Related papers: Next step in gravity and cosmology: fundamental th…
The field equations of modified gravity theories, when considering a homogeneous and isotropic cosmological model, always become autonomous differential equations. This relies on the fact that in such models all variables only depend on…
We consider a special class of the tetrad theory of gravitation which can be considered as a viable alternative gravitational theories. We investigate cosmological models based on those theories by examining the possibility of fitting the…
Here $f(R)$-cosmology is discussed using a different approach. This model explains early-inflation, emergence of cosmic background radiation at the exit from inflation, cosmic deceleration during radiation-dominance followed by deceleration…
I discuss how modern cosmology illustrates under-determination of theoretical hypotheses by data, in ways that are different from most philosophical discussions. I emphasize cosmology's concern with what data could in principle be collected…
We explore the dynamics and evolution of the Universe at early and late times, focusing on both dark energy and extended gravity models and their astrophysical and cosmological consequences. Modified theories of gravity not only provide an…
A number of recent proposals for a quantum theory of gravity are based on the idea that spacetime geometry and gravity are derivative concepts and only apply at an approximate level. There are two fundamental challenges to any such…
We consider general curvature-invariant modifications of the Einstein-Hilbert action that become important only in regions of extremely low space-time curvature. We investigate the far future evolution of the universe in such models,…
Horndeski models with a de Sitter critical point for any kind of material content may provide a mechanism to alleviate the cosmological constant problem. We study the cosmological evolution of two classes of families - the linear models and…
According to the holographic principle, the maximum amount of information stored in a region of space scales as the area of its two-dimensional surface, like a hologram. We show that the holographic principle can be understood heuristically…
This thesis investigates late-time cosmic acceleration using modified gravity theories with a focus on $f(Q)$ gravity, as an alternative to the $\Lambda$CDM model. The standard cosmological model attributes the acceleration to a…
This thesis investigates the characteristics of modified teleparallel gravity models that incorporate a scalar field and a trace of the energy-momentum tensor, with particular attention to their cosmological effects, especially regarding…
We explore a cosmological model in which dark matter is non-minimally coupled to gravity at the fluid level. While typically subdominant compared to Standard Model forces, such couplings may dominate dark matter dynamics. We show that this…
We consider Horndeski cosmological models able to screen the vacuum energy coming from any field theory assuming that after this screening the space should be in a de Sitter vacuum with a particular value of the cosmological constant…
In this thesis we will focus on Einstein's interpretation of gravity. We will examine how the most famous equations in cosmology are derived from GR and also some results of cosmological significance. We will see how combining that with…
We investigate the cosmological implications of a new class of modified gravity, where the field equations generically include higher-order derivatives of the matter fields, arising from the introduction of non-dynamical auxiliary fields in…
Even when completely and consistently formulated, a fundamental theory of physics and cosmological boundary conditions may not give unambiguous and unique predictions for the universe we observe; indeed inflation, string/M theory, and…
We employ the Stern-Gerlach experiment to highlight the basics of a minimalist, non-interpretational top-down approach to quantum foundations. Certain benefits of the here highlighted "quantum structural studies" are detected and discussed.…
In the last decades, a cosmological model that fits observations through a vast range of scales emerged. It goes under the name of ${\Lambda}$CDM. However, there are still challenging questions that remain unanswered by this model, such as…
After a decade and a half of research motivated by the accelerating universe, theory and experiment have a reached a certain level of maturity. The development of theoretical models beyond \Lambda, or smooth dark energy, often called…
We review the most general scalar-tensor cosmological models with up to second-order derivatives in the field equations that have a fixed spatially flat de Sitter critical point independent of the material content or vacuum energy. This…