Possible Resolution of the Hubble Tension with Weyl Invariant Gravity

Abstract

We explore cosmological implications of a genuinely Weyl invariant (WI) gravitational interaction. The latter reduces to general relativity in a particular conformal frame for which the gravitational coupling and active gravitational masses are fixed. Specifically, we consider a cosmological model in this framework that is {\it dynamically} identical to the standard model (SM) of cosmology. However, {\it kinematics} of test particles traveling in the new background metric is modified thanks to a new (cosmological) fundamental mass scale, $\gamma$, of the model. Since the lapse-function of the new metric is radially-dependent any incoming photon experiences (gravitational) red/blueshift in the {\it comoving} frame, unlike in the SM. Distance scales are modified as well due to the scale $\gamma$. The claimed $4.4\sigma$ tension level between the locally measured Hubble constant, $H_0$, with SH0ES and the corresponding value inferred from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) could then be significantly alleviated by an earlier-than-thought recombination. Assuming vanishing spatial curvature, either one of the Planck 2018 (P18) or dark energy survey (DES) yr1 data sets subject to the SH0ES prior imply that ${\gamma }^{-1}$ is $O(100)$ times larger than the Hubble scale, $H_0^{-1}$. Considering P18+SH0ES or P18+DES+SH0ES data set combinations, the odds against vanishing $\gamma$ are over 1000:1 and 2000:1, respectively, and the model is strongly favored over the SM with a deviance information criterion (DIC) gain $\gtrsim 10$ and $\gtrsim 12$, respectively. The tension is reduced in this model to $\sim 1.5$ and $1.3\sigma$, respectively. We conclude that the $H_0$ tension may simply result from a yet unrecognized fundamental symmetry of the gravitational interaction -- Weyl invariance. (abridged)

arXiv comment17 pages, 2 figures, 4 tables. Matches accepted version

References in corpus (74)

• In the Realm of the Hubble tension $-$ a Review of Solutions
• Large Magellanic Cloud Cepheid Standards Provide a 1% Foundation for the Determination of the Hubble Constant and Stronger Evidence for Physics Beyond LambdaCDM
• Bayes in the sky: Bayesian inference and model selection in cosmology
• The Temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background
• H0LiCOW XIII. A 2.4% measurement of $H_0$ from lensed quasars: $5.3\sigma$ tension between early and late-Universe probes
• Early Dark Energy Can Resolve The Hubble Tension
• Information criteria for astrophysical model selection
• Baryon Acoustic Oscillations in the Lyα forest of BOSS DR11 quasars
• The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. VIII. An Independent Determination of the Hubble Constant Based on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch
• Cosmological implications of baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements
• Universality Class in Conformal Inflation
• The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: DR4 Maps and Cosmological Parameters
• Milky Way Cepheid Standards for Measuring Cosmic Distances and Application to Gaia DR2: Implications for the Hubble Constant
• Planck evidence for a closed Universe and a possible crisis for cosmology
• Measurements of the Hubble Constant: Tensions in Perspective
• Cosmology Intertwined II: The Hubble Constant Tension
• Beyond $\Lambda$CDM: Problems, solutions, and the road ahead
• New physics in light of the $H_0$ tension: an alternative view
• Detection of non-Gaussianity in the WMAP 1-year data using spherical wavelets
• The Cosmological Analysis of the SDSS/BOSS data from the Effective Field Theory of Large-Scale Structure
• Cosmological Parameters from the BOSS Galaxy Power Spectrum
• A 2 per cent Hubble constant measurement from standard sirens within 5 years
• The 1% Concordance Hubble Constant
• Non-minimal dark sector physics and cosmological tensions
• Can interacting dark energy solve the $H_0$ tension?
• Calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB)
• Suppressing the lower Multipoles in the CMB Anisotropies
• Curvature tension: evidence for a closed universe
• H0LiCOW - IX. Cosmographic analysis of the doubly imaged quasar SDSS 1206+4332 and a new measurement of the Hubble constant
• Reconciling Planck with the local value of $H_0$ in extended parameter space
• The Megamaser Cosmology Project. XIII. Combined Hubble constant constraints
• Oscillating scalar fields and the Hubble tension: a resolution with novel signatures
• The Neutrino Puzzle: Anomalies, Interactions, and Cosmological Tensions
• Evidence for massive neutrinos from CMB and lensing observations
• Reconstructing the primordial power spectrum
• STRIDES: a 3.9 per cent measurement of the Hubble constant from the strong lens system DES J0408-5354
• Tension and constraints on modified gravity parametrizations of $G_{\text{eff}}(z)$ from growth rate and Planck data
• Prospects for resolving the Hubble constant tension with standard sirens
• $\nu \Lambda$CDM: Neutrinos help reconcile Planck with the Local Universe
• Eppur è piatto? The cosmic chronometer take on spatial curvature and cosmic concordance
• Measuring D_A and H at z=0.35 from the SDSS DR7 LRGs using baryon acoustic oscillations
• A buyer's guide to the Hubble Constant
• Consistent Calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch in the Large Magellanic Cloud on the Hubble Space Telescope Photometric System and a Re-determination of the Hubble Constant
• Late universe decaying dark matter can relieve the H_0 tension
• Reducing the $H_0$ and ${\sigma }_8$ tensions with Dark Matter-neutrino interactions
• Hot Axions and the $H_0$ tension
• Efficient Cosmological Analysis of the SDSS/BOSS data from the Effective Field Theory of Large-Scale Structure
• Tension between the power spectrum of density perturbations measured on large and small scales
• A Vacuum Phase Transition Solves $H_0$ Tension
• Fitting galactic rotation curves with conformal gravity and a global quadratic potential
• A class of elementary particle models without any adjustable real parameters
• Impact of a global quadratic potential on galactic rotation curves
• A measurement of the Hubble constant from Type II supernovae
• Alleviating the $H_0$ and ${\sigma }_8$ anomalies with a decaying dark matter model
• Using The Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation to Measure $H_o$
• A new life for sterile neutrinos: resolving inconsistencies using hot dark matter
• Neutrinos help reconcile Planck measurements with both Early and Local Universe
• Antigravity and the big crunch/big bang transition
• A Lockdown Perspective on the Hubble Tension (with comments from the SH0ES team)
• Fitting dwarf galaxy rotation curves with conformal gravity
• H0 tension or T0 tension?
• Robustness of baryon acoustic oscillation constraints for early-Universe modifications to $\Lambda$CDM
• Testing the equivalence principle on cosmological scales
• Unbiased Hubble constant estimation from binary neutron star mergers
• Is there really a Hubble tension?
• Direct Minkowski Functional analysis of large redshift surveys: a new high--speed code tested on the luminous red galaxy Sloan Digital Sky Survey-DR7 catalogue
• Complete Set of Homogeneous Isotropic Analytic Solutions in Scalar-Tensor Cosmology with Radiation and Curvature
• A measurement of the Hubble constant using galaxy redshift surveys
• Spontaneous breaking of conformal invariance in theories of conformally coupled matter and Weyl gravity
• Joint Planck and WMAP Assessment of Low CMB Multipoles
• Easing cosmic tensions with an open and hotter universe
• The role of $T_0$ in CMB anisotropy measurements
• Interplay of CMB Temperature, Space Curvature, and Expansion Rate Parameters
• Weyl-Invariant Gravity and the Nature of Dark Matter

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Seven hints that early-time new physics alone is not sufficient to solve the Hubble tension
• Generalized Chaplygin gas and accelerating universe in $f(Q,T)$ gravity
• Search for the $f(R,T)$ gravity functional form via gaussian processes