Cosmological Perturbations in Horava-Lifshitz Gravity
We study cosmological perturbations in Horava-Lifshitz Gravity, a recently proposed potentially ultraviolet-complete quantum theory of gravity. We consider scalar metric fluctuations about a homogeneous and isotropic space-time. Starting from the most general metric, we work out the complete second order action for the perturbations. We then make use of the residual gauge invariance and of the constraint equations to reduce the number of dynamical degrees of freedom. At first glance, it appears that there is an extra scalar metric degree of freedom. However, introducing the Sasaki-Mukhanov variable, the combination of spatial metric fluctuation and matter inhomogeneity for which the action in general relativity has canonical form, we find that this variable has the standard time derivative term in the second order action, and that the extra degree of freedom is nondynamical. The limit lambda -> 1 is well behaved, unlike what is obtained when expanding about Minkowski space-time. Thus, there is no strong coupling problem for Horava-Lifshitz gravity when considering cosmological solutions. We also compute the spectrum of cosmological perturbations. If the potential in the action is taken to be of "detailed balance" form, we find a cancellation of the highest derivative terms in the action for the curvature fluctuations. As a consequence, the initial spectrum of perturbations will not be scale-invariant in a general space-time background, in contrast to what happens when considering Horava-Lifshitz matter leaving the gravitational sector unperturbed. However, if we break the detailed balance condition, then the initial spectrum of curvature fluctuations is indeed scale-invariant on ultraviolet scales. As an application, we consider fluctuations in an inflationary background and draw connections with the "trans-Planckian problem" for cosmological perturbations. In the special case in which the potential term in the action is of detailed balance form and in which lambda = 1, the equation of motion for cosmological perturbations in the far UV takes the same form as in general relativity. However, in general the equation of motion is characterized by a modified dispersion relation.

title: Quadra-Spectrum and Quint-Spectrum from Inflation and Curvaton Models
abstract: We calculate the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum, corresponding to five and six point correlation functions of the curvature perturbation. For single field inflation with standard kinetic term, the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum are small, which are suppressed by slow roll parameters. The calculation can be generalized to multiple fields. When there is no entropy perturbation, the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum are suppressed as well. With the presence of entropy perturbation, the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum can get boosted. We illustrate this boost in the multi-brid inflation model. For the curvaton scenario, the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum are also large in the small r limit. We also calculate representative terms of quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum for inflation with generalized kinetic terms, and estimate their order of magnitude for quasi-single field inflation.

title: CMB statistical anisotropies of classical and quantum origins
abstract: We examine the impact of different anisotropic relics on inflation, in particular the predictions on the density perturbations. These relics can be the source of the large scale anomalies in the cosmic microwave background. There are two different types of background relics, one from the matter sector and the other purely from the metric. Although the angular-dependence of the statistical anisotropy in both cases are degenerate, the scale-dependence are observationally distinctive. In addition, we demonstrate that non-Bunch-Davies vacuum states can extend the statistical anisotropy to much shorter scales, and leave a scale-dependence that is insensitive to the different backgrounds but sensitive to the initial quantum state.

title: Curvaton dynamics and the non-linearity parameters in the curvaton model
abstract: We investigate the curvaton dynamics and the non-linearity parameters in the curvaton model with a potential slightly deviating from the quadratic form in detail. The non-linearity parameter gNL will show up due to the curvaton self-interaction. We also point out that the leading order of the non-quadratic term in the curvaton potential can be negative, for example in the axion-type curvaton model. If a large positive gNL is detected, the axion-type curvaton model will be preferred.

title: Quasi-Single Field Inflation and Non-Gaussianities
abstract: In quasi-single field inflation models, massive isocurvature modes, that are coupled to the inflaton and have mass of order the Hubble parameter, can have nontrivial impacts on density perturbations, especially non-Gaussianities. We study a simple example of quasi-single field inflation in terms of turning inflaton trajectory. Large bispectra with a one-parameter family of novel shapes arise, lying between the well-known local and equilateral shape. The trispectra can also be very large and its magnitude tNL can be much larger than fNL2.

title: Non-Gaussianity, isocurvature perturbation, gravitational waves, and a no-go theorem for the isocurvaton
abstract: We investigate the isocurvaton model, in which the isocurvature perturbation plays a role in suppressing the curvature perturbation, and large non-Gaussianity and gravitational waves can be produced with no isocurvature perturbation for dark matter. We show that in the slow-roll noninteracting multifield theory, the isocurvaton mechanism cannot be realized. This result can also be generalized to most of the studied models with generalized kinetic terms. We also study the implications for the curvaton model. We show that there is a combined constraint for curvaton on non-Gaussianity, gravitational waves, and isocurvature perturbation. The technique used in this paper can also help to simplify some calculations in the mixed inflaton and curvaton models. We also investigate the possibility of producing large negative non-Gaussianity and nonlocal non-Gaussianity in the curvaton model.

title: Recent results from E802 and E859
abstract: Recent single-particle inclusive measurements and two-particle correlation data from E802 and its succesor, E859, are presented. The K + / π + ratio observed for collisions of 14.6 A·GeV 28 Si ions on various targets is presented as a function of both forward and transverse energy. Source sizes are determined via interferometry using π + , π − , K + and proton pairs.

title: Observational bounds on modified gravity models
abstract: Modified gravity provides a possible explanation for the currently observed cosmic acceleration. In this paper, we study general classes of modified gravity models. The Einstein-Hilbert action is modified by using general functions of the Ricci and the Gauss-Bonnet scalars, both in the metric and in the Palatini formalisms. We do not use an explicit form for the functions, but a general form with a valid Taylor expansion up to second order about redshift zero in the Riemann-scalars. The coefficients of this expansion are then reconstructed via the cosmic expansion history measured using current cosmological observations. These are the quantities of interest for theoretical considerations relating to ghosts and instabilities. We find that current data provide interesting constraints on the coefficients. The next-generation dark energy surveys should shrink the allowed parameter space for modified gravity models quite dramatically.

title: SYSTEMATIC ERRORS IN THE DETERMINATION OF HUBBLE CONSTANT DUE TO THE ASPHERICITY AND NONISOTHERMALITY OF CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES
abstract: We present statistical studies on the systematic errors in the determination of the Hubble constant H0 from joint analyses of X-ray and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect of clusters of galaxies. We focus on the effects of their triaxiality and nonisothermality. From the triaxial model of dark matter halos obtained from numerical simulations, we derive the distribution of the intracluster gas under the assumption of the hydrodynamic equilibrium. Both the isothermal and the polytropic gases are investigated. We run Monte Carlo simulations to generate samples of clusters according to the distributions of their masses, axial ratios, concentration parameters, and line-of-sight directions. The estimation of H0 is done by fitting X-ray and SZ profiles of a triaxial cluster with the isothermal and spherical β model. We find that for a sample of clusters with M = 1014 h-1 M☉ and z = 0.1, the estimated H0 is positively biased with H(estimated) ≈ 1.05H0(true) and H(estimated) ≈ 1.05H0(true) for the isothermal case. For the polytropic case with γ = 1.15, the bias is large with H(estimated) ≈ 1.35H0(true) and H(estimated) ≈ 3H0(true). For a mass-limited sample of clusters with Mlim = 1013 h-1 M☉, the results are similar. On the other hand, such a large overestimation has not been seen in real observations. It is noticed that the β-value for observed clusters is within the range of 0.5-0.8. Considering only the subsample in Monte Carlo simulations with β in the range of 0.5-0.8, we have H(estimated) = 1.002H0(true) and H(estimated) = 0.994H0(true) for the isothermal and polytropic cases, respectively. We further find that the value of β is more sensitive to the intrinsic asphericity of clusters than the axial ratio of two-dimensional X-ray images η is. Limiting to clusters with β ≥ 0.5 essentially excludes highly aspherical clusters from the sample. From this subsample of clusters, we can get a fair estimate on H0.

title: CMB Temperature and Matter Power Spectrum in a Decay Vacuum Dark Energy Model
abstract: In this paper, a decay vacuum model $\bar{\rho}_\Lambda=3\sigma M_p^2H_0 H$ is revisited by detailed analysis of background evolution and perturbation equations. We show the imprints on CMB temperature and matter power spectrum from the effective coupling terms between dark sectors by comparing to the standard cosmological constant model and observational data points (WMAP7 and SDSS DR7). We find that the decay vacuum model can describe the expansion rate at late times as well as the standard cosmological constant model but it fails to simultaneously reproduce the observed CMB and matter power spectrum. Its generalization $\bar{\rho}_\Lambda=3M_p^2(\xi_1 H_0 H+\xi_2 H^2)$ is also discussed. Detailed analysis of the background evolution shows that the dimensionless parameter $\xi_{2}$ would be zero to avoid the unnatural 'fine tuning' and to keep the positivity of energy density of dark matter and dark energy in the early epoch.

title: Made-to-measure galaxy models – III. Modelling with Milky Way observations
abstract: We demonstrate how the Syer and Tremaine made-to-measure method of stellar dynamical modelling can be adapted to model a rotating galactic bar. We validate our made-to-measure changes using observations constructed from the existing Shen et al. N-body model of the Milky Way bar, together with kinematic observations of the Milky Way bulge and bar taken by the Bulge Radial Velocity Assay. Our results for a combined determination of the bar angle and bar pattern speed (approximate to 30 degrees and approximate to 40 km s(-1) kpc(-1)) are consistent with those determined by the N-body model. Whilst the made-to-measure techniques we have developed are applied using a particular N-body model and observational data set, they are in fact general and could be applied to other Milky Way modelling scenarios utilizing different N-body models and data sets. Additionally, we use the exercise as a vehicle for illustrating how N-body and made-to-measure methods might be combined into a more effective method.