Related papers: Stochastic backgrounds of relic gravitons, T$\Lamb…
Using a new recently compiled milliarcsecond compact radio data set of 120 intermediate-luminosity quasars in the redshift range $0.46< z <2.76$, whose statistical linear sizes show negligible dependence on redshifts and intrinsic…
A cosmological model is formulated in the context of a scalar-tensor theory of gravity in which the entire cosmic background evolution is due to a complex scalar field evolving in Minkowski spacetime, such that its (dimensional) modulus is…
The assumption of a flat Universe that follows the cosmological principle, i.e., that the universe is statistically homogeneous and isotropic at large scales, comprises one of the core foundations of the standard cosmological model --…
A complete analysis of the dynamics of the Hu-Sawicki modification to General Relativity is presented. In particular, the full phase-space is given for the case in which the model parameters are taken to be n=1, c1=1, and several stable de…
These lectures describe how the Standard Model of cosmology ($\Lambda$CDM) has developped, based on observational facts but also on ideas formed in the context of the theory of fundamental interactions, both gravitational and…
The theoretical framework of cosmology is mainly defined by gravity, of which general relativity is the current model. Recent tests of general relativity within the \Lambda Cold Dark Matter (CDM) model have found a concordance between…
Operating resonant mass detectors set interesting bounds on diffused backgrounds of gravitational radiation and in the next five years the wide-band interferometers will also look for stochastic sources. In this lecture the interplay among…
A larger Planck scale during an early epoch leads to a smaller Hubble rate, which is the measure for efficiency of primordial processes. The resulting slower cosmic tempo can accommodate alternative cosmological histories. We consider this…
Quantum fluctuations of the gravitational field in the early Universe, amplified by inflation, produce a primordial gravitational-wave background across a broad frequency band. We derive constraints on the spectrum of this gravitational…
Dark matter may have been relativistic and collisional until relatively late times and become cold and collisionless after a phase transition before the matter-radiation equality of the standard $\Lambda$CDM cosmology. We show that such a…
Provided the consistency relations are not violated, the recent Bicep2 observations pin down the absolute normalization, the spectral slope and the maximal frequency of the cosmic graviton background produced during inflation. The properly…
A major aim of cosmological surveys is to test deviations from the standard $\Lambda$CDM model, but the full scientific value of these surveys will only be realised through efficient simulation methods that keep up with the increasing…
In the past decade or so observations of supernovae, Large Scale Structures (LSS), and the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) have confirmed the presence of what is called dark energy - the cause of accelerating expansion of the Universe.…
Cosmological models where the standard big bang is replaced by a bounce have been studied for decades. The situation has, however, dramatically changed in the past years for two reasons: first, because new ways to probe the early Universe…
The production of a primordial stochastic gravitational-wave background by processes occuring in the early Universe is expected in a broad range of models. Observing this background would open a unique window onto the Universe's…
Recent observations of Type 1a supernovae indicating an accelerating universe have once more drawn attention to the possible existence, at the present epoch, of a small positive Lambda-term (cosmological constant). In this paper we review…
The early expansion history of the Universe is constrained by combining the most recent limits on the cosmic gravitons in the audio band and the claimed evidences of the nHz domain. The simplest scenario stipulates that between the end of…
The recent claim by BICEP2 of evidence for primordial gravitational waves from inflation has focused interest on the potential for early-Universe cosmology using observations of gravitational waves. In addition to cosmic microwave…
The $\rm\Lambda$CDM cosmological model is remarkable: with just 6 parameters it describes the evolution of the Universe from a very early time when all structures were quantum fluctuations on subatomic scales to the present, and it is…
The cosmic microwave background temperature is a cornerstone astrophysical observable. Its present value is tightly constrained, but its redshift dependence, which can now be determined until redshift $z\sim6.34$, is also an important probe…