We consider the possibility that massive primordial black holes are the dominant form of dark matter. Black hole formation adds a Poisson noise to the matter density fluctuations. We use Lyα forest observations to constrain this Poisson term, which constrains the black hole masses to be less than approximately a few times 104 M☉. We also find that structures with less than ~103 black holes evaporate by now.
Abstract We study spherically-symmetric solutions to a modified Einstein–Hilbert action with renormalization group (RG) scale-dependent couplings, inspired by Weinberg’s Asymptotic Safety scenario for quantum gravity. The RG scale is identified with the Tolman temperature for an isolated gravitational system in thermal equilibrium with Hawking radiation. As a result, the point of infinite local temperature is shifted from the classical black-hole horizon to the origin and coincides with a timelike curvature singularity. Close to the origin, the spacetime is determined by the scale-dependence of the cosmological constant in the vicinity of the Reuter fixed point: the free components of the metric can be derived analytically and are characterized by a radial power law with exponent α=3−1 . Away from the fixed point, solutions for different masses are studied numerically and smoothly interpolate between the Schwarzschild exterior and the scale-invariant interior. Whereas the exterior of objects with astrophysical mass is described well by vacuum general relativity, deviations become significant at a Planck distance away from the classical horizon and could lead to observational signatures. We further highlight potential caveats in this intriguing result with regard to our choice of scale-identification and identify future avenues to better understand quantum black holes in relation to the key feature of scale-invariance.
Holographic cosmology offers a novel framework for describing the very early Universe in which cosmological predictions are expressed in terms of the observables of a three dimensional quantum field theory (QFT). This framework includes conventional slow-roll inflation, which is described in terms of a strongly coupled QFT, but it also allows for qualitatively new models for the very early Universe, where the dual QFT may be weakly coupled. The new models describe a universe which is non-geometric at early times. While standard slow-roll inflation leads to a (near-)power-law primordial power spectrum, perturbative superrenormalizable QFT's yield a new holographic spectral shape. Here, we compare the two predictions against cosmological observations. We use CosmoMC to determine the best fit parameters, and MultiNest for Bayesian Evidence, comparing the likelihoods. We find that the dual QFT should be non-perturbative at the very low multipoles ($l \lesssim 30$), while for higher multipoles ($l \gtrsim 30$) the new holographic model, based on perturbative QFT, fits the data just as well as the standard power-law spectrum assumed in $\Lambda$CDM cosmology. This finding opens the door to applications of non-perturbative QFT techniques, such as lattice simulations, to observational cosmology on gigaparsec scales and beyond.
The polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is widely recognized as a potential source of information about primordial gravitational waves. The gravitational wave contribution can be separated from the dominant CMB polarization created by density perturbations at the times of recombination and reionization because it generates both $E$ and $B$ polarization modes, whereas the density perturbations create only $E$ polarization. The limits of our ability to measure gravitational waves are thus determined by statistical and systematic errors from CMB experiments, foregrounds, and nonlinear evolution effects such as gravitational lensing of the CMB. Usually it is assumed that most foregrounds can be removed because of their frequency dependence, however Thomson scattering of the CMB quadrupole by electrons in the Galaxy or nearby structures shares the blackbody frequency dependence of the CMB. If the optical depth from these nearby electrons is anisotropic, the polarization generated can include $B$ modes even if no tensor perturbations are present. We estimate this effect for the Galactic disk and nearby extragalactic structures, and find that it contributes to the $B$ polarization at the level of $\ensuremath{\sim}(1--2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ per logarithmic interval in multipole $\ensuremath{\ell}$ for $\ensuremath{\ell}<30$. This is well below the detectability level even for a future CMB polarization satellite and hence is negligible. Depending on its structure and extent, the Galactic corona may be a source of $B$-modes comparable to the residual large-scale lensing $B$-mode after the latter has been cleaned using lensing reconstruction techniques. For an extremely ambitious post-Planck CMB experiment, Thomson scattering in the Galactic corona is thus a potential contaminant of the gravitational wave signal; conversely, if the other foregrounds can be cleaned out, such an experiment might be able to constrain models of the corona.
In a companion paper, we have introduced a model of scalar field dark energy, Cuscuton, which can be realized as the incompressible (or infinite speed of sound) limit of a $k$-essence fluid. In this paper, we study how Cuscuton modifies the constraint sector of Einstein gravity. In particular, we study Cuscuton cosmology and show that even though Cuscuton can have an arbitrary equation of state, or time dependence, and is thus inhomogeneous, its perturbations do not introduce any additional dynamical degree of freedom and only satisfy a constraint equation, amounting to an effective modification of gravity on large scales. Therefore, Cuscuton can be considered to be a minimal theory of evolving dark energy, or a minimal modification of a cosmological constant, as it has no internal dynamics. Moreover, this is the only modification of Einstein gravity to our knowledge, that does not introduce any additional degrees of freedom (and is not conformally equivalent to the Einstein gravity). We then study two simple Cuscuton models, with quadratic and exponential potentials. The quadratic model has the exact same expansion history as $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\mathrm{CDM}$, and yet contains an early dark energy component with constant energy fraction, which is constrained to ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{Q}\ensuremath{\lesssim}2%$, mainly from WMAP Cosmic Microwave Background and Sloan Digital Sky Survey Lyman-$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ forest observations. The exponential model has the same expansion history as the Dvali-Gabadadze-Poratti self-accelerating brane-world model, but generates a much smaller Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, and is thus consistent with the Cosmic Microwave Background observations. Finally, we show that the evolution is local on superhorizon scales, implying that there is no gross violation of causality, despite Cuscuton's infinite speed of sound.
In classical General Relativity (GR), an observer falling into an astrophysical black hole is not expected to experience anything dramatic as she crosses the event horizon. However, tentative resolutions to problems in quantum gravity, such as the cosmological constant problem, or the black hole information paradox, invoke significant departures from classicality in the vicinity of the horizon. It was recently pointed out that such near-horizon structures can lead to late-time echoes in the black hole merger gravitational wave signals that are otherwise indistinguishable from GR. We search for observational signatures of these echoes in the gravitational wave data released by advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), following the three black hole merger events GW150914, GW151226, and LVT151012. In particular, we for repeating damped echoes with time-delays of $8 M \log M$ (+spin corrections, in Planck units), corresponding to Planck-scale departures from GR near their respective horizons. Accounting for the look elsewhere effect due to uncertainty in the echo template, we find tentative evidence for Planck-scale structure near black hole horizons at false detection probability of $1\%$ (corresponding to $2.5\sigma$ significance level). Future observations from interferometric detectors at higher sensitivity, along with more physical echo templates, will be able to confirm (or rule out) this finding, providing possible empirical evidence for alternatives to classical black holes, such as in ${\it firewall}$ or ${\it fuzzball}$ paradigms.
In analogue gravity studies, the goal is to replicate black hole phenomena, such as Hawking radiation, within controlled laboratory settings. In the realm of condensed matter systems, this may happen in 2D tilted Dirac cone materials based on honeycomb lattice. In particular, we compute the entropy of this system, and find it has the same form as black hole Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, if an analogue horizon forms. Hence, these systems can be potential analogues of quantum black holes. We show that this entropy is primarily concentrated in the region where the tilt parameter is close to one, which corresponds to the location of the analogue black hole horizon. Additionally, when nonlinear effects are taken into account, the entropy is peaked in a small pocket of the Fermi sea that forms behind the analogue event horizon, which we call the \textit{Fermi puddle}. We further refer to this new type of analogue black hole as a {\it smart hole}, since, in contrast to dumb holes, it can simulate both the correct temperature {\it and} entropy of general relativistic black holes. These results provide an opportunity to illuminate various quantum facets of black hole physics in a laboratory setting.
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused significant mortality and morbidity worldwide, sparing almost no community. As the disease will likely remain a threat for years to come, an understanding of the precise influences of human demographics and settlement, as well as the dynamic factors of climate, susceptible depletion, and intervention, on the spread of localized epidemics will be vital for mounting an effective response. We consider the entire set of local epidemics in the United States; a broad selection of demographic, population density, and climate factors; and local mobility data, tracking social distancing interventions, to determine the key factors driving the spread and containment of the virus. Assuming first a linear model for the rate of exponential growth (or decay) in cases/mortality, we find that population-weighted density, humidity, and median age dominate the dynamics of growth and decline, once interventions are accounted for. A focus on distinct metropolitan areas suggests that some locales benefited from the timing of a nearly simultaneous nationwide shutdown, and/or the regional climate conditions in mid-March; while others suffered significant outbreaks prior to intervention. Using a first-principles model of the infection spread, we then develop predictions for the impact of the relaxation of social distancing and local climate conditions. A few regions, where a significant fraction of the population was infected, show evidence that the epidemic has partially resolved via depletion of the susceptible population (i.e., herd immunity), while most regions in the United States remain overwhelmingly susceptible. These results will be important for optimal management of intervention strategies, which can be facilitated using our online dashboard.
The discrepancy between expected and observed cooling rates of X-ray emitting gas has led to the cooling-flow problem at the cores of clusters of galaxies. A variety of models have been proposed to model the observed X-ray spectra and resolve the cooling-flow problem, which involves heating the cold gas through different mechanisms. As a result, realistic models of X-ray spectra of galaxy clusters need to involve both heating and cooling mechanisms. In this paper, we argue that the heating timescale is set by the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulent viscous heating for the Intracluster plasma, parameterized by the Shakura–Sunyaev viscosity parameter, α. Using a cooling+heating flow model, we show that a value of α ≃ 0.05 (with 10% scatter) provides improved fits to the X-ray spectra of cooling flow, while at the same time, predicting reasonable cooling efficiency, . Our inferred values for α based on X-ray spectra are also in line with direct measurements of turbulent pressure in simulations and observations of galaxy clusters. This simple picture unifies astrophysical accretion, as a balance of MHD turbulent heating and cooling, across more than 16 orders of magnitudes in scale, from neutron stars to galaxy clusters.
'%3e%3cpath fill='%23012169' d='M0 0v30h60V0z'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='6' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='4' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30' clip-path='url(%23b)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='10' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='6' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
