Cosmic strings, domain walls and environment-dependent clustering

TL;DR

This paper explores how environment-dependent clustering caused by non-minimally coupled scalar fields and topological defects like cosmic strings and domain walls affects structure formation, with simulations showing observable signatures in matter distribution.

Contribution

It introduces norns, a relativistic cosmological simulation code, to study the impact of defect-induced fifth forces on structure formation and environment-dependent clustering.

Findings

Significant deviations from LCDM in underdense regions due to environment-dependent effects.

Modest overall changes in the matter power spectrum (~4-15%) at certain scales.

Detectable signatures in matter density PDFs and halo power spectra in low-redshift data.

Abstract

Recent cosmological data favour phantom-crossing dark energy, motivating models with non-minimal couplings that induce a fifth force on structure formation. Reconciling these models with local tests often requires strong screening, leading to environment-dependent clustering. We investigate such effects via a late-time structure-induced phase transition driven by a non-minimally coupled scalar field. For this purpose, we introduce norns, a fully relativistic cosmological particle-mesh code that self-consistently evolves a complex scalar field - a generalisation of the symmetron producing global U(1) strings rather than domain walls. Using simulations, we compare string and wall-forming models, quantifying impacts on the matter power spectrum, halo mass function, and defect dynamics. Strong environment-dependent effects can generate significant departures from LCDM in underdense regions while keeping the overall power spectrum changes modest (~ 4-15% at k~0.3-0.5 h Mpc^-1, sub-percent for z > 0.2). We find that an attractive fifth force can locally suppress structure growth in voids while enhancing it in surrounding overdense regions by driving outflows from the voids. These effects leave distinctive signatures in the matter density probability density function and in marked halo power spectra, which are likely detectable in low-redshift data.