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Francesca Vidotto

Publications and source records attributed to Francesca Vidotto.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2018

White-hole dark matter and the origin of past low-entropy

Recent results on the end of black hole evaporation give new weight to the hypothesis that a component of dark matter could be formed by remnants of evaporated black holes: stable Planck-size white holes with a large interior. The expected lifetime of these objects is consistent with their production at reheating. But remnants could also be pre-big bang relics in a bounce cosmology, and this possibility has strong implications on the issue of the source of past low entropy: it could realise a perspectival interpretation of past low entropy. The ideas briefly presented in this essay are developed in forthcoming papers.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Small black/white hole stability and dark matter

We show that the expected lifetime of white holes formed as remnants of evaporated black holes is consistent with their production at reheating. We give a simple quantum description of these objects and argue that a quantum superposition of black and white holes with large interiors is stable, because it is protected by the existence of a minimal eigenvalue of the area, predicted by Loop Quantum Gravity. These two results support the hypothesis that a component of dark matter could be formed by small black hole remnants.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Pre-big-bang black-hole remnants and the past low entropy

Dark matter could be composed by black-hole remnants formed before the big-bang era in a bouncing cosmology. This hypothetical scenario has major implications on the issue of the arrow of time: it would upset a common attribution of past low entropy to the state of the geometry, and provide a concrete realisation to the perspectival interpretation of past low entropy.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Measuring the last burst of non-singular black holes

Non-perturbative quantum gravity prevents the formation of curvature singularities and may allow black holes to decay with a lifetime shorter than evaporation time. This, in connection with the existence of primordial black holes, could open a new window for quantum-gravity phenomenology. I discuss the possibility of observing astrophysical emissions from the explosion of old black holes in the radio and in the gamma wavelengths. These emissions can be discriminated from other astrophysical sources because of a peculiar way the emitted wavelength scales with the distance. The spectrum of the diffuse radiation produced by those objects presents a peculiar distortion due to this scaling.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Quantum-gravity phenomenology with primordial black holes

Quantum gravity may allow black holes to tunnel into white holes. If so, the lifetime of a black hole could be shorter than the one given by Hawking evaporation, solving the information paradox. More interestingly, this could open to a new window for quantum-gravity phenomenology, in connection with the existence of primordial black holes. We discuss in particular the power of the associated explosion and the possibility to observe an astrophysical signal in the radio and in the gamma wavelengths.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Effects of primordial black holes quantum gravity decay on galaxy clustering

It has been recently suggested that small mass black holes (BHs) may become unstable due to quantum-gravitational effects and eventually decay, producing radiation, on a timescale shorter than the Hawking evaporation time. We argue that the existence of a population of low-mass Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) acting as a fraction of the Universe dark matter component can be used to test proposed models of quantum decay of BHs via their effect on galaxy number counts. We study what constraints future galaxy clustering measurements can set on quantum-gravity parameters governing the BH lifetime and PBH abundance. In case of no detection of such effects, this would rule out either the existence of a non-negligible number of small PBHs, or the BH quantum decay scenario (or both). In case of independent observations of PBHs, the observables discussed here could be used to study the quantum effects that modify the final fate of BHs.

astro-ph.CO↗
arXiv2017

Bouncing black holes in quantum gravity and the Fermi gamma-ray excess

Non-perturbative quantum-gravity effects can change the fate of black holes and make them bounce in a time scale shorter than the Hawking evaporation time. In this article, we show that this hypothesis can account for the GeV excess observed from the galactic center by the Fermi satellite. By carefully taking into account the secondary component due to the decay of unstable hadrons, we show that the model is fully self-consistent. This phenomenon presents a specific redshift-dependance that could allow to distinguish it from other astrophysical phenomena possibly contributing to the GeV excess.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Phenomenology of bouncing black holes in quantum gravity: a closer look

It was recently shown that black holes could be bouncing stars as a consequence of quantum gravity. We investigate the astrophysical signals implied by this hypothesis, focusing on primordial black holes. We consider different possible bounce times and study the integrated diffuse emission.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2015

Relational Quantum Cosmology

The application of quantum theory to cosmology raises a number of conceptual questions, such as the role of the quantum-mechanical notion of "observer" or the absence of a time variable in the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. I point out that a relational formulation of quantum mechanics, and more in general the observation that evolution is always relational, provides a coherent solution to this tangle of problems.

physics.hist-ph↗
arXiv2015

Black holes in Asymptotically Safe Gravity

Black holes are among the most fascinating objects populating our universe. Their characteristic features, encompassing spacetime singularities, event horizons, and black hole thermodynamics, provide a rich testing ground for quantum gravity ideas. In this note we observe that the renormalization group improved Schwarzschild black holes constructed by Bonanno and Reuter within Weinberg's asymptotic safety program constitute a prototypical example of a Hayward geometry used to model non-singular black holes within quantum gravity phenomenology. Moreover, they share many features of a Planck star: their effective geometry naturally incorporates the one-loop corrections found in the effective field theory framework, their Kretschmann scalar is bounded, and the black hole singularity is replaced by a regular de Sitter patch. The role of the cosmological constant in the renormalization group improvement process is briefly discussed.

hep-th↗
arXiv2015

Compact phase space, cosmological constant, discrete time

We study the quantization of geometry in the presence of a cosmological constant, using a discretiza- tion with constant-curvature simplices. Phase space turns out to be compact and the Hilbert space finite dimensional for each link. Not only the intrinsic, but also the extrinsic geometry turns out to be discrete, pointing to discreetness of time, in addition to space. We work in 2+1 dimensions, but these results may be relevant also for the physical 3+1 case.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2014

Fast Radio Bursts and White Hole Signals

We estimate the size of a primordial black hole exploding today via a white hole transition, and the power in the resulting explosion, using a simple model. We point out that Fast Radio Bursts, strong signals with millisecond duration, probably extragalactic and having unknown source, have wavelength not far from the expected size of the exploding hole. We also discuss the possible higher energy components of the signal.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2014

Planck stars

A star that collapses gravitationally can reach a further stage of its life, where quantum-gravitational pressure counteracts weight. The duration of this stage is very short in the star proper time, yielding a bounce, but extremely long seen from the outside, because of the huge gravitational time dilation. Since the onset of quantum-gravitational effects is governed by energy density ---not by size--- the star can be much larger than planckian in this phase. The object emerging at the end of the Hawking evaporation of a black hole can then be larger than planckian by a factor $(m/m_{\scriptscriptstyle P})^n$, where $m$ is the mass fallen into the hole, $m_{\scriptscriptstyle P}$ is the Planck mass, and $n$ is positive. We consider arguments for $n=1/3$ and for $n=1$. There is no causality violation or faster-than-light propagation. The existence of these objects alleviates the black-hole information paradox. More interestingly, these objects could have astrophysical and cosmological interest: they produce a detectable signal, of quantum gravitational origin, around the $10^{-14} cm$ wavelength.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2013

Atomism and Relationalism as guiding principles for Quantum Gravity

The research in quantum gravity has jauntily grown in the recent years, intersecting with conceptual and philosophical issues that have a long history. In this paper I analyze the conceptual basis on which Loop Quantum Gravity has grown, the way it deals with some classical problems of philosophy of science and the main methodological and philosophical assumptions on which it is based. In particular, I emphasize the importance that atomism (in the broadest sense) and relationalism have had in the construction of the theory.

physics.hist-ph↗
arXiv2013

Infinities as a measure of our ignorance

The quantization of gravity offers a solution to the presence of singularities in cosmology. Infinities are removed because of the existence of finite quanta of spacetime. This is one of the most important prediction of Loop Quantum Gravity. But treating gravity on the same footing as the other quantum field theories introduces a different kind of infinities: the ones from the renormalization procedure. In the covariant formulation of Loop Quantum Gravity (Spinfoam) this kind of infinities are tamed by the presence of the cosmological constant. These two results are guided by a specific perspective on the appearance of infinity in physics: this is just interpreted as a signpost that the theory should be improved. It arises from our limited knowledge, and not as a fundamental fact of nature.

physics.hist-ph↗
arXiv2012

The spin connection of twisted geometry

Twisted geometry is a piecewise-flat geometry less rigid than Regge geometry. In Loop Gravity, it provides the classical limit for each step of the truncation utilized in the definition of the quantum theory. We define the torsionless spin-connection of a twisted geometry. The difficulty given by the discontinuity of the triad is addressed by interpolating between triads. The curvature of the resulting spin connection reduces to the Regge curvature in the case of a Regge geometry.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2012

Consistency of holonomy-corrected scalar, vector and tensor perturbations in Loop Quantum Cosmology

Loop Quantum Cosmology yields two kinds of quantum corrections to the effective equations of motion for cosmological perturbations. Here we focus on the holonomy kind and we study the problem of the closure of the resulting algebra of constraints. Up to now, tensor, vector and scalar perturbations were studied independently, leading to different algebras of constraints. The structures of the related algebras were imposed by the requirement of anomaly freedom. In this article we show that the algebra can be modified by a very simple quantum correction, holding for all types of perturbations. This demonstrates the consistency of the theory and shows that lessons from the study of scalar perturbations should be taken into account when studying tensor modes. The Mukhanov-Sasaki equations of motion are similarly modified by a simple term.

gr-qc↗