Constraints on cosmic opacity and beyond the standard model physics from cosmological distance measurements

Abstract

We update constraints on cosmic opacity by combining recent SN Type Ia data with the latest measurements of the Hubble expansion at redshifts between 0 and 2. The new constraint on the parameter epsilon parametrising deviations from the luminosity-angular diameter distance relation (dL = dA(1+z)2+epsilon), is epsilon = −0.04−0.07+0.08 (2-σ). For the redshift range between 0.2 and 0.35 this corresponds to an opacity Δτ < 0.012 (95% C.L.), a factor of 2 stronger than the previous constraint. Various models of beyond the standard model physics that predict violation of photon number conservation contribute to the opacity and can be equally constrained. In this paper we put new limits on axion-like particles, including chameleons, and mini-charged particles.