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Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

Variation of fundamental parameters and dark energy. A principal component approach

L. Amendola, A. C. O. Leite, C. J. A. P. Martins, N. J. Nunes, P. O. J. Pedrosa, A. Seganti

Abstract
We discuss methods based on Principal Component Analysis for reconstructing the dark energy equation of state and constraining its evolution, using a combination of Type Ia supernovae at low redshift and spectroscopic measurements of varying fundamental couplings at higher redshifts. We discuss the performance of this method when future better-quality datasets are available, focusing on two forthcoming ESO spectrographs – ESPRESSO for the VLT and CODEX for the E-ELT – which include these measurements as a key part of their science cases. These can realize the prospect of a detailed characterization of dark energy properties all the way up to redshift 4.

Physical Review D
Volume 86, Page 063515_1
September 2012

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Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

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