arXiv subjects

Matteo Galaverni

Publications and source records attributed to Matteo Galaverni.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The COSMIC WISPers White Paper: The physics case for Weakly Interacting Slim Particles

Axions and other very weakly interacting slim particles (WISPs), with masses below 1 GeV, arise naturally in many extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. In particular, they could offer a new framework to explain the nature of dark matter and may help address a range of puzzling observations in astrophysics and particle physics. This review provides an overview of ongoing WISP searches and outlines the prospects for the next decade, spanning their theoretical motivation, indirect signatures in astrophysical observations, and dedicated laboratory experiments. It is based on the work carried on by the EU-funded COST Action ``Cosmic WISPers in the Dark Universe: Theory, astrophysics, and experiments'' (CA21106, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA21106). This network plays a key role in coordinating and supporting WISP searches across Europe, while also contributing to the development of a roadmap aimed at securing European leadership in this research area. It is emphasized that Europe is currently pursuing a rich, diverse, and cost-effective experimental program, with the potential to deliver one or more transformative discoveries.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Spherically Symmetric Geometrodynamics in Jordan and Einstein frames

Spherically symmetric geometrodynamics is studied for scalar-tensor theory and Einstein General Relativity minimally coupled to a scalar field. We discussed the importance of boundary terms and derived the equations of motion in the Hamiltonian canonical formalism both in the Jordan and Einstein frames. These two frames are connected through an Hamiltonian canonical transformation on the reduced phase space obtained gauge-fixing the lapse and the radial shift functions. We discussed the effects of the singularity of the Hamiltonian canonical transformation connecting Jordan and Einstein frames for two static solutions (Fisher, Janis, Newman and Winicour solution in the Einstein frame and Bocharova-Bronnikov-Melnikov-Bekenstein black hole solution in the Jordan frame).

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

On the canonical equivalence between Jordan and Einstein frames

A longstanding issue is the classical equivalence between the Jordan and the Einstein frames, which is considered just a field redefinition of the metric tensor and the scalar field. In this work, based on the previous result that the Hamiltonian transformations from the Jordan to the Einstein frame are not canonical on the extended phase space, we study the possibility of the existence of canonical transformations. We show that on the reduced phase space -- defined by suitable gauge fixing of the lapse and shifts functions -- these transformations are Hamiltonian canonical. Poisson brackets are replaced by Dirac's brackets following the Bergman-Dirac's procedure. The Hamiltonian canonical transformations map solutions of the equations of motion in the Jordan frame into solutions of the equations of motion in the Einstein frame.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Redshift evolution of cosmic birefringence in CMB anisotropies

We study the imprints of a cosmological redshift-dependent pseudoscalar field $ϕ$ on the rotation of cosmic microwave background (CMB) linear polarization generated by a coupling $ ϕF^{μν} \tilde F_{μν}$. We show how either phenomenological or theoretically motivated redshift dependence of the pseudoscalar field, such as those in models of Early Dark Energy, Quintessence or axion-like dark matter, lead to CMB polarization and temperature-polarization power spectra which exhibit a multipole dependence which goes beyond the widely adopted approximation in which the redshift dependence of the linear polarization angle is neglected. Because of this multipole dependence, the isotropic birefringence effect due to a general coupling $ϕF^{μν} \tilde F_{μν}$ is not degenerate with a systematic calibration angle uncertainty. By taking this multipole dependence into account, we calculate the parameters of these phenomenological and theoretical redshift dependence of the pseudoscalar field which can be detected by future CMB polarization experiments on the basis of a $χ^2$ analysis for a Wishart likelihood. As a final example of our approach, we compute by Markov Chain MonteCarlo (MCMC) the minimal coupling $g_ϕ$ in Early Dark Energy which could be detected by future experiments, with or without marginalizing on a systematic rotation angle uncertainty.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Jordan and Einstein frames Hamiltonian analysis for FLRW Brans-Dicke theory

We analyze Hamiltonian equivalence between Jordan and Einstein frames considering a mini-superspace model of flat Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) Universe in Brans-Dicke theory. Hamiltonian equations of motion are derived in the Jordan, Einstein, and in the anti-gravity (or anti-Newtonian) frames. We show that applying the Weyl (conformal) transformations to the equations of motion in the Einstein frame we did not get the equations of motion in the Jordan frame. Vice-versa, we re-obtain the equations of motion in the Jordan frame applying the anti-gravity inverse transformation to the equation of motion in the anti-gravity frame.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Jordan and Einstein Frames from the perspective of $ω=-3/2$ Hamiltonian Brans-Dicke theory

We carefully perform a Hamiltonian Dirac's constraint analysis of $ω=-\frac{3}{2}$ Brans-Dicke theory with Gibbons-Hawking-York (GHY) boundary term. The Poisson brackets are computed via functional derivatives. After a brief summary of the results for $ω\neq-\frac{3}{2}$ case, we derive all Hamiltonian Dirac's constraints and constraint algebra both in the Jordan and Einstein frames. Confronting and contrasting Dirac's constraint algebra in both frames, it is shown that they are not equivalent. This highlights the transformations from the Jordan to the Einstein frames are not Hamiltonian canonical transformations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Photon helicity and quantum anomalies in curved spacetimes

We compare several definitions of photon helicity (magnetic, electric, electromagnetic) present in literature. In curved spacetime quantum anomalies can spoil helicity conservation inducing, according to these definitions, different effects on photons: either rotation of linear polarization or production of circular polarization. We derive the Noether current associated with duality transformations starting from manifestly invariant Lagrangians.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2010

Limits on Cosmological Birefringence from the Ultraviolet Polarization of Distant Radio Galaxies

We report on an update of the test on the rotation of the plane of linear polarization for light traveling over cosmological distances, using a comparison between the measured direction of the UV polarization in 8 radio galaxies at z>2 and the direction predicted by the model of scattering of anisotropic nuclear radiation, which explains the polarization. No rotation is detected within a few degrees for each galaxy and, if the rotation does not depend on direction, then the all-sky-average rotation is constrained to be θ= -0.8 +/- 2.2. We discuss the relevance of this result for constraining cosmological birefringence, when this is caused by the interaction with a cosmological pseudo-scalar field or by the presence of a Cherns-Simons term.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Possible cosmogenic neutrino constraints on Planck-scale Lorentz violation

We study, within an effective field theory framework, $O(E^{2}/\Mpl^{2})$ Planck-scale suppressed Lorentz invariance violation (LV) effects in the neutrino sector, whose size we parameterize by a dimensionless parameter $η_ν$. We find deviations from predictions of Lorentz invariant physics in the cosmogenic neutrino spectrum. For positive O(1) coefficients no neutrino will survive above $10^{19} \eV$. The existence of this cutoff generates a bump in the neutrino spectrum at energies of $10^{17} \eV$. Although at present no constraint can be cast, as current experiments do not have enough sensitivity to detect ultra-high-energy neutrinos, we show that experiments in construction or being planned have the potential to cast limits as strong as $η_ν \lesssim 10^{-4}$ on the neutrino LV parameter, depending on how LV is distributed among neutrino mass states. Constraints on $η_ν < 0$ can in principle be obtained with this strategy, but they require a more detailed modeling of how LV affects the neutrino sector.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Rotation of Linear Polarization Plane and Circular Polarization from Cosmological Pseudoscalar Fields

We discuss the rotation of the linear polarization plane and the production of circular polarization generated by a pseudoscalar field acting as dark matter. We compute analytically and numerically the propagation of the Stokes parameters from the last scattering surface for an oscillating and a monotonic decreasing pseudoscalar field. For the models studied in this paper, we show the comparison between the widely used approximation in which the rotation angle is constant in time and the exact result.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Lorentz Violation and Ultrahigh-Energy Photons

The propagation of photons, electrons and positrons at ultra-high energies above 10^{19} eV can be changed considerably if the dispersion relations of these particles are modified by terms suppressed by powers of the Planck scale. We recently pointed out that the current non-observation of photons in the ultra-high energy cosmic ray flux at such energies can put strong constraints on such modified dispersion relations. In the present work we generalize these constraints to all three Lorentz invariance breaking parameters that can occur in the dispersion relations for photons, electrons and positrons at first and second order suppression with the Planck scale. We also show how the excluded regions in these three-dimensional parameter ranges would be extended if ultra-high energy photons were detected in the future.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Lorentz Violation for Photons and Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays

Lorentz symmetry breaking at very high energies may lead to photon dispersion relations of the form omega^2=k^2+xi_n k^2(k/M_Pl)^n with new terms suppressed by a power n of the Planck mass M_Pl. We show that first and second order terms of size xi_1 > 10^(-14) and xi_2 < -10^(-6), respectively, would lead to a photon component in cosmic rays above 10^(19) eV that should already have been detected, if corresponding terms for electrons and positrons are significantly smaller. This suggests that Lorentz invariance breakings suppressed up to second order in the Planck scale are unlikely to be phenomenologically viable for photons.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Light Bending as a Probe of the Nature of Dark Energy

We study the bending of light for static spherically symmetric (SSS) space-times which include a dark energy contribution. Geometric dark energy models generically predict a correction to the Einstein angle written in terms of the distance to the closest approach, whereas a cosmological constant $Λ$ does not. While dark energy is associated with a repulsive force in cosmological context, its effect on null geodesics in SSS space-times can be attractive as for the Newtonian term. This dark energy contribution may be not negligible with respect to the Einstein prediction in lensing involving clusters of galaxies. Strong lensing may therefore be useful to distinguish $Λ$ from other dark energy models.

astro-ph↗