Constraints on f(R) gravity from probing the large-scale structure

TL;DR

This paper investigates how large-scale structure observations constrain f(R) gravity models that mimic LCDM expansion, focusing on the Compton wavelength parameter B_0, and finds tight bounds using diverse cosmological data.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive constraint on the f(R) gravity parameter B_0 using combined cosmological datasets including CMB, supernovae, BAO, and cluster abundance.

Findings

B_0<0.0011 at 95% confidence level

Strongest constraints come from cluster abundance data

Multiple cosmological probes effectively limit modifications to gravity

Abstract

We study cosmological constraints on metric f(R) gravity models that are designed to reproduce the LCDM expansion history with modifications to gravity described by a supplementary cosmological freedom, the Compton wavelength parameter B_0. We conduct a Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis on the parameter space, utilizing the geometrical constraints from supernovae distances, the baryon acoustic oscillation distances, and the Hubble constant, along with all of the cosmic microwave background data, including the largest scales, its correlation with galaxies, and a probe of the relation between weak gravitational lensing and galaxy flows. The strongest constraints, however, are obtained through the inclusion of data from cluster abundance. Using all of the data, we infer a bound of B_0<0.0011 at the 95% C.L.