Searching for dark matter - dark energy interactions: going beyond the conformal case

TL;DR

This paper investigates non-gravitational interactions between dark matter and dark energy, constraining their possible couplings using current cosmological data, and finds no strong evidence for such interactions.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive constraints on conformal, disformal, and mixed dark sector interactions using multiple cosmological observations.

Findings

No significant evidence for dark sector interactions.

Growth of structure data improves parameter constraints.

Local Hubble constant value does not affect interaction constraints.

Abstract

We consider a generic cosmological model which allows for non-gravitational direct couplings between dark matter and dark energy. The distinguishing cosmological features of these couplings can be probed by current cosmological observations, thus enabling us to place constraints on this generic interaction which is composed of the conformal and disformal coupling functions. We perform a global analysis in order to independently constrain the conformal, disformal, and mixed interactions between dark matter and dark energy by combining current data from: Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation anisotropies, a combination of measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations, a supernovae Type Ia sample, a compilation of Hubble parameter measurements estimated from the cosmic chronometers approach, direct measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe today, and a compilation of growth of structure measurements. We find that in these coupled dark energy models, the influence of the local value of the Hubble constant does not significantly alter the inferred constraints when we consider joint analyses that include all cosmological probes. Moreover, the parameter constraints are remarkably improved with the inclusion of the growth of structure data set measurements. We find no compelling evidence for an interaction within the dark sector of the Universe.