Presence of dark energy and dark matter: does cosmic acceleration signifies a weak gravitational collapse?

In this work the collapsing process of a spherically symmetric star, made of dust cloud, in the background of dark energy is studied for two different gravity theories separately, i.e., DGP Brane gravity and Loop Quantum gravity. Two types of dark energy fluids, namely, Modified Chaplygin gas and Generalised Cosmic Chaplygin gas are considered for each model. Graphs are drawn to characterize the nature and the probable outcome of gravitational collapse. A comparative study is done between the collapsing process in the two different gravity theories. It is found that in case of dark matter, there is a great possibility of collapse and consequent formation of Black hole. In case of dark energy possibility of collapse is far lesser compared to the other cases, due to the large negative pressure of dark energy component. There is an increase in mass of the cloud in case of dark matter collapse due to matter accumulation. The mass decreases considerably in case of dark energy due to dark energy accretion on the cloud. In case of collapse with a combination of dark energy and dark matter, it is found that in the absence of interaction there is a far better possibility of formation of black hole in DGP brane model compared to Loop quantum cosmology model.     

Could pressureless dark matter have pressure?

A two-fluid dark matter model, in which dark matter is represented as a two-component fluid thermodynamic system, without interaction between the constituent particles of different species, and with each distinct component having a different four-velocity, was recently proposed in Harko and Lobo [T. Harko, F.S.N. Lobo, Phys. Rev. D 83 (2011) 124051]. In the present paper we further investigate the two-fluid dark matter model, by assuming that the two dark matter components are pressureless, non-comoving fluids. For this particular choice of equations of state the dark matter distribution can be described as a single anisotropic fluid, with vanishing tangential pressure, and non-zero radial pressure. We investigate the properties of this model in the region of constant velocity galactic rotation curves, where the dynamics of the test particles is essentially determined by the dark matter only. By solving the general relativistic equations of mass continuity and hydrostatic equilibrium we obtain the geometric and physical parameters of the dark matter halos in the constant velocity region in an exact analytical form. The general, radial coordinate dependent, functional relationship between the energy density and the radial pressure is also determined, and it differs from a simple barotropic equation of state.     

The direct detection of non-baryonic dark matter in the Galaxy?

It has been argued in a number of recent papers that dark matter is in the form of Jupiter-mass primordial black holes that betray their presence by microlensing quasars. This lensing accounts for a number of characteristic properties of quasar light curves, in both single quasars and gravitationally lensed multiple systems, that are not explained on the basis of intrinsic variation. One prediction of this idea is that Jupiter-mass bodies will be detected by the MACHO experiment as short events of about 2 d duration, although the expected frequency of detection is still very hard to estimate. However, the recent report by the MACHO group of the detection of a Jupiter-mass body in the direction of the Galactic bulge is consistent with this prediction, and is possibly the first direct detection of non-baryonic matter in the Galaxy.     

Can baryonic dark matter be solid hydrogen?

Some requirements are discussed for solid hydrogen formation in cold dark dense clouds in galaxies. If temperatures in the clouds are near the microwave background temperature of 2.7 K and molecular hydrogen densities are 3×10⁵ cm^–3 or higher, as suggested by recent observations, it may be possible for solid hydrogen objects to form. Comet size hydrogen solids could build from molecular hydrogen condensation on grains and by collisions. Heated primarily by cosmic rays, objects with 100 km radii could last billions of years. The larger objects may be detectable, in the future, by sensitive gravitational lensing or eclipsing observations. Other possibilities are discussed for future detection of the cold dark dense molecular hydrogen regions. In our model, helium is added along with the hydrogen to preserve the primordial helium to hydrogen mass ratio,Y _p , of the standard model. In the hot regions of the universe the solid hydrogen objects sublime and melt so our model predictsY _p =0.250, the same as other baryonic dark matter models with identical values of =0.1,H _o =50 and =6.8×10^–10. This value cannot be ruled out at present because of the large systematic uncertainties in the observed value of 0.232. In the cold dark regions where solid hydrogen objects exist, we predict thatY _p will be greater than 0.250. Observations are not yet sensitive enough to measure this ratio.     

Can cold dark matter paradigm explain the central-surface-densities relation?

Recently, a very strong correlation between the central surface density of stars and dynamical mass in 135 disk galaxies has been obtained. It has been shown that this central-surface-densities relation agrees very well with Modified Newtonian Dynamics(MOND). In this article, we show that if we assume the baryons have an isothermal distribution and dark matter exists, then it is possible to derive by means of the Jeans equation an analytic central-surface-densities relation connecting dark matter and baryons that agrees with the observed relation. We find that the observed central-surface-densities relation can also be accommodated in the context of dark matter provided the latter is described by an isothermal profile. Therefore, the observed relation is consistent with not only MOND.     

Are fossil groups a challenge of the cold dark matter paradigm?

We study six groups and clusters of galaxies suggested in the literature to be 'fossil' systems (i.e. to have luminous diffuse X-ray emission and a magnitude gap of at least 2 mag R between the first and the second ranked member within half of the virial radius), each having good quality X-ray data and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopic or photometric coverage out to the virial radius. The poor cluster AWM 4 is clearly established as a fossil system, and we confirm the fossil nature of four other systems (RX J1331.5+1108, RX J1340.6+4018, RX J1256.0+2556 and RX J1416.4+2315), while the cluster RX J1552.2+2013 is disqualified as fossil system. For all systems, we present the luminosity functions within 0.5 and 1 virial radius that are consistent, within the uncertainties, with the universal luminosity function of clusters. For the five bona fide fossil systems, having a mass range  2 × 10¹³–3 × 10¹⁴ M_⊙  , we compute accurate cumulative substructure distribution functions (CSDFs) and compare them with the CSDFs of observed and simulated groups/clusters available in the literature. We demonstrate that the CSDFs of fossil systems are consistent with those of normal observed clusters and do not lack any substructure with respect to simulated galaxy systems in the cosmological Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) framework. In particular, this holds for the archetype fossil group RX J1340.6+4018 as well, contrary to earlier claims.     

The sizes of minivoids in the local Universe: an argument in favour of a warm dark matter model?

Using high-resolution simulations within the cold dark matter (CDM) and warm dark matter (WDM) models, we study the evolution of small-scale structure in the local volume, a sphere of 8-Mpc radius around the Local Group. We compare the observed spectrum of minivoids in the local volume with the spectrum of minivoids determined from the simulations. We show that the ΛWDM model can easily explain both the observed spectrum of minivoids and the presence of low-mass galaxies observed in the local volume, provided that all haloes with circular velocities greater than 20 km s⁻¹ host galaxies. On the contrary, within the ΛCDM model the distribution of the simulated minivoids reflects the observed one if haloes with maximal circular velocities larger than  35 km s⁻¹  host galaxies. This assumption is in contradiction with observations of galaxies with circular velocities as low as 20 km s⁻¹ in our local Universe. A potential problem of the ΛWDM model could be the late formation of the haloes in which the gas can be efficiently photoevaporated. Thus, star formation is suppressed and low-mass haloes might not host any galaxy at all.     

Quasi-evaporating black holes and cold dark matter

Vilkovisky has claimed to have solved the black hole backreaction problem and finds that black holes lose only ten percent of their mass to Hawking radiation before evaporation ceases. We examine the implications of this scenario for cold dark matter, assuming that primordial black holes are created during the reheating period after inflation. The mass spectrum is expected to be dominated by 10-gram black holes. Nucleosynthesis constraints and the requirement that the earth presently exist do not come close to ruling out such black holes as dark matter candidates. They also evade the demand that the photon density produced by evaporating primordial black holes does not exceed the present cosmic radiation background by a factor of about one thousand.     

A few provoking relations between dark energy, dark matter, and pions

I present three relations, striking in their simplicity and fundamental appearance. The first one connects the Compton wavelength of a pion and the dark energy density of the Universe; the second one connects the Compton wavelength of a pion and the mass distribution of non-baryonic dark matter in a galaxy; the third one relates the mass of a pion to fundamental physical constants and cosmological parameters. All these relations are in excellent numerical agreement with observations.     

Theβ index in cool stars

If we follow recent work and in order to extend theuvby photometric calibrations to spectral types later than G0, we present an attempt to use the combineduvby and systems for stars in the range G5-K7 and luminosity classes V to III.The behaviour in the MK-, (b–y)– and cl– diagrams of the 200 stars, only good spectroscopic data being considered, suggests the usefulness of the index as an independent parameter for late-type Main-Sequence stars, following in a natural way the general trend defined by Crawford for F- and G-type stars.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain     

Redistributing hot gas around galaxies: do cool clouds signal a solution to the overcooling problem?

We present a pair of high-resolution smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations that explore the evolution and cooling behaviour of hot gas around Milky Way size galaxies. The simulations contain the same total baryonic mass and are identical other than their initial gas density distributions. The first is initialized with a low-entropy hot gas halo that traces the cuspy profile of the dark matter, and the second is initialized with a high-entropy hot halo with a cored density profile as might be expected in models with pre-heating feedback. Galaxy formation proceeds in dramatically different fashion depending on the initial setup. While the low-entropy halo cools rapidly, primarily from the central region, the high-entropy halo is quasi-stable for  ∼4 Gyr  and eventually cools via the fragmentation and infall of clouds from ∼100 kpc distances. The low-entropy halo's X-ray surface brightness is ∼100 times brighter than current limits and the resultant disc galaxy contains more than half of the system's baryons. The high-entropy halo has an X-ray brightness that is in line with observations, an extended distribution of pressure-confined clouds reminiscent of observed populations and a final disc galaxy that has half the mass and ∼50 per cent more specific angular momentum than the disc formed in the low-entropy simulation. The final high-entropy system retains the majority of its baryons in a low-density hot halo. The hot halo harbours a trace population of cool, mostly ionized, pressure-confined clouds that contain ∼10 per cent of the halo's baryons after 10 Gyr of cooling. The covering fraction for H  i and Mg  ii absorption clouds in the high-entropy halo is ∼0.4 and ∼0.6, respectively, although most of the mass that fuels disc growth is ionized, and hence would be under counted in H  i surveys.     

Is dark matter an illusion created by the gravitational polarization of the quantum vacuum?

Assuming that a particle and its antiparticle have the gravitational charge of the opposite sign, the physical vacuum may be considered as a fluid of virtual gravitational dipoles. Following this hypothesis, we present the first indications that dark matter may not exist and that the phenomena for which it was invoked might be explained by the gravitational polarization of the quantum vacuum by the known baryonic matter.     

How effective is new variable modified Chaplygin gas to play the role of dark energy—a dynamical system analysis in RS II brane model

Motivated by some previous works of Rudra et al. we set to explore the background dynamics when dark energy in the form of New Variable Modified Chaplygin gas is coupled to dark matter with a suitable interaction in the universe described by brane cosmology. The main idea is to find out the efficiency of New variable modified Chaplygin gas to play the role of DE. As a result we resort to the technique of comparison with standard dark energy models. Here the RSII brane model have been considered as the gravity theory. An interacting model is considered in order to search for a possible solution of the cosmic coincidence problem. A dynamical system analysis is performed because of the high complexity of the system. The statefinder parameters are also calculated to classify the dark energy model. Graphs and phase diagrams are drawn to study the variations of these parameters and get an insight into the effectiveness of the dark energy model. It is also seen that the background dynamics of New Variable Modified Chaplygin gas is consistent with the late cosmic acceleration. After performing an extensive mathematical analysis, we are able to constrain the parameters of new variable modified Chaplygin gas as m<n to produce the best possible results. Future singularities are studied and it is found that the model has a tendency to result in such singularities unlike the case of generalized cosmic Chaplygin gas. Our investigation leads us to the fact that New Variable Modified Chaplygin gas is not as effective as other Chaplygin gas models to play the role of dark energy.     

Milky Way potentials in cold dark matter and MOdified Newtonian Dynamics. Is the Large Magellanic Cloud on a bound orbit?

We compute the Milky Way potential in different cold dark matter (CDM) based models, and compare these with the MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) framework. We calculate the axial ratio of the potential in various models, and find that isopotentials are less spherical in MOND than in CDM potentials. As an application of these models, we predict the escape velocity as a function of the position in the Galaxy. This could be useful in comparing with future data from planned or already-underway kinematic surveys (RAVE, SDSS, SEGUE, SIM , Gaia or the hypervelocity stars survey). In addition, the predicted escape velocity is compared with the recently measured high proper motion velocity of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). To bind the LMC to the Galaxy in a MOND model, while still being compatible with the RAVE-measured local escape speed at the Sun's position, we show that an external field modulus of less than  0.03 a ₀  is needed.     

Does the gamma-ray signal from the central Milky Way indicate Sommerfeld enhancement of dark matter annihilation?

Recently,some studies showed that the GeV gamma-ray excess signal from the central Milky Way can be explained by the annihilation of ~ 40 GeV dark matter through the bb channel.Based on the morphology of the gamma-ray flux,the best-fit inner slope of the dark matter density profile is γ= 1.26.However,recent analyses of the Milky Way dark matter profile favor γ= 0.6-0.8.In this article,we show that the GeV gamma-ray excess can also be explained by the Sommerfeld-enhanced dark matter annihilation through the bb channel with γ= 0.85-1.05.We constrain the parameters of the Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation by using data from Fermi-LAT.We also show that the predicted gamma-ray fluxes emitted from dwarf galaxies generally satisfy recent upper limits on gamma-ray fluxes detected by Fermi-LAT.     

How does inflation depend upon the nature of fluids filling up the universe in brane world scenario?

By constructing different parameters which are able to give us the information about our universe during inflation, (specially at the start and the end of the inflationary universe) a brief idea of brane world inflation is given in this work. What will be the size of the universe at the end of inflation, i.e., how many times will it grow than the original size is been speculated and analysed thereafter. Different kinds of fluids are taken to be the matter inside the brane. It is observed that in the case of highly positive pressure giving gas like polytropic, the size of the universe at the end of inflation is comparatively smaller. Whereas for negative pressure creators (like Chaplygin gas) this size is much bigger. Except these two cases, inflation has been studied for barotropic fluid and linear red shift parametrization ω(z)=ω ₀+ω ₁ z too. For them the size of the universe after inflation is much more high. We also have seen that this size does not depend upon the potential energy at the end of the inflation. On the contrary, there is a high impact of the initial potential energy upon the size of inflation.