### Waveform systematics in the gravitational-wave inference of tidal parameters and equation of state from binary neutron star signals

Gravitational-wave signals from binary neutron star coalescences carry information about the star's equation of state in their tidal signatures. A major issue in the inference of the tidal parameters (or directly of the equation of state) is the systematic error introduced by the waveform approximants. We use a bottom-up approach based on gauge-invariant phase analysis and the Fisher information matrix to investigate waveform systematics and help identifying biases in parameter estimation. A mock analysis of 15 different binaries indicates that systematics in current waveform models dominate over statistical errors at signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) ${\gtrsim} 80$. This implies biases in the inference of the reduced tidal parameter that are are larger than the statistical $90\%$ credible-intervals. For example, while the neutron-star radius could be constrained at ${\sim} 5\%$ level at SNR 80, systematics can be at the ${\sim} 10\%$ level. We apply our approach to GW170817 (SNR ${\sim}30$) and confirm that no significant systematic effects are present. Using an optimal frequency range for the analysis, we estimate a neutron-star radius of $12.5^{+1.1}_{-1.8}\,$km. The latter is consistent with an electromagnetic-informed prior and the recent NICER measurement. Exploring SNR ${\gtrsim}100$ in view of third-generation detectors, we find that all the current waveform models lead to differences of at least 1-sigma in the inference of the reduced tidal parameter (for any value of the latter). We conclude that current waveform models, including those from numerical relativity, are insufficient to infer the equation of state in the loudest (and potentially most informative) events that will be observed by advanced and third generation detectors.

### Thermal dimensional reduction and black hole evaporation

We analyze how a quantum-gravity-induced change in the number of thermal dimensions (through a modified dispersion relation) affects the geometry and the thermodynamics of a charged black hole. To that end we resort to Kiselev's solution as the impact such modifications have on the evaporation rate of the black hole becomes more clear. As an application, we study the case for which the thermal dimension is reduced to two.

### Triple path to the exponential metric

The exponential Papapetrou metric induced by scalar field conforms to observational data not worse than the vacuum Schwarzschild solution. Here, we analyze the origin of this metric as a peculiar space-time within a wide class of scalar and antiscalar solutions of the Einstein equations parameterized by scalar charge. Generalizing the three families of static solutions obtained by Fisher (1948), Janis, Newman & Winicour (1968), and Xanthopoulos & Zannias (1989), we prove that all three reduce to the same exponential metric provided that scalar charge is equal to central mass, thereby suggesting the universal character of such background scalar field.

### Double-logarithmic nonlinear electrodynamics

A new model of nonlinear electrodynamics named as \emph{"double-logarithmic"} is introduced and investigated. The theory carries one dimensionful parameter of the $\beta$ as Born-Infeld electrodynamics. It is shown that the dual symmetry and dilatation (scale) symmetry are broken in the proposed model. The electric field of a point-like charge is derived for this model and it becomes non-singular at the origin and by use of this electric field the static electric energy of a point like charge is calculated. In the presence of an external magnetic field the theory shows the phenomenon known as vacuum birefringence. The refraction index of two polarizations, parallel and perpendicular to the external magnetic induction field are calculated. The canonical and symmetrical Belinfante energy-momentum tensors are obtained. Using the causality and unitarity principles the regions where the theory becomes causal and unitary are found.

### Rainbow Spacetime from a Nonlocal Gravitational Uncertainty Principle

Occurrence of spacetime singularities is one of the peculiar features of Einstein gravity, signalling limitation on probing short distances in spacetime. This alludes to the existence of a fundamental length scale in nature. On contrary, Heisenberg quantum uncertainty relation seems to allow for probing arbitrarily small length scales. To reconcile these two conflicting ideas in line with a well known framework of quantum gravity, several modifications of Heisenberg algebra have been proposed. However, it has been extensively argued that such a minimum length would introduce nonlocality in theories of quantum gravity. In this Letter, we analyze a previously proposed deformation of the Heisenberg algebra (i.e. $p \rightarrow p (1 + \lambda p^{-1})$) for a particle confined in a box subjected to a gravitational field. For the problem in hand, such deformation seems to yield an energy-dependent behavior of spacetime in a way consistent with gravity's rainbow, hence demonstrating a connection between non-locality and gravity's rainbow.

### Deviation from the First Law of Thermodynamics for Particle-like Quantum Kerr-de Sitter Black Holes

The goal of this paper is to extend the particle-like quantization scheme presented in Pacheco and Silk (2020), to extremal Kerr-de Sitter black holes in four spacetime dimensions, thereby obtaining various quantized parameters, like the black hole mass and angular momentum, consistent with existing results, in the proper limits. Moreover, we show numerically, that for such extremal quantum black holes, there is a root mean square deviation from the First Law of black hole thermodynamics, of the order $\mathcal{O}(\Lambda^{0.45 \pm 0.01})$, where $\Lambda$ denotes the Cosmological Constant.

### Ultrahigh accuracy time synchronization technique operation on the Moon

Ultrahigh accuracy time synchronization technique based on the Optical Frequency Comb and the GHZ radiofrequency spiral scanning deflector is suggested to install on the Moon during the ARTEMIS mission. The comparison with the parameters of an analogous device operated in the Earth gravity will enable the testing to high accuracy fundamental physical principles.

### On the Djorgovski-Gurzadyan dark energy integral equation and the Hubble diagram

We consider the observational aspects of the value of dark energy density from quantum vacuum fluctuations based initially on the Gurzadyan-Xue model. We reduce Djorgovski-Gurzadyan integral equation to a differential equation for the co-moving horizon and then, by means of the obtained explicit form for the luminosity distance, we construct the Hubble diagram for two classes of observational samples. For supernova and gamma-ray burst data we show that this approach provides viable predictions for distances up to $z \simeq 9$, quantitatively at least as good as the $\Lambda$CDM model does. The Hubble parameter dependence $H(z)$ of both models also reveals mutual crossing at $z=0.4018$, the interpretation of which seems less evident.

### Causality Constraints in Large $N$ QCD Coupled to Gravity

Confining gauge theories contain glueballs and mesons with arbitrary spin, and these particles become metastable at large $N$. However, metastable higher spin particles, when coupled to gravity, are in conflict with causality. This tension can be avoided only if the gravitational interaction is accompanied by interactions involving other higher spin states well below the Planck scale $M_{\rm pl}$. These higher spin states can come from either the QCD sector or the gravity sector, but both these resolutions have some surprising implications. For example, QCD states can resolve the problem only if there is a non-trivial mixing between the QCD sector and the gravity sector, requiring all particles to interact with glueballs at tree-level. If gravity sector states restore causality, any weakly coupled UV completion of the gravity-sector must have many stringy features, with an upper bound on the string scale. Under the assumption that gravity is weakly coupled, both scenarios imply that the theory has a stringy description above $N\gtrsim \frac{M_{\rm pl}}{\Lambda_{\rm QCD}}$, where $\Lambda_{\rm QCD}$ is the confinement scale.

### Accelerated paths and Unruh effect I: scalars and fermions in Anti De Sitter spacetime

We have investigated the Unruh effect in Anti de-Sitter (AdS) spacetime by examining the response function of the Unruh-DeWitt particle detector. In any general $D$ dimensional $(D>2)$ AdS, there are two distinct timelike paths any accelerated observers can take. However for scalar field the Unruh radiation remain independent of the path while in the case of fermions it is path dependent. Nonetheless, such discrepancy goes away in the vanishing limit of the AdS curvature.

### Almost certain loss from black holes: critical comments on the black hole final state proposal

In this paper, we critically revisit the Horowitz-Maldacena proposal and its generalization of Lloyd. In the original proposal, as well as in Lloyd's generalization, Hawking radiation involves a pair of maximally entangled quantum states in which the ingoing partner state and the collapsed matter form either a maximally entangled pair or a Schmidt decomposed state near the singularity. However, this cannot be the most generic state if there is an interaction between the collapsing matter and the incoming Hawking radiation. In opposition to Lloyd's conclusion such that information can almost certainly escape from a black hole, we analytically and numerically confirm that information will almost certainly be lost because the fidelity will approach zero as the degrees of freedom increase.

### Purely kinetic k-essence description of $c_s^2(w)$ barotropic fluid models

Purely kinetic k-essence models have been shown in the literature to be a field theory equivalent of barotropic fluid models of dark energy or dark matter-dark energy unification. In the modeling framework where the speed of sound squared of a barotropic fluid is modeled as a function of its Equation of State parameter, a systematic procedure of obtaining the Lagrangian density of an equivalent purely kinetic k-essence model is presented. As this modeling approach starts from the speed of sound, purely kinetic k-essence models can be constructed for which the speed of sound is in agreement with the observational constraints. Depending on the chosen functional form for the barotropic fluid speed of sound squared, analytically tractable examples of solutions for the purely kinetic k-essence Lagrangian density in parametric and closed form are obtained.

### Stochastic inflation and primordial black holes

During inflation, vacuum quantum fluctuations are amplified and stretched to astrophysical distances. They give rise to fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarisation, and to large-scale structures in our universe. They can also trigger the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs). Such objects could provide the progenitors of the recently detected black-hole mergers, and constitute part or all of the dark matter. Their observation would give invaluable access to parts of the inflationary sector that are unconstrained by the CMB. Since PBHs require large inhomogeneities to form, they are produced in scenarios where quantum fluctuations substantially modify the dynamics of the universe. In this habilitation thesis, this "backreaction" effect is investigated using the stochastic inflation formalism, an effective theory for the long-wavelengths of quantum fields during inflation, which can be described in a classical but stochastic way once the small wavelengths have been integrated out. It describes an inflating background that gets randomly corrected by the vacuum quantum fluctuations as they get stretched to large distances. After a brief review of the stochastic inflation formalism, we explain how it can be combined with standard techniques of cosmological perturbation theory (the $\delta N$ formalism) to provide the full probability density function of curvature perturbations in the presence of non-perturbative quantum diffusion. These results are then applied to PBHs, where we show that quantum diffusion can change the expected abundance by several orders of magnitude. Finally, since inflationary models giving rise to cosmologically relevant PBHs often feature violations of slow roll, the stochastic-$\delta N$ formalism is generalised to non slow-roll dynamics. We conclude by highlighting several research directions that remain to be explored.

### Addressing $H_0$ tension by means of VCDM

Tensions in quantifying the present expansion rate of the universe, $H_0$, from the high-redshift observation and low-redshift observations have been growing during these past few years. This is one of the most surprising and hardest challenges that the present day cosmology needs to face. These experimental results are difficult to accept as they immediately challenge the standard model of cosmology known as the $\Lambda$ Cold Dark Matter ($\Lambda$CDM) model. On the other hand, once the experimental results are accepted, we need to face the possibility that the choice of this model is nothing but an arbitrarily chosen theoretical prior in the estimation of the cosmological parameters of the universe (including $H_0$). Here we show that the $H_0$-tensions can be resolved by changing the theoretical prior on using a new theory, dubbed VCDM. This is essentially a low-redshift resolution of the Hubble tension.

### Effects of modified theories of gravity on neutrino pair annihilation energy deposition near neutron stars

We study the neutrino pairs annihilation into electron-positron pairs ($\nu+{\bar \nu}\to e^- + e^+$) near the surface of a neutron star. The analysis is performed in the framework of extended theories of gravity. The latter induce a modification of the minimum photon-sphere radius ($R_{ph}$) and the maximum energy deposition rate near to $R_{ph}$, as compared to ones of General Relativity. These results might lead to an efficient mechanism for generating GRBs.

### Gravitational instantons and anomalous chiral symmetry breaking

We study anomalous chiral symmetry breaking in two-flavour QCD induced by gravitational and QCD-instantons within asymptotically safe gravity within the functional renormalisation group approach. Similarly to QCD-instantons, gravitational ones, associated to a K3-surface connected by a wormhole-like throat in flat spacetime, generate contributions to the 't~Hooft coupling proportional to $\exp(-1/g_N)$ with the dimensionless Newton coupling $g_N$. Hence, in the asymptotically safe gravity scenario with a non-vanishing fixed point coupling $g_N^*$, the induced 't Hooft coupling is finite at the Planck scale, and its size depends on the chosen UV-completion. Within this scenario the gravitational effects on anomalous $U(1)_A$-breaking at the Planck scale may survive at low energy scales. In turn, fermion masses of the order of the Planck scale cannot be present. This constrains the allowed asymptotically safe UV-completion of the Gravity-QCD system. We map-out the parameter regime that is compatible with the existence of light fermions in the low-energy regime.

### Galaxy morphology rules out astrophysically interesting $f(R)$

$f(R)$ is a paradigmatic modified gravity theory that typifies extensions to General Relativity with new light degrees of freedom and hence screened fifth forces between masses. These forces produce observable signatures in galaxy morphology, caused by a violation of the weak equivalence principle due to a differential impact of screening among galaxies' mass components. We compile statistical datasets of two morphological indicators -- offsets between stars and gas in galaxies and warping of stellar disks -- and use them to constrain the strength and range of a thin-shell-screened fifth force. This is achieved by applying a comprehensive set of upgrades to past work (Desmond et al 2018a,b): we construct a robust galaxy-by-galaxy Bayesian forward model for the morphological signals, including full propagation of uncertainties in the input quantities and marginalisation over an empirical model describing astrophysical noise. Employing more stringent data quality cuts than previously we find no evidence for a screened fifth force of any strength $\Delta G/G_\text{N}$ in the Compton wavelength range $0.3-8$ Mpc, setting a $1\sigma$ bound of $\Delta G/G_\text{N}<0.8$ at $\lambda_C=0.3$ Mpc that strengthens to $\Delta G/G_\text{N}<3\times10^{-5}$ at $\lambda_C=8$ Mpc. These are the tightest bounds to date beyond the Solar System by over an order of magnitude. For the Hu-Sawicki model of $f(R)$ with $n=1$ we require a background scalar field value $f_{R0} < 1.4 \times 10^{-8}$, forcing practically all astrophysical objects to be screened. We conclude that this model can have no relevance to astrophysics or cosmology.

### Lorentz meets Lipschitz

We show that maximal causal curves for a Lipschitz continuous Lorentzian metric admit a $\mathcal{C}^{1,1}$-parametrization and that they solve the geodesic equation in the sense of Filippov in this parametrization. Our proof shows that maximal causal curves are either everywhere lightlike or everywhere timelike. Furthermore, the proof demonstrates that maximal causal curves for an $\alpha$-H\"older continuous Lorentzian metric admit a $\mathcal{C}^{1,\frac{\alpha}{4}}$-parametrization.

### Cosmology with relativistically varying physical constants

We have shown that the varying physical constant model is consistent with the recently published variational approach wherein Einstein equations are modified to include the variation of the speed of light c, gravitational constant G and cosmological constant {\Lambda} using the Einstein-Hilbert action. The general constraint resulting from satisfying the local conservation laws and contracted Bianchi identities provides the freedom to choose the form of the variation of the constants as well as how their variations are related. When we choose dG/Gdt=3dc/cdt, c=c_0.exp[(a^{\alpha}-1)], G=G_0.exp[3(a^{\alpha}-1)] and {\Lambda}={\Lambda}_0.exp[(a^(-{\alpha})-1)], where a is the scale factor and {\alpha}=1.8, we are able to show that the resulting model: (a) fits the supernovae 1a observational data marginally better than the {\Lambda}CDM model; (b) determines the first peak in the power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies at multipole value of l=217.3; (c) calculates the age of the universe as 14.1 Gyr; and (d) finds the BAO acoustic scale to be 145.2 Mpc. These numbers are within less than 3% of the values derived using the {\Lambda}CDM model. Surprisingly we find that the dark-energy density is negative in a universe that has significant negative curvature and whose expansion is accelerating at a faster rate than predicted by the {\Lambda}CDM model.

### High-frequency limits and null dust shell solutions in general relativity

Consider the characteristic initial value problem for the Einstein vacuum equations without any symmetry assumptions. Impose a sequence of data on two intersecting null hypersurfaces, each of which is foliated by spacelike $2$-spheres. Assume that the sequence of data is such that the derivatives of the metrics along null directions are only uniformly bounded in $L^2$ but the derivatives of the metrics along the directions tangential to the $2$-spheres obey higher regularity bounds uniformly. By the results in [J. Luk and I. Rodnianski, Nonlinear interaction of impulsive gravitational waves for the vacuum Einstein equations, Camb. J. Math. 5(4), 2017], it follows that the sequence of characteristic initial value problems gives rise to a sequence of vacuum spacetimes $(\mathcal M, g_n)$ in a fixed double-null domain $\mathcal M$. Since the existence theorem requires only very low regularity, the sequence of solutions may exhibit both oscillations and concentrations, and the limit need not be vacuum. We prove nonetheless that, after passing to a subsequence, the metrics converge in $C^0$ and weakly in $W^{1,2}$ to a solution of the Einstein-null dust system with two families of (potentially measure-valued) null dust. We show moreover that all sufficiently regular solutions to the Einstein-null dust system (with potentially measure-valued null dust) adapted to a double null coordinate system arise locally as weak limits of solutions to the Einstein vacuum system in the manner described above. As a consequence, we also give the first general local existence and uniqueness result for solutions to the Einstein-null dust system for which the null dusts are only measures. This in particular includes as a special case solutions featuring propagating and interacting shells of null dust.

### CARPool: fast, accurate computation of large-scale structure statistics by pairing costly and cheap cosmological simulations

To exploit the power of next-generation large-scale structure surveys, ensembles of numerical simulations are necessary to give accurate theoretical predictions of the statistics of observables. High-fidelity simulations come at a towering computational cost. Therefore, approximate but fast simulations, surrogates, are widely used to gain speed at the price of introducing model error. We propose a general method that exploits the correlation between simulations and surrogates to compute fast, reduced-variance statistics of large-scale structure observables without model error at the cost of only a few simulations. We call this approach Convergence Acceleration by Regression and Pooling (CARPool). In numerical experiments with intentionally minimal tuning, we apply CARPool to a handful of GADGET-III $N$-body simulations paired with surrogates computed using COmoving Lagrangian Acceleration (COLA). We find $\sim 100$-fold variance reduction even in the non-linear regime, up to $k_\mathrm{max} \approx 1.2$ $h {\rm Mpc^{-1}}$ for the matter power spectrum. CARPool realises similar improvements for the matter bispectrum. In the nearly linear regime CARPool attains far larger sample variance reductions. By comparing to the 15,000 simulations from the Quijote suite, we verify that the CARPool estimates are unbiased, as guaranteed by construction, even though the surrogate misses the simulation truth by up to $60\%$ at high $k$. Furthermore, even with a fully configuration-space statistic like the non-linear matter density probability density function, CARPool achieves unbiased variance reduction factors of up to $\sim 10$, without any further tuning. Conversely, CARPool can be used to remove model error from ensembles of fast surrogates by combining them with a few high-accuracy simulations.

### Testing $H_0$ in Acoustic Dark Energy with Planck and ACT Polarization

The canonical acoustic dark energy model (cADE), which is based on a scalar field with a canonical kinetic term that rapidly converts potential to kinetic energy around matter radiation equality, alleviates the Hubble tension found in $\Lambda$CDM. We show that it successfully passes new consistency tests in the CMB damping tail provided by the ACT data, while being increasingly constrained and distinguished from alternate mechanisms by the improved CMB acoustic polarization data from Planck. The best fit cADE model to a suite of cosmological observations, including the SH0ES $H_0$ measurement, has $H_0=70.25$ compared with $68.23$ (km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$) in $\Lambda$CDM and a finite cADE component is preferred at the $2.8\sigma$ level. The ability to raise $H_0$ is now mainly constrained by the improved Planck acoustic polarization data, which also plays a crucial role in distinguishing cADE from the wider class of early dark energy models. ACT and Planck TE polarization data are currently mildly discrepant in normalization and drive correspondingly different preferences in parameters. Improved constraints on intermediate scale polarization approaching the cosmic variance limit will be an incisive test of the acoustic dynamics of these models and their alternatives.