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Nascimento, J. R., Olmo, G. J., Porfirio, P. J., Petrov, A. Y., & Soares, A. R. (2019). Global monopole in Palatini f(R) gravity. Phys. Rev. D, 99(6), 064053–11pp.
Abstract: We consider the space-time metric generated by a global monopole in an extension of general relativity (GR) of the form f(R) = R – lambda R-2. The theory is formulated in the metric-affine (or Palatini) formalism, and exact analytical solutions are obtained. For lambda < 0, one finds that the solution has the same characteristics as the Schwarzschild black hole with a monopole charge in Einstein's GR. For lambda > 0, instead, the metric is more closely related to the Reissner-Nordstrom metric with a monopole charge and, in addition, it possesses a wormhole-like structure that allows for the geodesic completeness of the spacetime. Our solution recovers the expected limits when lambda = 0 and also at the asymptotic far limit. The angular deflection of light in this space-time in the weak field regime is also calculated.
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Caputo, A., Sberna, L., Frias, M., Blas, D., Pani, P., Shao, L. J., et al. (2019). Constraints on millicharged dark matter and axionlike particles from timing of radio waves. Phys. Rev. D, 100(6), 063515–7pp.
Abstract: We derive constraints on millicharged dark matter and axionlike particles using pulsar timing and fast radio burst observations. For dark matter particles of charge epsilon e, the constraint from time of arrival (TOA) of waves is epsilon/m(milli) less than or similar to 10(-8) eV(-1), for masses m(milli) greater than or similar to 10(-6) eV. For axionlike particles, the polarization of the signals from pulsars yields a bound in the axial coupling g/ m(a) less than or similar to 10(-13) Gev(-1)/(10(-22) eV),for m(a) less than or similar to 10(-19) eV. Both bounds scale as (rho/rho(dm))(1/2 )for fractions of the total dark matter energy density rho(dm). We make a precise study of these bounds using TOA from several pulsars, FRB 121102, and polarization measurements of PSR J0437 – 4715. Our results rule out a new region of the parameter space for these dark matter models.
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Anderson, P. R., Clark, R. D., Fabbri, A., & Good, M. R. R. (2019). Late time approach to Hawking radiation: Terms beyond leading order. Phys. Rev. D, 100(6), 061703–5pp.
Abstract: Black hole evaporation is studied using wave packets for the modes. These allow for approximate frequency and time resolution. The leading order late time behavior gives the well-known Hawking radiation that is independent of how the black hole formed. The focus here is on the higher order terms and the rate at which they damp at late times. Some of these terms carry information about how the black hole formed. A general argument is given which shows that the damping is significantly slower (power law) than what might be naively expected from a stationary phase approximation (exponential). This result is verified by numerical calculations in the cases of 2D and 4D black holes that form from the collapse of a null shell.
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Caputo, A., & Reig, M. (2019). Cosmic implications of a low-scale solution to the axion domain wall problem. Phys. Rev. D, 100(6), 063530–10pp.
Abstract: The post-inflationary breaking of Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry can lead to the cosmic domain wall catastrophe. In this paper we show how to avoid domain walls by implementing the instanton interference effect with a new interaction which itself breaks PQ symmetry and confines at an energy scale smaller than Lambda(QCD). We give a general description of the mechanism and consider its cosmological implications and constraints within a minimal model. Contrary to other mechanisms, we do not require an inverse phase transition or fine-tuned bias terms. Incidentally, the mechanism leads to the introduction of new self-interacting dark matter candidates and the possibility of producing gravitational waves in the frequency range of SKA. Unless a fine-tuned hidden sector is introduced, the mechanism predicts a QCD axion in the mass range 1-15 meV.
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Di Valentino, E., Melchiorri, A., Mena, O., & Vagnozzi, S. (2020). Nonminimal dark sector physics and cosmological tensions. Phys. Rev. D, 101(6), 063502–20pp.
Abstract: We explore whether nonstandard dark sector physics might be required to solve the existing cosmological tensions. The properties we consider in combination are (a) an interaction between the dark matter and dark energy components and (b) a dark energy equation of state w different from that of the canonical cosmological constant w = -1. In principle, these two parameters are independent. In practice, to avoid early-time, superhorizon instabilities, their allowed parameter spaces are correlated. Moreover, a clear degeneracy exists between these two parameters in the case of cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. We analyze three classes of extended interacting dark energy models in light of the 2019 Planck CMB results and Cepheid-calibrated local distance ladder H-0 measurements of Riess et al. (R19), as well as recent baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) and type Ia supernovae (SNeIa) distance data. We find that in quintessence coupled dark energy models, where w > -1, the evidence for a nonzero coupling between the two dark sectors can surpass the 5 sigma significance. Moreover, for both Planck + BAO or Planck + SNeIa, we find a preference for w > -1 at about three standard deviations. Quintessence models are, therefore, in excellent agreement with current data when an interaction is considered. On the other hand, in phantom coupled dark energy models, there is no such preference for a nonzero dark sector coupling. All the models we consider significantly raise the value of the Hubble constant, easing the H-0 tension. In the interacting scenario, the disagreement between Planck thorn BAO and R19 is considerably reduced from 4.3 sigma in the case of the Lambda cold dark matter (Lambda CDM) model to about 2.5 sigma. The addition of low-redshift BAO and SNeIa measurements leaves, therefore, some residual tension with R19 but at a level that could be justified by a statistical fluctuation. Bayesian evidence considerations mildly disfavor both the coupled quintessence and phantom models, while mildly favoring a coupled vacuum scenario, even when late-time datasets are considered. We conclude that nonminimal dark energy cosmologies, such as coupled quintessence, phantom, or vacuum models, are still an interesting route toward softening existing cosmological tensions, even when low-redshift datasets and Bayesian evidence considerations are taken into account.
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Nascimento, J. R., Olmo, G. J., Porfirio, P. J., Petrov, A. Y., & Soares, A. R. (2020). Nonlinear sigma-models in the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity. Phys. Rev. D, 101(6), 064043–11pp.
Abstract: In this paper we consider two different nonlinear sigma-models minimally coupled to Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity. We show that the resultant geometries represent minimal modifications with respect to those found in GR, though with important physical consequences. In particular, wormhole structures always arise, though this does not guarantee by itself the geodesic completeness of those space-times. In one of the models, quadratic in the canonical kinetic term, we identify a subset of solutions which are regular everywhere and are geodesically complete. We discuss characteristic features of these solutions and their dependence on the relationship between mass and global charge.
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McDermott, S. D., & Witte, S. J. (2020). Cosmological evolution of light dark photon dark matter. Phys. Rev. D, 101(6), 063030–14pp.
Abstract: Light dark photons are subject to various plasma effects, such as Debye screening and resonant oscillations, which can lead to a more complex cosmological evolution than is experienced by conventional cold dark matter candidates. Maintaining a consistent history of dark photon dark matter requires ensuring that the superthennal abundance present in the early Universe (i) does not deviate significantly after the formation of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and (ii) does not excessively leak into the Standard Model plasma after big band nucleosynthesis (BBN). We point out that the role of nonresonant absorption, which has previously been neglected in cosmological studies of this dark matter candidate, produces strong constraints on dark photon dark matter with mass as low as 10(-22) eV. Furthermore, we show that resonant conversion of dark photons after recombination can produce excessive heating of the intergalactic medium (IGM) which is capable of prematurely reionizing hydrogen and helium, leaving a distinct imprint on both the Ly-a forest and the integrated optical depth of the CMB. Our constraints surpass existing cosmological bounds by more than 5 orders of magnitude across a wide range of dark photon masses.
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Bodeker, D., Kuhnel, F., Oldengott, I. M., & Schwarz, D. J. (2021). Lepton flavor asymmetries and the mass spectrum of primordial black holes. Phys. Rev. D, 103(6), 063506–6pp.
Abstract: We study the influence of lepton flavor asymmetries on the formation and the mass spectrum of primordial black holes. We estimate the detectability of their mergers with LIGO/Virgo and show that the currently published gravitational wave events may actually be described by a primordial black hole spectrum from nonzero asymmetries. We suggest to use gravitational-wave astronomy as a novel tool to probe how lepton flavor asymmetric the Universe has been before the onset of neutrino oscillations.
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Magalhaes, R. B., Crispino, L. C. B., & Olmo, G. J. (2022). Compact objects in quadratic Palatini gravity generated by a free scalar field. Phys. Rev. D, 105(6), 064007–15pp.
Abstract: We study the correspondence that connects the space of solutions of general relativity (GR) with that of Ricci-based gravity theories (RBGs) of the f(R, Q) type in the metric-affinc formulation, where Q = R(mu nu)R(mu nu). We focus on the case of scalar matter and show that when one considers a free massless scalar in the GR frame, important simplifications arise that allow one to establish the correspondence for arbitrary f (R, Q) Lagrangian. We particularize the analysis to a quadratic f (R, Q) theory and use the spherically symmetric, static solution of Jannis-Newman-Winicour as seed to generate new compact objects in our target theory. We find that two different types of solutions emerge, one representing naked singularities and another corresponding to asymmetric wormholes with bounded curvature scalars everywhere. The latter solutions, nonetheless, are geodesically incomplete.
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HAWC Collaboration(Albert, A. et al), & Salesa Greus, F. (2022). Cosmic ray spectrum of protons plus helium nuclei between 6 and 158 TeV from HAWC data. Phys. Rev. D, 105(6), 063021–26pp.
Abstract: A measurement with high statistics of the differential energy spectrum of light elements in cosmic rays, in particular, of primary H plus He nuclei, is reported. The spectrum is presented in the energy range from 6 to 158 TeV per nucleus. Data was collected with the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory between June 2015 and June 2019. The analysis was based on a Bayesian unfolding procedure, which was applied on a subsample of vertical HAWC data that was enriched to 82% of events induced by light nuclei. To achieve the mass separation, a cut on the lateral age of air shower data was set guided by predictions of CORSIKA/QGSJET-I1-04 simulations. The measured spectrum is consistent with a broken power-law spectrum and shows a kneelike feature at around E = 24.0(-3.1)(+3.6) TeV, with a spectral index gamma = -2.51 +/- 0.02 before the break and with gamma = -2.83 +/- 0.02 above it. The feature has a statistical significance of 4.1 sigma. Within systematic uncertainties, the significance of the spectral break is 0.8 sigma.
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