Work

Can recent DESI BAO measurements accommodate a negative cosmological constant?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Anti--de Sitter vacuum, which corresponds to a negative cosmological constant (NCC), is theoretically important and well-motivated. However, whether it exists in reality or not has always been a highly concerning issue. In this paper, we perform the first search for NCC using recent Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument baryon acoustic oscillation measurements combined with Planck cosmic microwave background and Pantheon Plus supernova data. Though we did not find the evidence for NCC, we observed the indication for it. NCC is preferred at $>68%$ significance level, and we also found that such a NCC can make the evolving dark energy component (coexisting with NCC) quintessencelike, i.e., the state equation $w\ensuremath{\ge}\ensuremath{-}1$. Our work highlights the potential of upcoming cosmological surveys to search for NCC.

Source: Physical review. D/Physical review. D.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.111.l061306

Authors: Hao Wang, Ze-Yu Peng, Yun-Song Piao

Institutions: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, International Centre for Theoretical Physics Asia-Pacific

Language: English

Topic: Cosmology and Gravitation Theories

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

Awards: G6883445009, G8854505000