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

The $\Lambda$CDM model provides a good fit to a large span of cosmological data but harbors areas of phenomenology. With the improvement of the number and the accuracy of observations, discrepancies among key cosmological parameters of the model have emerged. The most statistically significant tension is the $4-6\sigma$ disagreement between predictions of the Hubble constant $H_0$ by early time probes with $\Lambda$CDM model, and a number of late time, model-independent determinations of $H_0$ from local measurements of distances and redshifts. The high precision and consistency of the data at both ends present strong challenges to the possible solution space and demand a hypothesis with enough rigor to explain multiple observations--whether these invoke new physics, unexpected large-scale structures or multiple, unrelated errors. We present a thorough review of the problem, including a discussion of recent Hubble constant estimates and a summary of the proposed theoretical solutions. Some of the models presented are formally successful, improving the fit to the data in light of their additional degrees of freedom, restoring agreement within $1-2\sigma$ between {\it Planck} 2018, using CMB power spectra data, BAO, Pantheon SN data, and R20, the latest SH0ES Team measurement of the Hubble constant ($H_0 = 73.2 \pm 1.3{\rm\,km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}$ at 68\% confidence level). Reduced tension might not simply come from a change in $H_0$ but also from an increase in its uncertainty due to degeneracy with additional physics, pointing to the need for additional probes. While no specific proposal makes a strong case for being highly likely or far better than all others, solutions involving early or dynamical dark energy, neutrino interactions, interacting cosmologies, primordial magnetic fields, and modified gravity provide the best options until a better alternative comes along.[Abridged]

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6382/ac086d/pdf

In the realm of the Hubble tension - a review of solutions

Cosmology Intertwined: A Review of the Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Associated with the Cosmological Tensions and Anomalies

Snowmass2021 - Letter of interest cosmology intertwined II: The hubble constant tension

The axion is a promising dark matter candidate, which was originally proposed to solve the strong-$CP$ problem in particle physics. To date, the available parameter space for axion and axionlike particle dark matter is relatively unexplored, particularly at masses ${m}_{a}\ensuremath{\lesssim}1\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$. ABRACADABRA is a new experimental program to search for axion dark matter over a broad range of masses, ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{m}_{a}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$. ABRACADABRA-10 cm is a small-scale prototype for a future detector that could be sensitive to the QCD axion. In this Letter, we present the first results from a 1 month search for axions with ABRACADABRA-10 cm. We find no evidence for axionlike cosmic dark matter and set 95% C.L. upper limits on the axion-photon coupling between ${g}_{a\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}}l1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$ and ${g}_{a\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}}l3.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ over the mass range $3.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}--8.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$. These results are competitive with the most stringent astrophysical constraints in this mass range.

First Results from ABRACADABRA-10 cm: A Search for Sub-μeV Axion Dark Matter.

We consider using particle production as a friction force by which to implement a “Relaxion” solution to the electroweak hierarchy problem. Using this approach, we are able to avoid superplanckian field excursions and avoid any conflict with the strong CP problem. The relaxation mechanism can work before, during or after inflation allowing for inflationary dynamics to play an important role or to be completely decoupled.

/pdf/relaxation-from-particle-production-1ib6ap4iov.pdf

Relaxation from particle production

We present a new mechanism to deplete the energy density of the QCD axion, making decay constants as high as fa ≃ 1017 GeV viable for generic initial conditions. In our setup, the axion couples to a massless dark photon with a coupling that is moderately stronger than the axion coupling to gluons. Dark photons are produced copiously through a tachyonic instability when the axion field starts oscillating, and an exponential suppression of the axion density can be achieved. For a large part of the parameter space this dark radiation component of the universe can be observable in upcoming CMB experiments. Such dynamical depletion of the axion density ameliorates the isocurvature bound on the scale of inflation. The depletion also amplifies the power spectrum at scales that enter the horizon before particle production begins, potentially leading to axion miniclusters.

/pdf/opening-up-the-qcd-axion-window-60aaomhwps.pdf

Opening up the QCD axion window

We present a model where the QCD axion is at the TeV scale and visible at a collider via its decays. Conformal dynamics and strong CP considerations account for the axion coupling strongly enough to the standard model to be produced as well as the coincidence between the weak scale and the axion mass. The model predicts additional pseudoscalar color octets whose properties are completely determined by the axion properties rendering the theory testable.

/pdf/a-collider-observable-qcd-axion-52cnp5zc8d.pdf

A collider observable QCD axion

Standard cosmology predicts that prior to matter-radiation equality about 41% of the energy density was in free-streaming neutrinos. In many beyond Standard Model scenarios, however, the amount and free-streaming nature of this component is modified. For example, this occurs in models with new neutrino self-interactions or an additional dark sector with interacting light particles. We consider several extensions of the standard cosmology that include a non-free-streaming radiation component as motivated by such particle physics models and use the final Planck data release to constrain them. This release contains significant improvements in the polarization likelihood which plays an important role in distinguishing free-streaming from interacting radiation species. Fixing the total amount of energy in radiation to match the expectation from standard neutrino decoupling we find that the fraction of free-streaming radiation must be $f_\mathrm{fs} > 0.8$ at 95% CL (combining temperature, polarization and baryon acoustic oscillation data). Allowing for arbitrary contributions of free-streaming and interacting radiation, the effective number of new non-free-streaming degrees of freedom is constrained to be $N_\mathrm{fld} < 0.6$ at 95% CL. Cosmologies with additional radiation are also known to ease the discrepancy between the local measurement and CMB inference of the current expansion rate $H_0$. We show that including a non-free-streaming radiation component allows for a larger amount of total energy density in radiation, leading to a mild improvement of the fit to cosmological data compared to previously discussed models with only a free-streaming component.

Interacting radiation after Planck and its implications for the Hubble Tension

A dark photon is a well-motivated new particle which, as a component of an associated dark sector, could explain dark matter. One strong limit on dark photons arises from excessive cooling of supernovae. We point out that even at couplings where too few dark photons are produced in supernovae to violate the cooling bound, they can be observed directly through their decays. Supernovae produce dark photons which decay to positrons, giving a signal in the 511 keV annihilation line observed by SPI/INTEGRAL. Further, prompt gamma-ray emission by these decaying dark photons gives a signal for gamma-ray telescopes. Existing GRS observations of SN1987a already constrain this, and a future nearby SN could provide a detection. Finally, dark photon decays from extragalactic SN would produce a diffuse flux of gamma rays observable by detectors such as SMM and HEAO-1. Together these observations can probe dark photon couplings several orders of magnitude beyond current constraints for masses of roughly 1-100 MeV.

/pdf/observable-signatures-of-dark-photons-from-supernovae-554iugxap6.pdf

Gustavo Marques-Tavares

Papers

Relaxation from particle production

Opening up the QCD axion window

A collider observable QCD axion

Interacting radiation after Planck and its implications for the Hubble Tension

Observable signatures of dark photons from supernovae