Search

We use a particular machine learning approach, called the genetic algorithms (GA), in order to place constraints on deviations from general relativity (GR) via a possible evolution of Newton's constant $\mu\equiv G_\mathrm{eff}/G_\mathrm{N}$ and of the dark energy anisotropic stress $\eta$, both defined to be equal to one in GR. Specifically, we use a plethora of background and linear-order perturbations data, such as type Ia supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, cosmic chronometers, redshift space distortions and $E_g$ data. We find that although the GA is affected by the lower quality of the currently available data, especially from the $E_g$ data, the reconstruction of Newton's constant is consistent with a constant value within the errors. On the other hand, the anisotropic stress deviates strongly from unity due to the sparsity and the systematics of the $E_g$ data. Finally, we also create synthetic data based on a next-generation survey and forecast the limits of any possible detection of deviations from GR. In particular, we use two fiducial models: one based on the cosmological constant $\Lambda$CDM model and another on a model with an evolving Newton's constant, dubbed $\mu$CDM. We find that the GA reconstructions of $\mu(z)$ and $\eta(z)$ can be constrained to within a few percent of the fiducial models and in the case of the $\mu$CDM mocks, they can also provide a strong detection of several $\sigma$s, thus demonstrating the utility of the GA reconstruction approach., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. Changes match published version

In this paper we will list a few important goals that need to be addressed in the next decade, also taking into account the current discordances between the different cosmological probes, such as the disagreement in the value of the Hubble constant $H_0$, the $\sigma_8$--$S_8$ tension, and other less statistically significant anomalies. While these discordances can still be in part the result of systematic errors, their persistence after several years of accurate analysis strongly hints at cracks in the standard cosmological scenario and the necessity for new physics or generalisations beyond the standard model. In this paper, we focus on the $5.0\,\sigma$ tension between the {\it Planck} CMB estimate of the Hubble constant $H_0$ and the SH0ES collaboration measurements. After showing the $H_0$ evaluations made from different teams using different methods and geometric calibrations, we list a few interesting new physics models that could alleviate this tension and discuss how the next decade's experiments will be crucial. Moreover, we focus on the tension of the {\it Planck} CMB data with weak lensing measurements and redshift surveys, about the value of the matter energy density $\Omega_m$, and the amplitude or rate of the growth of structure ($\sigma_8,f\sigma_8$). We list a few interesting models proposed for alleviating this tension, and we discuss the importance of trying to fit a full array of data with a single model and not just one parameter at a time. Additionally, we present a wide range of other less discussed anomalies at a statistical significance level lower than the $H_0$--$S_8$ tensions which may also constitute hints towards new physics, and we discuss possible generic theoretical approaches that can collectively explain the non-standard nature of these signals.[Abridged], Comment: Contribution to Snowmass 2021. 224 pages, 27 figures. Accepted for publication in JHEAp

We study a parametrization of the deceleration parameter in a tilted universe, namely a cosmological model equipped with two families of observers. The first family follows the smooth Hubble flow, while the second are the real observers residing in a typical galaxy inside a bulk flow and moving relative to the smooth Hubble expansion with finite peculiar velocity. We use the compilation of Type Ia Supernovae (SnIa) data, as described in the Pantheon dataset, to find the quality of fit to the data and study the redshift evolution of the deceleration parameter. In so doing, we consider two alternative scenarios, assuming that the bulk-flow observers live in the $\Lambda$CDM and in the Einstein-de Sitter universe. We show that a tilted Einstein-de Sitter model can reproduce the recent acceleration history of the universe, without the need of a cosmological constant or dark energy, by simply taking into account linear effects of peculiar motions. By means of a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, we also constrain the magnitude and the uncertainties of the parameters of the two models. From our statistical analysis, we find that the tilted Einstein-de Sitter model, equipped with one or two additional parameters that describe the assumed large-scale velocity flows, performs similar to the standard $\Lambda$CDM paradigm in the context of model selection criteria (Akaike Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion)., Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures and 3 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. References added, subsection added with details on the Pantheon dataset. The numerical analysis files for the reproduction of the figures can be downloaded from https://github.com/lkazantzi/tilted-cosmology

Gravitational transitions at low redshifts ($z_t<0.1$) have been recently proposed as a solution to the Hubble and growth tensions. Such transitions would naturally lead to a transition in the absolute magnitude $M$ of type Ia supernovae (SnIa) at $z_t$ (Late $M$ Transitions - $LMT$) and possibly in the dark energy equation of state parameter $w$ (Late $w-M$ Transitions - $LwMT$). Here, we compare the quality of fit to cosmological data of this class of models, with the corresponding quality of fit of the cosmological constant model ($\Lambda$CDM) and some of the best smooth $H(z)$ deformation models ($w$CDM, CPL, PEDE). We also perform model selection via the Akaike Information Criterion and the Bayes factor. We use the full CMB temperature anisotropy spectrum data, the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) data, the Pantheon SnIa data, the SnIa absolute magnitude $M$ as determined by Cepheid calibrators and the value of the Hubble constant $H_0$ as determined by local SnIa calibrated using Cepheids. We find that smooth $H(z)$ deformation models perform worse than transition models for the following reasons: 1) They have a worse fit to low-$z$ geometric probes (BAO and SnIa data); 2) They favor values of the SnIa absolute magnitude $M$ that are lower as compared to the value $M_c$ obtained with local Cepheid calibrators at $z<0.01$; 3) They tend to worsen the $\Omega_\mathrm{m,0}-\sigma_\mathrm{8,0}$ growth tension. We also find that the $w-M$ transition model ($LwMT$) does not provide a better quality of fit to cosmological data than a pure $M$ transition model ($LMT$) where $w$ is fixed to the \lcdm value $w=-1$ at all redshifts. We conclude that the $LMT$ model has significant statistical advantages over smooth late-time $H(z)$ deformation models in addressing the Hubble crisis., Comment: 24 pages, 9 Figures, 6 Tables. Version published in Phys. Rev. D. The numerical analysis files that lead to the production of the figures may be found at https://github.com/lkazantzi/H0_Model_Comparison

General Relativity and the $\Lambda$CDM framework are currently the standard lore and constitute the concordance paradigm. Nevertheless, long-standing open theoretical issues, as well as possible new observational ones arising from the explosive development of cosmology the last two decades, offer the motivation and lead a large amount of research to be devoted in constructing various extensions and modifications. All extended theories and scenarios are first examined under the light of theoretical consistency, and then are applied to various geometrical backgrounds, such as the cosmological and the spherical symmetric ones. Their predictions at both the background and perturbation levels, and concerning cosmology at early, intermediate and late times, are then confronted with the huge amount of observational data that astrophysics and cosmology are able to offer recently. Theories, scenarios and models that successfully and efficiently pass the above steps are classified as viable and are candidates for the description of Nature. This work is a Review of the recent developments in the fields of gravity and cosmology, presenting the state of the art, high-lighting the open problems, and outlining the directions of future research. Its realization was performed in the framework of the COST European Action ``Cosmology and Astrophysics Network for Theoretical Advances and Training Actions''., Comment: 543 pages

A rapid phantom transition of the dark energy equation of state parameter $w$ at a transition redshift $z_t<0.1$ of the form $w(z)=-1+\Delta w\;\Theta (z_t-z)$ with $\Delta w<0$ can lead to a higher value of the Hubble constant while closely mimicking a Planck18/$\Lambda$CDM form of the comoving distance $r(z)=\int_0^z\frac{dz'}{H(z')}$ for $z>z_t$. Such a transition however would imply a significantly lower value of the SnIa absolute magnitude $M$ than the value $M_C$ imposed by local Cepheid calibrators at $z<0.01$. Thus, in order to resolve the $H_0$ tension it would need to be accompanied by a similar transition in the value of the SnIa absolute magnitude $M$ as $M(z)=M_C+\Delta M \;\Theta (z-z_t)$ with $\Delta M<0$. This is a Late $w-M$ phantom transition ($LwMPT$). It may be achieved by a sudden reduction of the value of the normalized effective Newton constant $\mu=G_{\rm{eff}}/G_{\rm{N}}$ by about $6\%$ assuming that the absolute luminosity of SnIa is proportional to the Chandrasekhar mass which varies as $\mu^{-3/2}$. We demonstrate that such an ultra low $z$ abrupt feature of $w-M$ provides a better fit to cosmological data compared to smooth late time deformations of $H(z)$ that also address the Hubble tension. For $z_t=0.02$ we find $\Delta w\simeq -4$, $\Delta M \simeq -0.1$. This model also addresses the growth tension due to the predicted lower value of $\mu$ at $z>z_t$. A prior of $\Delta w=0$ (no $w$ transition) can still resolve the $H_0$ tension with a larger amplitude $M$ transition with $\Delta M\simeq -0.2$ at $z_t\simeq 0.01$. This implies a larger reduction of $\mu$ for $z>0.01$ (about $12\%$). The $LwMPT$ can be generically induced by a scalar field non-minimally coupled to gravity with no need of a screening mechanism since in this model $\mu=1$ at $z<0.01$., Comment: 14 pages, 9 Figures. Accepted in Physical Review D (to appear). Typos corrected, a new figure and references added. The Mathematica files used for the construction of the figures may be downloaded from https://github.com/GeorgeAlestas/LwMPT

We search for possible deviations from the expectations of the concordance $\Lambda$CDM model in the expansion history of the Universe by analysing the Pantheon Type Ia Supernovae (SnIa) compilation along with its Monte Carlo simulations using redshift binning. We demonstrate that the redshift binned best fit $\Lambda$CDM matter density parameter $\Omega_{0m}$ and the best fit effective absolute magnitude $\cal M$ oscillate about their full dataset best fit values with considerably large amplitudes. Using the full covariance matrix of the data taking into account systematic and statistical errors, we show that at the redshifts below $z\approx0.5$ such oscillations can only occur in 4 to 5$\%$ of the Monte Carlo simulations. While statistical fluctuations can be responsible for this apparent oscillation, we might have observed a hint for some behaviour beyond the expectations of the concordance model or a possible additional systematic in the data. If this apparent oscillation is not due to statistical or systematic effects, it could be due to either the presence of coherent inhomogeneities at low $z$ or due to oscillations of a quintessence scalar field., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Version published in MNRAS. Added references and one extra figure that better illustrates the results of the analysis

The orbital decay of a perturber within a larger system plays a key role in the dynamics of many astrophysical systems -- from nuclear star clusters or globular clusters in galaxies, to massive black holes in galactic nuclei, to dwarf galaxy satellites within the dark matter halos of more massive galaxies. For many decades, there have been various attempts to determine the underlying physics and time-scales of the drag mechanism, ranging from the local dynamical friction approach to descriptions based on the back-reaction of global modes induced in the background system. We present ultra-high-resolution $N$-body simulations of massive satellites orbiting a Milky Way-like galaxy (with $> 10^8$ particles), that appear to capture both the local "wake" and the global "mode" induced in the primary halo. We address directly the mechanism of orbital decay from the combined action of local and global perturbations and specifically analyze where the bulk of the torque originates., Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables, accepted by ApJ

Phantom dark energy can produce amplified cosmic acceleration at late times, thus increasing the value of $H_0$ favored by CMB data and releasing the tension with local measurements of $H_0$. We show that the best fit value of $H_0$ in the context of the CMB power spectrum is degenerate with a constant equation of state parameter $w$, in accordance with the approximate effective linear equation $H_0 + 30.93\; w - 36.47 = 0$ ($H_0$ in $km \; sec^{-1} \; Mpc^{-1}$). This equation is derived by assuming that both $\Omega_{0 \rm m}h^2$ and $d_A=\int_0^{z_{rec}}\frac{dz}{H(z)}$ remain constant (for invariant CMB spectrum) and equal to their best fit Planck/$\Lambda$CDM values as $H_0$, $\Omega_{0 \rm m}$ and $w$ vary. For $w=-1$, this linear degeneracy equation leads to the best fit $H_0=67.4 \; km \; sec^{-1} \; Mpc^{-1}$ as expected. For $w=-1.22$ the corresponding predicted CMB best fit Hubble constant is $H_0=74 \; km \; sec^{-1} \; Mpc^{-1}$ which is identical with the value obtained by local distance ladder measurements while the best fit matter density parameter is predicted to decrease since $\Omega_{0 \rm m}h^2$ is fixed. We verify the above $H_0-w$ degeneracy equation by fitting a $w$CDM model with fixed values of $w$ to the Planck TT spectrum showing also that the quality of fit ($\chi^2$) is similar to that of $\Lambda$CDM. However, when including SnIa, BAO or growth data the quality of fit becomes worse than $\Lambda$CDM when $w< -1$. Finally, we generalize the $H_0-w(z)$ degeneracy equation for $w(z)=w_0+w_1\; z/(1+z)$ and identify analytically the full $w_0-w_1$ parameter region that leads to a best fit $H_0=74\; km \; sec^{-1} \; Mpc^{-1}$ in the context of the Planck CMB spectrum. This exploitation of $H_0-w(z)$ degeneracy can lead to immediate identification of all parameter values of a given $w(z)$ parametrization that can potentially resolve the $H_0$ tension., Comment: 11 pages, 7 Figures. Version published in Physical Review D. Added references and discussion on physical models. The numerical analysis files used for the production of the figures of the paper may be downloaded from https://github.com/GeorgeAlestas/H0_Tension_Data

A redshift tomography of the Pantheon type Ia supernovae (SnIa) data focusing on the best fit value of the absolute magnitude $M$ and/or Hubble constant $H_0$ in the context of $\Lambda$CDM indicates a local variation ($z\lesssim 0.2$) at $2\sigma$ level, with respect to the best fit of the full dataset. If this variation is physical, it can be interpreted either as a locally higher value of $H_0$, corresponding to a local matter underdensity $\delta \rho_0/\rho_0 \simeq -0.10 \pm 0.04$ or as a time variation of Newton's constant which implies an evolving Chandrasekhar mass and thus an evolving absolute magnitude $M$ of SnIa. The local void scenario would predict an anisotropy in the best fit value of $H_0$ since it is unlikely that we are located at the center of a local spherical underdensity. Using a hemisphere comparison method we find an anisotropy level consistent with simulated isotropic datasets. We show however, that the anisotropic sky distribution of the Pantheon SnIa data induces a preferred range of directions even in simulated Pantheon data obtained in the context of isotropic $\Lambda$CDM. We thus construct a more isotropically distributed subset of the Pantheon SnIa and show that the preferred range of directions disappears. Using this subset we again find no evidence for anisotropy using either the hemisphere comparison method or the dipole fit method. In the context of the modified gravity scenario, we allow for an evolving normalized Newton's constant consistent with General Relativity (GR) at early and late times $\mu(z)=1+g_a z^2/(1+z)^2-g_a z^4/(1+z)^4$ and fit for $g_a$ assuming $L\sim G_{\rm{eff}}^b$. For $b=-3/2$ indicated by previous studies we find $g_a=-0.47 \pm 0.36$ which is more than $1.5\sigma$ away from the GR value of $g_a=0$. This weak hint for weaker gravity at low $z$ is consistent with similar evidence from growth and weak lensing data., Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, 2 Tables. Version published in Physical Review D. References added, appendix added with discussion of systematic uncertainties. The mathematica files for the production of the figures can be downloaded from https://github.com/lkazantzi/pantheon-tomography

Dynamical observational probes of the growth of density perturbations indicate that gravity may be getting weaker at low redshifts $z$. This evidence is at about $2-3\sigma$ level and comes mainly from weak lensing data that measure the parameter $S_8=\sigma_8 \sqrt{\Omega_{0m}/0.3}$ and redshift space distortion data that measure the growth rate times the amplitude of the linear power spectrum parameter $f\sigma_8 (z)$. The measured $f\sigma_8$ appears to be lower than the prediction of General Relativity (GR) in the context of the standard $\Lambda$CDM model as defined by the Planck best fit parameter values. This is the well known $f\sigma_8$ tension of $\Lambda$CDM, which constitutes one of the two main large scale challenges of the model along with the $H_0$ tension. We review the observational evidence that leads to the $f\sigma_8$ tension and discuss some theoretical implications. If this tension is not a systematic effect it may be an early hint of modified gravity with an evolving effective Newton's constant $G_{eff}$ and gravitational slip parameter $\eta$. We discuss such best fit parametrizations of $G_{eff}(z)$ and point out that they can not be reproduced by simple scalar-tensor and $f(R)$ modified gravity theories because these theories generically predict stronger gravity than General Relativity (GR) at low $z$ in the context of a $\Lambda$CDM background $H(z)$. Finally, we show weak evidence for an evolving reduced absolute magnitude of the SnIa of the Pantheon dataset at low redshifts ($z<0.1$) which may also be explained by a reduced strength of gravity and may help resolve the $H_0$ tension., Comment: 19 pages,12 Figs.Invited contribution for the White Paper of COST CA-15117 project `CANTATA'. The numerical analysis files used may be downloaded from http://leandros.physics.uoi.gr/cantata-wp/wp-num-analysis.zip. Published as: '$\sigma_8$ Tension: Is Gravity Getting Weaker at Low z? Observational Evidence and Theoretical Implications') at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-83715-0

General Relativity (GR) is consistent with a wide range of experiments/observations from millimeter scales up to galactic scales and beyond. However, there are reasons to believe that GR may need to be modified because it includes singularities (it is an incomplete theory) and also it requires fine-tuning to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe through the cosmological constant. Thus, it is important to check various experiments and observations beyond the above range of scales for possible hints of deviations from the predictions of GR. If such hints are found it is important to understand which classes of modified gravity theories are consistent with them. The goal of this review is to summarize recent progress on these issues. On sub millimeter scales we show an analysis of the data of the Washington experiment (Kapner et al. (2007)) searching for modifications of Newton's Law on sub-millimeter scales and demonstrate that a spatially oscillating signal is hidden in this dataset. We show that even though this signal cannot be explained in the context of standard modified theories (viable scalar tensor and $f(R)$ theories), it is a rather generic prediction of nonlocal gravity theories. On cosmological scales we review recent analyses of Redshift Space Distortion data which measure the growth rate of cosmological perturbations at various redshifts and show that these data are in some tension with the $\Lambda$CDM parameter values indicated by Planck/2015 CMB data at about 3$\sigma$ level. This tension can be reduced by allowing for an evolution of the effective Newton constant that determines the growth rate of cosmological perturbations. We conclude that even though this tension between the data and the predictions of GR could be due to systematic/statistical uncertainties of the data, it could also constitute early hints of a new gravitational theory., Comment: 21 pages (two column), 22 figures. Minor modifications, references added. Invited Review for Special Issue on Modified Gravity. Published in International Journal of Modern Physics D, Vol. 28, No. 05, 1942001 (2019)

A cosmological observable measured in a range of redshifts can be used as a probe of a set of cosmological parameters. Given the cosmological observable and the cosmological parameter, there is an optimum range of redshifts where the observable can constrain the parameter in the most effective manner. For other redshift ranges the observable values may be degenerate with respect to the cosmological parameter values and thus inefficient in constraining the given parameter. These are blind redshift ranges. We determine the optimum and the blind redshift ranges of cosmological observables with respect to the cosmological parameters: matter density parameter $\Omega_m$, equation of state parameter $w$ and a modified gravity parameter $g_a$ which parametrizes the evolution of an effective Newton's constant. We consider the observables: growth rate of matter density perturbations expressed through $f(z)$ and $f\sigma_8$, the distance modulus $\mu(z)$, Baryon Acoustic Oscillation observables $D_V(z) \times \frac{r_s^{fid}}{r_s}$, $H \times \frac{r_s}{r_s^{fid}}$ and $D_A \times \frac{r_s^{fid}}{r_s}$, $H(z)$ measurements and the gravitational wave luminosity distance. We introduce a new statistic $S_P^O(z)\equiv \frac{\Delta O}{\Delta P}(z) \cdot V_{eff}^{1/2}$, including the effective survey volume $V_{eff}$, as a measure of the constraining power of a given observable $O$ with respect to a cosmological parameter $P$ as a function of redshift $z$. We find blind redshift spots $z_b$ ($S_P^O(z_b)\simeq 0$) and optimal redshift spots $z_s$ ($S_P^O(z_s)\simeq max$) for these observables with respect to the parameters $\Omega_m$, $w$ and $g_a$. For $O=f\sigma_8$ and $P=(\Omega_{m},w,g_a)$ we find blind spots at $z_b\simeq(1,2,2.7)$ respectively and optimal (sweet) spots at $z_s=(0.5,0.8,1.2)$. Thus probing higher redshifts may be less effective than probing lower redshifts with higher accuracy., Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures, 5 tables. Version matches published version. The effective survey volume has been taken into account when determining the blind and optimal redshift spots. The Mathematica files used for the numerical analysis and for construction of the figures can be found at http://leandros.physics.uoi.gr/opt-redshift/

Recent analyses \cite{Nesseris:2017vor,Kazantzidis:2018rnb} have indicated that an effective Newton's constant $G_{\rm eff}(z)$ decreasing with redshift may relieve the observed tension between the Planck15 best fit $\Lambda$CDM cosmological background ({\it i.e.} Planck15/$\Lambda$CDM) and the corresponding $\Lambda$CDM background favored by growth $f\sigma_8$ and weak lensing data. We investigate the consistency of such a decreasing $G_{\rm eff}(z)$ with some viable scalar-tensor models and $f(R)$ theories. We stress that $f(R)$ theories generically can not lead to a decreasing $G_{\rm eff}(z)$ for any cosmological background. For scalar-tensor models we deduce that in the context of a $\Lambda$CDM cosmological background, a decreasing $G_{\rm eff}(z)$ is not consistent with a large Brans-Dicke parameter $\omega_{BD,0}$ today. This inconsistency remains and amplifies in the presence of a phantom dark energy equation of state parameter ($w < -1$). However it can be avoided for $w >-1$. We also find that any modified gravity model with the required decreasing $G_{\rm eff}(z)$ and $G_{{\rm eff},0}=G$, would have a characteristic signature in its growth index $\gamma$ with $0.61\lesssim \gamma_0\lesssim 0.69$ and large slopes $\gamma_0'$, $0.16\lesssim \gamma_0'\lesssim 0.4$, which is a characteristic signature of a decreasing (with $z$) $G_{\rm eff}(z)

Theoretical models for the expected merger rates of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) are vital for planned gravitational-wave detection experiments such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Using collisionless $N$-body simulations of dwarf galaxy (DG) mergers, we examine how the orbital decay of IMBHs and the efficiency of IMBH binary formation depend on the central dark matter (DM) density profile of the merging DGs. Specifically, we explore various asymptotic inner slopes $\gamma$ of the DG's DM density distribution, ranging from steep cusps ($\gamma=1$) to shallower density profiles ($\gamma<1$), motivated by well-known baryonic-feedback effects as well as by DM models that differ from cold DM at the scales of DGs. We find that the inner DM slope is crucial for the formation (or lack thereof) of an IMBH binary; only mergers between DGs with cuspy DM profiles ($\gamma=1$) are favourable to forming a hard IMBH binary, whereas when $\gamma<1$ the IMBHs stall at a separation of 50-100 pc. Consequently, the rate of LISA signals from IMBH coalescence will be determined by the fraction of DGs with a cuspy DM profile. Conversely, the LISA event rates at IMBH mass scales offer in principle a novel way to place constraints on the inner structure of DM halos in DGs and address the core-cusp controversy. We also show that, with spatial resolutions of $\sim$0.1 kpc, as often adopted in cosmological simulations, all IMBHs stall, independent of $\gamma$. This suggests caution in employing cosmological simulations of galaxy formation to study BH dynamics in DGs., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJL

The grand challenges of contemporary fundamental physics---dark matter, dark energy, vacuum energy, inflation and early universe cosmology, singularities and the hierarchy problem---all involve gravity as a key component. And of all gravitational phenomena, black holes stand out in their elegant simplicity, while harbouring some of the most remarkable predictions of General Relativity: event horizons, singularities and ergoregions. The hitherto invisible landscape of the gravitational Universe is being unveiled before our eyes: the historical direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration marks the dawn of a new era of scientific exploration. Gravitational-wave astronomy will allow us to test models of black hole formation, growth and evolution, as well as models of gravitational-wave generation and propagation. It will provide evidence for event horizons and ergoregions, test the theory of General Relativity itself, and may reveal the existence of new fundamental fields. The synthesis of these results has the potential to radically reshape our understanding of the cosmos and of the laws of Nature. The purpose of this work is to present a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the relevant fields of research, summarize important open problems, and lay out a roadmap for future progress., Comment: White Paper for the COST action "Gravitational Waves, Black Holes, and Fundamental Physics", 272 pages, 12 figures; v4: updated references and author list. Overall improvements and corrections. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravity

We construct an updated extended compilation of distinct (but possibly correlated) $f\sigma_8(z)$ Redshift Space Distortion (RSD) data published between 2006 and 2018. It consists of 63 datapoints and is significantly larger than previously used similar datasets. After fiducial model correction we obtain the best fit $\Omega_{0m}-\sigma_8$ $\Lambda$CDM parameters and show that they are at a $5\sigma$ tension with the corresponding Planck15/$\Lambda$CDM values. Introducing a nontrivial covariance matrix correlating randomly $20\%$ of the RSD datapoints has no significant effect on the above tension level. We show that the tension disappears (becomes less than $1\sigma$) when a subsample of the 20 most recently published data is used. A partial cause for this reduced tension is the fact that more recent data tend to probe higher redshifts (with higher errorbars) where there is degeneracy among different models due to matter domination. Allowing for a nontrivial evolution of the effective Newton's constant as $G_{\textrm{eff}}(z)/G_{\textrm{N}} = 1 + g_a \left(\frac{z}{1+z}\right)^2 - g_a \left(\frac{z}{1+z}\right)^4$ ($g_a$ is a parameter) and fixing a \plcdm background we find $g_a=-0.91\pm 0.17$ from the full $f\sigma_8$ dataset while the 20 earliest and 20 latest datapoints imply $g_a=-1.28^{+0.28}_{-0.26}$ and $g_a=-0.43^{+0.46}_{-0.41}$ respectively. Thus, the more recent $f\sigma_8$ data appear to favor GR in contrast to earlier data. Finally, we show that the parametrization $f\sigma_8(z)=\lambda \sigma_8 \Omega(z)^\gamma /(1+z)^\beta$ provides an excellent fit to the solution of the growth equation for both GR ($g_a=0$) and modified gravity ($g_a\neq 0$)., Comment: Version published in Phys. Rev. D 97, 103503 (3 May 2018). 17 pages, 11 figures. Added a Table indicating the consistency of RSD data with other growth of perturbation probes (weak lensing). The Mathematica files with the numerical analysis may be downloaded from http://leandros.physics.uoi.gr/growth-tomography

A conclusive model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies still remains elusive. Owing to their proximity to the massive spirals Milky Way (MW) and M31, various environmental processes have been invoked to explain their origin. In this context, the tidal stirring model postulates that interactions with MW-sized hosts can transform rotationally supported dwarfs, resembling present-day dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, into systems with the kinematic and structural properties of dSphs. Using N-body+SPH simulations, we investigate the dependence of this transformation mechanism on the gas fraction, fgas, in the disk of the progenitor dwarf. Our numerical experiments incorporate for the first time the combined effects of radiative cooling, ram-pressure stripping, star formation, supernova (SN) winds, and a cosmic UV background. For a given orbit inside the primary galaxy, rotationally supported dwarfs with gas fractions akin to those of observed dIrrs (fgas >= 0.5), demonstrate a substantially enhanced likelihood and efficiency of transformation into dSphs relative to their collisionless (fgas = 0) counterparts. We argue that the combination of ram-pressure stripping and SN winds causes the gas-rich dwarfs to respond more impulsively to tides, augmenting their transformation. When fgas >= 0.5, disky dwarfs on previously unfavorable low-eccentricity or large-pericenter orbits are still able to transform. On the widest orbits, the transformation is incomplete; the dwarfs retain significant rotational support, a relatively flat shape, and some gas, naturally resembling transition-type systems. We conclude that tidal stirring constitutes a prevalent evolutionary mechanism for shaping the structure of dwarf galaxies within the currently favored CDM cosmological paradigm., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters, 8 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX (uses emulateapj.cls)