The first high-amplitude δ Scuti star in an eclipsing binary system

Consider radar ranging of a distant galaxy in a Friedman–Lemaître cosmological model. In this model the comoving coordinate of the galaxy is constant; hence, the equations of null geodesics for photons travelling to the distant galaxy and back imply Here, τ_e, τ_r and τ_o are, respectively, the times of emission, reflection and observation of the reflected photons, and a (τ) is the scalefactor. Since the Universe is expanding, a (τ) is a monotonically increasing function, so the return traveltime, τ_o−τ_r, must be greater than the forward traveltime, τ_r−τ_e. Clearly, space expands, and on their way back, the photons must travel a longer distance! This paper explains why this argument for the Expansion of Space (EoS) is wrong. We argue that, unlike the expansion of the cosmic substratum, the EoS is unobservable. We therefore propose to apply to it – just like to the ether – Ockham's razor.     

Decelerating universes older than their Hubble times

Recent observations suggest that Hubble's constant is large, and hence that the Universe appears to be younger than some of its constituents. The traditional escape route, which assumes that the expansion is accelerating, appears to be blocked by observations of Type Ia supernovae, which suggest that the Universe is decelerating. These observations are reconciled in a model in which the Universe has experienced an inflationary phase in the recent past, driven by an ultralight inflaton, the Compton wavelength of which is of the same order as the Hubble radius.     

Sunyaev–Zel'dovich predictions for the Planck Surveyor satellite using the Hubble Volume simulations

We use the billion-particle Hubble Volume simulations to make statistical predictions for the distribution of galaxy clusters that will be observed by the Planck Surveyor satellite through their effect on the cosmic microwave background – the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. We utilize the lightcone data sets for both critical density ( τ CDM) and flat low-density (ΛCDM) cosmologies: a 'full-sky' survey out to z ∼0.5 , two 'octant' data sets out to beyond z =1 , and a 100 square degree data set extending to z ∼4 . Making simple, but robust, assumptions regarding both the thermodynamic state of the gas and the detection of objects against an unresolved background, we present the expected number of SZ sources as a function of redshift and angular size, and also as a function of flux (for both the thermal and kinetic effects) for three of the relevant High Frequency Instrument frequency channels. We confirm the expectation that the Planck Surveyor will detect around 5×10⁴ clusters, though the exact number is sensitive to the choice of several parameters including the baryon fraction, and also to the cluster density profile, so that either cosmology may predict more clusters. We also find that the majority of detected sources should be at z <1.5 , and we estimate that around 1 per cent of clusters will be spatially resolved by the Planck Surveyor , though this has a large uncertainty.     

Gravitational collapse in an expanding background and the role of substructure – I. Planar collapse

We study the interplay of clumping at small scales with the collapse and relaxation of perturbations at much larger scales. We present results of our analysis when the large-scale perturbation is modelled as a plane wave. We find that in the absence of substructure, collapse leads to formation of a pancake with multistream regions. Dynamical relaxation of the plane wave is faster in the presence of substructure. Scattering of substructures and the resulting enhancement of transverse motions of haloes in the multistream region lead to a thinner pancake. In turn, collapse of the plane wave leads to formation of more massive collapsed haloes as compared to the collapse of substructure in the absence of the plane wave. The formation of more massive haloes happens without any increase in the total mass in collapsed haloes. A comparison with the Burgers equation approach in the absence of any substructure suggests that the preferred value of effective viscosity depends primarily on the number of streams in a region.     

The signature of dark energy on the local Hubble flow

Using N -body simulations of flat, dark energy-dominated cosmologies, we show that galaxies around simulated binary systems resembling the Local Group (LG) have low peculiar velocities, in good agreement with observational data. We have compared results for LG-like systems selected from large, high-resolution simulations of three cosmologies: a ΛCDM model, a ΛWDM model with a 2-keV warm dark matter candidate, and a quintessence (QCDM) model with an equation-of-state parameter   w =−0.6  . The Hubble flow is significantly colder around LGs selected in a flat, Λ-dominated cosmology than around LGs in open or critical models, showing that a dark energy component manifests itself on the scales of nearby galaxies, cooling galaxy peculiar motions. Flows in the ΛWDM and QCDM models are marginally colder than in the ΛCDM one.
The results of our simulations have been compared to existing data and to a new data set of 28 nearby galaxies with robust distance measures (Cepheids and surface brightness fluctuations). The measured line-of-sight velocity dispersion is given by  σ_H= (88 ± 20  km s⁻¹) × ( R /7 Mpc)  . The best agreement with observations is found for LGs selected in the ΛCDM cosmology in environments with  −0.1 < δρ/ρ < 0.6  on scales of 7 Mpc, in agreement with existing observational estimates on the local matter density. These results provide new, independent evidence for the presence of dark energy on scales of a few megaparsecs, corroborating the evidence gathered from observations of distant objects and the early Universe.     

Scalar perturbations in two-temperature cosmological plasmas

We study the properties of density perturbations of a two-component plasma with a temperature difference on a homogeneous and isotropic background. For this purpose, we extend the general relativistic gauge-invariant and covariant (GIC) perturbation theory to include a multifluid with a particular equation of state (ideal gas) and imperfect fluid terms due to the relative energy flux between the two species. We derive closed sets of GIC vector and subsequently scalar evolution equations. We then investigate solutions in different regimes of interest. In particular, we study long-wavelength and arbitrary-wavelength Langmuir and ion-acoustic perturbations. The harmonic oscillations are superposed on a Jeans-type instability. We find a generalized Jeans criterion for collapse in a two-temperature plasma, which states that the species with the largest sound velocity determines the Jeans wavelength. Furthermore, we find that within the limit for gravitational collapse, initial perturbations in either the total density or charge density lead to a growth in the initial temperature difference. These results are relevant for the basic understanding of the evolution of inhomogeneities in cosmological models.     

Why Newtonian gravity is reliable in large-scale cosmological simulations

Until now, it has been common to use Newtonian gravity to study the non-linear clustering properties of large-scale structures. Without confirmation from Einstein's theory, however, it has been unclear whether we can rely on the analysis (e.g. near the horizon scale). In this work we will provide confirmation of the use of Newtonian gravity in cosmology, based on the relativistic analysis of weakly non-linear situations to third order in perturbations. We will show that, except for the gravitational-wave contribution, the relativistic zero-pressure fluid equations perturbed to second order in a flat Friedmann background coincide exactly with the Newtonian results. We will also present the pure relativistic correction terms appearing in the third order. The third-order correction terms show that these terms are the linear-order curvature perturbation times the second-order relativistic/Newtonian terms. Thus, the pure general relativistic corrections in the third order are independent of the horizon scale and are small when considering the large-scale structure of the Universe because of the low-level temperature anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Since we include the cosmological constant, our results are relevant to currently favoured cosmology. As we prove that the Newtonian hydrodynamic equations are valid in all cosmological scales to second order, and that the third-order correction terms are small, our result has the important practical implication that one can now use the large-scale Newtonian numerical simulation more reliably as the simulation scale approaches and even goes beyond the horizon. In a complementary situation, where the system is weakly relativistic (i.e. far inside the horizon) but fully non-linear, we can employ the post-Newtonian approximation. We also show that in large-scale structures, the post-Newtonian effects are quite small.     

The Copernican principle in compact space–times

Copernicus realized that we are not at the centre of the Universe. A universe made finite by topological identifications introduces a new Copernican consideration: while we may not be at the geometric centre of the Universe, some galaxy could be. A finite universe also picks out a preferred frame: the frame in which the universe is smallest. Although we are not likely to be at the centre of the Universe, we must live in the preferred frame (if we are at rest with respect to the cosmological expansion). We show that the preferred topological frame must also be the comoving frame in a homogeneous and isotropic cosmological space–time. Some implications of topologically identifying time are also discussed.     

The bending of light and lensing in modified gravity

Our modified gravity theory (MOG) was used successfully in the past to explain a range of astronomical and cosmological observations, including galaxy rotation curves, the cosmic microwave background acoustic peaks, and the galaxy mass power spectrum. MOG was also used successfully to explain the unusual features of the Bullet Cluster  1E0657−558  without exotic dark matter. In the present work, we derive the relativistic equations of motion in the spherically symmetric field of a point source in MOG and, in particular, we derive equations for light bending and lensing. Our results also have broader applications in the case of extended distributions of matter, and they can be used to validate the Bullet Cluster results and provide a possible explanation for the merging clusters in Abell 520.     

The Universe Evolution as Possible Mechanism of Formation of Galaxies and Their Clusters

The Kepler problem is studied in a space with the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metrics of the expanding universe. Cosmic evolution leads to decreasing energy of particles, causing free particles to be captured in bound states, so that the evolution of the universe can be treated as a possible mechanism of the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. The cosmological model is considered where the evolution of the universe plays the role usually inscribed to cold dark matter.