arXiv subjects

Vincenzo Salzano

Publications and source records attributed to Vincenzo Salzano.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Probing dynamics of extreme galaxies I. Dark matter content in ultra-diffuse galaxies

We investigate the internal structure of two galaxies from the LEWIS sample: the ultra-diffuse galaxy UDG-1 and the extended dwarf LSB-6. Both show coherent stellar rotation combined with a non-negligible fraction of random motion, with no signs of ongoing disturbance. This is the first attempt to constrain the dynamics and dark matter physics of rotation-supported UDGs through integral-field stellar kinematics. We model the galaxies as stellar spheroids with typical dwarf-like thickness embedded in spherical dark matter halos, deriving two-dimensional velocity fields that we compare with the observations in a Bayesian framework. Besides cold dark matter, we test fuzzy, self-interacting, and non-minimally coupled dark matter. The data prefer a cuspy halo in UDG-1 and a cuspless one in LSB-6. All the alternative models remain viable, although current data cannot conclusively discriminate among them. For fuzzy dark matter we obtain mutually consistent boson masses, $m_α= 4.7^{+1.8}_{-1.1} \times 10^{-22}$ eV for UDG-1 and $m_α= 6.3^{+0.4}_{-0.4} \times 10^{-22}$ eV for LSB-6. For self-interacting dark matter, LSB-6 yields a robust constraint on the velocity-weighted cross section, $\langle σv\rangle/m = 14.3^{+2.0}_{-1.9}$ cm$^2$ km g$^{-1}$ s$^{-1}$. For non-minimally coupled dark matter we derive upper bounds on the coupling length, implying marginal deviations from $Λ$CDM. Regardless of the model, both galaxies exhibit a dark matter content comparable with halos of typical dwarf galaxies with similar stellar masses. Together with stellar population analyses and globular cluster information, these results support a scenario in which UDG-1 and LSB-6 originate from puffed-up dwarfs. This work is the first in a series exploiting kinematic data of extremely low-surface-brightness galaxies to test fundamental physics, from dark matter to modified theories of gravity.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Exploring Non-minimal coupling using ultra-diffuse galaxies

We investigate whether a non-minimal coupling between dark matter and gravity can influence the internal dynamics of ultra-diffuse galaxies. Within this framework, the gravitational potential is modified by an additional term that captures the interaction between spacetime curvature and the dark matter with a coupling constant determined by a length scale L. Using spherical Jeans modelling, we analyze the kinematic data of three ultra-diffuse galaxies: NGC 1052-DF2, NGC 1052-DF4, and Dragonfly 44, which span the observational extremes from dark matter deficient to dark matter dominated systems. For each galaxy we explore several dark matter halo profiles, two orbital anisotropy models, and both with and without Stellar to Halo Mass Relation scenarios, and we perform a Bayesian parameter inference. We further validate the analysis through a sensitivity test on mock Dragonfly 44 data, which shows that only large couplings, which are already disfavored by the data, produce a detectable imprint, while smaller values remain indistinguishable from General Relativity at the current observational precision. Across all the considered configurations, the constrained astrophysical parameters are consistent with standard ones from General Relativity. The posterior distributions of L show no preference for non-zero values and result only in upper limits. These upper limits should be interpreted as a sensitivity limit of current UDG kinematics rather than as a tight exclusion of the coupling. Future high precision velocity measurements will be essential to determine whether non-minimal coupling effects can become observationally distinguishable in low-acceleration systems.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2026

Modified Cosmology from Mass-to-Horizon Relation: Observational Bounds

We constrain the class of modified cosmologies derived in Paper I [1] from a generalized mass-to-horizon relation (MHR) that enforces thermodynamic consistency between the Cai-Kim horizon temperature and generalized horizon entropies. The modified Friedmann equations depend on an entropy exponent $m$, an MHR coupling parameter $γ$, and an entanglement-correction amplitude $f_B$, with standard $Λ$CDM recovered in the appropriate limit. Using Pantheon$+$/SH0ES Type~Ia supernovae, cosmic chronometers, DESI DR2 baryon acoustic oscillations, and Planck 2018 CMB distance priors, we constrain eight physically motivated sub-cases via Markov chain Monte Carlo and compare models through the Bayesian log-evidence. The entropy exponent is tightly bounded, $|m-1|\lesssim O(10^{-4})$ when the MHR coupling is fixed ($γ=1$), relaxing to $O(10^{-3})$ along the $m$-$γ$ degeneracy, excluding any macroscopically significant departure from standard horizon thermodynamics. Freeing the MHR coupling parameter or the entanglement amplitude raises the inferred Hubble constant to $h\simeq0.70$-$0.71$, reducing the CMB-SH0ES tension from ${\sim}4σ$ to ${\sim}1.2$-$2.6σ$, but no scenario fully resolves it within a flat universe. The Bayesian log-evidence nevertheless disfavors every extension relative to $Λ$CDM in all dataset combinations ($-16\lesssimΔ\ln Z \lesssim-1$): the improved fits obtained when the SH0ES calibration is included reflect an absorption of the Hubble tension by the additional parameters rather than genuine evidence for modified horizon entropy.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Modified Cosmology from Mass-to-Horizon Relation: Background Evolution

We investigate the cosmological implications of the mass-to-horizon relation, which provides a unified framework for thermodynamically consistent generalized horizon-entropy functionals. Using the Cai-Kim formulation of the first law of thermodynamics, we derive the corresponding modified Friedmann equations and examine the resulting background evolution. We find that cosmological viability sharply restricts admissible deviations from the Bekenstein-Hawking area law: phenomenologically acceptable scenarios are confined to a narrow neighborhood of the standard entropy, while more pronounced deviations generically spoil the standard radiation-matter-dark-energy sequence. Power-law entanglement corrections can give rise to a moderate early-dark-energy component, but only within a tightly constrained region of parameter space, whereas quantum-gravity corrections are suppressed by the Planck scale and remain observationally irrelevant. Consequently, all viable models predict a $Λ$CDM-like cosmological background at the present epoch. These findings demonstrate that background cosmology alone imposes stringent constraints on thermodynamically consistent generalized entropy constructions of this class.

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arXiv2026

Generalizing the CPL Parametrization through Dark Sector Interaction

We investigate a hierarchy of interacting dark energy (IDE) models featuring a non-gravitational coupling between dark matter and dark energy. Specifically, we examine scenarios where the background interaction kernel, $Q = 3H(δ+ ηa)ρ_\mathrm{de}$, allows for both constant and dynamical coupling parameters. Adopting the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder parametrization for the dark energy equation of state, $w_\mathrm{de} = w_0 + w_a(1-a)$, we derive closed analytical expressions for the energy densities of dark matter and dark energy. Afterwards, we obtain observational constraints using joint combinations of DESI DR2 baryon acoustic oscillations, Pantheon$+$ Type Ia supernovae, and Planck$+$ACT compressed cosmic microwave background likelihoods. For constant coupling models, we find parametric deviations from $Λ$ ranging from $2.7σ$ to $2.9σ$; however, for interactions with dynamical couplings, these significances are reduced to $1.3σ$--$1.5σ$. Ultimately, our Bayesian model comparison reveals that no investigated IDE scenario is statistically preferred over the concordance $Λ$CDM model. These results highlight the necessity of reporting Bayesian evidence alongside conventional frequentist maximum-likelihood analyses to ensure robust cosmological claims concerning dark energy evolution and interaction.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2026

Updates on dipolar anisotropy in local measurements of the Hubble constant from Cosmicflows-4

We investigate the angular anisotropy of the Hubble constant using the Cosmicflows-4 catalogue, with particular emphasis on three issues often treated only implicitly in the literature: the statistical formulation of the Hubble--Lemaître relation, the internal consistency of the working sample, and the role of peculiar-velocity corrections. Rather than working in luminosity-distance space, we adopt a logarithmic formulation based directly on distance moduli, thereby preserving the Gaussian error properties of the measured quantities. We first subject the catalogue to internal consistency tests, including the depth dependence of $\langle \log H_0 \rangle$ and the behaviour of residual skewness and kurtosis across radial shells, and use these diagnostics to define conservative subsamples minimally affected by selection effects, namely $μ\in [31,36]$ and $z \in [0.03,0.06]$. Within these ranges, we reconstruct angular maps of $\log H_0$ and fit them with a spherical-harmonic expansion up to octupole order. We find a statistically significant anisotropic signal in the uncorrected CF4 data, dominated by a dipole and favoured over a monopole-only model by Bayesian evidence. However, when peculiar-velocity-corrected data are used, the anisotropy amplitude is strongly reduced, especially at lower depths, while only a weaker residual signal survives at larger distances. We also test for a monotonic radial evolution of the dipole, as expected in some differential-expansion scenarios, but find no robust evidence for such a trend. These results indicate that the anisotropy is driven primarily by local velocity flows and catalogue/survey structure, rather than by a large-scale breakdown of isotropic expansion. Finally, we show that although such anisotropy may affect local determinations of $H_0$, its impact on the global Hubble tension is likely limited.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2026

Is Chevallier-Polarski-Linder dark energy a mirage?

Recent observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) raise doubts about the standard cosmological model, $Λ$CDM, suggesting a preference for an inherently dynamical dark energy component. The Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) parametrization -- a widely used two-parameter model for the dark energy equation of state -- displays marked early-time phantom behavior and a recent crossing of the phantom divide. These features suggest the convenience to check observationally the robustness of such evolution. To address this, we design two alternative families of two-parameter dark energy parametrizations which remain close to the original CPL but aim to soften its phantom character. Specifically, these models reproduce CPL-like behavior at low redshift but mitigate early phantom behavior through the use of smooth sigmoid transitions, yielding a more gradual evolution. By combining recent DESI data with constraints from the cosmic microwave background and Type Ia supernovae, we assess the viability of these models. Our analysis shows that CPL remains a strong and competitive parametrization, with the proposed alternatives only marginally favored or disfavored. We conclude that current observational data lack the statistical precision to decisively distinguish between CPL and similarly constructed parametrizations across the redshift range probed by late-time observables.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

A Spectrum of Cosmological Rips and Their Observational Signatures

We present a unified dark energy framework capable of generating a continuous spectrum of cosmological ``rip'' scenarios -- including the Big Rip, Grand Rip, Mild Rip, Little Rip, Little Sibling of the Big Rip, and the newly found Dollhouse Rip -- while ensuring a physically consistent evolution across cosmic history. Building on earlier phenomenological proposals, we introduce a barotropic equation-of-state parameter with a sigmoid-like correction to guarantee a strictly positive dark energy density and to avoid early-time pathologies commonly present in previous models. Using this formulation, closed-form analytic expressions for the energy density can be obtained. This, in turn, enables a systematic classification of future singularities based on the signs and magnitudes of two key parameters of the model. We test these scenarios with state-of-the-art cosmological probes, including DESI DR2 BAO, cosmic chronometers, CMB compressed likelihoods, and the Pantheon+ supernovae sample. According to our Bayesian analysis, all rip scenarios yield best-fit parameters compatible with $Λ$CDM at the $1σ$ level, with Bayes factors weakly favoring $Λ$CDM. The mild, logarithmic evolution of the proposed dark energy density prevents current observations from distinguishing among the different future fates. We conclude that, for rip cosmologies to gain observational support over $Λ$CDM, they must display more accentuated late-time dynamical features -- such as perhaps rapid transitions or a phantom-divide crossing -- within the redshift range probed by present surveys.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Geometric acceleration in $f(Q,C)$ theories

The $f(Q,C)$ framework of gravity enables the depiction of an effective dark energy fluid that emerges from geometry itself, thus leading to modifications in the cosmological phenomenology of General Relativity. We pursue this approach to discover new and observationally supported (effective) evolving dark energy models. We propose a general $f(Q,C)$ formulation that cannot be simply split into separate functions of $Q$ and $C$, yet it still results in second-order field equations. By employing a particular type of connection, we derive guidelines for new cosmological models, including a variant of the DGP model that appears to be statistically favored over $Λ$CDM. Notably, we also demonstrate how to translate solutions within this $f(Q,C)$ framework to $f(Q)$ counterparts at the background level.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Generalized Nonextensive Entropy Holographic Dark Energy Models Verified by Cosmological Data

We present a general formalism for studying generalized Holographic Dark Energy (HDE) models in which we use a dimensionless form of the area-entropy of cosmological horizons. The future event horizon is applied though the formalism can also be applied to any other type of the horizon, too. Then, we use our formalism for nonextensive horizon entropies of standard HDE (i.e. Bekenstein-Hawking), and generalized such as Barrow/Tsallis-Cirto, Rényi, Sharma-Mittal, and Kaniadakis as dark energy models of the universe and test them by cosmological data. We find the bounds on the specific entropy model parameters and also apply statistical comparison tool such as the Bayesian evidence criterion in order to favour or disfavour the models against standard $Λ$CDM. The main data test results are that all the HDE models under study are statistically disfavoured with respect to $Λ$CDM, though at some different levels. The standard HDE seem to be on the same footing as Rényi, Sharma-Mittal, and Kaniadakis HDE models since the latter include only small deviations from HDE model resulting from the series expansion of their extra nonextensivity parameters. However, Barrow and Tsallis-Cirto models, though still disfavoured against $Λ$CDM, seem to point out observationally to fulfil an important physical property of extensivity (though still remaining nonadditive). Finally, the Tsallis-Cirto model parameter is pointing towards the $Λ$CDM limit which is singular also at the expense of having much larger value of the holographic dark energy dimensionless parameter $k$ value higher than other models.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

Nonminimally coupled Dark Matter in Clusters of Galaxies: a fully comprehensive analysis

In this study, we explore how a non-minimal coupling between dark matter and gravity can affect the behavior of dark matter in galaxy clusters. We have considered the case of a disformal coupling, which leads to a modification of the Poisson equation. Building on an earlier work, we expand the analysis considering all possible disformal coupling scenarios and employing various dark matter density profiles. In doing so, we aim to constrain the key parameter in our model, the characteristic coupling length. To achieve this, we analyze data from a combination of strong and weak lensing using three statistical approaches: a single cluster fitting procedure, a joint analysis, and one with stacked profiles. Our findings show that the coupling length is typically very small, thus being fully consistent with general relativity, although with an upper limit at $1σ$ which is of the order of $100$ kpc.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

Testing non-local gravity through Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies kinematics

The emergence of the Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies in recent years has posed a severe challenge to the galaxy formation models as well as the Extended Theories of Gravity. The existence of both dark matter lacking and dark matter dominated systems within the same family of astrophysical objects indeed requires the gravity models to be versatile enough to describe very different gravitational regimes. In this work, we study a non-local extension of the theory of General Relativity that has drawn increasing attention in recent years due to its capability to account for the late time cosmic acceleration without introducing any dark energy fluid. We leverage the kinematic data of three Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies: NGC 1052-DF2 and NGC 1052-DF4, which are dark matter lacking, and Dragonfly 44, which exhibits a highly dominant dark matter component. Our analysis shows that the non-local corrections to the Newtonian potential do not affect the kinematic predictions, hence no spoiling effects emerge when the Non-local Gravity model serves as a dark energy model. We additionally provide the minimum value that the characteristic non-local radii can reach at these mass scales.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

A generalized mass-to-horizon relation: a new global approach to entropic cosmologies and its connection to $Λ$CDM

In this letter, we propose a new generalized mass-to-horizon relation to be used in the context of entropic cosmologies and holographic principle scenarios. We show that a general scaling of the mass with the Universe horizon as $M=γ\frac{c^2}{G}L^n$ leads to a new generalized entropy $S_n = γ\frac{n}{1+n}\frac{2 π\,k_B\,c^3}{G\,\hbar} L^{n+1}$ from which we can recover many of the recently proposed forms of entropies at cosmological and black hole scales and also establish a thermodynamically consistent relation between each of them and Hawking temperature. We analyse the consequences of introducing this new mass-to-horizon relation on cosmological scales by comparing the corresponding modified Friedmann, acceleration, and continuity equations to cosmological data. We find that when $n=3$, the entropic cosmology model is fully and totally equivalent to the standard $Λ$CDM model, thus providing a new fundamental support for the origin and the nature of the cosmological constant. In general, if $\log γ< -3$, and irrespective of the value of $n$, we find a very good agreement with the data comparable with $Λ$CDM from which, in Bayesian terms, our models are indistinguishable.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

On the foundations of entropic cosmologies: inconsistencies, possible solutions and dead end signs

In this letter we explore the foundations of entropic cosmology and highlight some important flaws which have emerged and adopted in the recent literature. We argue that, when applying entropy and temperature on the cosmological horizon by assuming the holographic principle for all thermodynamic approaches to cosmology and gravity, one must derive the consistent thermodynamic quantities following Clausius relation. One key assumption which is generally overlooked, is that in this process one must assume a mass-to-horizon relation, which is generally taken as a linear one. We show that, regardless of the type of entropy chosen on the cosmological horizon, when a thermodynamically consistent corresponding temperature is considered, all modified entropic force models are equivalent to and indistinguishable from the original entropic force models based on standard Bekenstein entropy and Hawking temperature. As such, they are also plagued by the same problems and inability to describe in a satisfactory qualitative and quantitative way the cosmological dynamics as it emerges from the probes we have. We also show that the standard accepted parameterization for Hawking temperature (including a $γ$ rescaling) is actually not correctly applied, namely, it is not related to entropy in a thermodynamically consistent way. Finally, we clearly state that the explicit form of the entropic force on cosmological horizons is mostly dictated by the assumption on the mass-to-horizon relation. As such, we discuss what should be done in order to fix all such issues, and what conceptually could be implied by its correct implementation in order to advance in the field.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Gravitational lensing from clusters of galaxies to test Disformal Couplings Theories

In this study, we investigate the potential existence of a non-minimal coupling between dark matter and gravity using a compilation of galaxy clusters. We focus on the disformal scenario of a non-minimal model with an associated coupling length $L$. Within the Newtonian approximation, this model introduces a modification to the Poisson equation, characterized by a term proportional to $L^2 \nabla^2 ρ$, where $ρ$ represents the density of the DM field. We have tested the model by examining strong and weak gravitational lensing data available for a selection of 19 high-mass galaxy clusters observed by the CLASH survey. We have employed a Markov Chain Monte Carlo code to explore the parameter space, and two different statistical approaches to analyse our results: a standard marginalisation and a profile distribution method. Notably, the profile distribution analysis helps out to bypass some volume-effects in the posterior distribution, and reveals lower Navarro--Frenk--White concentrations and masses in the non-minimal coupling model compared to general relativity case. We also found a nearly perfect correlation between the coupling constant $L$ and the standard Navarro--Frenk--White scale parameter $r_s$, hinting at a compelling link between these two lengths.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Modified Gravity and Cosmology: An Update by the CANTATA Network

General Relativity and the $Λ$CDM framework are currently the standard lore and constitute the concordance paradigm. Nevertheless, long-standing open theoretical issues, as well as possible new observational ones arising from the explosive development of cosmology the last two decades, offer the motivation and lead a large amount of research to be devoted in constructing various extensions and modifications. All extended theories and scenarios are first examined under the light of theoretical consistency, and then are applied to various geometrical backgrounds, such as the cosmological and the spherical symmetric ones. Their predictions at both the background and perturbation levels, and concerning cosmology at early, intermediate and late times, are then confronted with the huge amount of observational data that astrophysics and cosmology are able to offer recently. Theories, scenarios and models that successfully and efficiently pass the above steps are classified as viable and are candidates for the description of Nature. This work is a Review of the recent developments in the fields of gravity and cosmology, presenting the state of the art, high-lighting the open problems, and outlining the directions of future research. Its realization was performed in the framework of the COST European Action ``Cosmology and Astrophysics Network for Theoretical Advances and Training Actions''.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Barrow nearly-extensive Gibbs-like entropy favoured by the full dynamical and geometrical data set in cosmology

We apply the full set of most update dynamical and geometrical data in cosmology to the nonextensive Barrow entropic holographic dark energy. We show that the data point towards an extensive Gibbs-like entropic behaviour for the cosmological horizons, which is the extreme case of the Barrow entropy, with the entropy parameter being $Δ> 0.86$, close to the maximum threshold of $Δ=1$ where the fractal dimension of the area-horizon becomes almost or just the volume and the intensivity is recovered. Futhermore, we find that the standard Bekenstein area-entropy limit ($Δ= 0$) is excluded by the set of our data. This contradicts the bounds obtained recently from early universe tests such as the baryon asymmetry, the big-bang nucleosynthesis, and the inflation limiting $Δ< 0.008$ at the most extreme case.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Addressing Cosmological Tensions by Non-Local Gravity

Alternative cosmological models have been under deep scrutiny in recent years, aiming to address the main shortcomings of the $Λ$CDM model. Moreover, as the accuracy of cosmological surveys improved, new tensions have risen between the model-dependent analysis of the Cosmic Microwave Background and lower redshift probes. Within this framework, we review two quantum-inspired non-locally extended theories of gravity, whose main cosmological feature is a geometrically driven accelerated expansion. The models are especially investigated in light of the Hubble and growth tension, and promising features emerge for the Deser--Woodard one. On the one hand, the cosmological analysis of the phenomenological formulation of the model shows a lowered growth of structures but an equivalent background with respect to $Λ$CDM. On the other hand, the study of the lensing features at the galaxy cluster scale of a new formulation of non-local cosmology, based on Noether symmetries, makes room for the possibility of alleviating both the $H_0$ and $σ_8$ tension. However, the urgent need for a screening mechanism arises for this non-local theory of gravity.

astro-ph.CO↗