Search

The longstanding search for the cosmological model that best describes the Universe has been made more intriguing since the recent discovery of the Hubble constant, $H_{0}$, tension observed between the value of $H_{0}$ from the Cosmic Microwave Background and from type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Hence, the commonly trusted flat $\Lambda$CDM model is under investigation. In this scenario, cosmography is a very powerful technique to investigate the evolution of the Universe without any cosmological assumption, thus revealing tensions between observational data and predictions from cosmological models in a completely model-independent way. We here employ a robust cosmographic technique based on an orthogonal logarithmic polynomial expansion of the luminosity distance to fit quasars (QSOs) alone and QSOs combined with Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), SNe Ia, and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations. To apply QSOs and GRBs as probes we use, respectively, the Risaliti-Lusso relation between ultraviolet and X-ray luminosities and the ``Dainotti GRB 3D relation" among the rest-frame end time of the X-ray plateau emission, its corresponding luminosity, and the peak prompt luminosity. We also correct QSOs and GRBs for selection biases and redshift evolution and we employ both the traditional Gaussian likelihood and the newly discovered best-fit likelihoods for each probe investigated. This comprehensive analysis reveals a strong tension ($> 4 \, \sigma$) between our data sets and the flat $\Lambda$CDM model proving the power of both the cosmographic approach and high-redshift sources, such as QSOs and GRBs, which can probe the Universe at early epochs., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables. Comments are welcome. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The effects of dark matter spike in the vicinity of the supermassive black hole, located at the center of M87 (the Virgo A galaxy), are investigated within the framework of the so-called Bumblebee Gravity. Our primary aim is to determine whether the background of spontaneous Lorentz symmetry breaking has a significant effect on the horizon, ergo-region, and shadow of the Kerr Bumblebee black hole in the spike region. For this purpose, we first incorporate the dark matter distribution in a Lorentz-violating spherically symmetric space-time as a component of the energy-momentum tensors in the Einstein field equations. This leads to a space-time metric for a Schwarzschild Bumblebee black hole with a dark matter distribution in the spike region and beyond. Subsequently, this solution is generalized to a Kerr Bumblebee black hole through the use of the Newman-Janis-Azreg-A\"inou algorithm. Then, according to the available observational data for the dark matter spike density and radius, and the Schwarzschild radius of the supermassive black hole in Virgo A galaxy, we examine the shapes of shadow and demonstrate the influence of the spin parameter $a$, the Lorentz-violating parameter $\ell$ and the corresponding dark matter halo parameters $\rho_{0}$ and $r_{0}$ on the deformation and size of the shadow., Comment: accepted for publication in JCAP

The recent $\sim 4 \, \sigma$ Hubble constant, $H_{0}$, tension is observed between the value of $H_{0}$ from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia). It is a decade since this tension is excruciating the modern astrophysical community. To shed light on this problem is key to consider probes at intermediate redshifts between SNe Ia and CMB and reduce the uncertainty on $H_0$. Toward these goals, we fill the redshift gap by employing Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and Quasars (QSOs), reaching $z=9.4$ and $z=7.6$, respectively, combined with Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) and SNe Ia. To this end, we employ the ``Dainotti GRB 3D relation" among the rest-frame end time of the X-ray plateau emission, its corresponding luminosity, and the peak prompt luminosity, and the ``Risaliti-Lusso" QSO relation between ultraviolet and X-ray luminosities. We inquire the commonly adopted Gaussianity assumption on GRBs, QSOs, and BAO. With the joint sample, we fit the flat $\Lambda$ Cold Dark Matter model with both the Gaussian and the newly discovered likelihoods. We also investigate the impact of the calibration assumed for \textit{Pantheon} and \textit{Pantheon +} SNe Ia on this analysis. Remarkably, we show that only GRBs fulfill the Gaussianity assumption. We achieve small uncertainties on the matter density parameter $\Omega_M$ and $H_0$. We find $H_0$ values compatible within 2 $\sigma$ with the one from the Tip of the Red Giant Branch. Finally, we show that the cosmological results are heavily biased against the arbitrary calibration choice for SNe Ia., Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, accepted in MNRAS

One of the most crucial areas of gravity research, after the direct observation of gravitational waves, is the possible modification of General Relativity at ultraviolet and infrared scales. In particular, the possibility of parity violation should be considered in strong field regime. The Chern-Simons gravity takes into account parity violation in strong gravity regime. For all conformally flat spacetimes and spacetimes with a maximally symmetric two-dimensional subspace, Chern-Simons gravity is identical to General Relativity. Specifically, the Anti-de Sitter (A)dS-Kerr/Kerr black hole is not a solution for Chern-Simons gravity. The slow-rotating BH and the quadratic order in spin solutions are some of the known solutions to quadratic order in spin and they are rotating solutions in the frame of dynamical Chern-Simons gravity. In the present study, for the (A)dS slow-rotating situation (correct to the first order in spin), we derive the linear perturbation equations controlling the metric and the dynamical Chern-Simons field equation corrected to the linear order in spin and to the second order in the Chern-Simons coupling parameter. We show that the black hole of the (A)dS-Kerr solution is stronger (i.e. more compact and energetic) than the Kerr black hole solution and the reason for this feature comes form contributions at Planck scales. Moreover, we calculate the thermodynamical quantities related to this black hole. Finally, we calculate the geodesic equation and derive the effective potential of the black hole., Comment: 15 pages 3 figures, will appear in Phys. Rev D

We investigate how the cosmological Equation of State can be used for scrutinizing extended theories of gravity, in particular, the Palatini $f(R)$ gravity. Specifically, the approach consists, at first, in investigating the effective Equation of State produced by a given model. Then, the inverse problem can also be considered in view of determining which models are compatible with a given effective Equation of State. We consider and solve some cases and show that, for example, power-law models are (the only models) capable of transforming barotropic Equations of State into effective barotropic ones. Moreover, the form of Equation of State is preserved (only) for $f(R)=R$, as expected. In this perspective, modified Equations of State are a feature capable of distinguishing Extended Gravity with respect to General Relativity. We also investigate quadratic and non-homogeneous effective Equations of State showing, in particular, that they contain the Starobinsky model and other ones., Comment: 19 pages

Cosmological models and their corresponding parameters are widely debated because of the current discrepancy between the results of the Hubble constant, $H_{0}$, obtained by SNe Ia, and the Planck data from the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. Thus, considering high redshift probes like Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) is a necessary step. However, using GRB correlations between their physical features to infer cosmological parameters is difficult because GRB luminosities span several orders of magnitude. In our work, we use a 3-dimensional relation between the peak prompt luminosity, the rest-frame time at the end of the X-ray plateau, and its corresponding luminosity in X-rays: the so-called 3D Dainotti fundamental plane relation. We correct this relation by considering the selection and evolutionary effects with a reliable statistical method, obtaining a lower central value for the intrinsic scatter, $\sigma_{int}=0.18 \pm 0.07$ (47.1 \%) compared to previous results, when we adopt a particular set of GRBs with well-defined morphological features, called the platinum sample. We have used the GRB fundamental plane relation alone with both Gaussian and uniform priors on cosmological parameters and in combination with SNe Ia and BAO measurements to infer cosmological parameters like $H_{0}$, the matter density in the universe ($\Omega_{M}$), and the dark energy parameter $w$ for a $w$CDM model. Our results are consistent with the parameters given by the $\Lambda$CDM model but with the advantage of using cosmological probes detected up to $z=5$, much larger than the one observed for the furthest SNe Ia., Comment: 43 pages, 29 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

We construct a holographic model for dark energy in the Brans-Dicke cosmology by using the holographic principle considering the Barrow entropy instead of the standard Bekenstein-Hawking one. The former arises from the effort to account for quantum-gravitational effects in black-hole physics and, according to the gravity-thermodynamic conjecture, in the cosmological framework. In order to explore the cosmological consequences of our model, we consider the Hubble horizon as the IR cutoff. We investigate both the non-interacting and interacting cases with the sign-changeable and linear interactions, showing that they can explain the present accelerated phase of the Universe expansion, in contrast to the standard Holographic Dark Energy model. We then perform the classical stability analysis using the squared sound speed. We find that, whilst the non-interacting model is unstable against the small perturbations, the sign-changeable interacting one can be stable only for suitable values of the model parameters. On the other hand, the linear interacting model always predicts a stable Universe. The consistency of our model with cosmological observations is discussed., Comment: 9 pages, 15 figures (minor revision to v1)

Observations indicate that intergalactic magnetic fields have amplitudes of the order of $\sim 10^{-6}$ G and are uniform on scales of $\sim 10$ kpc. Despite their wide presence in the Universe, their origin remains an open issue. Even by invoking a dynamo mechanism or a compression effect for magnetic field amplification, the existence of seed fields before galaxy formation is still problematic. General Relativity predicts an adiabatic decrease of the magnetic field evolving as $|\mathbf{B}|\propto 1/a^{2}$, where $a$ is the scale factor of the Universe. It results in very small primordial fields, unless the conformal symmetry of the electromagnetic sector is broken. In this paper, we study the possibility that a natural mechanism for the amplification of primordial magnetic field can be related to extended teleparallel gravity $f(T, B)$ models, where $T$ is the torsion scalar, and $B$ the boundary term. In particular, we consider a non-minimal coupling with gravity in view to break conformal symmetry in a teleparallel background, investigating, in particular, the role of boundary term $B$, which can be consider as a further scalar field. We find that, after solving exactly the $f(T,B)$ field equations both in inflation and reheating eras, a non-adiabatic behavior of the magnetic field is always possible, and a strong amplification appears in the reheating epoch. We also compute the ratio $r=\rho_{B}/ \rho_{\gamma}$ between the magnetic energy density and the cosmic microwave energy density during inflation, in order to explain the present value $r\simeq 1$, showing that, in the slow-roll approximation, power-law teleparallel theories with $B^{n}$ have effects indistinguishable from metric theories $R^{n}$ where $R$ is the Ricci curvature scalar.., Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures

We derive the gravitational energy-momentum pseudo-tensor $\tau^\mu_{\phantom{\mu}\nu}$ in both Palatini and metric approaches to $f(R)$ gravity. We then obtain the related cosmological gravitational energy density. Considering a flat Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker spacetime, the energy density complex of matter and gravitation vanishes in the metric approach, but results non-vanishing in the Palatini formalism. This feature could be relevant in order to physically discriminate between the two approaches., Comment: 9 pages

We investigate the upper mass limit predictions of the baryonic mass for static neutron stars in the context of $f(R)$ gravity. We use the most popular $f(R)$ gravity model, namely the $R^2$ gravity, and calculate the maximum baryon mass of static neutron stars adopting several realistic equations of state and one ideal equation of state, namely that of causal limit. Our motivation is based on the fact that neutron stars with baryon masses larger than the maximum mass for static neutron star configurations inevitably collapse to black holes. Thus with our analysis, we want further to enlighten the predictions for the maximum baryon masses of static neutron stars in $R^2$ gravity, which, in turn, further strengthens our understanding of the mysterious mass-gap region. As we show, the baryon masses of most of the equations of states studied in this paper, lie in the lower limits of the mass-gap region $M\sim 2.5-5 M_{\odot}$, but intriguingly enough, the highest value of the maximum baryon masses we found is of the order of $M\sim 3 M_{\odot}$. This upper mass limit also appears as a maximum static neutron star gravitational mass limit in other contexts. Combining the two results which refer to baryon and gravitational masses, we point out that the gravitational mass of static neutron stars cannot be larger than three solar masses, while based on maximum baryon masses results of the present work, we can conspicuously state that it is highly likely the lower mass limits of astrophysical black holes in the range of $M\sim 2.5-3 M_{\odot}$. This, in turn, implies that maximum neutron star masses in the context of $R^2$ gravity are likely to be in the lower limits of the range of $M\sim 2.4-3 M_{\odot}$. Hence our work further supports the General Relativity claim that neutron stars cannot have gravitational masses larger than $3$$M_{\odot}$., Comment: EPL Accepted, Abstract reduced due to arXiv limitations

The exploration of the universe has recently entered a new era thanks to the multi-messenger paradigm, characterized by a continuous increase in the quantity and quality of experimental data that is obtained by the detection of the various cosmic messengers (photons, neutrinos, cosmic rays and gravitational waves) from numerous origins. They give us information about their sources in the universe and the properties of the intergalactic medium. Moreover, multi-messenger astronomy opens up the possibility to search for phenomenological signatures of quantum gravity. On the one hand, the most energetic events allow us to test our physical theories at energy regimes which are not directly accessible in accelerators; on the other hand, tiny effects in the propagation of very high energy particles could be amplified by cosmological distances. After decades of merely theoretical investigations, the possibility of obtaining phenomenological indications of Planck-scale effects is a revolutionary step in the quest for a quantum theory of gravity, but it requires cooperation between different communities of physicists (both theoretical and experimental). This review is aimed at promoting this cooperation by giving a state-of-the art account of the interdisciplinary expertise that is needed in the effective search of quantum gravity footprints in the production, propagation and detection of cosmic messengers., Comment: This review was written by participants of the COST Action CA18108. Further information on the review can be found at https://qg-mm.unizar.es/review/, updated to published version

We analyse some open debates in cosmology in light of the most updated quasar (QSO) sample, covering a wide redshift range up to $z\sim7.5$, combined with type Ia supernovae (SNe) and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). Indeed, extending the cosmological analyses with high-redshift data is key to distinguishing between different cosmological models that are degenerate at low redshifts, and allowing better constraints on a possible dark energy (DE) evolution. Also, we discuss combinations of BAO, SNe, and QSO data to understand their compatibility and implications for extensions of the standard cosmological model. Specifically, we consider a flat and non-flat $\Lambda \mathrm{CDM}$ cosmology, a flat and non-flat DE model with a constant DE equation of state parameter ($w$), and four flat DE models with variable $w$, namely the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder and Jassal-Bagla-Padmanabhan models, and an "exponential" and Barboza-Alcaniz parameterisations. We find that a joint analysis of QSO+SNe with BAO is only possible in the context of a flat Universe. Indeed BAO confirms the flatness condition assuming a curved geometry, whilst SNe+QSO show evidence of a closed space. We also find $\Omega_{M,0}=0.3$ in all data sets assuming a flat $\Lambda \mathrm{CDM}$ model. Yet, all the other models show a statistically significant deviation at 2-3$\sigma$ with the combined SNe+QSO+BAO data set. In the models where DE density evolves with time, SNe+QSO+BAO data always prefer $\Omega_{M,0}>0.3$, $w_{0}<-1$ and $w_{a}>0$. This DE phantom behaviour is mainly driven by SNe+QSO, while BAO are closer to the flat $\Lambda \mathrm{CDM}$ model., Comment: 12 pages, 18 figures, 2 tables, published in MNRAS, comments are welcome

After giving a short overview of previous results on constraining of Extended Gravity (EG) by stellar orbits, we discuss the Schwarzschild orbital precession of S2 star assuming the congruence with predictions of General Relativity (GR). At the moment, the S2 star trajectory is remarkably fitted with the first post-Newtonian (pN) approximation of GR. In particular, both Keck and VLT (GRAVITY) teams declared that the gravitational redshift near its pericenter passage for the S2 star orbit corresponds to theoretical estimates found with the first pN approximation. In 2020, the GRAVITY Collaboration detected the orbital precession of the S2 star around the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the Galactic Center (GC) and showed that it is close to the GR prediction. Based on this observational fact, we evaluated parameters of the EG theories with the Schwarzschild precession of the S2 star. Using the mentioned method, we estimate the orbital precession angles for some EG models including power-law f(R), general Yukawa-like corrections, scalar-tensor gravity (STG), and non-local gravity (NLG) theories formulated in both metric and Palatini formalism. In this consideration we assume that a gravitational field is spherically symmetric, therefore, alternative theories of gravity could be described only with a few parameters. Specifically, considering the orbital precession, we estimate the range of parameters of these EG models for which the orbital precession is like in GR. We then compare these results with our previous results, which were obtained by fitting the simulated orbits of S2 star to its observed astrometric positions. In case of power-law f(R), generic Yukawa-like correction, STG and NLG theories, we were able to obtain a prograde orbital precession, like in GR. According to these results, the method is a useful tool to evaluate parameters of the gravitational potential at the GC., Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Universe

Novel implications on neutron stars come from extended gravity. Specifically, the GW190814 event indicated the probability of having large mass stars in the mass-gap region $2.5-5\, M_{\odot}$. If the secondary component of GW190814 is a neutron star, such large masses are marginally supported by General Relativity (GR), since a very stiff Equation of State (EoS) would be needed to describe such large mass neutron stars, which would be incompatible with the GW170817 event, without any modification of gravity. In view of the two groundbreaking gravitational wave observations, we critically discuss the elevated role of extensions of GR towards the successful description of the GW190814 event, and we also speculate in a quantitative way on the important issue of the largest allowed neutron star mass., Comment: EPL Accepted

We derive a new interior solution for stellar compact objects in $f\mathcal{(R)}$ gravity assuming a differential relation to constrain the Ricci curvature scalar. To this aim, we consider specific forms for the radial component of the metric and the first derivative of $f\mathcal{(R)}$. After, the time component of the metric potential and the form of $f(\mathcal R)$ function are derived. From these results, it is possible to obtain the radial and tangential components of pressure and the density. The resulting interior solution represents a physically motivated anisotropic neutron star model. It is possible to match it with a boundary exterior solution. From this matching, the components of metric potentials can be rewritten in terms of a compactness parameter $C$ which has to be $C=2GM/Rc^2 <<0.5$ for physical consistency. Other physical conditions for real stellar objects are taken into account according to the solution. We show that the model accurately bypasses conditions like the finiteness of radial and tangential pressures, and energy density at the center of the star, the positivity of these components through the stellar structure, and the negativity of the gradients. These conditions are satisfied if the energy-conditions hold. Moreover, we study the stability of the model by showing that Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation is at hydrostatic equilibrium. The solution is matched with observational data of millisecond pulsars with a withe dwarf companion and pulsars presenting thermonuclear bursts., Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures

We use the Fundamental Plane of Elliptical Galaxies to constrain the so-called Hybrid Gravity, a modified theory of gravity where General Relativity is improved by further degrees of freedom of metric-affine Palatini formalism of $f(\cal R)$ gravity. Because the Fundamental Plane is connected to the global properties of elliptical galaxies, it is possible to obtain observational constraints on the parameters of Hybrid Gravity in the weak field limit. We analyze also the velocity distribution of elliptical galaxies comparing our theoretical results in the case of Hybrid Gravity with astronomical data for elliptical galaxies. In this way, we are able to constrain the Hybrid Gravity parameters $m_\phi$ and $\phi_0$. We show that the Fundamental Plane, i.e. $v_c/\sigma$ relations, can be used as a standard tool to probe different theories of gravity in the weak field limit. We conclude that Hybrid Gravity is able to explain elliptical galaxies with different stellar kinematics without the dark matter hypothesis., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J. D

We investigate the causal limit of maximum mass for stars in the framework of$f(R)$ gravity. We choose a causal equation of state, with variable speed of sound, and with the transition density and pressure corresponding to the SLy equation of state. The transition density is chosen to be equal to twice the saturation density $\rho_t\sim 2\rho_0$, and also the analysis is performed for the transition density, chosen to be equal to the saturation density $\rho_t\sim \rho_0$. We examine numerically the combined effect of the stiff causal equation of state and of the sound speed on the maximum mass of static neutron stars, in the context of Jordan frame of $f(R)$ gravity. This yields the most extreme upper bound for neutron star masses in the context of extended gravity. As we will evince for the case of $R^2$ model, the upper causal mass limit lies within, but not deeply in, the mass-gap region, and is marginally the same with the general relativistic causal maximum mass, indicating that the $\sim 3M_{\odot}$ general relativistic limit is respected. In view of the modified gravity perspective for the secondary component of the GW190814 event, we also discuss the strange star possibility. Using several well established facts for neutron star physics and the Occam's razor approach, although the strange star is exciting, for the moment, it remains a possibility for describing the secondary component of GW190814. We underpin the fact that the secondary component of the compact binary GW190814 is probably a neutron star, a black hole or even a rapidly rotating neutron star, but not a strange star. We also discuss, in general, the potential role of the extended gravity description for the binary merging., Comment: PLB Accepted

Cosmography is a powerful tool to investigate the Universe kinematic and then to reconstruct dynamics in a model-independent way. However, recent new measurements of supernovae Ia and quasars have populated the Hubble diagram up to high redshifts ($z \sim 7.5$) and the application of the traditional cosmographic approach has become less straightforward due to the large redshifts implied. Here we investigate this issue through an expansion of the luminosity distance-redshift relation in terms of "orthogonal" logarithmic polynomials. In particular we point out the advantages of a new procedure of "orthogonalization" and we show that such an expansion provides a very good fit in the whole $z=0\div 7.5$ range to both real and mock data obtained assuming various cosmological models. Moreover, despite of the fact that the cosmographic series is tested well beyond its convergence radius, the parameters obtained expanding the luminosity distance - redshift relation for the $\Lambda$CDM model are broadly consistent with the results from a fit of mock data obtained with the same cosmological model. This provides a method to test the reliability of a cosmographic function to study cosmological models at high redshifts and it demonstrates that the logarithmic polynomial series can be used to test the consistency of the $\Lambda$CDM model with the current Hubble diagram of quasars and supernovae Ia. We confirm a strong tension (at $>4\sigma$) between the concordance cosmological model and the Hubble diagram at $z>1.5$. Such a tension is dominated by the contribution of quasars at $z>2$ and starts to be present also in the few supernovae Ia observed at $z>1$., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, comments are welcome

We present a new catalogue of ~2,400 optically selected quasars with spectroscopic redshifts and X-ray observations from either Chandra or XMM-Newton. The sample can be used to investigate the non-linear relation between the UV and X-ray luminosity of quasars, and to build a Hubble diagram up to redshift z~7.5. We selected sources that are neither reddened by dust in the optical/UV nor obscured by gas in the X-rays, and whose X-ray fluxes are free from flux-limit related biases. After checking for any possible systematics, we confirm, in agreement with our previous works, that (i) the X-ray to UV relation provides distance estimates matching those from supernovae up to z~1.5, and (ii) its slope shows no redshift evolution up to z~5. We provide a full description of the methodology for testing cosmological models, further supporting a trend whereby the Hubble diagram of quasars is well reproduced by the standard flat $\Lambda$CDM model up to z~1.5-2, but strong deviations emerge at higher redshifts. Since we have minimized all non-negligible systematic effects, and proven the stability of the $L_{\rm X}-L_{\rm UV}$ relation at high redshifts, we conclude that an evolution of the expansion rate of the Universe should be considered as a possible explanation for the observed deviation, rather than some systematic (redshift-dependent) effect associated with high-redshift quasars., Comment: 24 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

General Relativity is today the best theory of gravity addressing a wide range of phenomena. Our understanding of physical laws, from cosmology to local scales, cannot be properly formulated without taking into account it. It is based on one of the most fundamental principles of Nature, the Equivalence Principle, which represents the core of the Einstein theory of gravity. The confirmation of its validity at different scales and in different contexts represents one of the main challenges of modern physics both from the theoretical and the experimental points of view. A major issue related to this principle is the fact that we actually do not know if it is valid at quantum level. Furthermore, recent progress on relativistic theories of gravity have to take into account new issues like Dark Matter and Dark Energy, as well as the validity of fundamental principles like local Lorentz and position invariance. Experiments allow to set stringent constraints on well established symmetry laws, on the physics beyond the Standard Model of particles and interactions, and on General Relativity and its possible extensions. In this review, we discuss precision tests of gravity in General Relativity and alternative theories and their relation with the Equivalence Principle. In the first part, we discuss the Einstein Equivalence Principle according to its weak and strong formulation. We recall some basic topics of General Relativity and the necessity of its extension. Some models of modified gravity are presented in some details. The second part of the paper is devoted to the experimental tests of the Equivalence Principle in its weak formulation. We present the results and methods used in high-precision experiments, and discuss the potential and prospects for future experimental tests.

GrailQuest (Gamma Ray Astronomy International Laboratory for QUantum Exploration of Space-Time) is a mission concept based on a constellation (hundreds/thousands) of nano/micro/small-satellites in low (or near) Earth orbits. Each satellite hosts a non-collimated array of scintillator crystals coupled with Silicon Drift Detectors with broad energy band coverage (keV-MeV range) and excellent temporal resolution ( below or equal 100 nanoseconds) each with effective area around 100 cm2. This simple and robust design allows for mass-production of the satellites of the fleet. This revolutionary approach implies a huge reduction of costs, flexibility in the segmented launching strategy, and an incremental long-term plan to increase the number of detectors and their performance: a living observatory for next-generation, space-based astronomical facilities. GrailQuest is conceived as an all-sky monitor for fast localisation of high signal-to-noise ratio transients in the X/gamma-ray band, e.g. the elusive electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events. Robust temporal triangulation techniques will allow unprecedented localisation capabilities, in the keV-MeV band, of a few arcseconds or below, depending on the temporal structure of the transient event. The ambitious ultimate goal of this mission is to perform the first experiment, in quantum gravity, to directly probe space-time structure down to the minuscule Planck scale, by constraining or measuring a first order dispersion relation for light in vacuo. This is obtained by detecting delays between photons of different energies in the prompt emission of Gamma-ray Bursts., Comment: White paper submitted in response to the ESA call Voyage 2050 - Submitted to Experimental Astronomy

We propose a novel deep learning tool in order to study the evolution of dark energy models. The aim is to combine two architectures: the Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) and the Bayesian Neural Networks (BNN), we named this full network as RNN+BNN. The first one is capable of learning complex sequential information to classify objects like supernovae and use the light-curves directly to learn information from the sequence of observations. Since RNN is not capable to calculate the uncertainties, BNN emerges as a solution for problems in deep learning like, for example, the overfitting. For the trainings we use measurements of the distance modulus $\mu(z)$, such as those provided by Pantheon Supernovae Type Ia. In view of our results, the reported approach turns out to be a first promising step on how we can train a new neural network that can compute their own confidence regions for specific cosmological data. It is worth stressing that the new technique allows to reduce the computational load of expensive codes for dark energy models and probe the necessity of modified dark energy models at large redshifts for a supernovae trained sampler., Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures. Version accepted for publication in JCAP

The proposed mission "Space Atomic Gravity Explorer" (SAGE) has the scientific objective to investigate gravitational waves, dark matter, and other fundamental aspects of gravity as well as the connection between gravitational physics and quantum physics using new quantum sensors, namely, optical atomic clocks and atom interferometers based on ultracold strontium atoms., Comment: Published in Eur. Phys. J. D 73 (2019) 228 in the Topical Issue Quantum Technologies for Gravitational Physics, Guest editors Tanja Mehlstaubler, Yanbei Chen, Guglielmo M. Tino and Hsien-Chi Yeh

Non-local theories of gravity have recently gained a lot of interest because they can suitably represent the behavior of gravitational interaction in the ultraviolet regime. Furthermore, at infrared scales, they give rise to notable cosmological effects which could be important to describe the dark energy behavior. In particular, exponential forms of the distortion function seem particularly useful for this purpose. Using Noether Symmetries, it can be shown that the only non-trivial form of the distortion function is the exponential one, which is working not only for cosmological mini-superspaces, but also in a spherically symmetric spacetime. Taking this result into account, we study the weak field approximation of this type of non-local gravity, and comparing with the orbits of S2 stars around the Galactic center (NTT/VLT data), we set constraints on the parameters of the theory. Non-local effects do not play a significant role on the orbits of S2 stars around Sgr A*, but give richer phenomenology at cosmological scales than the $\Lambda$CDM model. Also, we show that non-local gravity model gives better agreement between theory and astronomical observations than Keplerian orbits., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D

In a Palatini $f(\mathcal{R})$-model, we define chonodynamical effects due to the choice of atomic clocks as standard reference clocks and we develop a formalism able to quantitatively separate them from the usual effective dark sources one has in extended theories. We apply the formalism to Hubble drift and briefly discuss the issue about the physical frame. In particular, we argue that there is no physical frame in the sense one does different things in different frames and that, in a sense, is the physical characteristic of extended gravity. As an example, we discuss how Jordan frame may be well suited to discuss cosmology, though it fails within the solar system., Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures (some references added, some typos corrected)

Inspired by the BTZ formalism, we discuss the Maxwell-$f(T)$ gravity in (2+1)-dimensions. The main task is to derive exact solutions for a special form of $f(T)=T+\epsilon T^2$, with $T$ being the torsion scalar of Weitzenb$\ddot{\mbox{o}}$ck geometry. To this end, a triad field is applied to the equations of motion of charged $f(T)$ and sets of circularly symmetric non-charged and charged solutions have been derived. We show that, in the charged case, the monopole-like and the ${\it ln}$ terms are linked by a correlative constant despite of known results in teleparallel geometry and its extensions [39]. Furthermore, it is possible to show that the event horizon is not identical with the Cauchy horizon due to such a constant. The singularities and the horizons of these black holes are examined: they are new and have no analogue in literature due to the fact that their curvature singularities are soft. We calculate the energy content of these solutions by using the general vector form of the energy-momentum within the framework of $f(T) $ gravity. Finally, some thermodynamical quantities, like entropy and Hawking temperature, are derived., Comment: 15 pages, accepted for publication in IJMPA

THESEUS is a space mission concept aimed at exploiting Gamma-Ray Bursts for investigating the early Universe and at providing a substantial advancement of multi-messenger and time-domain astrophysics. These goals will be achieved through a unique combination of instruments allowing GRB and X-ray transient detection over a broad field of view (more than 1sr) with 0.5-1 arcmin localization, an energy band extending from several MeV down to 0.3 keV and high sensitivity to transient sources in the soft X-ray domain, as well as on-board prompt (few minutes) follow-up with a 0.7 m class IR telescope with both imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. THESEUS will be perfectly suited for addressing the main open issues in cosmology such as, e.g., star formation rate and metallicity evolution of the inter-stellar and intra-galactic medium up to redshift $\sim$10, signatures of Pop III stars, sources and physics of re-ionization, and the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function. In addition, it will provide unprecedented capability to monitor the X-ray variable sky, thus detecting, localizing, and identifying the electromagnetic counterparts to sources of gravitational radiation, which may be routinely detected in the late '20s / early '30s by next generation facilities like aLIGO/ aVirgo, eLISA, KAGRA, and Einstein Telescope. THESEUS will also provide powerful synergies with the next generation of multi-wavelength observatories (e.g., LSST, ELT, SKA, CTA, ATHENA)., Comment: Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research. Partly based on the proposal submitted on October 2016 in response to the ESA Call for next M5 mission, with expanded and updated science sections

We present a $D$-dimensional charged Anti-de-Sitter black hole solutions in $f(T)$ gravity, where $f(T)=T+\beta T^2$ and $D \geq 4$. These solutions are characterized by flat or cylindrical horizons. The interesting feature of these solutions is the existence of inseparable electric monopole and quadrupole terms in the potential which share related momenta, in contrast with most of the known charged black hole solutions in General Relativity and its extensions. Furthermore, these solutions have curvature singularities which are milder than those of the known charged black hole solutions in General Relativity and Teleparallel Gravity. This feature can be shown by calculating some invariants of curvature and torsion tensors. Furthermore, we calculate the total energy of these black holes using the energy-momentum tensor. Finally, we show that these charged black hole solutions violate the first law of thermodynamics in agreement with previous results., Comment: 11 Pages, will appear in JHEP

We use BBN observational data on primordial abundance of ${}^4He$ to constrain f(T) gravity. The three most studied viable $f(T)$ models, namely the power law, the exponential and the square-root exponential are considered, and the BBN bounds are adopted in order to extract constraints on their free parameters. For the power-law model, we find that the constraints are in agreement with those acquired using late-time cosmological data. For the exponential and the square-root exponential models, we show that for realiable regions of parameters space they always satisfy the BBN bounds. We conclude that viable f(T) models can successfully satisfy the BBN constraints., Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure

We demonstrate that the existence of a Noether symmetry in $f(R)$ theories of gravity gives rise to a further gravitational radius, besides the standard Schwarzschild one, determining the dynamics at galactic scales. By this feature, it is possible to explain the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation and the rotation curve of gas-rich galaxies without the dark matter hypothesis., Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, to be published in JCAP

We derive the gravitational energy momentum tensor $\tau^{\eta}_{\alpha}$ for a general Lagrangian of any order $L=L\left(g_{\mu\nu}, g_{\mu\nu,i_{1}}, g_{\mu\nu,i_{1}i_{2}},g_{\mu\nu,i_{1}i_{2}i_{3}},\cdots, g_{\mu\nu,i_{1}i_{2}i_{3}\cdots i_{n}}\right)$ and in particular for a Lagrangian such as $L_{g}=(\overline{R}+a_{0}R^{2}+\sum_{k=1}^{p} a_{k}R\Box^{k}R)\sqrt{-g}$. We prove that this tensor, in general, is not covariant but only affine, then it is a pseudo-tensor. Furthermore, the pseudo-tensor $\tau^{\eta}_{\alpha}$ is calculated in the weak field limit up to a first non-vanishing term of order $h^{2}$ where $h$ is the metric perturbation. The average value of the pseudo-tensor over a suitable spacetime domain is obtained. Finally we calculate the power per unit solid angle $\Omega$ carried by a gravitational wave in a direction $\hat{x}$ for a fixed wave number $\mathbf{k}$ under a suitable gauge. These results are useful in view of searching for further modes of gravitational radiation beyond the standard two modes of General Relativity and to deal with nonlocal theories of gravity where terms involving $\Box R$ are present. The general aim of the approach is to deal with theories of any order under the same standard of Landau pseudo-tensor., Comment: 23 pages, to be published in Annalen der Physik

The fundamental plane (FP) of galaxies can be recovered in the framework of $f(R)$ gravity avoiding the issues related to dark matter to fit the observations. In particular, the power-law version $f(R)\propto R^n$, resulting from the existence of Noether symmetries for $f(R)$, is sufficient to implement the approach. In fact, relations between the FP parameters and the corrected Newtonian potential, coming from $R^n$, can be found and justified from a physical point of view. Specifically, we analyze the velocity distribution of elliptical galaxies and obtain that $r_c$, the scale-length depending on the gravitational system properties, is proportional to $r_e$, the galaxy effective radius. This fact points out that the gravitational corrections induced by $f(R)$ can lead photometry and dynamics of the system. Furthermore, the main byproduct of such an approach is that gravity could work in different ways depending on the scales of self-gravitating systems., Comment: 18 pages, 3 tables, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Dark Universe

Lie symmetries are discussed for the Wheeler-De Witt equation in Bianchi Class A cosmologies. In particular, we consider General Relativity, minimally coupled scalar field gravity and Hybrid Gravity as paradigmatic examples of the approach. Several invariant solutions are determined and classified according to the form of the scalar field potential. The approach gives rise to a suitable method to select classical solutions and it is based on the first principle of the existence of symmetries., Comment: 17 pages

We discuss the application of the Hojman's Symmetry Approach for the determination of conservation laws in Cosmology, which has been recently applied by various authors in different cosmological models. We show that Hojman's method for regular Hamiltonian systems, where the Hamiltonian function is one of the involved equations of the system, is equivalent to the application of Noether's Theorem for generalized transformations. That means that for minimally-coupled scalar field cosmology or other modified theories which are conformally related with scalar-field cosmology, like $f(R)$ gravity, the application of Hojman's method provide us with the same results with that of Noether's theorem. Moreover we study the special Ansatz. $\phi\left( t\right) =\phi\left( a\left( t\right) \right) $, which has been introduced for a minimally-coupled scalar field, and we study the Lie and Noether point symmetries for the reduced equation. We show that under this Ansatz, the unknown function of the model cannot be constrained by the requirement of the existence of a conservation law and that the Hojman conservation quantity which arises for the reduced equation is nothing more than the functional form of Noetherian conservation laws for the free particle. On the other hand, for $f(T)$ teleparallel gravity, it is not the existence of Hojman's conservation laws which provide us with the special function form of $f(T)$ functions, but the requirement that the reduced second-order differential equation admits a Jacobi Last multiplier, while the new conservation law is nothing else that the Hamiltonian function of the reduced equation., Comment: 6 pages; minor corrections; accepted for publication by Physics Letters B. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1503.08466

Several models of $f(R)$ gravity have been proposed in order to address the dark side problem in cosmology. However, these models should be constrained also at ultraviolet scales in order to achieve some correct fundamental interpretation. Here we analyze this possibility comparing quantum vacuum states in given $f(R)$ cosmological backgrounds. Specifically, we compare the Bogolubov transformations associated to different vacuum states for some $f(R)$ models. The procedure consists in fixing the $f(R)$ free parameters by requiring that the Bogolubov coefficients can be correspondingly minimized to be in agreement with both high redshift observations and quantum field theory predictions. In such a way, the particle production is related to the value of the Hubble parameter and then to the given $f(R)$ model. The approach is developed in both metric and Palatini formalism., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Int. Jou. Mod. Phys. D

We shall discuss equivalence of frames in Palatini f(R)-theories at action level. A Palatini formulation of Brans-Dicke theories (equivalent to the purely metric ones) will also be discussed., Comment: 6 pages. 14th Marcel Grossmann meeting, Roma, July 12-18, 2015

By considering $f(R)$ gravity models, the cosmic evolution is modified with respect to the standard $\Lambda$CDM scenario. In particular, the thermal history of particles results modified. In this paper, we derive the evolution of relics particles (WIMPs) assuming a reliable $f(R)$ cosmological solution and taking into account observational constraints. The connection to the PAMELA experiment is also discussed. Results are consistent with constraints coming from BICEP2 and PLANCK experiments., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

We consider possible signatures for the so called {\it hybrid gravity} within the Galactic Central Parsec. This modified theory of gravity consists of a superposition of the metric Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian with an $f(R)$ term constructed {\it \`{a} la Palatini} and can be easily reduced to an equivalent scalar-tensor theory. Such an approach is introduced in order to cure the shortcomings related to $f(R)$ gravity, in general formulated either in metric or in metric-affine frameworks. Hybrid gravity allows to disentangle the further gravitational degrees of freedom with respect to those of standard General Relativity. The present analysis is based on the S2 star orbital precession around the massive compact dark object at the Galactic Centre where the simulated orbits in hybrid modified gravity are compared with astronomical observations. These simulations result with constraints on the range of hybrid gravity interaction parameter $\phi_0$, showing that in the case of S2 star it is between -0.0009 and -0.0002. At the same time, we are also able to obtain the constraints on the effective mass parameter $m_{\phi}$, and found that it is between -0.0034 and -0.0025 AU$^{-1}$ for S2 star. Furthermore, the hybrid gravity potential induces precession of S2 star orbit in the same direction as General Relativity. In previous papers, we considered other types of extended gravities, like metric power law $f(R)\propto R^n$ gravity, inducing Yukawa and Sanders-like gravitational potentials, but it seems that hybrid gravity is the best among these models to explain different gravitational phenomena at different astronomical scales., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics

The propagation of boson particles in a gravitational field described by the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity is analyzed. We derive the wave function of the scalar particles, and the effective potential experienced by the quantum particles considering the role of the varying gravitational coupling. Besides, we calculate the probability to find the scalar particles near the region where a naked singularity is present. The extremely high energy radiated in such a situation could account for the huge emitted power observed in Gamma Ray Bursts., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, contributed paper to the Special Issue: "Fundamental Constants in Physics and Their Time Variation", Modern Physics Letters A, Guest Ed. Joan Sol\`a

The post-Minkowskian limit and gravitational wave solutions for general fourth-order gravity theories are discussed. Specifically, we consider a Lagrangian with a generic function of curvature invariants $f(R, R_{\alpha\beta}R^{\alpha\beta}, R_{\alpha\beta\gamma\delta}R^{\alpha\beta\gamma\delta})$. It is well known that when dealing with General Relativity such an approach provides massless spin-two waves as propagating degree of freedom of the gravitational field while this theory implies other additional propagating modes in the gravity spectra. We show that, in general, fourth order gravity, besides the standard massless graviton is characterized by two further massive modes with a finite-distance interaction. We find out the most general gravitational wave solutions in terms of Green functions in vacuum and in presence of matter sources. If an electromagnetic source is chosen, only the modes induced by $R_{\alpha\beta}R^{\alpha\beta}$ are present, otherwise, for any $f(R)$ gravity model, we have the complete analogy with tensor modes of General Relativity. Polarizations and helicity states are classified in the hypothesis of plane wave., Comment: 10 pages

Quark star models with realistic equation of state in nonperturbative $f(R)$ gravity are considered. The mass-radius relation for $f(R)=R+\alpha R^2$ model is obtained. Considering scalar curvature $R$ as an independent function, one can find out, for each value of central density, the unique value of central curvature for which one has solutions with the required asymptotic $R\rightarrow 0$ for $r\rightarrow\infty$. In another words, one needs a fine-tuning for $R$ to achieve quark stars in $f(R)$ gravity. We consider also the analogue description in corresponding scalar-tensor gravity. The fine-tuning on $R$ is equivalent to the fine-tuning on the scalar field $\phi$ in this description. For distant observers, the gravitational mass of the star increases with increasing $\alpha$ ($\alpha>0$) but the interpretation of this fact depends on frame where we work. Considering directly $f(R)$ gravity, one can say that increasing of mass occurs by the "gravitational sphere" outside the star with some "effective mass". On the other hand, in scalar-tensor theory, we also have a dilaton sphere (or "disphere") outside the star but its contribution to gravitational mass for distant observer is negligible. We show that it is possible to discriminate modified theories of gravity from General Relativity due to the gravitational redshift of the thermal spectrum emerging from the surface of the star., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Lett. B

Analytical $f(R)$-gravity models introduce Yukawa-like corrections to the Newtonian potential in the weak field limit. These models can explain the dynamics of galaxies and cluster of galaxies without requiring dark matter. To test the model, we have computed the pressure profile of 579 X-ray galaxy clusters assuming the gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium within the potential well of the modified gravitational potential. We have compared those profiles with the ones measured in the foreground cleaned SMICA released by the Planck Collaboration. Our results show that Extended Theories of Gravity explain the dynamics of self-gravitating systems at cluster scales and represent an alternative to dark matter haloes., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. To be published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS) as the Proceedings of Spanish Relativity Meeting 2014

Starting from the weak field limit, we discuss astrophysical applications of Extended Theories of Gravity where higher order curvature invariants and scalar fields are considered by generalizing the Hilbert-Einstein action linear in the Ricci curvature scalar $R$. Results are compared to General Relativity in the hypothesis that Dark Matter contributions to the dynamics can be neglected thanks to modified gravity. In particular, we consider stellar hydrostatic equilibrium, galactic rotation curves, and gravitational lensing. Finally, we discuss the weak field limit in the Jordan and Einstein frames pointing out how effective quantities, as gravitational potentials, transform from one frame to the other and the interpretation of results can completely change accordingly., Comment: Review paper; 59 pages, 15 figures