popular at various times, partly affected by an understanding that models tend to evolve away from flatness. The curvature of the Universe is…
We revisit the observational constraints on spatial curvature following recent claims that the Planck data favour a closed Universe. We use a new and statistically powerful Planck likelihood to show that the Planck temperature and…
The age of the universe is obtained in a subset of Cardassian models by using WMAP data. Cardassian expansion is a modification to the Friedmann equation that allows the universe to be flat, matter dominated, and accelerating, without a…
Assuming that observers located inside the Universe measure a time flow which is different from the time appearing in the Friedmann-Lemaitre equation, and determining this time flow such that the Universe always appears flat to these…
We study here what it means for the Universe to be nearly flat, as opposed to exactly flat. We give three definitions of nearly flat, based on density, geometry and dynamics; all three definitions are equivalent and depend on a single…
Using recent precision measurements of cosmological paramters, we re-examine whether these observations alone, independent of type Ia supernova surveys, are sufficient to imply the existence of dark energy. We find that best measurements of…
The evidence for a Big Bang origin of the Universe is truly compelling, though its cause remains a complete mystery. As the cosmic spacetime is revealed to us with ever improving detail, however, we are beginning to refine the range of its…
Analyses of various cosmological probes, including the latest Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies, the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and Cepheid-calibrated distance indicators suggest that the age of expansion is $13 \pm 3$ Gyr. We…
I discuss the Hubble parameter $H_0$, the age of the universe $t_0$, the density $\Omega_0$, and the cosmological constant $\Lambda$. To focus the discussion, I concentrate on the issue of the value of the density $\Omega_0$ in currently…
Globular clusters are the oldest objects in the Galaxy whose age may be accurately determined. As such globular cluster ages provide the best estimate for the age of the universe. The age of a globular cluster is determined by a comparison…
We derive constraints on cosmological parameters and the properties of the lensing galaxies from gravitational lens statistics based on the final Cosmic Lens All Sky Survey (CLASS) data. For a flat universe with a classical cosmological…
New estimates of globular cluster distances, combined with revised ranges for input parameters in stellar evolution codes and recent estimates of the earliest redshift of cluster formation allow us to derive a new 95% confidence level lower…
The age of the Universe at a given redshift is a fundamental relationship in cosmology. For many years, the uncertainties in it were dauntingly large, close to a factor of 2. In this age of precision cosmology, they are now at the percent…
Recent observations confirm that our universe is flat and consists of a dark energy component $\Omega_{DE}\simeq 0.7$. This dark energy is responsible for the cosmic acceleration as well as determines the feature of future evolution of the…
We present an estimate of the absolute age of 68 galactic globular clusters obtained by exploiting the distribution of stars in the full color-magnitude diagram. In particular, we jointly estimate the absolute age, distance, reddening,…
The standard cosmological model posits a spatially flat universe of infinite extent. However, no observation, even in principle, could verify that the matter extends to infinity. In this work we model the universe as a finite spherical ball…
The cosmological parameters that I emphasize are the age of the universe $t_0$, the Hubble parameter $H_0 \equiv 100 h$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$, the average matter density $\Omega_m$, the baryonic matter density $\Omega_b$, the neutrino…
We compare and combine likelihood functions of the cosmological parameters Omega_m, h and sigma_8, from peculiar velocities, CMB and type Ia supernovae. These three data sets directly probe the mass in the Universe, without the need to…