Related papers: A Proposed Experimental Search for Chameleons usin…
We present phase shift measurements for neutron matter waves in vacuum and in low pressure Helium using a method originally developed for neutron scattering length measurements in neutron interferometry. We search for phase shifts…
Models where the accelerated expansion of our Universe is caused by a quintessence scalar field are reviewed. In the framework of high energy physics, the physical nature of this field is discussed and its interaction with ordinary matter…
The Casimir And Non-Newtonian force EXperiment (CANNEX) implements the unique geometry of macroscopic plane parallel plates that guarantees an optimum sensitivity with respect to interfacial forces and their gradients. Based on experience…
Super-chameleon models where all types of matter belong to three secluded sectors, i.e. the dark, supersymmetry breaking and matter sectors, are shown to be dynamically equivalent to ultra-local models of modified gravity. In the dark…
Chameleon dark energy models are a popular alternative to the standard cosmological constant model. These models consist of a new light degree of freedom, called chameleon, with a density dependent mass and a non-trivial coupling to both…
In chameleon gravity, there exists a light scalar field that couples to the trace of the stress-energy tensor in such a way that its mass depends on the ambient matter density, and the field is screened in local, high-density environments.…
We apply the new constraints from atom-interferometry searches for screening mechanisms to the symmetron model, finding that these experiments exclude a previously unexplored region of parameter space. We discuss the possibility of networks…
Theories that attempt to explain cosmic acceleration by modifying gravity typically introduces a long-range scalar force that needs to be screened on small scales. One common screening mechanism is the chameleon, where the scalar force is…
In this work we present a search for (solar) chameleons with the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). This novel experimental technique, in the field of dark energy research, exploits both the chameleon coupling to matter ($\beta_{\rm m}$)…
It is generally accepted that certain astronomical and cosmological observations can be explained by invoking the concepts of Dark Matter and Dark Energy (DM/DE). Applying straightforward extensions of the Standard Model to DM/DE, results…
The acceleration of the expansion of the Universe has led to the construction of Dark Energy models where a light scalar field may have a range reaching up to cosmological scales. Screening mechanisms allow these models to evade the tight…
We present a framework for embedding scalar-tensor models of screened modifed gravity such as chameleons, symmetrons and environmental dilatons into global supersymmetry. This achieved by secluding the dark sector from both the observable…
The symmetron is a typical example of screened modified gravity, wherein the symmetron force is dynamically suppressed in dense environments. This allows it to hide in traditional tests of gravity. However, the past decade has seen great…
In this thesis, we investigate various possibilities of Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter (DM) and their implications. These possibilities are important because they challenge the viability of WIMP DM in light of tight…
Nonlinear scalar-tensor theories of gravity have been considered as candidates for dark matter and dark energy. Often, they possess screening mechanisms, which allow the fifth force mediated by the additional scalar degree(s) of freedom to…
The main aim of this paper is to present the multi scalar field components as candidates to be the dark energy of the universe and their observational constraints. We start with the canonical Quintessence and Phantom fields with quadratic…
A large class of scalar-tensor theories of gravity exhibit a screening mechanism that dynamically suppresses fifth forces in the Solar system and local laboratory experiments. Technically, at the scalar field equation level, this usually…
This article is dedicated to the use the MICROSCOPE mission's data to test chameleon theory of gravity. We take advantage of the technical sessions aimed to characterize the electrostatic stiffness of MICROSCOPE's instrument intrinsic to…
We test an analytic cosmological solution within the framework of Weyl Integrable Spacetime using current observational data. In this model, dark energy is described by a pressureless fluid, while a scalar field arises naturally through the…
The symmetron scalar field is a matter-coupled dark energy candidate which effectively decouples from matter in high-density regions through a symmetry restoration. We consider a previously unexplored regime, in which the vacuum mass $\mu…