New Probe of Departures from General Relativity Using Minkowski Functionals.

Area of Science:

• Cosmology
• Astrophysics
• Theoretical Physics

Background:

• The large-scale structure of the Universe's morphology is described by Minkowski functionals (MFs).
• MFs offer complementary information to 2-point statistics for understanding cosmic structure.
• Investigating deviations from general relativity is crucial for explaining cosmic acceleration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To differentiate the morphological properties of large-scale structures in modified gravity theories versus standard general relativity (ΛCDM).
• To assess the efficacy of Minkowski functionals in constraining modified gravity models.

Main Methods:

• N-body simulations were conducted for both modified gravity theories and ΛCDM.
• Minkowski functionals were measured from these simulations to analyze morphological differences.
• Statistical power was evaluated for constraining modified gravity models using simulated galaxy survey data.

Main Results:

• Significant statistical power was found in using MFs to constrain modified gravity theories.
• Specific modified gravity models (normal-branch Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati, F5 f(R)) were distinguishable from ΛCDM at >5σ significance.
• Individual MF measurements proved effective in discriminating between models.

Conclusions:

• Minkowski functionals are a powerful probe for testing theories of gravity.
• The application of MFs to real galaxy survey data warrants further active exploration.
• This method offers a promising avenue for understanding cosmic acceleration and fundamental physics.