$\nu$Galileon: modified gravity with massive neutrinos as a testable alternative to $\Lambda$CDM

Understand

We show that, in the presence of massive neutrinos, the Galileon gravity model provides a very good fit to the current CMB temperature, CMB lensing and BAO data.

• This model, which we dub ${\nu} \rm{Galileon}$, when assuming its stable attractor background solution, contains the same set of free parameters as $\Lambda\rm{CDM}$, although it leads to different expansion dynamics and nontrivial gravitational interactions.
• The data provide compelling evidence ($\gtrsim 6\sigma$) for nonzero neutrino masses, with $\Sigma m_\nu \gtrsim 0.4\ {\rm eV}$ at the $2\sigma$ level.
• Upcoming precision terrestrial measurements of the absolute neutrino mass scale therefore have the potential to test this model.