Related papers: Exorcising w < -1
Type Ia supernovae are a powerful cosmological probe, that gave the first strong evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Here we provide an overview of how supernovae can go further to reveal information about what is…
Recent measurements of type Ia supernovae as well as other concordant observations suggest that the expansion of our universe is accelerating. A dark energy component has usually been invoked as the most feasible mechanism for the…
Several kinds of astronomical observations, interpreted in the framework of the standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology, have indicated that our universe is dominated by a Cosmological Constant. The dimming of distant Type Ia…
If CDM particles decay and their lifetime is comparable to the age of the Universe, they can modify its equation of state. By comparing the results of numerical simulations with high redshift SN-Ia observations we show that this hypothesis…
We investigate the equation of state w(z) in a non-parametric form using the latest compilations of distance luminosity from SNe Ia at high z. We combine the inverse problem approach with a Monte Carlo to scan the space of priors. On the…
Generalised axion-like scalar fields provide a well-motivated framework for describing the late-time acceleration of the Universe. As the field evolves, it rolls down its potential and, depending on its mass and initial conditions, it may…
We present a scenario in which a scalar field dark energy is coupled to the trace of the energy momentum tensor of the baryonic matter fields. In the slow-roll regime, this interaction could give rise to the cosmological features of dark…
Measurements suggest that our universe has a substantial dark energy component. The most recent data on type Ia supernovae give a dark energy density which is in good agreement with other measurements if the dark energy is assumed to be a…
Observation of thousands of type Ia supernovae should offer the most direct approach to probe the dark energy content of the universe. This will be undertaken by future large ground-based surveys followed by a space mission (SNAP/JDEM). We…
Axion-photon mixing has been proposed as an alternative to acceleration as the explanation for supernovae dimming. We point out that the loss of photons due to this mixing will induce a strong asymmetry between the luminosity, d_L(z), and…
New observational constraints on the cosmic matter density $\Omega_m$ and an effectively redshift-independent equation of state parameter $w_x$ of the dark energy are obtained while simultaneously testing the strong and null energy…
Dark energy can be characterized by a canonical scalar field, known as quintessence. Quintessence allows for a dynamical equation of state $-1 \le \omega \le -\frac{1}{3}$. A previous study by Oikonomou and Chatzarakis have shown that a…
Recently, Csaki, Kaloper and Terning (CKT) suggested that axion-photon oscillation in the intergalactic medium can explain the observed dimming of distant type Ia supernovae. This mechanism works only if the initial axion flux is much…
It is known that a coherently oscillating axion field is a candidate of the dark matter. In the presence of the oscillating axion, the photon can be resonantly produced through the parametric amplification. In the universe, there also exist…
Scalar field models with non-standard kinetic terms have been proposed in the context of k-inflation, of Born-Infeld lagrangians, of phantom energy and, more in general, of low-energy string theory. In general, scalar fields are expected to…
The present work is based upon a parametric reconstruction of the effective or total equation of state in a model for the universe with accelerated expansion. The constraints on the model parameters are obtained by maximum likelihood…
The possible existence of axions in the universe introduces the intriguing possibility of photon-axion conversion in strong magnetic fields, particularly near compact objects like supermassive black holes or even naked singularity. In this…
Recent supernovae of type Ia measurements and other astronomical observations suggest that our universe is in accelerating phase of evolution at the present epoch. While a dark energy of unknown form is usually proposed as the most feasible…
We revisit a cosmological model where dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE) follow barotropic equations of state, allowing deviations from the standard $\Lambda$CDM framework (i.e. $w_{dm} \neq 0$, $w_{de} \neq -1$), considering both flat…
Axions seem ubiquitous in string theories and some of them may be produced non-thermally by heavy scalar decays, contributing to dark radiation. We study various cosmological effects of photons produced from the axionic dark radiation…