Dark Matter, Dark Energy and the solution of the strong CP problem

The strong CP problem was solved by Peccei & Quinn by introducing axions, a viable candidate for Dark Matter (DM). Here the PQ approach is modified so to yield also Dark Energy (DE). DM and DE arise, in fai proportions, from a single scalar field, without tuning any extra parameter. In the present epoch, they are weakly coupled. Fluctuations have a fair evolution. The model is also fitted to the WMAP1 release, using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique, and performs as well as $\Lambda$CDM, coupled or uncoupled DE. Best--fit cosmological parameters for different models are mostly within 2--$\sigma$ level. Here, the main peculiarity of the model is to favor high values of the Hubble parameter.Comment: Proceeding of the workshop dsu2006, "The Dark Side of th Universe", Madrid, June 20-24, 200

Global cluster morphology and its evolution: X-ray data vs CDM, LCDM and mixed models

The global structure of galaxy clusters and its evolution are tested within a large set of TREESPH simulations, so to allow a fair statistical comparison with available X-ray data. Structure tests are based on the "power ratios", introduced by Buote & Tsai. Cosmological models considered are CDM, LCDM (Omega_L=0.7) and CHDM (1 mass.neu., Omega_h = 0.2). All models are normalized to provide a fair number density of clusters. For each model we run a P3M simulation in a large box, where we select the most massive 40 clusters. Going back to the initial redshift we run a hydro-TREESPH simulation for each of them. In this way we perform a statistical comparison of the global morphology of clusters, for each cosmological model, with ROSAT data, using Student t-test, F-test and K-S test. The last test and its generalization to 2--D distributions are also used to compare the joint distributions of 2 or 3 power ratios. We find that, using DM distribution, instead of gas, as done by some authors, leads to biased results, as baryons are distributed in a less structured way than DM. We also find that the cosmological models considered have different behaviours in these tests: LCDM has the worst performance. CDM and our CHDM have similar scores. The general trend of power ratio distributions is already fit by these models, but a further improvement is expected either from a different DM mix or a non-flat CDM model.Comment: 29 pages (LaTeX,macros included), 9 figure.ps & 3 tables included. To appear on New Astronom

Tracking through equality

We give a tracker solution for the quintessence scalar field for Ratra--Peebles or SUGRA potentials, holding before, during and after the equality epoch (\rho_m=\rho_r) and nicely fitting the numerical behavior.Comment: submitted to New Astronom

Recovery of fluctuation spectrum evolution from tomographic shear spectra

Forthcoming large angle surveys are planned to obtain high precision tomographic shear data. In principle, they will allow us to recover the spectra of matter density fluctuation, at various redshift, through the inversion of the expressions yielding shear from fluctuation spectra. This was discussed in previous work, where SVD techniques for matrix inversion were also shown to be the optimal tool to this aim. Here we show the significant improvements obtainable by using a 7 bin tomography, as allowed by future Euclid data, as well as the question of error propagation from shear to fluctuation spectra. We find that the technique is a promising tool, namely for the analysis of baryon physics throug high-l shear spectra and to test the consistency between expansion rate and fluctuation growth.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure