Constraining beyond ΛCDM models with 21cm intensity mapping forecasted observations combined with latest CMB data

We explore constraints on dark energy and modified gravity with forecasted 21cm intensity mapping measurements using the Effective Field Theory approach. We construct a realistic mock data set forecasting a low redshift 21cm signal power spectrum P 21(z,k) measurement from the MeerKAT radio-telescope. We compute constraints on cosmological and model parameters through Monte-Carlo Markov-Chain techniques, testing both the constraining power of P 21(k) alone and its effect when combined with the latest Planck 2018 CMB data. We complement our analysis by testing the effects of tomography from an ideal mock data set of observations in multiple redshift bins. We conduct our analysis numerically with the codes EFTCAMB/EFTCosmoMC, which we extend by implementing a likelihood module fully integrated with the original codes. We find that adding P 21(k) to CMB data provides significantly tighter constraints on Ωc h 2 and H 0, with a reduction of the error with respect to Planck results at the level of more than 60%. For the parameters describing beyond ΛCDM theories, we observe a reduction in the error with respect to the Planck constraints at the level of ≲ 10%. The improvement increases up to ∼ 35% when we constrain the parameters using ideal, tomographic mock observations. We conclude that the power spectrum of the 21cm signal is sensitive to variations of the parameters describing the examined beyond ΛCDM models and, thus, P 21(k) observations could help to constrain dark energy. The constraining power on such theories is improved significantly by tomography.

Maximum latent heat of neutron star matter without GR

We show how the specific latent heat is relevant to characterize the first-order phase transitions in neutron stars. Our current knowledge of this dynamical quantity strongly depends on the uncertainty bands of Chiral Perturbation Theory and of pQCD calculations and can be used to diagnose progress on the equation of state. We state what is known to be hadron-model independent and without feedback from neutron star observations and, therefore, they can be used to test General Relativity as well as theories beyond GR, such as modified gravity.

Observational scalings testing modified gravity

We consider different observational effects to test a modified gravity approach involving the cosmological constant in the common description of dark matter and dark energy.We obtain upper limits for the cosmological constant by studying the scaling relations for 12 nearby galaxy clusters, the radiated power from gravitational waves and the Tully-Fisher relation for super spiral galaxies. Our estimations reveal that, for all these cases, the upper limits for Λ are consistent with its actual value predicted by cosmological observations.

A Stellar Constraint on Eddington-inspired Born–Infeld Gravity from Cataclysmic Variable Binaries

Eddington-inspired Born–Infeld gravity is an important modification of Einstein’s general relativity, which can give rise to nonsingular cosmologies at the classical level, and avoid the end-stage singularity in a gravitational collapse process. In the Newtonian limit, this theory gives rise to a modified Poisson’s equation, as a consequence of which stellar observables acquire model dependent corrections, compared to the ones computed in the low energy limit of general relativity. This can in turn be used to establish astrophysical constraints on the theory. Here, we obtain such a constraint using observational data from cataclysmic variable binaries. In particular, we consider the tidal disruption limit of the secondary star by a white dwarf primary. The Roche lobe filling condition of this secondary star is used to compute stellar observables in the modified gravity theory in a numerical scheme. These are then contrasted with the values obtained by using available data on these objects, via a Monte Carlo error progression method. This way, we are able to constrain the theory within the 5σ confidence level.

Testing Screened Modified Gravity

Long range scalar fields with a coupling to matter appear to violate known bounds on gravitation in the solar system and the laboratory. This is evaded thanks to screening mechanisms. In this short review, we shall present the various screening mechanisms from an effective field theory point of view. We then investigate how they can and will be tested in the laboratory and on astrophysical and cosmological scales.

Interiors of Terrestrial Planets in Metric-Affine Gravity

Using a semiempirical approach, we show that modified gravity affects the internal properties of terrestrial planets, such as their physical characteristics of a core, mantle, and core–mantle boundary. We also apply these findings for modeling a two-layer exoplanet in Palatini f(R) gravity.