Search

Extending the phase-space description of the Weyl-Wigner quantum mechanics to a subset of non-linear Hamiltonians in position and momentum, gaussian functions are identified as the quantum ground state. Once a Hamiltonian, $H^{W}(q,\,p)$, is constrained by the $\partial ^2 H^{W} / \partial q \partial p = 0$ condition, flow properties for generic $1$-dim systems can be analytically obtained in terms of Wigner functions and Wigner currents. For gaussian statistical ensembles, the exact phase-space profile of the quantum fluctuations over the classical trajectories are found, so to interpret them as a suitable Hilbert space state configuration for confronting quantum and classical regimes. In particular, a sort of {\em quantum camouflage} where the stationarity of classical statistical ensembles can be camouflaged by the stationarity of gaussian quantum ensembles is identified. Besides the broadness of the framework worked out in some previous examples, our results provide an encompassing picture of quantum effects on non-linear dynamical systems which can be interpreted as a first step for finding the complete spectrum of non-standard Hamiltonians., Comment: 9 pages. Based on the work presente by by A.E.B. at DICE 2024 Spacetime - Matter - Quantum Mechanics ..., 16th - 20th September 20124, Castiglioncello, Italy

The properties of metric perturbations are determined in the context of an expanding Universe governed by a modified theory of gravity with a non-minimal coupling between curvature and matter. We analyse the dynamics of the 6 components of a general helicity decomposition of the metric and stress-energy perturbations, consisting of scalar, vector and tensor sectors. The tensor polarisations are shown to still propagate luminally, in agreement with recent data from gravitational interferometry experiments, while their magnitude decays with an additional factor sourced by the nonminimal coupling. We show that the production of these modes is associated with a modified quadrupole formula at leading order. The vector perturbations still exhibit no radiative behaviour, although their temporal evolution is found to be modified, with spatial dependence remaining unaffected. We establish that the scalar perturbations can no longer be treated as identical. We investigate the scalar sector by writing the modified model as an equivalent two-field scalar-tensor theory and find the same scalar degrees of freedom as in previous literature. The different sectors are paired with the corresponding polarisation modes, which can be observationally measured by their effects on the relative motion of test particles, thus providing the possibility of testing the modified theory and constraining its parameters., Comment: 34 pages, 3 figures

The extension of the phase-space Weyl-Wigner quantum mechanics to the subset of Hamiltonians in the form of $H(q,\,p) = {K}(p) + {V}(q)$ (with $K(p)$ replacing single $p^2$ contributions) is revisited. Deviations from classical and stationary profiles are identified in terms of Wigner functions and Wigner currents for Gaussian and gamma/Laplacian distribution ensembles. The procedure is successful in accounting for the exact pattern of quantum fluctuations when compared with the classical phase-space pattern. General results are then specialized to some specific Hamiltonians revealing non-linear dynamics, and suggest a novel algorithm to treat quantum modifications mapped by Wigner currents. Our analysis shows that the framework encompasses, for instance, the quantized prey-predator-like scenarios subjected to statistical constraints., Comment: 28 pages, 4 figures

The study of interactions between dark matter and the Higgs field opens an exciting connection between cosmology and particle physics, since such scenarios can impact the features of dark matter as well as interfering with the spontaneous breaking of the electroweak symmetry. Furthermore, such Higgs-portal models of dark matter should be suitably harmonised with the various epochs of the universe and the phenomenological constraints imposed by collider experiments. At the same time, the prospect of a stochastic gravitational wave background offers a promising new window into the primordial universe, which can complement the insights gained from accelerators. In this study, we examined whether gravitational waves can be generated from a curvature-induced phase transition of a non-minimally coupled dark scalar field with a portal coupling to the Higgs field. The main requirement is that the phase transition is of first order, which can be achieved through the introduction of a cubic term on the scalar potential and the sign change of the curvature scalar. This mechanism was investigated in the context of a dynamical spacetime during the transition from inflation to kination, while also considering the possibility for inducing electroweak symmetry breaking in this manner for a sufficiently low reheating temperature when the Higgs-portal coupling is extremely weak. We considered a large range of inflationary scales and both cases of positive and negative values for the non-minimal coupling, while taking into account the bound imposed by Big Bang Nucleosythesis. The resulting gravitational wave amplitudes are boosted by kination and thus constrain the parameter space of the couplings significantly. Even though the spectra lie at high frequencies for the standard high inflationary scales, there are combinations of parameter space where they could be probed with future experiments., Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures

The presently open problem of the Hubble tension is shown to be removed in the context of a modified theory of gravity with a non-minimal coupling between curvature and matter. By evolving the cosmological parameters that match the cosmic microwave background data until their values from direct late-time measurements, we obtain an agreement between different experimental methods without disrupting their individual validity. These modified gravity models are shown to provide adequate fits for other observational data from recent astrophysical surveys and to reproduce the late-time accelerated expansion of the Universe without the inclusion of a cosmological constant. This compatibility with observations presents further evidence of the versatility of these models in mimicking diverse cosmological phenomena in a unified manner., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures

In this work, we discuss the de Sitter swampland conjectures in the context of the generalized Chaplygin-inspired inflationary model. We demonstrate that these conjectures can be satisfied, but only in the region of the parameter space far away from the General Relativity limit. The cosmic microwave background data had already been found to restrict the allowed inflationary potentials of this model. Our results impose a further limitation on the possible potentials., Comment: 4 pages, matches published version

We argue that time crystal properties naturally arise from phase-space noncommutative quantum mechanics. In order to exemplify our point we consider the 2-dimensional noncommutative quantum harmonic oscillator and show that it exibihits periodic oscillations that can be identified as time crystals., Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2207.00346

We analyze the dynamics of the Sun-Earth-Moon system in the context of a particular class of theories of gravity where curvature and matter are nonminimally coupled (NMC). These theories can potentially violate the Equivalence Principle as they give origin to a fifth force and a extra non-Newtonian force that may imply that Earth and Moon fall differently towards the Sun. We show, through a detailed analysis, that consistency with the bound on Weak Equivalence Principle arising from 48 years of Lunar Laser Ranging data, for a range of parameters of the NMC gravity theory, can be achieved via the implementation of a suitable screening mechanism., Comment: 31 pages, 5 figures, 52 refs. Discussion of the results extended

It is proposed that the vacuum admits two different phases as described by the Chaplygin equation of state or its generalised version: a phase where the energy density behaves as if dominated by non-relativistic matter and a de Sitter phase. The particle production due to the expansion that takes place at the matter-like phase can generate entanglement entropy and provide, through interactions, the environment that turn gravitational quantum features into classical ones. In the ensued de Sitter phase, the cosmological constant can be suppressed by inflation., Comment: 11 pages. Typos corrected

Non-equilibrium and instability features of prey-predator-like systems associated to topological quantum domains emerging from a quantum phase-space description are investigated in the framework of the Weyl-Wigner quantum mechanics. Reporting about the generalized Wigner flow for one-dimensional Hamiltonian systems, $\mathcal{H}(x,\,k)$, constrained by $\partial^2 \mathcal{H} / \partial x \, \partial k = 0$, the prey-predator dynamics driven by Lotka-Volterra (LV) equations is mapped onto the Heisenberg-Weyl non-commutative algebra, $[x,\,k] = i$, where the canonical variables $x$ and $k$ are related to the two-dimensional LV parameters, $y = e^{-x}$ and $z = e^{-k}$. From the non-Liouvillian pattern driven by the associated Wigner currents, hyperbolic equilibrium and stability parameters for the prey-predator-like dynamics are then shown to be affected by quantum distortions over the classical background, in correspondence with non-stationarity and non-Liouvillianity properties quantified in terms of Wigner currents and Gaussian ensemble parameters. As an extension, considering the hypothesis of discretizing the time parameter, non-hyperbolic bifurcation regimes are identified and quantified in terms of $z-y$ anisotropy and Gaussian parameters. The bifurcation diagrams exhibit, for quantum regimes, chaotic patterns highly dependent on Gaussian localization. Besides exemplifying a broad range of applications of the generalized Wigner information flow framework, our results extend, from the continuous (hyperbolic regime) to discrete (chaotic regime) domains, the procedure for quantifying the influence of quantum fluctuations over equilibrium and stability scenarios of LV driven systems., Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures

We discuss, in the context of alternative theories of gravity with nonminimal coupling between matter and curvature, if inflationary solutions driven by a single scalar field can be reconciled with the swampland conjectures about the emergence of de Sitter solutions in string theory. We find that the slow-roll conditions are incompatible with the swampland conjectures for a fairly generic inflationary solution in such alternative theories of gravity., Comment: 12 pages

AEROS aims to develop a nanosatellite as a precursor of a future system of systems, which will include assets and capabilities of both new and existing platforms operating in the Ocean and Space, equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and technologies, all connected through a communication network linked to a data gathering, processing and dissemination system. This constellation leverages scientific and economic synergies emerging from New Space and the opportunities in prospecting, monitoring, and valuing the Ocean in a sustainable manner, addressing the demand for improved spatial, temporal, and spectral coverage in areas such as coastal ecosystems management and climate change assessment and mitigation. Currently, novel sensors and systems, including a miniaturized hyperspectral imager and a flexible software-defined communication system, are being developed and integrated into a new versatile satellite structure, supported by an innovative on-board software. Additional sensors, like the LoRaWAN protocol and a wider field of view RGB camera, are under study. To cope with data needs, a Data Analysis Centre, including a cloud-based data and telemetry dashboard and a back-end layer, to receive and process acquired and ingested data, is being implemented to provide tailored-to-use remote sensing products for a wide range of applications for private and institutional stakeholders., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, Manuscript presented at the 4S Symposium 2022, Vilamoura, Portugal, 16 - 20 May 2022

In this brief report we discuss how continuous changes on the physical parameters that determine the weather conditions may lead to long term climate variability. This variability of the weather patterns are a response to continuous random short period weather excitations that are imprinted in the ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere-land system, the Earth System. Given that Earth System is, in the Anthropocene, dominated by the human action, it responds to the intensity and the rate of change of the humankind activities. Thus, we argue, in the context of a specific model of the Earth System, that this rate of change may admit a chaotic-type behaviour., Comment: Based on talk delivered at the Green Marble 2022, "International Meeting on Anthropocene Studies and Ecocriticism: Only One Earth", June 30th - July 2nd, 2022, Porto, Portugal

Quantum frameworks for modeling competitive ecological systems and self-organizing structures have been investigated under multiple perspectives yielded by quantum mechanics. These comprise the description of the phase-space prey-predator competition dynamics in the framework of the Weyl-Wigner quantum mechanics. In this case, from the classical dynamics described by the Lotka-Volterra (LV) Hamiltonian, quantum states convoluted by statistical gaussian ensembles can be analytically evaluated. Quantum modifications on the patterns of equilibrium and stability of the prey-predator dynamics can then be identified. These include quantum distortions over the equilibrium point drivers of the LV dynamics which are quantified through the Wigner current fluxes obtained from an onset Hamiltonian background. In addition, for gaussian ensembles highly localized around the equilibrium point, stability properties are shown to be affected by emergent topological quantum domains which, in some cases, could lead either to extinction and revival scenarios or to the perpetual coexistence of both prey and predator agents identified as quantum observables in microscopic systems. Conclusively, quantum and gaussian statistical driving parameters are shown to affect the stability criteria and the time evolution pattern for such microbiological-like communities., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures (This version includes some short text modifications and additional references)

In contemporary physics space and time are intertwined entities so that kinematical and dynamical quantities are expressed in the four-dimensional space-time. This formulation seems to contradict our every-day experience and perception according to which space and time are distinct entities. In this brief report we shall discuss these apparently antagonist views and analyse the underlying physical property of time, namely that it evolves from the past to the present, from the present to the future., Comment: 14 pages; references reordered and updated

It has been argued that the existence of time crystals requires a spontaneous breakdown of the continuous time translation symmetry so to account for the unexpected non-stationary behavior of quantum observables in the ground state. Our point is that such effects do emerge from position ($\hat{q}_i$) and/or momentum ($\hat{p}_i$) noncommutativity, i.e., from $[\hat{q}_i,\,\hat{q}_j]\neq 0$ and/or $[\hat{p}_i,\,\hat{p}_j]\neq 0$ (for $i\neq j$). In such a context, a predictive analysis is carried out for the $2$-dim noncommutative quantum harmonic oscillator through a procedure supported by the Weyl-Wigner-Groenewold-Moyal framework. This allows for the understanding of how the phase-space noncommutativity drives the amplitude of periodic oscillations identified as time crystals. A natural extension of our analysis also shows how the spontaneous formation of time quasi-crystals can arise., Comment: 12 pages, 03 figures

The Lotka-Volterra (LV) dynamics is investigated in the framework of the Weyl-Wigner (WW) quantum mechanics (QM) extended to one-dimensional Hamiltonian systems, $\mathcal{H}(x,\,k)$, constrained by the $\partial^2 \mathcal{H} / \partial x \, \partial k = 0$ condition. Supported by the Heisenberg-Weyl non-commutative algebra, where $[x,\,k] = i$, the canonical variables $x$ and $k$ are interpreted in terms of the LV variables, $y = e^{-x}$ and $z = e^{-k}$, eventually associated with the number of individuals in a closed competitive dynamics: the so-called prey-predator system. The WW framework provides the ground for identifying how classical and quantum evolution coexist at different scales, and for quantifying {\it quantum analogue} effects. Through the results from the associated Wigner currents, (non-)Liouvillian and stationary properties are described for thermodynamic and gaussian quantum ensembles in order to account for the corrections due to quantum features over the classical phase-space pattern yielded by the Hamiltonian description of the LV dynamics. In particular, for gaussian statistical ensembles, the Wigner flow framework provides the exact profile for the quantum modifications over the classical LV phase-space trajectories so that gaussian quantum ensembles can be interpreted as an adequate Hilbert space state configuration for comparing quantum and classical regimes. The generality of the framework developed here extends the boundaries of the understanding of quantum-like effects on competitive microscopical bio-systems., Comment: 25 pages, 5 figures. In the preliminar version, expressions like a > 0, a < 0 and a = 0 , should be read as a > 1, a < 1 and a = 1, now corrected in this final version. Figure colors were changed in order to match the PRE publication

We discuss under which conditions multi-field cold and warm inflationary models with canonical kinetic energy terms are compatible with the swampland conjectures about the emergence of de Sitter solutions in string theory. We find that under quite general conditions the slow-roll conditions for multi-field cold inflation are at odds with the swampland conjectures for an arbitrary number of scalar fields driving inflation. However, slow-roll conditions can be reconciled with the swampland conjectures in the strong dissipative regime of warm inflation., Comment: 15 pages, extended discussion and references included

It is shown that the Earth System (ES) can, due to the impact of human activities, behave in a chaotic fashion. Our arguments are based on the assumption that the ES can be described by a Landau-Ginzburg model, which on its own allows for predicting that the ES evolves, through regular trajectories in the phase space, towards a Hothouse Earth scenario for a finite amount of human-driven impact. Furthermore, we find that the equilibrium point for temperature fluctuations can exhibit bifurcations and a chaotic pattern if the human impact follows a logistic map., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures

The existence of magnetic fields in the universe is unmistakable. They are observed at all scales from stars to galaxy clusters. However, the origin of these fields remains enigmatic. It is believed that magnetic field seeds may have emerged from inflation, under certain conditions. This possibility is analised in the context of an alternative theory of gravity with non-minimal coupling between curvature and matter. We find, through the solution of the generalised Maxwell equations in the context of non-minimal models, that for general slow-roll inflationary scenarios with low reheating temperatures, $T_{RH}\simeq10^{10}$GeV, the generated magnetic fields can be made compatible with observations at large scales, $\lambda \sim 1 Mpc$., Comment: 12 pages; corrections in section 3; conclusions unchanged

Phase-space features of the Wigner flow for generic one-dimensional systems with a Hamiltonian, $H^{W}(q,\,p)$, constrained by the $\partial ^2 H^{W} / \partial q \partial p = 0$ condition are analytically obtained in terms of Wigner functions and Wigner currents. Liouvillian and stationary profiles are identified for thermodynamic (TD) and Gaussian quantum ensembles to account for exact corrections due to quantum modifications over a classical phase-space pattern. General results are then specialized to the Harper Hamiltonian system which, besides working as a feasible test platform for the framework here introduced, admits a statistical description in terms of TD and Gaussian ensembles, where the Wigner flow properties are all obtained through analytical tools. Quantum fluctuations over the classical regime are therefore quantified through probability and information fluxes whenever the classical Hamiltonian background is provided. Besides allowing for a broad range of theoretical applications, our results suggest that such a generalized Wigner approach works as a probe for quantumness and classicality of Harper-like systems, in a framework which can be extended to any quantum system described by Hamiltonians in the form of $H^{W}(q,\,p) = K(p) + V(q)$., Comment: 30 pages, 4 figures

We consider a nonminimally coupled curvature-matter gravity theory at the Solar System scale. Both a fifth force of Yukawa type and a further non-Newtonian extra force that arises from the nonminimal coupling are present in the solar interior and in the solar atmosphere up to interplanetary space. The extra force depends on the spatial gradient of space-time curvature R. The conditions under which the effects of such forces can be screened by the chameleon mechanism and be made consistent with Cassini measurement of PPN parameter $\gamma$ are examined. This consistency analysis requires a specific study of Sun's dynamical contribution to the arising forces at all its layers., Comment: 27 pages, 11 figuures

Cosmological phase transitions are thought to have taken place at the early Universe imprinting their properties on the observable Universe. There is strong evidence that, through the dynamics of a scalar field that lead a second order phase transition, inflation shaped the Universe accounting for the most conspicuous features of the observed Universe. It is argued that inflation has also striking implications for the vacuum energy. Considerations for subsequent second order phase transitions are also discussed., Comment: 9 pages. Version to match to one to be published in General Relativity and Gravitation

We constrain the viable models of Horndeski gravity, written in its equivalent Generalised Galileon version, by resorting to the Witten positive energy theorem. We find that the free function $G_3(\phi, X)$ in the Lagrangian is constrained to be a function solely of the scalar field, $G_3(\phi)$, and relations among the free functions are found. Other criterion for stability are also analysed, such as the attractiveness of gravity, the Dolgov-Kawasacki instability and the energy conditions. Some applications for Cosmology are discussed, Comment: 12 pages

In this note we comment on remarks about our recent effort to understand the specificities of the Boltzmann equation in the context of the alternative theories of gravity with non-minimal coupling between curvature and matter., Comment: 5 pages

We study the Hamiltonian formalism of the non-minimally coupled Weyl connection gravity (NMCWCG) in order to check whether Ostrogradsky instabilities are present. The Hamiltonian of the NMCWCG theories is obtained by foliating space-time into a real line (representing time) and \mbox{3-dimensional} space-like hypersurfaces, and by considering the spatial metric and the extrinsic curvature of the hypersurfaces as the canonical coordinates of the theory. Given the fact that the theory we study contains an additional dynamical vector field compared to the usual NMC models, which do not have Ostrogradsky instabilities, we are able to construct an effective theory without these instabilities, by constraining this Weyl field., Comment: 7 pages

We derive the Boltzmann equation in the context of a gravity theory with non-minimal coupling between matter and curvature. We show that as the energy-momentum tensor is not conserved in these theories, it follows a condition on the normalisation of an homogeneous distribution function. The Boltzmann H-theorem is preserved such that the entropy vector flux is still a non-decreasing function in these theories. The case of an homogeneous and isotropic Universe is analysed., Comment: 9 pages

We consider a non-minimally coupled curvature-matter gravity model (NMC) with a Weyl connection, a theory referred to as non-minimally coupled Weyl connection gravity (NMCWCG). The Weyl connection is an affine connection that is not compatible with the metric, and involves a vector field. Assuming a vacuum expectation value for the vector field and a matter Lagrangian that only contains the contributions of the vacuum energy, we show that the model admits solutions in the space-form with a reference curvature that can be fine-tuned to much smaller values than the contribution of the matter fields. This shows that, at least in principle, the model admits a workable cosmological description., Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures

We propose a Quantum Field Theory description of beams on a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer and apply the method to describe Interaction Free Measurements (IFMs), concluding that there is a change of momentum of the fields in IFMs. Analysing the factors involved in the probability of emission of low-energy photons, we argue that they do not yield meaningful contributions to the probabilities of the IFMs., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure

We examine the constraints on the Yukawa regime from the non-minimally coupled curvature-matter gravity theory arising from deep underwater ocean experiments. We consider the geophysical experiment of Zumberge et al. of 1991 for searching deviations of Newton's inverse square law in ocean. In the context of non-minimally coupled curvature-matter theory of gravity the results of Zumberge et al. can be used to obtain an upper bound both on the strength $\alpha$ and range $\lambda$ of the Yukawa potential arising from the non-relativistic limit of the non-minimally coupled theory. The existence of an upper bound on $\lambda$ is related to the presence of an extra force, specific of the nonminimally coupled theory, which depends on $\lambda$ and on the gradient of mass density, and has an effect in the ocean because of compressibility of seawater. These results can be achieved after a suitable treatment of the conversion of pressure to depth in the ocean by resorting to the equation of state of seawater and taking into account the effect of the extra force on hydrostatic equilibrium. If the sole Yukawa interaction were present the experiment would yield only a bound on $\alpha$, while, in the presence of the extra force we find an upper bound on the range: $\lambda_{\rm max}= 57.4$ km. In the interval $1 \,{\rm m}<\lambda<\lambda_{\rm max}$ the upper bound on $\alpha$ is consistent with the constraint $\alpha<0.002$ found in Zumberge et al., Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures

We discuss constraints to some nonminimally (NMC) coupled curvature-matter models of gravity by means of Solar System experiments. First we discuss a NMC gravity model which constitutes a natural extension of $1/R^n$ gravity to the nonminimally coupled case. Such a NMC gravity model is able to predict the observed accelerated expansion of the Universe. Differently from the $f(R)=1/R^n$ gravity case, which is not compatible with Solar System observations, it turns out that this NMC model is a viable theory of gravity. Then we consider a further NMC gravity model which admits Minkowski spacetime as a background, and we derive the $1/c$ expansion of the metric. The nonrelativistic limit of the model is not Newtonian, but contains a Yukawa correction. We look for trajectories around a static, spherically symmetric body. Since in NMC gravity the energy-momentum tensor of matter is not conserved, then the trajectories deviate from geodesics. We use the NMC gravity model to compute the perihelion precession of planets and we constrain the parameters of the model from radar observations of Mercury., Comment: 6 pages; based on talk delivered by one of us (R. M.) at the 15th Marcel Grossmann Meeting, Rome, July 2018

Phase-space features of the Wigner flow are examined so to provide a set of continuity equations that describe the flux of quantum information in the phase-space. The reported results suggest that the non-classicality profile of anharmonic (periodic) quantum systems can be consistently obtained in terms of the fluxes of probability, purity and von Neumann entropy. Extensions of the such phase-space quantifiers are also investigated in the context of the so-called R\'enyi entropy., Comment: 7 pages. Based on a talk delivered by A.E.B. at DICE 2018 Spacetime - Matter - Quantum Mechanics ... "From discrete structures and dynamics to top-down causation", 17th - 21th September 2018, Castiglioncello, Italy

Weyl gravity in the presence of a non-minimal matter-curvature coupling is presented. Some properties arising from the non-metricity give rise to a second order theory whose vacuum is compatible with a cosmological constant, under conditions on the vector field., Comment: 12 pages

We consider the possibility of an oscillating scalar field accounting for dark matter and dynamically controlling the spontaneous breaking of the electroweak symmetry through a Higgs-portal coupling. This requires a late decay of the inflaton field, such that thermal effects do not restore the electroweak symmetry after reheating, and so inflation is followed by an inflaton matter-dominated epoch. During inflation, the dark scalar field acquires a large expectation value due to a negative non-minimal coupling to curvature, thus stabilizing the Higgs field by holding it at the origin. After inflation, the dark scalar oscillates in a quartic potential, behaving as dark radiation, and only when its amplitude drops below a critical value does the Higgs field acquire a non-zero vacuum expectation value. The dark scalar then becomes massive and starts behaving as cold dark matter until the present day. We further show that consistent scenarios require dark scalar masses in the few GeV range, which may be probed with future collider experiments., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. Argument and figure added in Sec. IV-A, corrected typos, references added, matches PRD published version

We review some of the major contributions that the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) will provide for Cosmology. We discuss the SKA measurements of the equation of state parameter for dark energy from Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), of the dark matter power spectrum and modifications of the Poisson equation or the slip relation from weak lensing. We also comment on measurements of the cosmic magnetism and its role on the dynamics of the Universe., Comment: Talk delivered by one of us (O. B.) at the SKA days Pt, 7 February 2018, Lisbon, Portugal

We examine some inflationary models based on modifications of gravity in the light of Planck 2015 data, such as the generalised Chaplygin inspired inflation, models based in $N=1$ supergravity and braneworld scenarios. We also show that, conversely, potentials with a very flat plateau yield a primordial spectrum similar to that of the Starobinsky model with no need to modify general relativity., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures

Cosmic transients, such as gamma-ray bursts and fast radio bursts, have been used to constrain the Einstein's Equivalence Principle (EEP) through the parametrized-post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism. In this approach, the time delay of photons with different energies from these cosmic transients are used to obtain upper bounds on the difference of the PPN $\gamma$ parameter. In this work we assume that an important contribution to the time delay is due to the dark matter halo of the Milky Way and consider the dark matter mass distribution given by the Navarro--Frenk--White profile. We obtain the upper limit on the difference of the PPN parameter $\gamma$ for the polarized gamma-ray emission of GRB 110721A, $\Delta \gamma < 1.06 \times 10^{-28}$, the most stringent limit to date on the EEP. In addition, we show that a very similar upper bound is obtained if, instead of having a dark matter component, a visible matter density profile and a non-minimal gravitational coupling between curvature and matter are present., Comment: 6 pages, 4 tables. Published version

A quasi-Gaussian quantum superposition of Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz (HL) stationary states is built in order to describe the transition of the quantum cosmological problem to the related classical dynamics. The obtained HL phase-space superposed Wigner function and its associated Wigner currents describe the conditions for the matching between classical and quantum phase-space trajectories. The matching quantum superposition parameter is associated to the total energy of the classical trajectory which, at the same time, drives the engendered Wigner function to the classical stationary regime. Through the analysis of the Wigner flows, the quantum fluctuations that distort the classical regime can be quantified as a measure of (non)classicality. Finally, the modifications to the Wigner currents due to the inclusion of perturbative potentials are computed in the HL quantum cosmological context. In particular, the inclusion of a cosmological constant provides complementary information that allows for connecting the age of the Universe with the overall stiff matter density profile., Comment: 43 pages, 9 figures

A fluid analog of the information flux in the phase-space associated to purity and von Neumann entropy are identified in the Weyl-Wigner formalism of quantum mechanics. Once constrained by symmetry and positiveness, the encountered continuity equations provide novel quantifiers for non-classicality (non-Liouvillian fluidity) given in terms of quantum decoherence, purity and von Neumann entropy fluxes. Through definitions in the Weyl-Wigner formalism, one can identify the quantum fluctuations that distort the classical-quantum coincidence regime, and the corresponding quantum information profile, whenever some bounded $x-p$ volume of the phase-space is specified. The dynamics of anharmonic systems is investigated in order to illustrate such a novel paradigm for describing quantumness and classicality through the flux of quantum information in the phase-space., Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure

Some fundamental aspects related with the construction of Robertson-Schr\"odinger like uncertainty principle inequalities are reported in order to provide an overall description of quantumness, separability and nonlocality of quantum systems in the noncommutative phase-space. Some consequences of the deformed noncommutative algebra are also considered in physical systems of interest., Comment: Talk delivered by one of us (OB) at the workshop CPT and Lorentz Symmetry in Field Theory, held in Faro, Portugal, on July 6-7, 2017; 5 pages

Gravitational waves in the presence of a non-minimal curvature-matter coupling are analysed, both in the Newman-Penrose and perturbation theory formalisms. Considering a cosmological constant as a source, the non-minimally coupled matter-curvature model reduces to $f(R)$ theories. This is in good agreement with the most recent data. Furthermore, a dark energy-like fluid is briefly considered, where the propagation equation for the tensor modes differs from the previous scenario, in that the scalar mode equation has an extra term, which can be interpreted as the longitudinal mode being the result of the mixture of two fundamental excitations $\delta R$ and $\delta \rho$., Comment: 9 pages. Version published at Eur. Phys. J. C

In this work, we study neutron stars (NSs) in an ungravity (UG) inspired model. We examine the UG effects on the static properties of the selected NSs, in different mass and radius regimes, i.e., mini, moderate, and heavy NSs, using a polytropic equation of state approach. Based on the observational data, we obtain bounds on the characteristic length and scaling dimension of the UG model. Furthermore, we obtain dynamic properties, such as inertial moment (I), Love number (Love), and quadrupole moment (Q) of a slowly rotating NS in the presence of the exterior gravity and ungravity fields. The UG model is also examined with respect to the I-Love-Q universal relation., Comment: 20 pages, 1 table, 7 figures. Version to match the one that appeared in Physical Review D96 (2017) 084042

We present a novel mechanism for generating a Cosmological Constant and suitably sequestering the vacuum contribution to it, so that the eponymous Cosmological Constant problem is avoided. We do so by resorting to a model endowed with a non-minimal coupling between curvature and matter in an appropriately defined relaxed regime, and show that this shares features with both Unimodular gravity as well as a recent proposal to sequester the vacuum contribution through the use of an external term to the action functional., Comment: 8 pages. To match version published at General Relativity and Gravitation, May 2020

Residual accelerations due to thermal effects are estimated through a model of the New Horizons spacecraft and a Monte Carlo simulation. We also discuss and estimate the thermal effects on the attitude of the spacecraft. The work is based on a method previously used for the Pioneer and Cassini probes, which solve the Pioneer anomaly problem. The results indicate that after the encounter with Pluto there is a residual acceleration of the order of $10^{-9}~\mathrm{m/s^2}$, and that rotational effects should be difficult, although not impossible, to detect., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures

We study inflationary scenarios driven by a scalar field in the presence of a non-minimal coupling between matter and curvature. We show that the Friedmann equation can be significantly modified when the energy density during inflation exceeds a critical value determined by the non-minimal coupling, which in turn may considerably modify the spectrum of primordial perturbations and the inflationary dynamics. In particular, we show that these models are characterised by a consistency relation between the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the tensor spectral index that can differ significantly from the predictions of general relativity. We also give examples of observational predictions for some of the most commonly considered potentials and use the results of the Planck collaboration to set limits on the scale of the non-minimal coupling., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, version to match the one published in JCAP

We study the continuous variable entanglement of a system of two particles under the influence of Earth's gravitational field. We determine a phase-space description of this bipartite system by calculating its Wigner function and verify its entanglement by applying a generalization of the PPT criterion for non-Gaussian states. We also examine the influence of gravity on an idealized entanglement protocol to be shared between stations at different potentials based on the correlation of states of the gravitational quantum well., Comment: 14 pages, 1 table, 6 figues

The effects of a nonminimally coupled curvature-matter model of gravity on a perturbed Minkowski metric are presented. The action functional of the model involves two functions $f^1(R)$ and $f^2(R)$ of the Ricci scalar curvature $R$. This work expands upon previous results, extending the framework developed there to compute corrections up to order $O(1/c^4)$ of the $00$ component of the metric tensor. It is shown that additional contributions arise due to both the non-linear form $f^1(R)$ and the nonminimal coupling $f^2(R)$, including exponential contributions that cannot be expressed as an expansion in powers of $1/r$. Some possible experimental implications are assessed with application to perihelion precession., Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures

An ungravity-inspired model is employed to examine the astrophysical parameters of white dwarf stars (WDs) using polytropic and degenerate gas approaches. Based on the observed properties such as mass, radius, and luminosity of selected WDs, namely, Sirius B and $\epsilon$ Reticulum, bounds on the characteristic length and scaling dimension of the ungravity (UG) model are estimated. The UG effect on the Chandrasekhar limit for WDs is shown. The UG model is examined in the study of ultra-massive WDs, e.g., EUVE J1746-706. In the contact of UG inspired model, a new location for some WDs on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is found., Comment: 18 pages, 4 tables, 5 figures. Version to match the published one at Physical Review D93 (2016) no.10, 104046