arXiv subjects

Vincenzo Salzano

Publications and source records attributed to Vincenzo Salzano.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

DHOST gravity in Ultra-diffuse galaxies -- Part II: NGC 1052-DF4 and Dragonfly 44

Ultra-Diffuse galaxies are gravitational systems with quite varied properties. On one hand we have cases like DF2 and DF4, both observed by the Dragonfly Array Telescope, claimed to be highly-deficient in dark matter. On the other hand, we have also observed dark matter dominated UDGs, such as DF44, estimated to be at $99\%$ dark. Such variety of behaviors might be a problem for both the standard dark matter paradigm and for alternative theories of gravity. Here we consider a modified gravity theory belonging to the family of Degenerate Higher-Order Scalar Tensor theories to study the internal kinematics of both DF4 and DF44. The peculiarity of the chosen model is the partial breaking of its Vaishtein screening mechanism for which it might have an influence not only on cosmological but also on astrophysical scales. We consider two different possibilities: one in which the model only plays the role of dark energy; and another one in which it might also mimic a sort of effective dark matter. We get conflicting results. For DF4 we confirm that the galaxy dynamics might be successfully described even only by a stellar component and that, at least at the scale which are probed, the content of dark matter is quite low. In addition to that, we show that the DHOST model is totally consistent with data and is statistically equivalent to a standard General Relativity dark matter scenario, and it might even replace dark matter. On the contrary, DF44 requires dark matter both in General Relativity and in our DHOST model. When the latter is considered only as a cosmological dark energy fluid, it is statistically fully reliable and equivalent to General Relativity. But when we try to use it to substitute dark matter, although we get good fits to the data, the constraints on the theoretical parameters are in sharp contrast with those derived from more stringent probes from the stellar scales.

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arXiv2022

Testing non-local gravity by clusters of galaxies

Extended theories of gravity have been extensively investigated during the last thirty years, aiming at fixing infrared and ultraviolet shortcomings of General Relativity and of the associated $Λ$CDM cosmological model. Recently, non-local theories of gravity have drawn increasing attention due to their potential to ameliorate both the ultraviolet and infrared behavior of gravitational interaction. In particular, Integral Kernel theories of Gravity provide a viable mechanism to explain the late time cosmic acceleration so as to avoid the introduction of any form of unknown dark energy. On the other hand, these models represent a natural link towards quantum gravity. Here, we study a scalar-tensor equivalent model of General Relativity corrected with non-local terms, where corrections are selected by the existence of Noether symmetries. After performing the weak field limit and generalizing the results to extended mass distributions, we analyse the non-local model at galaxy cluster scales, by comparing the theoretical predictions with gravitational lensing observations from the CLASH program. We obtain agreement with data at the same level of statistical significance as General Relativity. We also provide constraints for the Navarro--Frenk--White parameters and lower bounds for the non-local length scales. The results are finally compared with those from the literature.

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arXiv2022

DHOST gravity in Ultra-diffuse galaxies -- Part I: the case of NGC1052-DF2

The Ultra-Diffuse galaxy NGC1052-DF2 has recently been under intense scrutiny because from its kinematics it has revealed to be "extremely deficient" in dark matter, if not lacking it at all. This claim has raised many questions and solutions regarding the relationship between baryons and dark matter in Ultra-Diffuse galaxies. But there seems to be a quite unanimous belief that, if such very low dark matter content is confirmed and extended to other similar galactic objects, it might be a deathblow to theories which modify and extend General Relativity. Deficient dark matter galaxies thus represent a fertile ground to test both standard dark matter and modified gravity theories. In this work, we consider a specific Degenerate Higher-Order Scalar Tensor model to study the velocity dispersion of ten compact globular clusters-like objects associated with NGC1052-DF2 to infer the dynamical mass of the galaxy. Due to the partial breaking of the corresponding screening mechanism, this model can possibly have large cosmological scale effects influencing the dynamics of smaller structures like galaxies. We consider two scenarios: one in which the model only describes dark energy; and one in which it additionally entirely substitutes dark matter. We find that the best model to explain data is the one in which we have General Relativity and only stellar contribution. But while in former scenario General Relativity is still statistically (Bayesian) favoured, in the latter one the alternative model is as much successful and effective as General Relativity in matching observations. Thus, we can conclude that even objects like NGC1052-DF2 are not in contrast, and are not obstacles, to the study and the definition of a reliable alternative to General Relativity.

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arXiv2021

Characteristic features of gravitational wave lensing as probe of lens mass model

To recognize gravitational wave lensing events and being able to differentiate between similar lens models will be of crucial importance once one will be observing several lensing events of gravitational waves per year. In this work, we study the lensing of gravitational waves in the context of LISA sources and wave-optics regime. While different papers before ours studied microlensing effects enhanced by simultaneous strong lensing, we focus on frequency (time) dependent phase effects produced by one lens that will be visible with only one lensed image. We will show how, in the interference regime (i.e. when interference patterns are present in the lensed image), we are able to i) distinguish a lensed waveform from an unlensed one, and ii) differentiate between different lens models. In pure wave-optics, on the other hand, the feasibility of the study depends on the SNR of the signal and/or the magnitude of the lensing effect. To achieve these goals we study the phase of the amplification factor of the different lens models and its effect on the unlensed waveform, and we exploit the signal-to-noise calculation for a qualitative analysis.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Multi-component DHOST analysis in galaxy clusters

Extended Theories of Gravity with additional scalar degrees of freedom have recently acquired increasing interest due to the presence of a screening mechanism that allows suppressing at small scales (e.g., the Solar System scale) every modification restoring General Relativity. In this work, we consider a second-order Extended Theory of Gravity belonging to the family of Degenerate High Order Scalar Tensor theories (DHOST) characterized by a partial breaking of the Vainshtein screening mechanism. We study this model in two different scenarios as a description of dark energy only and as a description of both dark matter and dark energy. Such scenarios have been tested here by analysing a sample of 16 high-mass galaxy clusters targeted by the Cluster Lensing and Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) program using two complementary probes, namely X-ray and strong-and-weak gravitational lensing observations. In mass modelling, we adopt a multi-component approach including hot gas and galactic stellar contributions. For the majority of the clusters in our sample, results show mild Bayesian evidence in favour of the DHOST model as a description of dark energy over General Relativity. This model also appears to alleviate the discrepancy present in General Relativity between X-ray hydrostatic and lensing mass estimates. For the second scenario where gravity acts as both dark energy and dark matter due to the partial breaking of the Vainshtein screening mechanism at cluster scales, the model is statistically disfavoured compared to General Relativity.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Ricci cosmology in light of astronomical data

Recently, a new cosmological framework, dubbed Ricci Cosmology, has been proposed. Such a framework has emerged from the study of relativistic dynamics of fluids out of equilibrium in a curved background and is characterised by the presence of deviations from the equilibrium pressure in the energy-momentum tensor which are due to linear terms in the Ricci scalar and the Ricci tensor. The coefficients in front of such terms are called the second order transport coefficients and they parametrise the fluid response to the pressure terms arising from the spacetime curvature. Under the preliminary assumption that the second order transport coefficients are constant, we find the simplest solution of Ricci cosmology in which the presence of pressure terms causes a departure from the perfect fluid redshift scaling for matter components filling the Universe. In order to test the viability of this solution, we make four different ansätze on the transport coefficients, giving rise to four different cases of our model. On the physical ground of the second law of thermodynamics for fluids with non-equilibrium pressure, we find some theoretical bounds (priors) on the parameters of the models. Our main concern is then the check of each of the case against the standard set of cosmological data in order to obtain the observational bounds on the second order transport coefficients. We find those bounds also realising that Ricci cosmology model is compatible with $Λ$CDM cosmology for all the ansätze.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Breaking the mass-sheet degeneracy with gravitational wave interference in lensed events

The mass-sheet degeneracy is a well-known problem in gravitational lensing which limits our capability to infer astrophysical lens properties or cosmological parameters from observations. As the number of gravitational wave observations grows, detecting lensed events will become more likely, and to assess how the mass-sheet degeneracy may affect them is crucial. Here we study both analytically and numerically how the lensed waveforms are affected by the mass-sheet degeneracy computing the amplification factor from the diffraction integral. In particular, we differentiate between the geometrical optics, wave optics and interference regimes, focusing on ground-based gravitational waves detectors. In agreement with expectations of gravitational lensing of electromagnetic radiation, we confirm how, in the geometrical optics scenario, the mass-sheet degeneracy cannot be broken with only one lensed image. However, we find that in the interference regime, and in part in the wave-optics regime, the mass-sheet degeneracy can be broken with only one lensed waveform thanks to the characteristic interference patterns of the signal. Finally, we quantify, through template matching, how well the mass-sheet degeneracy can be broken. We find that, within present GW detector sensitivities and considering signals as strong as those which have been detected so far, the mass-sheet degeneracy can lead to a $1σ$ uncertainty on the lens mass of $\sim 12\%$. With these values the MSD might still be a problematic issue. But in case of signals with higher signal-to-noise ratio, the uncertainty can drop to $\sim 2\%$, which is less than the current indeterminacy achieved by dynamical mass measurements.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Logarithmic corrections to Newtonian gravity and Large Scale Structure

Effects from nonstandard corrections to Newtonian gravity, at large scale, can be investigated using the cosmological structure formation. In particular, it is possible to show if and how a logarithmic correction (as that induced from nonlocal gravity) modifies the clustering properties of galaxies and of clusters of galaxies. The thermodynamics of such systems can be used to obtain important information about the effects of such modification on clustering. We will compare its effects with observational data and it will be demonstrated that the observations seem to point to a characteristic scale where such a logarithmic correction might be in play at galactic scales. However, at larger scales such statistical inferences are much weaker, so that a fully reliable statistical evidence for this kind of corrections cannot be stated without further investigations and the use of more varied and precise cosmological and astrophysical probes.

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arXiv2021

ΛCDM suitably embedded in f(R) with a non-minimal coupling to matter

In this work, we further study a metric modified theory of gravity which contains a non-minimal coupling to matter, more precisely, we assume two functions of the scalar curvature, $f_1$ and $f_2$, where the first one generalises the Hilbert-Einstein action, while the second couples to the matter Lagrangian. On the one hand, assuming a $Λ$CDM background, we calculate analytical solutions for the functions $f_1$ and $f_2$. We consider two setups: on the first one, we fix $f_2$ and compute $f_1$ and on the second one, we fix $f_1$ and compute $f_2$. Moreover, we do the analysis for two different energy density contents, a matter dominated universe and a general perfect fluid with a constant equation of state fuelling the universe expansion. On the other hand, we complete our study by performing a cosmographic analysis for $f_1$ and $f_2$. We conclude that the gravitational coupling to matter can drive the accelerated expansion of the universe.

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arXiv2020

Observational constraints on cosmological solutions of $f(Q)$ theories

Over the last years some interest has been gathered by $f(Q)$ theories, which are new candidates to replace Einstein's prescription for gravity. The non-metricity tensor $Q$ allows to put forward the assumption of a free torsionless connection and, consequently, new degrees of freedom in the action are taken into account. This work focuses on a class of $f(Q)$ theories, characterized by the presence of a general power-law term which adds up to the standard (linear in) $Q$ term in the action, and on new cosmological scenarios arising from them. Using the Markov chain Montecarlo method we carry out statistical tests relying upon background data such as Type Ia Supernovae luminosities and direct Hubble data (from cosmic clocks), along with Cosmic Microwave Background shift and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations data. This allows us to perform a multifaceted comparison between these new cosmologies and the (concordance) $Λ$CDM setup. We conclude that, at the current precision level, the best fits of our $f(Q)$ models correspond to values of their specific parameters which make them hardly distinguishable from our General Relativity "échantillon", that is $Λ$CDM.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

High accuracy on $H_0$ constraints from gravitational wave lensing events

In light of the newly opened and rapidly growing gravitational waves window in multi-messenger astronomy, in order to fully take advantage of the new opportunities we are provided with, new ideas are required for a better and deeper employ of the state-of-the-art probes we handle. Following this goal, here we suggest a method to constrain the cosmological background, and the Hubble constant in particular, by future observations of gravitationally lensed radiation emitted by a single source in both the gravitational wave and the electromagnetic regimes. The lensing of the gravitational wave radiation, in fact, can leave a clear imprinting in the corresponding waveform, and we want to analyze if such kind of measurements can be successfully employed to better constrain the cosmological background. Thus, by making use of wave optics for the gravitational wave lensed signal, and of standard geometrical optics approximation for the electromagnetic one, we study the impact of different cosmological parameters on the value of the arrival time delay due to gravitational lensing, given specific gravitational wave frequencies, mass models of the lens, and redshifts and positions (with respect to the lens) of the source. Although the rate of lensing of gravitational waves is expected to be low, we show that even one single lensing event, combined with a prior on $Ω_m$ from \textit{Planck}, could provide us with an uncertainty on $H_0$ comparable with present independent probes in a "pessimistic" scenario (with a pulsar population similar to present Pulsar Timing Array state), and of two orders smaller in an optimistic one (with a number of observed pulsars as large as that expected from the Square Kilometer Array). Thus, its role in the solution of the Hubble tension could be decisive.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Cosmology Intertwined III: $f σ_8$ and $S_8$

The standard $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter cosmological model provides a wonderful fit to current cosmological data, but a few tensions and anomalies became statistically significant with the latest data analyses. While these anomalies could be due to the presence of systematic errors in the experiments, they could also indicate the need for new physics beyond the standard model. In this Letter of Interest we focus on the tension of the Planck data with weak lensing measurements and redshift surveys, about the value of the matter energy density $Ω_m$, and the amplitude or rate of the growth of structure ($σ_8,fσ_8$). We list a few interesting models for solving this tension, and we discuss the importance of trying to fit with a single model a full array of data and not just one parameter at a time.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Cosmology Intertwined II: The Hubble Constant Tension

The current cosmological probes have provided a fantastic confirmation of the standard $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter cosmological model, that has been constrained with unprecedented accuracy. However, with the increase of the experimental sensitivity a few statistically significant tensions between different independent cosmological datasets emerged. While these tensions can be in portion the result of systematic errors, the persistence after several years of accurate analysis strongly hints at cracks in the standard cosmological scenario and the need for new physics. In this Letter of Interest we will focus on the $4.4σ$ tension between the Planck estimate of the Hubble constant $H_0$ and the SH0ES collaboration measurements. After showing the $H_0$ evaluations made from different teams using different methods and geometric calibrations, we will list a few interesting new physics models that could solve this tension and discuss how the next decade experiments will be crucial.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Cosmology Intertwined I: Perspectives for the Next Decade

The standard $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter cosmological model provides an amazing description of a wide range of astrophysical and astronomical data. However, there are a few big open questions, that make the standard model look like a first-order approximation to a more realistic scenario that still needs to be fully understood. In this Letter of Interest we will list a few important goals that need to be addressed in the next decade, also taking into account the current discordances present between the different cosmological probes, as the Hubble constant $H_0$ value, the $σ_8 - S_8$ tension, and the anomalies present in the Planck results. Finally, we will give an overview of upgraded experiments and next-generation space-missions and facilities on Earth, that will be of crucial importance to address all these questions.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Cosmology Intertwined IV: The Age of the Universe and its Curvature

A precise measurement of the curvature of the Universe is of primeval importance for cosmology since it could not only confirm the paradigm of primordial inflation but also help in discriminating between different early Universe scenarios. The recent observations, while broadly consistent with a spatially flat standard $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter ($Λ$CDM) model, are showing tensions that still allow (and, in some cases, even suggest) a few percent deviations from a flat universe. In particular, the Planck Cosmic Microwave Background power spectra, assuming the nominal likelihood, prefer a closed universe at more than 99\% confidence level. While new physics could be in action, this anomaly may be the result of an unresolved systematic error or just a statistical fluctuation. However, since a positive curvature allows a larger age of the Universe, an accurate determination of the age of the oldest objects provides a smoking gun in confirming or falsifying the current flat $Λ$CDM model.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Geometrical observational bounds on a fractal horizon holographic dark energy

A novel fractal structure for the cosmological horizon, inspired by COVID-19 geometry, which results in a modified area entropy, is applied to cosmology in order to serve dark energy. The constraints based on a complete set of observational data are derived. There is a strong Bayesian evidence in favor of such a dark energy in comparison to a standard $Λ$CDM model and that this energy cannot be reduced to a cosmological constant. Besides, there is a shift towards smaller values of baryon density parameter and towards larger values of the Hubble parameter, which reduces the Hubble tension.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Cosmological Constraints on Entropic Cosmology with Matter Creation

We investigate entropic force cosmological models with the possibility of matter creation and energy exchange between the bulk and the horizon of a homogeneous and an isotropic flat Universe. We consider three different kinds of entropy, Bekenstein's, the non-extensive Tsallis-Cirto's and the quartic entropy, plus some phenomenological functional forms for matter creation rate to model different entropic force models and put the observational constraints on them. We show that while most of them are basically indistinguishable from a standard $Λ$CDM scenario, the Bekenstein entropic force model with a matter creation rate proportional to the Hubble parameter is statistically highly favored over $Λ$CDM. As a general result, we also find that both the Hawking temperature parameter $γ$, which relates the energy exchange between the bulk and the boundary of the Universe, and the matter creation rate $Γ(t)$, must be very small in order to reproduce observational data.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Cosmological constraints on the Generalized Uncertainty Principle from modified Friedmann equations

The Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) has emerged in numerous attempts to a theory of quantum gravity and predicts the existence of a minimum length in Nature. In this work, we consider two cosmological models arising from Friedmann equations modified by the GUP (in its linear and quadratic formulations) and compare them with observational data. Our aim is to derive constraints on the GUP parameter and discuss the viability and physical implications of such models. We find for the parameter in the quadratic formulation the constraint $α^{2}_{Q}<10^{59}$ (tighter than most of those obtained in an astrophysical context) while the linear formulation does not appear compatible with present cosmological data. Our analysis highlights the powerful role of high-precision cosmological probes in the realm of quantum gravity phenomenology.

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