Dark energy domination in the Virgocentric flow

The standard \LambdaCDM cosmological model implies that all celestial bodies are embedded in a perfectly uniform dark energy background, represented by Einstein's cosmological constant, and experience its repulsive antigravity action. Can dark energy have strong dynamical effects on small cosmic scales as well as globally? Continuing our efforts to clarify this question, we focus now on the Virgo Cluster and the flow of expansion around it. We interpret the Hubble diagram, from a new database of velocities and distances of galaxies in the cluster and its environment, using a nonlinear analytical model which incorporates the antigravity force in terms of Newtonian mechanics. The key parameter is the zero-gravity radius, the distance at which gravity and antigravity are in balance. Our conclusions are: 1. The interplay between the gravity of the cluster and the antigravity of the dark energy background determines the kinematical structure of the system and controls its evolution. 2. The gravity dominates the quasi-stationary bound cluster, while the antigravity controls the Virgocentric flow, bringing order and regularity to the flow, which reaches linearity and the global Hubble rate at distances \ga 15 Mpc. 3. The cluster and the flow form a system similar to the Local Group and its outflow. In the velocity-distance diagram, the cluster-flow structure reproduces the group-flow structure with a scaling factor of about 10; the zero-gravity radius for the cluster system is also 10 times larger. The phase and dynamical similarity of the systems on the scales of 1-30 Mpc suggests that a two-component pattern may be universal for groups and clusters: a quasi-stationary bound central component and an expanding outflow around it, due to the nonlinear gravity-antigravity interplay with the dark energy dominating in the flow component.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, Astronomy and Astrophysics (accepted

Energy composition of the Universe: time-independent internal symmetry

The energy composition of the Universe, as emerged from the Type Ia supernova observations and the WMAP data, looks preposterously complex, -- but only at the first glance. In fact, its structure proves to be simple and regular. An analysis in terms of the Friedmann integral enables to recognize a remarkably simple time-independent covariant robust recipe of the cosmic mix: the numerical values of the Friedmann integral for vacuum, dark matter, baryons and radiation are approximately identical. The identity may be treated as a symmetry relation that unifies cosmic energies into a regular set, a quartet, with the Friedmann integral as its common genuine time-independent physical parameter. Such cosmic internal (non-geometrical) symmetry exists whenever cosmic energies themselves exist in nature. It is most natural for a finite Universe suggested by the WMAP data. A link to fundamental theory may be found under the assumption about a special significance of the electroweak energy scale in both particle physics and cosmology. A freeze-out model developed on this basis demonstrates that the physical nature of new symmetry might be due to the interplay between electroweak physics and gravity at the cosmic age of a few picoseconds. The big `hierarchy number' of particle physics represents the interplay in the model. This number quantifies the Friedmann integral and gives also a measure to some other basic cosmological figures and phenomena associated with new symmetry. In this way, cosmic internal symmetry provides a common ground for better understanding of old and recent problems that otherwise seem unrelated; the coincidence of the observed cosmic densities, the flatness of the co-moving space, the initial perturbations and their amplitude, the cosmic entropy are among them.Comment: 32 page

Polygonal Structures in the Gaseous Disk: Numerical Simulations

The results of numerical simulations of a gaseous disk in the potential of a stellar spiral density wave are presented. The conditions under which straightened spiral arm segments (rows) form in the gas component are studied. These features of the spiral structure were identified in a series of works by A.D. Chernin with coauthors. Gas-dynamic simulations have been performed for a wide range of model parameters: the pitch angle of the spiral pattern, the amplitude of the stellar spiral density wave, the disk rotation speed, and the temperature of the gas component. The results of 2D- and 3D-disk simulations are compared. The rows in the numerical simulations are shown to be an essentially nonstationary phenomenon. A statistical analysis of the distribution of geometric parameters for spiral patterns with rows in the observed galaxies and the constructed hydrodynamic models shows good agreement. In particular, the numerical simulations and observations of galaxies give $\simeq 120^\circ$ for the average angles between straight segments.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure

Dark energy and key physical parameters of clusters of galaxies

We study physics of clusters of galaxies embedded in the cosmic dark energy background. Under the assumption that dark energy is described by the cosmological constant, we show that the dynamical effects of dark energy are strong in clusters like the Virgo cluster. Specifically, the key physical parameters of the dark mater halos in clusters are determined by dark energy: 1) the halo cut-off radius is practically, if not exactly, equal to the zero-gravity radius at which the dark matter gravity is balanced by the dark energy antigravity; 2) the halo averaged density is equal to two densities of dark energy; 3) the halo edge (cut-off) density is the dark energy density with a numerical factor of the unity order slightly depending on the halo profile. The cluster gravitational potential well in which the particles of the dark halo (as well as galaxies and intracluster plasma) move is strongly affected by dark energy: the maximum of the potential is located at the zero-gravity radius of the cluster.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

Zeldovich flow on cosmic vacuum background: new exact nonlinear analytical solution

A new exact nonlinear Newtonian solution for a plane matter flow superimposed on the isotropic Hubble expansion is reported. The dynamical effect of cosmic vacuum is taken into account. The solution describes the evolution of nonlinear perturbations via gravitational instability of matter and the termination of the perturbation growth by anti-gravity of vacuum at the epoch of transition from matter domination to vacuum domination. On this basis, an `approximate' 3D solution is suggested as an analog of the Zeldovich ansatz.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure

Two-fluid matter-quintessence FLRW models: energy transfer and the equation of state of the universe

Recent observations support the view that the universe is described by a FLRW model with $\Omega_m^0 \approx 0.3$, $\Omega_{\Lambda}^0 \approx 0.7$, and $w \leq -1/3$ at the present epoch. There are several theoretical suggestions for the cosmological $\Lambda$ component and for the particular form of the energy transfer between this dark energy and matter. This gives a strong motive for a systematic study of general properties of two-fluid FLRW models. We consider a combination of one perfect fluid, which is quintessence with negative pressure ($p_Q = w\epsilon_Q$), and another perfect fluid, which is a mixture of radiation and/or matter components with positive pressure ($p = \beta \epsilon_m$), which define the associated one-fluid model ($p = \gamma \epsilon$). We introduce a useful classification which contains 4 classes of models defined by the presence or absence of energy transfer and by the stationarity ($w = const.$ and $\beta = const.$) or/and non stationarity ($w$ or $\beta$ time dependent) of the equations of state. It is shown that, for given $w$ and $\beta$, the energy transfer defines $\gamma$ and, therefore, the total gravitating mass and dynamics of the model. We study important examples of two-fluid FLRW models within the new classification. The behaviour of the energy content, gravitating mass, pressure, and the energy transfer are given as functions of the scale factor. We point out three characteristic scales, $a_E$, $a_{\cal P}$ and $a_{\cal M}$, which separate periods of time in which quintessence energy, pressure and gravitating mass dominate. Each sequence of the scales defines one of 6 evolution types

Non-integrability of density perturbations in the FRW universe

We investigate the evolution equation of linear density perturbations in the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe with matter, radiation and the cosmological constant. The concept of solvability by quadratures is defined and used to prove that there are no "closed form" solutions except for the known Chernin, Heath, Meszaros and simple degenerate ones. The analysis is performed applying Kovacic's algorithm. The possibility of the existence of other, more general solutions involving special functions is also investigated.Comment: 13 pages. The latest version with added references, and a relevant new paragraph in section I