Published May 15, 2005 | Version v1
Journal article

Can superhorizon perturbations drive the acceleration of the Universe?

  • 1. Laboratory for Elementary Particle Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)

Description

It has recently been suggested that the acceleration of the Universe can be explained as the backreaction effect of superhorizon perturbations using second order perturbation theory. If this mechanism is correct, it should also apply to a hypothetical, gedanken universe in which the subhorizon perturbations are absent. In such a gedanken universe it is possible to compute the deceleration parameter q0 measured by comoving observers using local covariant Taylor expansions rather than using second order perturbation theory. The result indicates that second order corrections to q0 are present, but shows that if q0 is negative then its magnitude is constrained to be less than or of the order of the square of the peculiar velocity on Hubble scales today. We argue that, since this quantity is constrained by observations to be small compared to unity, superhorizon perturbations cannot be responsible for the acceleration of the Universe

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review. D, Particles Fields
Journal Volume
71
Journal Issue
10
Journal Page Range
p. 103521-103521.5
ISSN
0556-2821
CODEN
PRVDAQ

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
37023621
Subject category
S72: PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS;
Descriptors DEI
ACCELERATION; CORRECTIONS; COSMOLOGY; DISTURBANCES; GRAVITATION; NONLUMINOUS MATTER; PERTURBATION THEORY; UNIVERSE
Descriptors DEC
MATTER

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2005 The American Physical Society