Astrophysics

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.