Astrophysics

In a complete theory of gravity we expect space-time singularities to be regularized by quantum effects. From this point of view, we have two possible regular alternatives to singular black holes (BHs) to describe the ultracompact objects that we saw in our universe: regular black holes and horizonless compact objects. I will talk about the possible structures of these black hole mimickers and the gravitational waves ringdown signal that we expect from their coalescence. In particular I will focus on the deviations in the spectrum of QNMs with respect to singular BHs, their possible detectability and the structure of echoes when backreaction effects are taken into account.

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While the standard $\Lambda$CDM model provides an astonishing fit to cosmological data, there is a 4-6 $\sigma$ tension in the Hubble constant, $H_0$, between the value inferred from early-Universe observables, Planck CMB anisotropy spectra, and the value determined by local measurements from SH0ES collaboration using Type 1a supernovae calibrated with Cepheid variables. As an effort to solve this tension, we develop a method of searching for data-driven solutions to the Hubble tension given cosmological dataset, based on the standard Fisher bias formalism. Taking as proof of principle the case of a time-varying electron mass, and focusing first on Planck CMB data, we demonstrate a modified recombination can solve the Hubble tension and lower $S_8$ to better match weak lensing measurements. Once baryonic acoustic oscillation and uncalibrated supernovae data are included, it is not possible to fully solve the tension with perturbative modifications to recombination. The method we develop in this work can be a useful tool to search for many other possible extensions to the $\Lambda$CDM model, and is expected to inspire a model-building effort from the cosmology and particle physics community.

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In this talk I will show how the gravitational potentials generated by ultralight dark matter halos interact with gravitational waves, resonantly amplifying them. Significant amplifications can be achieved in dense dark matter environments, where the Floquet exponent is increased. The frequency of the amplified gravitational wave is equal to the axion mass when one requires resonance in the first band. For some masses considered, the gravitational wave frequencies fall within the Pulsar Timing Array range, representing an interesting possibility to test ultralight axions as dark matter candidates.

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The fundamental nature of dark matter and dark energy remains unknown and requires new physics to explain. This talk will present a cosmological quest to understand the properties of these two dominant but invisible components of our universe. I will present my work on early and late-universe searches for the identity of dark matter, and discuss cosmological limits on its mass, interactions with Standard Model, and production mechanisms, using the measurements of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Cosmic Microwave Background, 21-cm, and cosmic structure. Within the next decade, upcoming surveys will dramatically improve our measurements of these probes, enabling new insights into the invisible universe. If time permits, I will briefly introduce my work on cosmological searches for dark energy, as well as modified gravity.

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The Sunyaev-Zel’dovich Effect—the Doppler boost of low-energy Cosmic Microwave Background photons scattering off free electrons—is an excellent probe of ionized gas residing in distant galaxies. Its two main constituents are the kinematic SZ effect (kSZ), where electrons have a non-zero line-of-sight (LOS) velocity and which probes the electron line-of-sight momentum, and the thermal SZ effect (tSZ), where electrons have high energies due to their temperature, and which probes the electron integrated pressure. These two effects provide complementary information to constrain the thermodynamic profile of gas residing in distant galaxies, which can be further used to understand feedback processes, a necessary ingredient to describe the evolution of the large-scale structure in our Universe. Both tSZ and kSZ can be measured in cross-correlation with large-scale structure. In this talk, I will discuss my past and ongoing measurements of the SZ-galaxy cross-correlation with unWISE galaxies, where to measure the kSZ effect I use the projected-fields estimator. unWISE is a galaxy catalog containing over 500 million galaxies on the full sky and consists of three subsamples of mean redshifts z=0.5, 1.1, 1.5, whose halo occupation distribution I have already constrained. If time permits, I will also present my work on mitigating foregrounds in the SZ cross-correlations, particularly the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB).

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