How well do cosmological models explain the observed µ vs. z data?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on how well various cosmological models, particularly the ΛCDM model and non-expanding universe models, explain the observed relationship between distance modulus (µ) and redshift (z) data. The scope includes theoretical analysis and examination of observational data from Type Ia supernovae and γ-ray bursts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the ΛCDM model fits the observed µ vs. z data quite well, referencing specific figures from related papers.
  • Others point out that while the ΛCDM model is consistent with certain data, there are indications that dark energy density may be increasing over time, which is not accounted for in the ΛCDM model.
  • A participant mentions that the data points from quasars do not contradict the supernova and γ-ray burst data, suggesting they could provide additional context for the discussion.
  • There is a suggestion that if dark energy density varies with time, it should be reflected in the µ vs. z data, indicating ongoing research in this area.
  • Some contributions emphasize that any cosmological model must account for all relevant data, not just a subset that fits a particular hypothesis.
  • A reference is made to a model based on a non-expanding universe, which presents different implications for the µ vs. z relationship, but is limited to lower redshifts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the adequacy of the ΛCDM model versus non-expanding universe models. There is no consensus on whether the observational data supports a varying dark energy density or if it aligns solely with the ΛCDM framework. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of the data on cosmological models.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the dependence on specific data sources and the unresolved nature of whether dark energy varies with time. The discussion also highlights the need for models to account for all relevant data, not just selected subsets.

JimJCW
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The following figure shows observed distance modulus (µ) vs. redshift (z) data (references of data sources are available):

1632056753350.png


How well do cosmological models, such as ΛCDM and models based on non-expanding universe, explain these observed data?

For explanation of terms, please see,

 
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JimJCW said:
(references of data sources are available)
On PF, please provide links to the references in the first post.
 
anorlunda said:
On PF, please provide links to the references in the first post.
My supernova data are from,

Supernova Cosmology Project Union2.1
MLCS2k2 Full Sample

My γ-ray burst data are from,

Bradley E. Schaefer, 2007, The Astrophysical Journal, 660:16-46, 2007
Hao Wei, Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Issue 08, id. 020 (2010)
 
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JimJCW said:
How well do cosmological models, such as ΛCDM and models based on non-expanding universe, explain these observed data?
Lambda-CDM fits quite well. See, for example, Figure 2 from this paper:

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1811.02590.pdf
 
phyzguy said:
Lambda-CDM fits quite well. See, for example, Figure 2 from this paper:

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1811.02590.pdf

The authors of the paper are saying that according to their analysis, the µ vs. z relation of quasars at z<1.4 is qualitatively in agreement with that of supernovae and with the LCDM model. The data, however, suggest a dark energy density increasing with time. As we know, the dark energy density remains constant in the LCDM model.

The data points in our figure are from Type Ia supernovae and γ-ray bursts. It covers a greater range, up to z=8.1.
 
JimJCW said:
The authors of the paper are saying that according to their analysis, the µ vs. z relation of quasars at z<1.4 is qualitatively in agreement with that of supernovae and with the LCDM model. The data, however, suggest a dark energy density increasing with time. As we know, the dark energy density remains constant in the LCDM model.

The data points in our figure are from Type Ia supernovae and γ-ray bursts. It covers a greater range, up to z=8.1.
The data points in the paper I linked go up to z=5, and still seem to fit quite well. Whether or not the observational data is consistent with Lanmbda-CDM , or a model with a varying dark energy is needed is an question which is still being studied. There is no compelling data that supports a dark energy varying with time, but there might be in the future. It is still an open question.
 
phyzguy said:
The data points in the paper I linked go up to z=5, and still seem to fit quite well. Whether or not the observational data is consistent with Lambda-CDM , or a model with a varying dark energy is needed is an question which is still being studied. There is no compelling data that supports a dark energy varying with time, but there might be in the future. It is still an open question.

I think we can summarize this part of the discussion as follows,

The µ vs. z data points of quasars presented in the paper for 0.5<z<5.5 are not inconsistent with those plotted in our (supernova)+(gamma-ray burst) figure. They are additional data points.

There may be some open questions associated with the quasar data. For now, we might want to limit ourselves to the data plotted in our figure to discuss the question of how well some cosmological models do. Note that if there is a time-dependence of dark energy density with time, it probably would show up in the µ vs. z data we use also.

An interesting point to note about dark energy in the universe is that, according the LCDM model, its value continues to increase with space expansion (as indicated by the figure obtained from Jorrie’s calculator), but its density remains constant.

1632396419438.png
 
JimJCW said:
How well do cosmological models, such as ΛCDM and models based on non-expanding universe, explain these observed data?

The following figure shows µ vs. z plot calculated with the ΛCDM model. It was obtained using Jorrie’s calculator and Planck data (2015), with the help of Eqs. (21) and (25) in Hogg’s article, Distance measures in cosmology. The calculation result suggests that the ΛCDM model can explain the observed µ vs. z data quite well.

1633183463796.png
 
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JimJCW said:
How well do cosmological models, such as ΛCDM and models based on non-expanding universe, explain these observed data?

Fig. 2 of Sorrell’s 2009 paper, Misconceptions about the Hubble recession law, shows the result of a model based on non-expanding universe:

1633866081381.png
 
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JimJCW said:
Fig. 2 of Sorrell’s 2009 paper, Misconceptions about the Hubble recession law, shows the result of a model based on non-expanding universe:
Only out to ##z = 2##. The graph shown for the ##\Lambda C D M## model has data out to ##z = 8##. A hypothesis has to account for all of the data, not just a subset that happens to match.

Also, the ##\mu## vs. ##z## data is not the only data that needs to be accounted for.
 

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