FRCAMB: An $f(R)$ Code for Anisotropies in the Microwave Background

Abstract

An $f(R)$ gravity model is proposed to realize a late time accelerated expansion of our Universe. To test the viability of an $f(R)$ gravity model through cosmic observations, the background evolution and the Einstein-Boltzmann equation should be solved for studying the effects on the cosmic microwave background power spectrum and on the matter power spectrum. In the market, we already have the modified versions of {\bf CAMB} code, for instance {\bf EFTCAMB} and {\bf MGCAMB}. However, in these publicly available Einstein-Boltzmann codes, a specific background cosmology, for example the $\Lambda$CDM or $w$CDM, is assumed. This assumption would be non-proper for a specific $f(R)$ model where the background evolution may be different from a $\Lambda$CDM cosmology. Therefore the main task for this paper is to present a code to calculate the anisotropies in the microwave background for any $f(R)$ gravity model based on {\bf CAMB} code, i.e. {\bf FRCAMB}, where the background and perturbation evolutions are included consistently. As results, one can treat {\bf FRCAMB} as a blackbox to output the CMB power spectrum and matter power spectrum, once an $f(R)$ function, its first two derivative with respect to $R$, i.e. $f_R\equiv df/dR$, $f_{RR}\equiv d^2f/dR^2$ and the reasonable values of the model parameters are inputted properly. As by-products, one can also output the effective equation of state of $f(R)$ model, the evolution of the dimensionless energy densities and other interesting cosmological quantities.