A $Λ$CDM Extension Explaining the Hubble Tension and the Spatial Curvature $Ω_{k,0} = -0.012 \pm 0.010$ Measured by the Final PR4 of the Planck Mission

Abstract: The measurements of the CMB have determined the cosmological parameters with high accuracy, and the observation of the flatness of space have contributed to the status of the concordance $\Lambda$CDM model. However, the cosmological constant $\Lambda$, necessary to close the model to critical density, remains an open conundrum. We explore the observed late-time accelerated expansion of the Universe, where we consider that the Friedmann equation describes the expansion history of FLRW universes in the local reference frame of freely falling comoving observers, which perceive flat, homogeneous and isotropic space in their local inertial system, where, as a consequence of the equivalence principle, special relativity applies. We use this fact to propose an extension to $\Lambda$CDM, incorporating the initial conditions of the background universe, comprising the initial energy densities as well as the initial post big bang expansion rate. The observed late-time accelerated expansion is then attributed to a kinematic effect akin to a dark energy component. Choosing the same $\Omega_{m,0} \simeq 0.3$ as $\Lambda$CDM, its equation of state $w_{de} \simeq -0.8$. Furthermore, we include the impact on the expansion history caused by the cosmic web of the late Universe, once voids dominate its volume, and find that the initially constant $w_{de}$ becomes time-dependent, evolving to a value of $w_{de} \simeq -0.9$ at the present. While this impact by voids is minor, it is sufficient to provide a solution to the Hubble tension problem. We use CLASS to calculate the expansion history and power spectra of our extension and compare our results to concordance $\Lambda$CDM and to observations. We find that our model agrees well with current data, in particular with the final data release PR4 of the Planck mission, where it explains the reported spatial curvature of $\Omega_{k,0} = - 0.012 \pm 0.010$.