Cosmology and Gravitation

Large galaxy surveys have dramatically improved our understanding of astrophysics and cosmology in the high-redshift universe, but they are fundamentally limited by the need to integrate long enough to detect each individual source. Line intensity mapping has recently arisen as a powerful alternative to these surveys, offering access to fainter sources and larger volumes than conventional techniques. There has been a surge of experimental interest in this technique, with surveys planned or in progress across the electromagnetic spectrum. In this talk, I will describe the wide variety of science which we will obtain from these experiments in the next few years and illustrate the methods by which we can go from maps of confused line emission to useful astrophysics. I will show how intensity maps can give new insights into topics ranging from star formation to the high-redshift ISM to the Hubble constant tension. I will further discuss the utility of combining intensity maps with conventional surveys, both for systematics control and for studying processes like AGN feedback. I will close with a discussion of how modern machine learning methods can be used to further extend what we can learn from these surveys.

We introduce two new effective quantities for the study of comoving curvature perturbations ζ: the space dependent effective sound speed (SESS) and the momentum dependent effective sound speed (MESS) . We use the SESS and the MESS to derive a new set of equations,  not involving explicitly entropy or anisotropies, which can be applied to any system described by an effective stress-energy-momentum tensor (EST), including any multi-fields systems, supergravity and modified gravity theories.

The MESS is the natural quantity to parametrize in a model independent way the effects produced on curvature perturbations by multi-fields systems, particle production and modified gravity theories and could be conveniently used in the analysis of LSS observations, such as the ones from the upcoming EUCLID mission or CMB radiation measurements. It can be also useful to study in a model independent way the production of primordial black holes.

Beside the degeneracy due to different theoretical scenarios producing the same MESS, we show that in absence of entropy or effective anisotropic stress there is an additional degeneracy related to the freedom in the choice of the initial energy scale of inflation, or to the sign of the Hubble parameter.  This implies the existence of an infinite family of dual slow-roll parameters histories which can produce the same spectrum of comoving curvature perturbations, implying  that in general there is no one-to-one correspondence between the spectrum and higher order correlation functions. Bounce models are  examples of  the members of this infinite class of dual models.

The combined analysis of data from future CMB and gravitational wave experiments could allow to distinguish between dual models  because the primordial tensor perturbations spectra of dual models are in general different.

I’ll discuss the issue of how we can tell which quantum state might be the “right “ one for inflationary quantum fluctuations. I’ll then use a new class of states that entangle curvature fluctuations with those of a spectator scalar field and discuss potential observational signatures of such states.

It is generally believed that modification of general relativity inevitably introduce extra physical degree(s) of freedom.
In this talk I argue that this is not the case by constructing modified gravity theories with two local physical degrees of freedom. After classifying such theories into two types, I show explicit examples and discuss their cosmology and phenomenology.

Modified gravity theories typically feature numerous additional parameters and functions as compared to general relativity, which are unmotivated by observations and challenging to meaningfully constrain. We instead propose a new theory of gravity with the startling property of having *fewer* degrees of freedom than general relativity with a cosmological constant, by invoking a duality property within a first-order formulation that supports torsion. In this theory the cosmological constant becomes a space-time variable without introduction of kinetic terms, but its behaviour is tied to that of matter. I will describe the main properties of the theory, including its implications for cosmology. While there are strong indications that the simplest incarnation of the theory is not observationally viable, the theory can be used as a starting point for various extensions which appear more promising.

Based on arXiv:1905.10380 and arXiv:1905.10382, with Alexander, Cortês, Magueijo, Sims, and Smolin.

The history of the baryonic (normal) matter in the universe is an excellent probe of the  formation of cosmic structures and the evolution of galaxies.  Over the last decade, considerable effort has gone into investigating the physics of baryonic material, particularly after the epoch of Cosmic Dawn: signalling the birth of the earliest stars and 
galaxies --- widely considered the ‘final frontier’ of observational cosmology today. The technique of (line) ‘intensity mapping’ (IM) has emerged as a powerful tool to explore this phase of the universe by measuring the integrated emission from sources over a broad range of frequencies. I will overview my current research on the mapping of atomic hydrogen over 12  billion years of cosmic time, based on a data-driven framework developed for interpreting current and future IM observations. I will then describe extensions of this approach which provide a comprehensive picture of molecular gas evolution, and interpret results from ongoing observations. This opens up the exciting potential of constraining fundamental physics from Cosmic Dawn.

Fundamental physics traditionally views the dynamical laws governing the world as time reversal invariant. The evident arrow of time of nature is then held to be an accident, emerging as we coarse grain and originating in the improbable choice of initial conditions. The main pillar which supports this time-symmetric lifestyle is the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, which connects purely time-symmetric microscopic equations to the emergence of a macroscopic arrow of thermodynamics. I will describe arguments from statistical physics claiming that existing proofs of this theorem are faulty and do not demonstrate the emergence of an arrow from time-symmetric laws. I will argue that, as a result of this assumption of time symmetry, we cosmologists stand to pay an unreasonable price concerning what we’re expected to explain. I argue for instead to turn this picture around and propose a fundamental theory of cosmology and quantum gravity which is fundamentally time asymmetric and based on time-irreversible laws. I will describe a new class of models of quantum space-time, energetic causal sets, in which space-time itself, as well as aspects of quantum theory, emerge under natural conditions. The framework is based on arXiv:1307.6167 and subsequent papers in collaboration with Lee Smolin.

I'll discuss recent work on finding time-dependent solutions of a black hole interacting with a scalar field. I'll discuss two distinct cases where the back-reaction of the scalar can be found. First, in the case that the scalar is slowly rolling (such as in inflation) the scalar field can be found in terms of super-advanced time coordinate, regular on both horizons. The scalar back-reacts on the geometry, with the black hole accreting and growing more or less as expected. The second case I'll describe briefly is scalar hair in modified gravity - giving a scalar-dressed rotating black hole that is finite on both horizons. 

Quasars are among the most powerful light sources in the universe and, as such, can be seen at cosmological distances. Is some rare occasions (although not that rare), a massive galaxy on their line of sight can act as a gravitational lens and produce multiple images of distant quasars. These can be used both for cosmology and astrophysics by measuring the so-called time delays between the lensed images from photometric monitoring, a quantity directly related to the Hubble-Lemaître parameter H0. The same data, affected by microlensing by stars in the lensing galaxy, can be used to measure the size and energy profile of quasar accretion disks on spatial scales of the order of the light-day, i.e. inaccessible to even the largest interferometers, including the SKA. The results in this talk are on behalf of the COSMOGRAIL and H0LiCOW collaborations. 

Quantum decay of false vacuum states via the nucleation of bubbles may 
have played an important role in the early history of our Universe.  For 
example, in multiverse models that utilize false vacuum eternal 
inflation, the Big Bang of our observable Universe corresponds to one of 
these bubble nucleation events.  Further, our observable Universe may 
have undergone a series of symmetry-breaking first-order phase 
transitions as it cooled, which may have produced a remnant background 
of gravitational waves.

I will present results from a new real-time picture of false vacuum 
decay which, in contrast to existing semiclassical techniques, does not 
rely on classically forbidden tunneling paths.  Lattice simulations are 
used to evolve initial realizations of fluctuations around the false 
vacuum forward in time via the classical equations of motion.  In these 
simulations, we observe the false vacuum decay via the formation and 
subsequent expansion and coalescence of true vacuum bubbles.  By 
sampling initial field realizations, we build up ensembles of these 
decay histories and empirically determine the bubble nucleation rate.  
The rates agree well with standard Euclidean techniques, which cannot 
provide a time-dependent description of the decay.  Some novel 
applications of our new approach include investigation of bubble-bubble 
correlation functions, decay of time-evolving metastable states, decay 
of non-vacuum initial states, and the regime of rapid decays.

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a powerful probe to the Universe which carries signatures of cosmic secrets over a vast range of redshifts. Along with spatial fluctuations, spectral distortions of CMB blackbody are also a rich source of cosmological information. In my talk, I will introduce a new kind of spectral distortion of CMB which can arise due to the conversion of CMB photons into Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) in the presence of an external magnetic field. This effect leads to both polarized and unpolarized spatially varying spectral distortion signal with a unique spectral shape when CMB photons undergo resonant and non-resonant conversion into ALPs in the presence of the magnetic field of Milky Way, galaxy clusters and voids. I will discuss the spatial structure of this distortion which can arise from Milky Way and galaxy clusters and will show its uniqueness from other known cosmological and astrophysical signals. I will present the first all-sky map of this distortion which is obtained using the data of Planck satellite and will discuss the capability of this new cosmological window to probe ALPs from the upcoming ground-based and space-based CMB experiments such as CMB-S4, LiteBIRD, Simons Observatory, etc.