Can background cosmology hold the key for modified gravity tests?

Abstract

Modified gravity theories are a popular alternative to dark energy as a possible explanation for the observed accelerating cosmic expansion, and their cosmological tests are currently an active research field. Studies in recent years have been increasingly focused on testing these theories in the nonlinear regime, which is computationally demanding. Here we show that, under certain circumstances, a whole class of theories can be ruled out by using background cosmology alone. This is possible because certain classes of models (i) are fundamentally incapable of producing specific background expansion histories, and (ii) said histories are incompatible with local gravity tests. As an example, we demonstrate that a popular class of models, $f(R)$ gravity, would not be viable if observations suggest even a slight deviation of the background expansion history from that of the $\Lambda$CDM paradigm.

6 pages, 3 figures; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D

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• Galaxy-galaxy weak gravitational lensing in $f(R)$ gravity
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• Calculation of the critical overdensity in the spherical-collapse approximation
• Parametrizations for tests of gravity
• High-redshift test of gravity using enhanced growth of small structures probed by the neutral hydrogen distribution
• Non-linear density-velocity dynamics in $f(R)$ gravity from spherical collapse
• Investigating a Possible Variation of the Gravitational Constant Through Gas Mass Fraction Measurements and Type Ia Supernovae Observations