Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences 

About: Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is an academic journal published by Frontiers Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Physics & Solar wind. It has an ISSN identifier of 2296-987X. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1193 publications have been published receiving 7851 citations.

Neutrino Mass Ordering from Oscillations and Beyond: 2018 Status and Future Prospects

Abstract: The ordering of the neutrino masses is a crucial input for a deep understanding of flavor physics, and its determination may provide the key to establish the relationship among the lepton masses and mixings and their analogous properties in the quark sector The extraction of the neutrino mass ordering is a data-driven field expected to evolve very rapidly in the next decade In this review, we both analyze the present status and describe the physics of subsequent prospects Firstly, the different current available tools to measure the neutrino mass ordering are described Namely, reactor, long-baseline (accelerator and atmospheric) neutrino beams, laboratory searches for beta and neutrinoless double beta decays and observations of the cosmic background radiation and the large scale structure of the universe are carefully reviewed Secondly, the results from an up-to-date comprehensive global fit are reported: the Bayesian analysis to the 2018 publicly available oscillation and cosmological data sets provides strong evidence for the normal neutrino mass ordering versus the inverted scenario, with a significance of 35 standard deviations This preference for the normal neutrino mass ordering is mostly due to neutrino oscillation measurements Finally, we shall also emphasize the future perspectives for unveiling the neutrino mass ordering In this regard, apart from describing the expectations from the aforementioned probes, we also focus on those arising from alternative and novel methods, as 21 cm cosmology, core-collapse supernova neutrinos and the direct detection of relic neutrinos

An asymptotically safe guide to quantum gravity and matter

Abstract: Asymptotic safety generalizes asymptotic freedom and could contribute to understanding physics beyond the Standard Model. It is a candidate scenario to provide an ultraviolet extension for the effective quantum field theory of gravity through an interacting fixed point of the Renormalization Group. Recently, asymptotic safety has been established in specific gauge-Yukawa models in four dimensions in perturbation theory, providing a starting point for asymptotically safe model building. Moreover, an asymptotically safe fixed point might even be induced in the Standard Model under the impact of quantum fluctuations of gravity in the vicinity of the Planck scale. This review contains an overview of the key concepts of asymptotic safety, its application to matter and gravity models, exploring potential phenomenological implications and highlighting open questions.

Dark Energy in Light of Multi-Messenger Gravitational-Wave Astronomy

Abstract: Author(s): Ezquiaga, JM; Zumalacarregui, M | Abstract: Gravitational waves (GWs) provide a new tool to probe the nature of dark energy (DE) and the fundamental properties of gravity. We review the different ways in which GWs can be used to test gravity and models for late-time cosmic acceleration. Lagrangian-based gravitational theories beyond general relativity (GR) are classified into those breaking fundamental assumptions, containing additional fields and massive graviton(s). In addition to Lagrangian based theories we present the effective theory of DE and the μ-Σ parametrization as general descriptions of cosmological gravity. Multi-messenger GW detections can be used to measure the cosmological expansion (standard sirens), providing an independent test of the DE equation of state and measuring the Hubble parameter. Several key tests of gravity involve the cosmological propagation of GWs, including anomalous GW speed, massive graviton excitations, Lorentz violating dispersion relation, modified GW luminosity distance and additional polarizations, which may also induce GW oscillations. We summarize present constraints and their impact on DE models, including those arising from the binary neutron star merger GW170817. Upgrades of LIGO-Virgo detectors to design sensitivity and the next generation facilities such as LISA or Einstein Telescope will significantly improve these constraints in the next two decades.

The role of magnetic field in molecular cloud formation and evolution

Abstract: We review the role that magnetic field may have on the formation and evolution of molecular clouds. After a brief presentation and main assumptions leading to ideal MHD equations, their most important correction, namely the ion-neutral drift is described. The nature of the multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM) and the thermal processes that allows this gas to become denser are presented. Then we discuss our current knowledge of compressible magnetized turbulence, thought to play a fundamental role in the ISM. We also describe what is known regarding the correlation between the magnetic and the density fields. Then the influence that magnetic field may have on the interstellar filaments and the molecular clouds is discussed, notably the role it may have on the prestellar dense cores as well as regarding the formation of stellar clusters. Finally we briefly review its possible effects on the formation of molecular clouds themselves. We argue that given the magnetic intensities that have been measured, it is likely that magnetic field is i) responsible of reducing the star formation rate in dense molecular cloud gas by a factor of a few, ii) strongly shaping the interstellar gas by generating a lot of filaments and reducing the numbers of clumps, cores and stars, although its exact influence remains to be better understood. Moreover at small scales, magnetic braking is likely a dominant process that strongly modifies the outcome of the star formation process. Finally, we stress that inducing the formation of more massive stars, magnetic field could possibly enhance the impact of stellar feedback.

Open questions in cosmic-ray research at ultrahigh energies

Abstract: We review open questions and prospects for progress in ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) research, based on a series of discussions that took place during the “The High-Energy Universe: Gamma-Ray, Neutrino, and Cosmic-ray Astronomy” MIAPP workshop in 2018. Specifically, we overview open questions on the origin of the bulk of UHECRs, the UHECR mass composition, the origin of the end of the cosmic-ray spectrum, the transition from Galactic to extragalactic cosmic rays, the effect of magnetic fields on the trajectories of UHECRs, anisotropy expectations for specific astrophysical scenarios, hadronic interactions, and prospects for discovering neutral particles as well as new physics at ultrahigh energies. We also briefly overview upcoming and proposed UHECR experiments and discuss their projected science reach.