Ferreiro, A., Monin, S., & Torrenti, F. (2024). Physical scale adiabatic regularization in cosmological spacetimes. Phys. Rev. D, 109(4), 045015–16pp.
Abstract: We develop a new regularization method for the stress -energy tensor and the two -point function of free quantum scalar fields propagating in cosmological spacetimes. We proceed by extending the adiabatic regularization scheme with the introduction of two additional mass scales. By setting them to the order of the physical scale of the studied scenario, we obtain ultraviolet -regularized quantities that do not distort the power spectra amplitude at the infrared scales amplified by the expansion of the Universe. This is not ensured by the standard adiabatic approach. We also show how our proposed subtraction terms can be interpreted as a renormalization of coupling constants in the Einstein equations. We finally illustrate our proposed regularization method in two scenarios of cosmological interest: de Sitter inflation and geometric reheating.
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Falkowski, A., Gonzalez-Alonso, M., Palavric, A., & Rodriguez-Sanchez, A. (2024). Constraints on subleading interactions in beta decay Lagrangian. J. High Energy Phys., 02(2), 091–54pp.
Abstract: We discuss the effective field theory (EFT) for nuclear beta decay. The general quark-level EFT describing charged-current interactions between quarks and leptons is matched to the nucleon-level non-relativistic EFT at the OMeV momentum scale characteristic for beta transitions. The matching takes into account, for the first time, the effect of all possible beyond-the-Standard-Model interactions at the subleading order in the recoil momentum. We calculate the impact of all the Wilson coefficients of the leading and subleading EFT Lagrangian on the differential decay width in allowed beta transitions. As an example application, we show how the existing experimental data constrain the subleading Wilson coefficients corresponding to pseudoscalar, weak magnetism, and induced tensor interactions. The data display a 3.5 sigma evidence for nucleon weak magnetism, in agreement with the theory prediction based on isospin symmetry.
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Figueroa, D. G., Pieroni, M., Ricciardone, A., & Simakachorn, P. (2024). Cosmological Background Interpretation of Pulsar Timing Array Data. Phys. Rev. Lett., 132(17), 171002–9pp.
Abstract: We discuss the interpretation of the detected signal by pulsar timing array (PTA) observations as a gravitational wave background of cosmological origin. We combine NANOGrav 15-years and EPTADR2new datasets and confront them against backgrounds from supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), and cosmological signals from inflation, cosmic (super)strings, first-order phase transitions, Gaussian and non-Gaussian large scalar fluctuations, and audible axions. We find that scalar-induced, and to a lesser extent audible axion and cosmic superstring signals, provide a better fit than SMBHBs. These results depend, however, on modeling assumptions, so further data and analysis are needed to reach robust conclusions. Independently of the signal origin, the data strongly constrain the parameter space of cosmological signals, for example, setting an upper bound on primordial non-Gaussianity at PTA scales as jfnlj less than or similar to 2.34 at 95% C.L.
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Figueroa, D. G., Florio, A., & Torrenti, F. (2024). Present and future of Cosmo Lattice. Rep. Prog. Phys., 87(9), 094901–20pp.
Abstract: We discuss the present state and planned updates of Cosmo Lattice, a cutting-edge code for lattice simulations of non-linear dynamics of scalar-gauge field theories in an expanding background. We first review the current capabilities of the code, including the simulation of interacting singlet scalars and of Abelian and non-Abelian scalar-gauge theories. We also comment on new features recently implemented, such as the simulation of gravitational waves from scalar and gauge fields. Secondly, we discuss new extensions of C osmo L attice that we plan to release publicly. We comment on new physics modules, which include axion-gauge interactions phi FF , non-minimal gravitational couplings phi R-2 , creation and evolution of cosmic-defect networks, and magnetohydrodynamics. We also discuss new technical features, including evolvers for non-canonical interactions, arbitrary initial conditions, simulations in 2+1 dimensions, and higher-accuracy spatial derivatives.
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Sanchis-Lozano, M. A., & Sanz, V. (2024). Observable imprints of primordial gravitational waves on the temperature anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background. Phys. Rev. D, 109(6), 063529–11pp.
Abstract: We examine the contribution of tensor modes, in addition to the dominant scalar ones, on the temperature anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). To this end, we analyze in detail the temperature two -point angular correlation function C(Theta) from the Planck 2018 dataset, focusing on large angles (Theta greater than or similar to 120 degrees) corresponding to small l multipoles. A hierarchical set of infrared cutoffs are naturally introduced to the scalar and tensor power spectra of the CMB by invoking an extra Kaluza-Klein spatial dimension compactifying at about the grand unified theory scale between the Planck epoch and the start of inflation. We associate this set of lower scalar and tensor cutoffs with the parity of the multipole expansion of the C(Theta) function. By fitting the Planck 2018 data we compute the multipole coefficients, thereby reproducing the well-known odd -parity preference in angular correlations seen by all three satellite missions: Cosmic Background Explorer, WMAP, and Planck. Our fits improve significantly once tensor modes are included in the analysis, hence providing a hint of the imprints of primordial gravitational waves on the temperature correlations observed in the CMB today. To conclude, we suggest a relationship between, on the one hand, the lack of (positive) large -angle correlations and the odd -parity dominance in the CMB and, on the other hand, the effect of primordial gravitational waves on the CMB temperature anisotropies.
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