4–5 Jun 2026
University of Geneva
Europe/Zurich timezone

The impact of evolving dark energy on the Weyl potential measured from the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 data

4 Jun 2026, 10:15
15m
Sciences II Auditorium A100 (University of Geneva)

Sciences II Auditorium A100

University of Geneva

Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30

Speaker

Benedetta Rosatello (University of Geneva)

Description

A direct, model-independent probe of the validity of theories beyond General Relativity and the concordance LCDM model is provided by the Weyl potential, the sum of the temporal and spatial distortions of the spacetime geometry. Its measurement, obtained by combining galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES-Y3), is in tension with the LCDM prediction at low redshift. Recently, the novel baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from DESI, combined with luminosity distance measurements from type Ia supernovae and Cosmic Microwave Background measurements from Planck, indicated a preference for an evolving dark energy model with an equation of state crossing w=-1. In this talk, I will discuss how the background evolution in evolving dark energy models impacts the growth of the Weyl potential. I will show that evolving dark energy models that cross the phantom divide can naturally reduce the Weyl potential at intermediate redshift, providing a better agreement with DES measurements. These models, however, do not fully capture the measured redshift evolution of the Weyl potential. Further data from Euclid and LSST are then necessary to determine if an evolving dark energy background is enough to explain the low values of the Weyl potential at intermediate redshift, or if the evolution of the perturbations itself should be modified by changing the theory of gravity or by including additional interactions in the dark matter sector.

Authors

Benedetta Rosatello (University of Geneva) Camille Bonvin (University of Geneva) Gen Ye (University of Geneva) Isaac Tutusaus (ICE, Barcelona) Maria Berti (University of Geneva) Nastassia Grimm (University of Oxford)

Presentation materials