In Yoshii et al., we described a new method for measuring extragalactic distances based on dust reverberation in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and we validated our new method with Cepheid variable stars. In this Letter, we validate our new method with Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) that occurred in two of the AGN host galaxies during our AGN monitoring program: SN 2004bd in NGC 3786 and SN 2008ec in NGC 7469. Their multicolor light curves were observed and analyzed using two widely accepted methods for measuring SN distances, and the distance moduli derived are m= 33.47 +/- 0.15 for SN 2004bd and 33.83 +/- 0.07 for SN 2008ec. These results are used to obtain independently the distance measurement calibration factor, g. The g value obtained from the SN Ia discussed in this Letter is gSN= 10.61 +/- 0.50, which matches, within the range of 1s uncertainty, gDUST = 10.60, previously calculated ab initio in Yoshii et al. Having validated our new method for measuring extragalactic distances, we use our new method to calibrate reverberation distances derived from variations of Ha emission in the AGN broad-line region, extending the Hubble diagram to z approximate to 0.3 where distinguishing between cosmologies is becoming possible.

The aim of this master thesis is to investigate the influence of intergalactic duston astronomical observations. The current cosmological paradigm of an acceleratingcosmic expansion is supported by observations of Type Ia supernovae. However, thelight emitted by these and other cosmological sources is not only redshifted by cosmicexpansion but will also interact with matter along the light path which affects the light.Especially intergalactic dust can lead to additional reddening and dimming of distantsources due to light scattering or absorption. This yields systematic contaminations tocosmological measurements. Using quasars as backlight sources we seek to estimate theattenuation of their observed spectra caused by intergalactic dust in order to determinethe existence and properties of the intergalactic dust. In this thesis we will analysethe methods and tools used as well as discussing the dust properties and how theyaffect the results. This thesis shows that intergalactic dust exist, and has a notableeffect on cosmological measurements and favors dust grains consisting of silicate witha size around 0.1 µm with Ωdust around 5 − 7 × 10^−6. The conclusion is in agreementwith previous studies of the same matter. With the increasing precision of cosmologicalmeasurements systematic effects such as intergalactic dust is a factor that has to betaken into account. / Syftet med denna masteruppsats är att undersöka de effekter intergalaktiskt stofthar på astronomiska observationer. Den ledande kosmologiska moddellen som säger attuniversum expanderar är stöttad av observationer av Typ 1a supernovor. Ljuset somkommer från supernovorna är däremot inte bara påverkade av den kosmiska expansionen men kommer också interagera med materia på vägen som påverkar ljuset. Specielltintergalaktiskt stoft kan leda till ytterligare dimning av ljuset och att ljuset blir rödare.Detta är på grund av spridningen eller absorptionen av ljuset när ljuset interagerar medstoftpartiklarna. Detta leder till systematiska fel i kosmologiska mätningar. Genomatt använda kvasarer som en ljuskälla försöker vi uppskatta ljusdämpningen på derasspektrum som orsakats av intergalaktiskt stoft. Detta görs för att bestämma ifall intergalaktiskt stoft existerar och vad dess egenskaper är. I denna uppsats gjordes enanalys av metoden, beräkningsverktygen som användes och några egenskaper hos stoft.Slutsatsen av denna analys visar på att intergalaktiskt stoft existerar och har en mätbar effekt på kosmologiska observationer. Resultatet visar att modellen föredrar stoftav silikat med storlekar runt 0.1 µm med Ωdust runt 5 − 7 × 10^−6vilket stämmer överens med tidigare studier. Med den ökade pressionen av kosmologiska mätningar blirsystematiska effekter, som den från intergalaktiskt stoft, ännu viktigare att ta i hänsyn.

yes / The present article proposes to re-examine the parity-of-reasoning or double-standard fallacy argument, which favours a time-symmetric Gold universe model over a cosmological arrow of time. There are two reasons for this re-examination. One is empirical: 1) the recent discovery of an expanding and accelerating universe questions the symmetry assumption of the Gold universe on empirical grounds; 2) the other is theoretical: the argument from t-symmetry fails to take into account some important aspects of the topology of phase space and recently developed typicality arguments. If the parity-of-reasoning argument, which depends on the t-symmetry of probability, is reconsidered in terms of the topology of phase space and typicality arguments, the double-standard fallacy argument loses much of its appeal. The Gold universe model itself suffers from unexplained dynamic asymmetries. The upshot of this paper is that the Gold universe model is implausible or far less plausible than asymmetric models.

In this work we investigate an exact solution of Einstein's equations which is described by the Pleba'nski-Demia'nski metric. This metric represents type D space-times and contains seven free parameters, including electric and magnetic charges and a cosmological constant. We study geometrical and phy- sical properties of these space-times in the case when repeated principal null congruences have zero expansion. Therefore, first we study de Sitter universe and anti-de Sitter universe in the Pleba'nski-Demia'nski coordinates, and we care- fully analyze the corresponding parametrizations of (anti-)de Sitter hyperboloid in five-dimensional flat space-time, unknown so far, we draw the respective con- formal diagrams, and we find transformations to various known forms. After that, we investigate the more general case of the B metrics with a cosmological con- stant, and we do a basic analysis of its geometrical properties. We summarize the article by Gott from 1974, where he interprets the BI metric as a part of space-time with a tachyon singularity, and we generalize his results for the case of non-zero cosmological constant. Finally, we analyze even more general cases of the Pleba'nski-Demia'nski metric with more non-zero parameters. In particular, we study the electromagnetic field in the case of non-zero...

Un siècle après le modèle d'univers de Friedmann-Lemaître, les observations le confortent avec une constante cosmologique $\Lambda$ et une composante de matière sombre (noire) sans pression (poussière) et froide dominant celle baryonique, que l'on désigne par modèle $\Lambda$CDM. L'accélération de l'expansion de l'Univers confirmée par le diagramme de Hubble des supernovae en 1998 impose une valeur strictement positive à la constante cosmologique. Mes travaux de thèse se focalisent sur l'estimation des valeurs de paramètres cosmologiques du modèle standard en utilisant la technique de corrélation nulle. Cette approche présente l'avantage d'être plus robuste que les techniques usuelles. Ce travail a consisté aussi à modéliser des échantillons de l'événement quasar ainsi que l'événement supernova, une extrapolation adaptée du premier. Ce qui a permis de générer des échantillons conformes aux hypothèses des modèles, afin de valider les approches statistiques. Nous avons exploité les données du Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) pour les quasars, et celles du SuperNova Legacy Survey (SNLS) et du SDSS-II pour les supernovae. Les inférences statistiques ont conduit à un univers spatialement fermé et une présence de matière noire plus faible. Dans le cadre d'une prochaine application de cette technique, elle sera utilisée pour contraindre les modèles d'énergie noire. De même, l'utilisation des amas de galaxies observées grâce à l'effet de Sunyaev Zel'dovich, servira d'échantillon cosmologique. Une telle étude pourra contribuer à apporter un élément de réponse à la validité du rôle supposé des neutrinos massifs dans la formation des amas dans l'ère primordiale de l'Univers. / A century after the Universe model of Friedmann-Lemaître, the observations comfort it with a cosmological constant $\Lambda$ and a dark matter component without pressure (dust) and cold dominating the baryonic one, which is denoted by $\Lambda$CDM model. The acceleration of the expansion of the Universe confirmed by the Hubble diagram of the supernovae in 1998 imposes a strictly positive value on the cosmological constant. My thesis work focuses on the estimation of the cosmological parameters values of the standard model using the null correlation technique. This approach has the advantage of being more robust than the usual techniques. This work deals with modelling samples of the quasar event and the supernova event, which enables us to generate samples in order to validate the statistical approaches. We used data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for quasars, and the SuperNova Legacy Survey (SNLS) and SDSS-II for supernovae. The Statistical inferences suggest a Universe spatially Closed and a weaker presence of dark matter than that in the Standard model. Such a statistical analysis can be used to constrain dark energy models. Application of this technique might be useful for analyzing of clusters of galaxies observed through the effect of Sunyaev Zel'dovich, in view of deriving the cosmological model and provide an answer to the question of the contribution of massive neutrinos in the formation of clusters in the primordial era of the Universe.

Rédigée en 1246 par un clerc nommé Gossuin de Metz, l’Image du monde est considérée comme la première encyclo-pédie de langue française. Elle constitue à ce titre l’une des premières entreprises de transmission écrite d’un ensemble de savoirs sur le monde d’origine cléricale et latine à destination d’un public laïc et aristocratique. Trois versions furent produites, deux en vers et une en prose, dont il n’est pas certain qu’elles soient le travail d’une seule et même personne. Signe de son très grand succès, l’Image du monde est conservée dans 110 manuscrits. Elle constitue donc un objet de recherche idéal pour l’étude des phénomènes de transmission de savoir entre clercs et laïcs dans les trois der-niers siècles du Moyen Âge. Pour ce faire, la présente thèse envisage l’Image du monde à partir des représentations du monde et de l’ordre social transmises par son discours. Ces représentations ne sont pas seulement produites par le texte mais également par l’iconographie (miniatures, initiales historiées, drôleries) ornant une quarantaine de manus-crits, qui forment le corpus de recherche. Dans un premier temps, c’est d’abord l’économie du savoir de l’Image du monde, qui sous-tend la transmission du savoir et en détermine les modalités, ainsi que les implications sociales de la transmission de ce savoir hautement valorisé qui est analysées. La seconde partie de la thèse se concentre quant à elle sur la forte dimension visuelle de la transmission des savoirs opérée par l’Image du monde, à savoir le cycle de vingt-huit figures cosmographiques intégrées par l’auteur lui-même à son ouvrage et qui constitue une pièce maîtresse de sa stratégie didactique. / Written in 1246 by a cleric named Gossuin de Metz, L’image du monde is considered to be the first French language encyclopedia. It is thus one of the first attempts to diffuse to a secular and aristocratic audience a body of knowledge concerning the world, originally coming from a clerical and Latin culture. Three versions were written -two in verse, one in prose- none of which are proven to be the work of only one person. 110 manuscripts were conserved, which can be considered as a proof of its great success. It is thus an ideal research object to study the knowledge transmission phenomena between the clerks and the laity during the Middle Ages’ last three centuries. To that end, this doctoral dissertation considers L’image du monde from the world and social order representations that are transmitted by its discourse. These world’s representations are not only transmitted by the text but also by the pictures (diagrams, minia-tures, historiated initials, drolleries) that adorn some forty manuscripts that constitutes my body of research. This study thus addresses both the text and the iconography. First off, the knowledge economy of L’image du monde will be analyzed, considering the discourse as determining the terms of knowledge transmission and its social implications. The second part of this dissertation focuses on the strong visual dimension taken by knowledge transmission in L’image du monde, relying on a cycle of twenty-eight cosmographic figures that were originally included in his manu-script by the author himself, and that represents the masterpiece of his didactic strategy.

As observações astronômicas dos últimos 15 anos revelaram que o universo atualmente está expandindo aceleradamente. No contexto da relatividade geral se acredita que a energia escura, cujo melhor candidato é a densidade do vácuo ($\\Lambda/8\\pi G$), é o agente responsável por este estado acelerado. No entanto, o termo $\\Lambda$ tem duas sérias dificuldades: o problema da constante cosmológica e o problema da coincidência. Com o objetivo de aliviar o problema da constante cosmológica, muitos modelos adotam um termo $\\Lambda$ dinâmico, permitindo seu decrescimento ao longo de toda a história cósmica. Neste tipo de modelo, a equação de conservação do tensor momento energia total exige uma troca de energia entre a densidade do vácuo e as outras componentes energéticas do universo; o que também alivia o problema da coincidência. Neste trabalho discutimos diferentes consequências de um vácuo dinâmico no âmbito cosmológico e no processo de colapso gravitacional. Em particular, analisamos o caso em que a densidade do vácuo possui uma dinâmica não trivial com a escala de energia típica do universo, que depende monotonamente do parâmetro de Hubble, decrescendo ao longo de toda a história cósmica. Nos referiremos a este modelo como modelo deflacionário. Nesse contexto, utilizando os primeiros termos da expansão para a densidade do vácuo, sugerida pela teoria do grupo de renormalização em espaço-tempos curvos, propomos um novo cenário cosmológico baseado numa densidade do vácuo dinâmica. O cenário proposto é completo no sentido de que o mesmo vácuo é responsável pelas duas fases aceleradas do universo, conectadas por uma fase de radiação e um estágio de domínio da matéria. Neste cenário o universo plano é não singular, iniciando sua evolução a partir de um estágio do tipo de Sitter e, portanto, toda a história cósmica ocorre entre duas fases de Sitter limites. Este modelo não apresenta o problema de horizonte, e nele a nucleossíntese cosmológica ocorre como no modelo de Friedmann, e embora este modelo seja muito próximo do modelo $\\Lambda$CDM, o grande acúmulo de observações no estágio recente do universo permitirão que este poda ser testado. Adicionalmente, mostraremos que generalizações do modelo deflacionário incluindo curvatura espacial apresentam propriedades e vantagens similares. Usando observações de $H(z)$, da luminosidade de supernovas tipo Ia, da função de crescimento linear das perturbações escalares, e da posição do pico das oscilações acústicas de bárions conseguimos vincular um dos parâmetros do modelo. Por outro lado, analisando a física do universo primordial, assumindo um vácuo não perturbado, conseguimos limitar um segundo parâmetro fazendo uso do índice espectral das perturbações escalares. Com o objetivo de fazer uma análise mais completa do modelo no âmbito cosmológico, analisamos também as possíveis restrições oriundas da validade da segunda lei da termodinâmica em sua forma generalizada (GSLT). Para isto investigamos a evolução tanto da entropia associada ao horizonte aparente do universo, que é um horizonte atrapante devido a que o escalar de Ricci é positivo, como do seu conteúdo material. Motivados pela forma como a singularidade primordial do universo é evitada devido aos efeitos do decaimento do vácuo, incluímos no presente trabalho outra linha de desenvolvimento: a análise dos estágios finais do processo de colapso gravitacional em presença de uma densidade do vácuo dinâmica. Centraremos esta análise na determinação de modelos que possam ou não evitar a formação de um buraco negro. Mostraremos que modelos com um termo de vácuo proporcional à densidade de energia total do sistema, não podem evitar a formação de uma singularidade no estágio final do processo de colapso. Adicionalmente obteremos correções para a massa colapsada, para o tempo de formação do horizonte e para o tempo de colapso como função dos parâmetros do modelo e da curvatura espacial. Por último analisaremos a influência de uma densidade do vácuo capaz de dominar sobre as outras componentes no regime de altas energias, mostrando que este tipo de dinâmica na densidade do vácuo evita a formação de um estado final singular. / The astronomical observations of the last 15 years revealed that the universe is currently undergoing an expanding accelerating phase. In the general relativity context is believed that dark energy, whose best candidate is the vacuum energy density $ho_v \\equiv \\Lambda/8\\pi G$, is the fuel responsible for the present accelerating stage. However, the so-called $\\Lambda$-term has two serious drawnbacks, namely: the cosmological constant problem and the coincidence problem. In order to alleviate the cosmological constant problem, many models adopt a dynamical $\\Lambda$ term, thereby allowing its decreasing throughout the cosmic history. In this kind of model, the total energy conservation law defined in terms of the energy momentum tensor requires an energy exchange between the vacuum and the material components of the universe, which also contributes to alleviate the coincidence problem. In the present thesis we discuss different consequences of an interacting vacuum component both in the cosmological scenario as well as in the process of gravitational collapse. In particular, in the cosmological domain, we examine the case where the vacuum has a nontrivial dynamics dependent on a typical energy scale, the Hubble parameter, that decreases in the course of the cosmic history. We will refer to this model as deflationary model. In this context, by using a truncated expansion for the vacuum energy density, as suggested by the renormalization group theory in curved space-time, we propose a new cosmological scenario based on a dynamical $\\Lambda$-term. The proposed scenario is complete in the sense that the same vacuum is responsible for both accelerating phases of the universe, which are linked by two subsequent periods of radiation and non-relativistic matter domination. In this scenario the flat universe is nonsingular and starts its evolution from an asymptotic de Sitter stage, so that the cosmic story takes place between two extreme de Sitter phases. The model is free of the horizon problem as well as of the \"graceful exit\" problem plaguing many inflationary variants. In addition, the cosmological nucleosynthesis occurs as in the Friedmann model and the observations in the latest stages of the universe can potentially differentiate between the deflationary and the standard $\\Lambda$CDM model. The generalizations including spatial curvature are aslo discussed in detail. On the other hand, by using the late time tests like type Ia supernovae, the redshift dependence of the Hubble parameter, $H(z)$, the linear growth function of scalar perturbations, and the peak position of baryon acoustic oscillations we have constrained the basic parameters of the model. Conversely, analyzing the physics of the primordial universe and assuming that the vacuum is a smooth component, we have also constrained the spectral index of scalar density perturbations. In order to establish a more complete analysis of our cosmological scenario, we also discuss the possible constraints arising from the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics, that is, by including the horizon thermodynamics. Since the apparent horizon of the universe behaves like a trapped horizon because the Ricci scalar is positive, we investigate the evolution of both the entropy of the material components and the entropy associated to the horizon. Motivated by the avoidance of the Big-Bang singularity due to the decaying vacuum effects, we have explored another line of development: the analysis of the final stages of gravitational collapse process in the presence of a dynamic vacuum. This analysis focused on the determination of models able to prevent or not the formation of a black hole. In this connection, we shown that the presence of an interacting vacuum proportional to the total energy density of the system does not prevent the formation of a singularity in the final stages of the collapsing process. In addition, we obtain corrections for the collapsed mass, the horizon time formation and the collapsing time as a function of the free parameters and the spatial curvature of the models. Finally, we have also analyzed the influence of a vacuum contribution which dominates the other components into the high energy limit (due to the presence of higher orders terms in the contraction rate), and shown that for this kind of models the growth of the vacuum energy density prevents the formation of the singularity.

The electroweak hierarchy problem is one of the most important puzzles of particle physics that remains without conclusive answer nowadays. One of the most recent new class of solutions to this problem is presented in this thesis, i.e., the cosmological relaxation of the electroweak scale. In this framework, we postulate the existence of a new particle, the relaxion, which drives the Higgs mass to values much smaller than the cutoff of the theory during inflation. As tools to develop this subject, this work presents a resume of chiral perturbation theory, the strong CP problem, axions and the eta prime particle. Finally, we will describe the most simple model of cosmological relaxation of the electroweak scale and the non-QCD model, where a new strong group SU(N) forms a condensate that interacts with the relaxion. / O problema da hierarquia eletrofraco é um dos enigmas mais importantes da física de partículas que continua sem uma solução conclusiva hoje em dia. Uma nova classe de soluções, dentre as mais recentes, para este problema é apresentado nessa dissertação, i.e., o relaxamento cosmológico da escala eletrofraca. Neste quadro, nós postulamos a existência de uma nova partícula, o relaxion, que conduz a massa do bóson de Higgs para valores muito menores que o cutoff da teoria durante a inflação. Como ferramentas para desenvolver este assunto, este trabalho apresenta um resumo de teoria de perturbação quiral, o problema CP forte, axions e a partícula eta prime. Finalmente, iremos descrever o modelo mais simples de relaxamento cosmológico da escala eletrofraca e o modelo sem-QCD, onde um novo grupo de interação forte SU(N) forma um condensado que interage com o relaxion.

The self-gravitating systems are formed by particles interacting through gravity. They describe structure formation in the universe. As a consequence of the long range interaction of gravity, they are inhomogeneous even at thermal equilibrium. We study the self-gravitating systems with several kinds of particles and the self-gravitating systems in the presence of the cosmological constant $ Lambda$. We formulate the statistical mechanics and the mean field approach describing the gaseous phase. We explicitely compute the density of particles and thermodynamic quantities. The presence of $ Lambda$ extends the domain of stability of the gaseous phase. Monte Carlo simulations show that the mean field describes the gaseous phase with an excellent accuracy. Scalling law of the self-gravitating systems with several kinds of particles is found. At the critical point the fractal dimension is independant of their composition and is $1.6...$~.

<p>Einstein's theory of general relativity is a cornerstone in the process of gaining increased understanding about problems of gravitational nature. It can be applied to problems on the huge length scales of cosmology and as far as we know it does not break down before the Planck scale is approached. Irrespective of scale, a perturbative approach is often a very useful way to reduce the Einstein system to manageable complexity and size.</p><p>The projects included in this thesis can be divided into three subcategories. In the first category the keyword is photon-photon scattering. General relativity predicts that scattering can take place on a flat background due to the curvature of space-time caused by the photons themselves. The coupling equations and cross-section are found and a comparison with the corresponding quantum field theoretical results is done to leading order. Moreover, photon-photon scattering due to exchange of virtual electron-positron pairs is considered as an effective field theory in terms of the Heisenberg-Euler Lagrangian resulting in a possible setup for experimental detection of this phenomenon using microwave cavities. The second category of projects is related to cosmology. Here linear perturbations around a flat FRW universe with a cosmological constant are considered and the corresponding temperature variations of the cosmic microwave background radiation are found. Furthermore, cosmological models of Bianchi type V are investigated using a method based on the invariant scheme for classification of metrics by Karlhede. The final category is slowly rotating stars. Here the problem of matching a perfect fluid interior of Petrov type D to an exterior axisymmetric vacuum solution is treated perturbatively up to second order in the rotational parameter.</p>