Scientific curiosity and thirst for knowledge have driven human progress and helped mankind develop an always deeper understanding of our world. New - and sometimes controversial - ideas have been proposed in order to explain its mysteries. Looking for alternative perspectives has proven essential, particularly when the current paradigms do not give complete satisfaction. Such is the case for three important questions in modern astrophysics and cosmology, which we intend to investigate: the Paradox of Youth, Dark Matter and Dark Energy. We will first explore a new possible explanation to the paradoxical observation of young, massive stars near the centre of our galaxy. Hosting a solar mass black hole might allow them to spare some of their burning material, giving them enough time to travel from further galactic distances. In the second part of our thesis, we will study Dark Matter accretion onto neutron stars. Considering different types of Dark Matter particles, we will determine the consequences of their capture by these very dense objects and look for observable signatures. Finally, our current views on Dark Energy will be examined through its role in void models. Among them, the Swiss-Cheese Universe and central void models will be analysed in order to evaluate the impact of inhomogeneities on the determination of cosmological parameters. All three parts are similarly structured: conceptual introduction, analytical and computational considerations, commented results and conclusive remarks. Bibliographies are given separatly after each part. Lists of figures, tables and abbreviations can be found at the end of the document.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:628100 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | De Lavallaz, Arnaud |
| Publisher | King's College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-paradox-of-youth-dark-matter-accretion-and-void-models(7d39582b-ae7c-4ff5-adc8-556cb1e12af2).html |
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