Tian-Nuo Li
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Tian-Nuo Li has a total of 32 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Xin Zhang
Northeastern University
19 shared publications - Guo-Hong Du
Northeastern University
17 shared publications - Jing-Fei Zhang
Northeastern University
14 shared publications - Peng-Ju Wu
Ningxia University
6 shared publications - Sheng-Han Zhou
Northeastern University
4 shared publications - Lu Feng
Northeastern University
3 shared publications
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 9 September 2026
- Published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
- Vol. 1008 (2) , L62
Resolving the Hubble Tension in the Early Dark Energy Framework with JWST and DESI Data
In the JWST and DESI era, the JWST high-redshift galaxy observations and DESI baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements severely challenge the standard ΛCDM model, while the H 0 tension becomes increasingly prominent. In this work, we investigate the capability of the early dark energy (EDE) model to alleviate the H 0 tension utilizing cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from Planck, the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, and the South Pole Telescope, BAO data from DESI, and ultraviolet luminosity function observations from the JWST. Within the canonical Axion-EDE framework, the CMB+DESI+JWST data significantly increase the H 0 value to 71.58 ± 1.05 km s −1 Mpc −1 , with the residual H 0 tension quantified by Q DMAP reduced to 0.6 σ . Simultaneously, this model improves the fit to the JWST data and exhibits statistical performance significantly better than the ΛCDM model, with Δ χ tot 2 = − 18.26 and a change in the deviance information criterion (DIC) of ΔDIC = −11.89. Our results highlight the complementary advantages of JWST high-redshift galaxy data alongside early- and late-time observations in testing EDE and alleviating the H 0 tension.
- 9 September 2026
- Published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
- Vol. 1008 (2) , L62
Open AccessResolving the Hubble Tension in the Early Dark Energy Framework with JWST and DESI Data
In the JWST and DESI era, the JWST high-redshift galaxy observations and DESI baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements severely challenge the standard ΛCDM model, while the H 0 tension becomes increasingly prominent. In this work, we investigate the capability of the early dark energy (EDE) model to alleviate the H 0 tension utilizing cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from Planck, the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, and the South Pole Telescope, BAO data from DESI, and ultraviolet luminosity function observations from the JWST. Within the canonical Axion-EDE framework, the CMB+DESI+JWST data significantly increase the H 0 value to 71.58 ± 1.05 km s −1 Mpc −1 , with the residual H 0 tension quantified by Q DMAP reduced to 0.6 σ . Simultaneously, this model improves the fit to the JWST data and exhibits statistical performance significantly better than the ΛCDM model, with Δ χ tot 2 = − 18.26 and a change in the deviance information criterion (DIC) of ΔDIC = −11.89. Our results highlight the complementary advantages of JWST high-redshift galaxy data alongside early- and late-time observations in testing EDE and alleviating the H 0 tension.
- 1 September 2026
- Published by IOP Publishing in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
- Vol. 2026 (09) , 052
Joint constraints on cosmic birefringence and early dark energy from ACT, Planck, DESI, and PantheonPlus
With the increasing number of high-precision astronomical observations, physical quantities that were previously inaccessible to accurate calculations, such as cosmic birefringence, have once again become a focal point of interest. Such phenomena induce a nonvanishing cross-correlation between the E - and B -mode polarizations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), thereby providing a direct observational signature of parity violation. The Chern-Simons coupling between the scalar field in early dark energy (EDE) models and CMB photons is regarded as a plausible mechanism for generating cosmic birefringence. Recent data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) deliver EB measurements at higher multipole moments than those previously achieved by Planck, while DESI and PantheonPlus datasets provide new and stringent constraints on the late-time expansion history. Using a joint analysis of Planck, DESI DR2, PantheonPlus, and ACT data, we perform a full-parameter constraint on the cosmic birefringence effects induced by the EDE-CMB photon coupling. Our results favor a higher Hubble constant, H 0 = 76.9 +2.9 -2.5 km s -1 Mpc -1 , and a relatively large EDE fraction, f EDE = 0.232 +0.074 -0.047 . By comparing the cosmological evolution of this model across different data combinations, we find that the ACT- EB data combined with Planck + DESI + PantheonPlus provide consistent constraints.
- 1 September 2026
- Published by IOP Publishing in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
- Vol. 2026 (09) , 052
Joint constraints on cosmic birefringence and early dark energy from ACT, Planck, DESI, and PantheonPlus
With the increasing number of high-precision astronomical observations, physical quantities that were previously inaccessible to accurate calculations, such as cosmic birefringence, have once again become a focal point of interest. Such phenomena induce a nonvanishing cross-correlation between the E - and B -mode polarizations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), thereby providing a direct observational signature of parity violation. The Chern-Simons coupling between the scalar field in early dark energy (EDE) models and CMB photons is regarded as a plausible mechanism for generating cosmic birefringence. Recent data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) deliver EB measurements at higher multipole moments than those previously achieved by Planck, while DESI and PantheonPlus datasets provide new and stringent constraints on the late-time expansion history. Using a joint analysis of Planck, DESI DR2, PantheonPlus, and ACT data, we perform a full-parameter constraint on the cosmic birefringence effects induced by the EDE-CMB photon coupling. Our results favor a higher Hubble constant, H 0 = 76.9 +2.9 -2.5 km s -1 Mpc -1 , and a relatively large EDE fraction, f EDE = 0.232 +0.074 -0.047 . By comparing the cosmological evolution of this model across different data combinations, we find that the ACT- EB data combined with Planck + DESI + PantheonPlus provide consistent constraints.
- 25 August 2026
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review D
- Vol. 114 (4) , 043547
Conditional variational autoencoders for cosmological model discrimination and anomaly detection in cosmic microwave background power spectra
The cosmic microwave background power spectra are a primary window into the early universe. However, achieving interpretable compression and fast inference diagnostics under weak model assumptions remains challenging. We propose a parameter-conditioned variational autoencoder (CVAE) that aligns a data-driven latent representation with cosmological parameters while retaining an interface to likelihood-style diagnostic tests. The model achieves high directional reconstruction fidelity for the ${D}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{TT}$, ${D}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{EE}$, and ${D}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{TE}$ spectra in just five latent dimensions. It reconstructs spectra for several test cases beyond the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ cold dark matter ($\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$) model, including controlled parameter extrapolations, and enables an amortized surrogate diagnostic that reduces one representative post-training Markov chain Monte Carlo run from $\ensuremath{\sim}40$ hours on CPU cores to $\ensuremath{\sim}2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{minutes}$ on a graphics processing unit in this demonstration. The learned latent space shows a distributed, partially structured organization that mirrors known cosmological parameters and their degeneracies. It also provides representation-space discrimination diagnostics for distinguishing tested cosmological spectra from a fiducial reference. Overall, this physics-informed CVAE supports interpretable compression, rapid diagnostic exploration, and anomaly-sensitive representation learning beyond $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$.- 25 August 2026
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review D
- Vol. 114 (4) , 043547
Conditional variational autoencoders for cosmological model discrimination and anomaly detection in cosmic microwave background power spectra
The cosmic microwave background power spectra are a primary window into the early universe. However, achieving interpretable compression and fast inference diagnostics under weak model assumptions remains challenging. We propose a parameter-conditioned variational autoencoder (CVAE) that aligns a data-driven latent representation with cosmological parameters while retaining an interface to likelihood-style diagnostic tests. The model achieves high directional reconstruction fidelity for the ${D}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{TT}$, ${D}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{EE}$, and ${D}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{TE}$ spectra in just five latent dimensions. It reconstructs spectra for several test cases beyond the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ cold dark matter ($\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$) model, including controlled parameter extrapolations, and enables an amortized surrogate diagnostic that reduces one representative post-training Markov chain Monte Carlo run from $\ensuremath{\sim}40$ hours on CPU cores to $\ensuremath{\sim}2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{minutes}$ on a graphics processing unit in this demonstration. The learned latent space shows a distributed, partially structured organization that mirrors known cosmological parameters and their degeneracies. It also provides representation-space discrimination diagnostics for distinguishing tested cosmological spectra from a fiducial reference. Overall, this physics-informed CVAE supports interpretable compression, rapid diagnostic exploration, and anomaly-sensitive representation learning beyond $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$.- 20 August 2026
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review D
- Vol. 114 (4) , L041304
Model-independent late-Universe measurements of H 0 and Ω K with the parametrization based on cosmic age-improved inverse distance ladder
The standard $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$-cold dark matter model has encountered serious challenges and the ${H}_{0}$ tension has become more significant with increasingly precise cosmological observations. Meanwhile, inconsistencies in measurements of the curvature parameter ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{K}$ between different datasets also have emerged. In this Letter, we employ two global and cosmic age-based parametrizations, a parametrization based on cosmic age (PAge) and a more accurate parameterization based on cosmic age (MAPAge), to perform model-independent measurements of the Hubble constant ${H}_{0}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{K}$ by utilizing the inverse distance ladder (IDL). To construct the PAge-improved IDL, we utilize the strong gravitational lensing (SGL), cosmic chronometers (CCs), and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray burst (GRB) data to calibrate the latest Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) second data release baryon acoustic oscillation and Dark Energy Survey (DES) year 5 or DES-Dovekie type Ia supernova data. Our analysis indicates that DESI+DES-Dovekie+SGL+CC+GRB gives ${H}_{0}=72.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.00\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ in the MAPAge model, reducing the ${H}_{0}$ tension to the $0.6\ensuremath{\sigma}$ level. Extending to the $\mathrm{MAPAge}+{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{K}$ model, we obtain ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{K}=0.005\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.037$, which suggests that current late-time data are consistent with a flat universe. Finally, the Bayesian analysis indicates that the present late-Universe data provide weak to moderate evidence in favor of PAge and MAPAge relative to $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$.- 20 August 2026
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review D
- Vol. 114 (4) , L041304
Model-independent late-Universe measurements of H 0 and Ω K with the parametrization based on cosmic age-improved inverse distance ladder
The standard $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$-cold dark matter model has encountered serious challenges and the ${H}_{0}$ tension has become more significant with increasingly precise cosmological observations. Meanwhile, inconsistencies in measurements of the curvature parameter ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{K}$ between different datasets also have emerged. In this Letter, we employ two global and cosmic age-based parametrizations, a parametrization based on cosmic age (PAge) and a more accurate parameterization based on cosmic age (MAPAge), to perform model-independent measurements of the Hubble constant ${H}_{0}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{K}$ by utilizing the inverse distance ladder (IDL). To construct the PAge-improved IDL, we utilize the strong gravitational lensing (SGL), cosmic chronometers (CCs), and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray burst (GRB) data to calibrate the latest Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) second data release baryon acoustic oscillation and Dark Energy Survey (DES) year 5 or DES-Dovekie type Ia supernova data. Our analysis indicates that DESI+DES-Dovekie+SGL+CC+GRB gives ${H}_{0}=72.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.00\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ in the MAPAge model, reducing the ${H}_{0}$ tension to the $0.6\ensuremath{\sigma}$ level. Extending to the $\mathrm{MAPAge}+{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{K}$ model, we obtain ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{K}=0.005\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.037$, which suggests that current late-time data are consistent with a flat universe. Finally, the Bayesian analysis indicates that the present late-Universe data provide weak to moderate evidence in favor of PAge and MAPAge relative to $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$.- Top Cited Papers
- 29 June 2026
- Published by IOP Publishing in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Vol. 26 (8) , 084002
Dark Energy in the DESI Era: A Brief Review of Evidence, Beyond-ΛCDM Interpretations, and Tensions
Recent baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from DESI provide important new clues for reassessing whether the standard $\Lambda$CDM model offers a sufficient description of the late-time expansion history of the Universe. When combined with cosmic microwave background and type Ia supernova data, these measurements show an apparent departure from the $\Lambda$CDM model, commonly described as dynamical dark energy (DDE) with equation of state crossing the phantom divide (i.e., quintom behavior). This review examines the current status of the DESI-motivated indications for DDE and their possible implications for physics beyond $\Lambda$CDM. We discuss how the strength of the preference for DDE depends on the adopted parametrization and dataset combination, and how residual systematics or internal tensions among datasets may affect its interpretation. At the background level, several mechanisms beyond $\Lambda$CDM can produce similar expansion histories. We therefore further discuss how the same effective departure from $w=-1$ may arise from physically distinct scenarios, including interacting dark energy, non-minimally coupled gravity, and non-standard dark matter. Meanwhile, these different new-physics interpretations may have different implications for current cosmological tensions, especially those involving $H_0$, $S_8$, and $\sum m_\nu$. In conclusion, the question posed by DESI is not merely whether dark energy evolves with time, but rather how, within the framework of precision cosmology, to disentangle new physics scenarios from systematic errors.- 29 June 2026
- Published by IOP Publishing in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Vol. 26 (8) , 084002
Top Cited PapersDark Energy in the DESI Era: A Brief Review of Evidence, Beyond-ΛCDM Interpretations, and Tensions
Recent baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from DESI provide important new clues for reassessing whether the standard $\Lambda$CDM model offers a sufficient description of the late-time expansion history of the Universe. When combined with cosmic microwave background and type Ia supernova data, these measurements show an apparent departure from the $\Lambda$CDM model, commonly described as dynamical dark energy (DDE) with equation of state crossing the phantom divide (i.e., quintom behavior). This review examines the current status of the DESI-motivated indications for DDE and their possible implications for physics beyond $\Lambda$CDM. We discuss how the strength of the preference for DDE depends on the adopted parametrization and dataset combination, and how residual systematics or internal tensions among datasets may affect its interpretation. At the background level, several mechanisms beyond $\Lambda$CDM can produce similar expansion histories. We therefore further discuss how the same effective departure from $w=-1$ may arise from physically distinct scenarios, including interacting dark energy, non-minimally coupled gravity, and non-standard dark matter. Meanwhile, these different new-physics interpretations may have different implications for current cosmological tensions, especially those involving $H_0$, $S_8$, and $\sum m_\nu$. In conclusion, the question posed by DESI is not merely whether dark energy evolves with time, but rather how, within the framework of precision cosmology, to disentangle new physics scenarios from systematic errors. - Top Cited PapersOpen Access
- 19 April 2026
- Published by Springer Nature in The European Physical Journal C
- Vol. 86 (4)
Model-independent reconstruction of quintessence potential and kinetic energy from DESI DR2 and Pantheon+ Supernovae
We present a model-independent reconstruction of the quintessence scalar field’s dynamics—both its potential and kinetic energy—directly from the latest cosmological observations. Our analysis combines DESI DR2 baryon acoustic oscillation measurements with the Pantheon+ Type Ia supernova compilation, employing Gaussian process with four distinct covariance kernels to avoid theoretical priors on the potential’s functional form. Key findings reveal a monotonically decreasing potential with redshift, consistent with thawing quintessence, and a kinetic energy that crosses zero near $$z \sim 1$$ , marking the dark energy–matter equality epoch. Notably, while apparent negative kinetic energy values emerge at intermediate redshifts ( $$0.5<z<1.0$$ ), these are statistical artifacts within uncertainties, arising from error amplification in derivative reconstruction rather than new physics. Our results demonstrate the power of non-parametric methods to constrain dynamical dark energy and show minimal dependence on the choice of cosmological priors, whether from local (SH0ES) or early-universe (Planck) measurements.- 19 April 2026
- Published by Springer Nature in The European Physical Journal C
- Vol. 86 (4)
Top Cited PapersOpen AccessModel-independent reconstruction of quintessence potential and kinetic energy from DESI DR2 and Pantheon+ Supernovae
We present a model-independent reconstruction of the quintessence scalar field’s dynamics—both its potential and kinetic energy—directly from the latest cosmological observations. Our analysis combines DESI DR2 baryon acoustic oscillation measurements with the Pantheon+ Type Ia supernova compilation, employing Gaussian process with four distinct covariance kernels to avoid theoretical priors on the potential’s functional form. Key findings reveal a monotonically decreasing potential with redshift, consistent with thawing quintessence, and a kinetic energy that crosses zero near $$z \sim 1$$ , marking the dark energy–matter equality epoch. Notably, while apparent negative kinetic energy values emerge at intermediate redshifts ( $$0.5<z<1.0$$ ), these are statistical artifacts within uncertainties, arising from error amplification in derivative reconstruction rather than new physics. Our results demonstrate the power of non-parametric methods to constrain dynamical dark energy and show minimal dependence on the choice of cosmological priors, whether from local (SH0ES) or early-universe (Planck) measurements. - Top Cited PapersOpen Access
- 9 April 2026
- Published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
- Vol. 1001 (1) , L21
Metastability in Emergent Dark Energy: A New Framework Confronting Cosmological Observations
We propose the metastable emergent dark energy (MEDE) model, a novel phenomenological extension of the phenomenological and generalized emergent dark energy frameworks, in which dark energy exhibits a transitionary behavior, appearing at late times and vanishing toward the future. This model naturally enables a smooth crossing of the phantom dividing line in the dark energy equation of state, as hinted at by recent observations. The MEDE model is defined by a hyperbolic tangent dark energy equation of state w ( z ) = − 1 − Δ tanh [ log 10 ( ( 1 + z ) / ( 1 + z t ) ) ] , introducing only two free parameters—the transition redshift z t and the variation amplitude Δ—allowing both the emergent and transitionary behavior of dark energy. We constrain the MEDE model using a combined dataset of Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) data, Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) DR2 baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, and different compilations of Type Ia supernovae, obtaining z t = 0.42 5 − 0.120 + 0.084 and Δ = 0.8 7 − 0.35 + 0.29 (for CMB+DESI+PantheonPlus), indicating a statistically significant deviation from the cosmological constant. Statistical comparisons show that the MEDE model is preferred over ΛCDM by the combined dataset, with ΔDIC MEDE−ΛCDM = −9.29. The MEDE model performs comparably to the Chevallier–Polarski–Linder (CPL) dynamical dark energy parameterization (ΔDIC MEDE −CPL = 0.74), with no strong statistical distinction from CPL using current data. Notably, MEDE preserves the success of ΛCDM in describing early-universe physics and naturally accommodates the phantom-crossing signature indicated by the latest low-redshift observations. The MEDE scenario provides a compelling dark energy phenomenology that may guide us toward interesting theoretical implications.
- 9 April 2026
- Published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
- Vol. 1001 (1) , L21
Top Cited PapersOpen AccessMetastability in Emergent Dark Energy: A New Framework Confronting Cosmological Observations
We propose the metastable emergent dark energy (MEDE) model, a novel phenomenological extension of the phenomenological and generalized emergent dark energy frameworks, in which dark energy exhibits a transitionary behavior, appearing at late times and vanishing toward the future. This model naturally enables a smooth crossing of the phantom dividing line in the dark energy equation of state, as hinted at by recent observations. The MEDE model is defined by a hyperbolic tangent dark energy equation of state w ( z ) = − 1 − Δ tanh [ log 10 ( ( 1 + z ) / ( 1 + z t ) ) ] , introducing only two free parameters—the transition redshift z t and the variation amplitude Δ—allowing both the emergent and transitionary behavior of dark energy. We constrain the MEDE model using a combined dataset of Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) data, Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) DR2 baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, and different compilations of Type Ia supernovae, obtaining z t = 0.42 5 − 0.120 + 0.084 and Δ = 0.8 7 − 0.35 + 0.29 (for CMB+DESI+PantheonPlus), indicating a statistically significant deviation from the cosmological constant. Statistical comparisons show that the MEDE model is preferred over ΛCDM by the combined dataset, with ΔDIC MEDE−ΛCDM = −9.29. The MEDE model performs comparably to the Chevallier–Polarski–Linder (CPL) dynamical dark energy parameterization (ΔDIC MEDE −CPL = 0.74), with no strong statistical distinction from CPL using current data. Notably, MEDE preserves the success of ΛCDM in describing early-universe physics and naturally accommodates the phantom-crossing signature indicated by the latest low-redshift observations. The MEDE scenario provides a compelling dark energy phenomenology that may guide us toward interesting theoretical implications.
- 29 March 2026
- Published by Elsevier in Physics of the Dark Universe
- Vol. 52
Measuring neutrino mass in light of ACT DR6 and DESI DR2
- 29 March 2026
- Published by Elsevier in Physics of the Dark Universe
- Vol. 52
Measuring neutrino mass in light of ACT DR6 and DESI DR2
- Top Cited Papers
- 22 February 2026
- Published by Elsevier in Physics of the Dark Universe
- Vol. 52
Robust evidence for dynamical dark energy in light of DESI DR2 and joint ACT, SPT, and Planck data
- 22 February 2026
- Published by Elsevier in Physics of the Dark Universe
- Vol. 52
Top Cited PapersRobust evidence for dynamical dark energy in light of DESI DR2 and joint ACT, SPT, and Planck data
- Top Cited PapersOpen Access
- 4 February 2026
- Published by Springer Nature in The European Physical Journal C
- Vol. 86 (2) , 110
Cosmological search for sterile neutrinos after DESI 2024
The question of whether massive sterile neutrinos exist remains a crucial unresolved issue in both particle physics and cosmology. We explore the cosmological constraints on massive sterile neutrinos using the latest observational data, including the baryon acoustic oscillations data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the cosmic microwave background data from the Planck satellite and Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), and the 5-year Type Ia supernova data and 3-year weak-lensing data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We search for massive sterile neutrinos within the $$\Lambda $$ CDM, w CDM, and $$w_0w_a$$ CDM models. Our analysis shows that when considering massive sterile neutrinos within the $$w_0w_a\mathrm CDM$$ model, the combined datasets allow us to infer a nonzero sterile neutrino mass at an approximately $$2\sigma $$ confidence level. Specifically, in the $$w_0w_a$$ CDM+Sterile model, the effective mass of sterile neutrinos and the effective number of relativistic species are constrained to $$m_{\nu ,\ \textrm{sterile}}^{\textrm{eff}} = 0.50^{+0.33}_{-0.27} \, \textrm{eV}$$ and $$N_\textrm{eff} = 3.076^{+0.011}_{-0.017}$$ , respectively. However, the $$\Lambda $$ CDM+Sterile and w CDM+Sterile models could not provide evidence supporting the existence of massive sterile neutrinos.- 4 February 2026
- Published by Springer Nature in The European Physical Journal C
- Vol. 86 (2) , 110
Top Cited PapersOpen AccessCosmological search for sterile neutrinos after DESI 2024
The question of whether massive sterile neutrinos exist remains a crucial unresolved issue in both particle physics and cosmology. We explore the cosmological constraints on massive sterile neutrinos using the latest observational data, including the baryon acoustic oscillations data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the cosmic microwave background data from the Planck satellite and Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), and the 5-year Type Ia supernova data and 3-year weak-lensing data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We search for massive sterile neutrinos within the $$\Lambda $$ CDM, w CDM, and $$w_0w_a$$ CDM models. Our analysis shows that when considering massive sterile neutrinos within the $$w_0w_a\mathrm CDM$$ model, the combined datasets allow us to infer a nonzero sterile neutrino mass at an approximately $$2\sigma $$ confidence level. Specifically, in the $$w_0w_a$$ CDM+Sterile model, the effective mass of sterile neutrinos and the effective number of relativistic species are constrained to $$m_{\nu ,\ \textrm{sterile}}^{\textrm{eff}} = 0.50^{+0.33}_{-0.27} \, \textrm{eV}$$ and $$N_\textrm{eff} = 3.076^{+0.011}_{-0.017}$$ , respectively. However, the $$\Lambda $$ CDM+Sterile and w CDM+Sterile models could not provide evidence supporting the existence of massive sterile neutrinos.