Related papers: Ultralight axion and modern cosmology tensions
The recent measurements of the Hubble constant based on the standard $\Lambda$CDM cosmology reveal an underlying disagreement between the early-Universe estimates and the late-time measurements. Moreover, as these measurements improve, the…
Pre--big bang models of inflation based on string cosmology produce a stochastic gravitational wave background whose spectrum grows with decreasing wavelength, and which may be detectable using interferometers such as LIGO. We point out…
We perform the lattice simulation to estimate the axion dark matter abundance radiated from the global cosmic strings in the post-inflationary scenario. The independent numerical confirmation on the recently observed logarithmic growth in…
Non-canonical cosmology with an uplifted Higgs vacuum expectation value (Higgs-VEV) in the early universe is believed to provide the solution for existing tensions within the $\Lambda$CDM regime. We recently proposed a theoretical model…
Two strands of observational gravitation, one the search for astrophysical evidence of primordial black holes and the other the search for gravitational waves, may combine to provide strong evidence in favour of cosmological models based on…
While axions seem ubiquitous in critical string theories, whether they might survive in any string theoretic description of nature is a difficult question. With some mild assumptions, one can frame the issues in the case that there is an…
Although the standard {\Lambda}CDM model describes the cosmic microwave background radiation and the large scale structure of the Universe with great success, it has some tensions with observations in the effective number of neutrino…
It is widely believed that string theory easily allows for a QCD axion in the cosmologically favoured mass range. The required small decay constant, $f_a\ll M_P$, can be implemented by using a large compactification volume. This points to…
In spite of its great phenomenological success, current models of scalar field-driven inflation suffer from important unresolved conceptual issues. New fundamental physics will be required to address these questions. String theory is a…
The nature of dark matter is one of the longest-standing puzzles in science. Axions or axion-like particles are a key possibility, and arise in mechanisms to solve the strong CP problem but also in low-energy limits of string theory.…
The standard model of cosmology has begun to show signs of internal inconsistencies under the relentless onslaught of precision data from the James Webb Telescope (JWST), the Hubble Telescope (HST) and other space-based observation…
Early dark energy, as a proposed solution to the Hubble tension, faces an additional "why now" problem. Why should dark energy emerge just prior to recombination, billions of years before the onset of cosmic acceleration? Assisted…
A popular proposal for resolving the Hubble tension involves an early phase of dark energy, driven by an axion field with a periodic potential. In this paper, we argue that these models are tightly constrained by the axion weak gravity…
Gravitational lensing time delays offer an avenue to measure the Hubble parameter $H_0$, with some analyses suggesting a tension with early-type probes of $H_0$. The lensing measurements must mitigate systematic uncertainties due to the…
Ultralight axions are theoretically interesting and phenomenologically rich dark sector candidates, but they are difficult to track across cosmological timescales because of their fast oscillations. We resolve this problem by developing a…
In these lectures, I review the current status of cosmic strings and cosmic superstrings. I first discuss topological defects in the context of Grand Unified Theories, focusing in particular in cosmic strings arising as gauge theory…
The Pre-Big Bang cosmology inspired generations of cosmologists in attempts to cure the initial Big Bang singularity using a fundamental length scale as proposed by String Theory. The existence of a phase of collapse/inflation with…
Searches for dark matter imprints are one of the most active areas of current research. We focus here on light fields with mass $m_B$, such as axions and axion-like candidates. Using perturbative techniques and full-blown nonlinear…
The $\Lambda$CDM model provides an excellent fit to the CMB data. However, a statistically significant tension emerges when its determination of the Hubble constant $H_0$ is compared to the local distance-redshift measurements. The…
The standard model of modern cosmology provides a description of a wide range of astrophysical and astronomical data. However, despite this impressive success, several discrepancies have have persisted. Most strikingly, the emerging tension…