http://www.maths.qmul.ac.uk/%7Elatora/report_06.pdf

Complex networks: Structure and dynamics

On September 14, 2015 at 09:50:45 UTC the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory simultaneously observed a transient gravitational-wave signal. The signal sweeps upwards in frequency from 35 to 250 Hz with a peak gravitational-wave strain of 1.0×10(-21). It matches the waveform predicted by general relativity for the inspiral and merger of a pair of black holes and the ringdown of the resulting single black hole. The signal was observed with a matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 24 and a false alarm rate estimated to be less than 1 event per 203,000 years, equivalent to a significance greater than 5.1σ. The source lies at a luminosity distance of 410(-180)(+160)  Mpc corresponding to a redshift z=0.09(-0.04)(+0.03). In the source frame, the initial black hole masses are 36(-4)(+5)M⊙ and 29(-4)(+4)M⊙, and the final black hole mass is 62(-4)(+4)M⊙, with 3.0(-0.5)(+0.5)M⊙c(2) radiated in gravitational waves. All uncertainties define 90% credible intervals. These observations demonstrate the existence of binary stellar-mass black hole systems. This is the first direct detection of gravitational waves and the first observation of a binary black hole merger.

/pdf/the-observation-of-gravitational-waves-from-a-binary-black-58srpupgg9.pdf

The Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger

Modified gravity theories have received increased attention lately due to combined motivation coming from high-energy physics, cosmology, and astrophysics. Among numerous alternatives to Einstein's theory of gravity, theories that include higher-order curvature invariants, and specifically the particular class of $f(R)$ theories, have a long history. In the last five years there has been a new stimulus for their study, leading to a number of interesting results. Here $f(R)$ theories of gravity are reviewed in an attempt to comprehensively present their most important aspects and cover the largest possible portion of the relevant literature. All known formalisms are presented---metric, Palatini, and metric affine---and the following topics are discussed: motivation; actions, field equations, and theoretical aspects; equivalence with other theories; cosmological aspects and constraints; viability criteria; and astrophysical applications.

f ( R ) theories of gravity

Modified Gravity and Cosmology

We report on the implications for cosmic inflation of the 2018 Release of the Planck CMB anisotropy measurements. The results are fully consistent with the two previous Planck cosmological releases, but have smaller uncertainties thanks to improvements in the characterization of polarization at low and high multipoles. Planck temperature, polarization, and lensing data determine the spectral index of scalar perturbations to be $n_\mathrm{s}=0.9649\pm 0.0042$ at 68% CL and show no evidence for a scale dependence of $n_\mathrm{s}.$ Spatial flatness is confirmed at a precision of 0.4% at 95% CL with the combination with BAO data. The Planck 95% CL upper limit on the tensor-to-scalar ratio, $r_{0.002}<0.10$, is further tightened by combining with the BICEP2/Keck Array BK15 data to obtain $r_{0.002}<0.056$. In the framework of single-field inflationary models with Einstein gravity, these results imply that: (a) slow-roll models with a concave potential, $V" (\phi) < 0,$ are increasingly favoured by the data; and (b) two different methods for reconstructing the inflaton potential find no evidence for dynamics beyond slow roll. Non-parametric reconstructions of the primordial power spectrum consistently confirm a pure power law. A complementary analysis also finds no evidence for theoretically motivated parameterized features in the Planck power spectrum, a result further strengthened for certain oscillatory models by a new combined analysis that includes Planck bispectrum data. The new Planck polarization data provide a stringent test of the adiabaticity of the initial conditions. The polarization data also provide improved constraints on inflationary models that predict a small statistically anisotropic quadrupolar modulation of the primordial fluctuations. However, the polarization data do not confirm physical models for a scale-dependent dipolar modulation.

/pdf/planck-2015-results-xx-constraints-on-inflation-4lq02ohyyn.pdf

Planck 2015 results. XX. Constraints on inflation

We derive an exact wormhole spacetime supported by a phantom scalar field in the context of $f({\sf R})$ gravity. Without specifying the form of the $f({\sf R})$ function, the scalar field self-interacts with a mass term potential that is derived from the scalar equation and the resulting $f({\sf R})$ model is purely supported by the scalar field and it is free of ghosts and avoids the tachyonic instability.

$f({\sf R})$ Gravity Wormholes sourced by a Phantom Scalar Field

We study the dynamics of the geometrical tachyon field on an unstable D3-brane in the background of a bulk tachyon field of a D3-brane solution of Type-0 string theory. We find that the geometrical tachyon potential is modified by a function of the bulk tachyon and inflation occurs at weak string coupling, where the bulk tachyon condenses, near the top of the geometrical tachyon potential. We also find a late accelerating phase when the bulk tachyon asymptotes to zero and the geometrical tachyon field reaches the minimum of the potential

The Effect of Bulk Tachyon Field on the Dynamics of Geometrical Tachyon

In this work we are revisiting the well studied Ellis wormhole solution in a generalized Horndeski theory motivated from the Kaluza-Klein compactification procedure of the more fundamental higher dimensional Lovelock gravity. We show that the Ellis wormhole is analytically supported by a gravitational theory with a non-trivial coupling to the Gauss-Bonnet term and we expand upon this notion by introducing higher derivative contributions of the scalar field. The extension of the gravitational theory does not yield any back-reacting component on the spacetime metric, which establishes the Ellis wormhole as a stealth solution in the generalized framework. We propose two simple mechanisms that dress the wormhole with an effective ADM mass. The first procedure is related to a conformal transformation of the metric which maps the theory to another Horndeski subclass, while the second one is inspired by the spontaneous scalarization effect on black holes.

Stealth Ellis Wormholes In Horndeski theories

We studied the superradiance effect of a charge black hole immersed in an expanding Universe. We considered a test massive charged scalar field scattered off the horizon of the charge McVittie black hole. We carried out a detailed analysis of the electric energy extracted from the horizon of McVittie black hole in two different epochs of the expansion of the Universe, the dust dominated and radiation dominated epochs. We found that we have the superradiance effect in both epochs of the expansion of the Universe. Our study also provides evidence that we have extraction of energy from the horizon of the neutral McVittie black hole.

Superradiance Effect of a Black Hole Immersed in an Expanding Universe

W e study thestability of ve-dim ensionalM yers-Perry black holeswith a single angularm om entum underlinearperturbations,and wecom putethequasinorm alm odes(Q NM ’s)oftheblack hole m etric projected on the brane,using Leaver’scontinued fraction m ethod. In ournum ericalsearch wedo not nd unstablem odes.Thedam ping tim eofm odeshaving l= m = 2 and l= m = 1 tends to in nity as the black hole spin tends to the extrem alvalue,showing a behaviour rem iniscent of the one observed forordinary 4{dim ensionalK errblack holes.

Eleftherios Papantonopoulos

Papers

$f({\sf R})$ Gravity Wormholes sourced by a Phantom Scalar Field

The Effect of Bulk Tachyon Field on the Dynamics of Geometrical Tachyon

Stealth Ellis Wormholes In Horndeski theories

Superradiance Effect of a Black Hole Immersed in an Expanding Universe

0 30 61 06 v 2 6 O ct 2 00 3 Stability of ve-dim ensionalrotating black holes projected on the brane