In this work, we investigate neutron stars (NSs) in the strong field regime within the framework of symmetric teleparallel $f(Q)$ gravity, considering three representative models: linear, logarithmic, and exponential. While Bayesian studies of NS observations are well established in General Relativity and curvature based modified gravity theories, such analyses in $f(Q)$ gravity remain largely unexplored. We perform a Bayesian inference analysis by confronting theoretical NS mass-radius predictions with NICER observations of PSR J0030+0451, PSR J0740+6620, PSR J0437+4715, and PSR J0614+3329. The dense matter equation of state is fixed to DDME2 in order to isolate the effects of modified gravity on NS structure. Our results show that the exponential $f(Q)$ model is statistically preferred over the linear and logarithmic cases, as confirmed by Bayes factor comparisons, and exhibits well-constrained. For this model, we obtain a radius and tidal deformability at $1.4\,M_\odot$ of $R_{1.4} = 11.27^{+0.53}_{-0.36}\,\mathrm{km}$ and $\Lambda_{1.4} = 156.95^{+84.02}_{-41.73}$, respectively, consistent with current observational constraints. These results highlight the potential of NSs as powerful probes of symmetric teleparallel gravity in the strong field regime.

In four-dimensional vacuum general relativity the only known static, exact and analytical black hole solution is given by the Schwarzschild spacetime. In this paper this renowned metric is generalised by adding another integrating constant, a hair that switches the metric from the Petrov type D to the type I. This new parameter represents the intensity of an external gravitational field, which can be considered the hyperbolic generalisation of the Witten's bubble of nothing. No curvature or conical singularities are present outside the event horizon. The no hair arguments are circumvented because the metric is not asymptotically flat, and neither the black hole is spherical. The gravitational hair continuously deforms the Schwarzschild geometry: the horizon becomes oblate, while its area is reduced. Conserved charges and thermodynamic properties of the black hole are studied.

In this work, we present a theoretical analysis of null geodesics, critical photon orbits, and shadow formation associated with a wormhole generated by a geometric defect. The propagation of light in this spacetime is examined through the deflection angle in both weak- and strong-field regimes. Analytical expansions are derived in each regime and employed to characterize gravitational lensing observables. By varying the global monopole charge, we evaluate its impact on these observables and determine parameter ranges that may be accessible to current or future observational probes. Finally, we calculate the quasinormal modes as well as the time-domain solution for scalar perturbations as well.

Does gravity care about electric charge? Precision tests of the weak equivalence principle achieve remarkable sensitivity but deliberately minimize electric charge on test masses, leaving this fundamental question experimentally open. We present a minimalist framework coupling electromagnetism to linearized gravity through conservation of a complex charge-mass current, predicting charge-dependent violations $\Delta a/g = \kappa(q/m)$. Remarkably, this prediction occupies unexplored experimental territory precisely because precision gravity tests avoid charge variation. We identify this as a significant gap and propose a modified torsion balance experiment where $q/m$ is treated as a controlled variable. Such an experiment could test whether gravitational acceleration depends on electric charge, probing physics in genuinely new parameter space. This work exemplifies how theoretical minimalism can reveal overlooked opportunities in fundamental physics.

Gravitational waves (GWs) in the $10^{-3}-0.1$ Hz band encode unique signatures of the early universe and merging compact objects, but they are beyond the reach of existing observatories. Theoretical models suggest that the Moon could act as a resonant detector, but the unknown influence of its rugged surface and heterogeneous interior has cast doubt on this prospect. Here, we resolve this long-standing uncertainty by constructing the first high-resolution, structurally realistic model of the lunar GW response. We achieve this by combining high-fidelity spectral-element simulations with the analytical power of normal-mode perturbation theory, thereby resolving topographical effects down to $3.7$ km grid spacing while maintaining the capacity to discern global free-oscillation patterns. This dual-methodology approach not only recovers the expected predominant quadrupole ($l=2$) oscillation mode, but also exposes a systematic signal amplification of $(10-20)\%$ in thick-crust regions. This enhancement is traced by our normal-mode analysis to a mode-coupling process, in which the original quadrupolar oscillation induced by the passing GWs distributes energy into a series of higher-order modes, the hybridized eigenmodes of the laterally heterogeneous Moon. Near certain eigen-frequencies and at specific locations, we observe up to tenfold amplification, highlighting the power of numerical simulations in resolving these structurally fine-tuned features. Our work establishes the Moon as an accurately calibrated resonant GW detector, and the resulting amplification maps provide quantitative guide for the optimal landing site selection.

We investigate the gravitational lensing effects of a static spherically symmetric black hole (BH) within the framework of the revised Deser-Woodard (D-W) nonlocal gravity. By analyzing the deflection angle in both the weak and strong field limits, we derive several distinguishing features of the model. In the weak field limit, we report a leading-order correction to the deflection angle directly attributed to the non-local nature of the theory. In the strong field limit, we find that the lensing corrections are almost linearly dependent on the coupling parameter $\zeta$ while being exponentially suppressed by the exponent parameter $n$. Furthermore, the gravitational lensing effect in the revised D-W model at a given time shares similar scale-invariant behavior to General Relativity and conformal gravity, offering a potential pathway to distinguish it from other alternatives using astronomical observations.

We develop a general canonical quantization scheme for $k$-essence cosmology in scalar-tensor theory. Utilizing the Dirac-Bergmann algorithm, we construct the Hamiltonian associated with the cosmological field equations and identify the first- and second-class constraints. The introduction of appropriate canonically conjugate variables with respect to Dirac brackets, allows for the canonical quantization of the model. In these new variables, the Hamiltonian constraint reduces to a quadratic function with no potential term. Its quantum realization leads to a Wheeler-DeWitt equation reminiscent of the massless Klein-Gordon case. As an illustrative example, we consider the action of a tachyonic field and investigate the conditions under which a phantom crossing can occur as a quantum tunneling effect. For the simplified constant potential case, we investigate the consequences of different boundary conditions on the singularity avoidance and to the mean expansion rate.

We investigate the cosmic censorship conjecture in a spherically symmetric collapse with shear and bulk viscosity, heat flux, and pressure anisotropy, imposing physically reasonable energy conditions. Using the semi-tetrad covariant formalism, we derive the dynamics of the collapsing fluid, including a master equation for the evolution of the Weyl curvature, to examine the role of viscosity. The analysis of null geodesic geometry uncovers a novel curvature-balance mechanism between Ricci (matter) and Weyl (free gravitational field) curvature on the apparent horizon; this balance determines the causal nature of the horizon and thereby governs the visibility of the singularity. We then derive necessary and sufficient covariant conditions for the central singularity to be locally naked. Our findings support a weaker form of cosmic censorship and extend the covariant censorship analysis to realistic dissipative, viscous collapse.

We derive general relativistic Gaussian equations for osculating elements for orbits under the influence of a perturbing force without any restrictions in an underlying Schwarzschild space-time. Such a formulation provides a way to describe the evolution of orbital parameters in strong gravity relativistic settings. As examples of external forces we considered Kerr and $q$-metric space-times generated forces, for which we solve equations for osculating elements in linear approximation. For the Kerr space-time in the post-Newtonian limit, our result reproduces the well-known Lense--Thirring precession of the longitude of the ascending node.

We explore dark matter like fluids in a spherically symmetric Lemaitre Tolman Bondi (LTB) minisuperspace, tracking how symmetry properties of the Hamiltonian constraint control the emergence of effective dark sources in General Relativity (GR) and Horava Lifshitz (HL) gravity. We first deform the GR Hamiltonian by adding an extra weight $+1$ density to the potential. We show that potential deformations of this type leave the (reduced) Dirac algebra unchanged and the modification is naturally reinterpreted as an effective anisotropic stress energy contribution. While the fluid reproduces an isothermal-like mass scaling, its pressure anisotropy prevents it from giving flat rotation curves. We then turn to HL gravity, where the deformed Dirac algebra induces a controlled nonconservation law for an emergent dust component. Generalizing earlier results, we identify a restricted class of LTB backgrounds for which the HL source term yields a positive scaling dark matter density, consistent with ghost-freedom, and recovery of GR in the infrared. The analysis is conditional on a prescribed background: obtaining a fully backreacted areal radius solution consistent with the HL field equations is left as a natural direction for future work.

Building on our previous work [1], where the Local Sum Rules (LSR) were established, we investigate the construction of compact objects in Randall-Sundrum braneworlds supported by matter fields that are dynamically consistent and localizable. We begin by revisiting the Chamblin et al. black string, highlighting its role as a foundational higher-dimensional solution. We then show that the Ellis-Bronnikov wormhole can be consistently embedded in this framework via a localized free scalar field, providing a simple yet nontrivial example of a braneworld compact object. Finally, we derive two novel black string solutions sourced by a localized nonlinear electrodynamics (NED) theory with Lagrangian $\mathcal{L}(\mathcal{F}) = -\beta \sqrt{\mathcal{F}}$, corresponding to purely magnetic and dyonic configurations. The purely magnetic solution reproduces the classical Letelier string cloud on the brane, while the dyonic solution generalizes it to include electric charge, closely paralleling the Letelier-Alencar construction. Both NED solutions reduce smoothly to the Chamblin et al. black string in the limit $\beta \to 0$, illustrating how localized higher-dimensional matter fields can consistently support braneworld compact objects and connect higher-dimensional physics with well-known four-dimensional solutions.

In a recent paper, arXiv:2509.19899, we presented a new method to test the consistency between uncalibrated BAO and SNIa data through a common parameter, the Alcock-Paczynski variable. Using Gaussian Processes, we can determine if various datasets are consistent, independently of dark energy or modified gravity models, and of the sound horizon and SNIa peak magnitude. We found that the DES-Y5 SNIa data showed non-negligible tension with other datasets. However, the recent update DES-Dovekie removes this tension. We find that all uncalibrated data from DESI DR2 BAO and three SNIa datasets, Union3, Pantheon+, and DES-Dovekie, are consistent with each other within $\sim 1\sigma$.

The historical and conceptual foundations of General Relativity are revisited, putting the main focus on the physical meaning of the invariant ds, the Equivalence Principle, and the precise interpretation of spacetime geometry. It is argued that Albert Einstein initially sought a dynamical formulation in which ds encoded the gravitational effects, without invoking curvature as a physical entity. The now more familiar geometrical interpretation (identifying gravitation with spacetime curvature) gradually emerged through his collaboration with Marcel Grossmann and the adoption of the Ricci tensor in 1915. Anyhow, in his 1920 Leiden lecture, Einstein explicitly reinterpreted spacetime geometry as the state of a physical medium (an ether endowed with metrical properties but devoid of mechanical substance) thereby actually rejecting geometry as an independent ontological reality. Building upon this mature view, gravitation is reconstructed from the Weak Equivalence Principle, understood as the exact compensation between inertial and gravitational forces acting on a body under a uniform gravitational field. From this fundamental principle, together with an extension of Fermat Principle to massive objects, the invariant ds is obtained, first in the static case, where the gravitational potential modifies the flow of proper time. Then, by applying the Lorentz transformation to this static invariant, its general form is derived for the case of matter in motion. The resulting invariant reproduces the relativistic form of Newton second law in proper time and coincides with the weak field limit of General Relativity in the harmonic gauge.

Using the worldline quantum field theory formalism, we compute the conservative scattering angle and impulse for classical black hole scattering at fifth post-Minkowskian (5PM) order by providing the second self-force (2SF) contributions. This four-loop calculation involves non-planar Feynman integrals and requires advanced integration-by-parts reduction, novel differential-equation strategies, and efficient boundary-integral algorithms to solve a system of hundreds of master integrals in four integral families on high-performance computing systems. The resulting function space includes multiple polylogarithms as well as iterated integrals with a K3 period, which generate a spurious velocity divergence at $v/c=\sqrt{8}/3$. This divergence is present in the potential region and must be cancelled by conservative memory contributions from radiative regions. We find that the standard use of Feynman propagators to access the conservative sector fails to ensure this cancellation. We propose a conservative propagator prescription which realises both cancellations leading to a physically sensible answer. All available low-velocity checks of our result against the post-Newtonian literature are satisfied.

We develop a geometry-first model that maps measured thin-disk water megamaser observables--sky angles, frequency shifts, their secular drifts and the angular redshift rate--to the black hole parameters in a generic static, spherically symmetric (SSS) spacetime written in the Schwarzschild gauge. The core of the approach is local: dot-product relations in the equatorial curved geometry relate the conserved light-deflection parameter to the observed detector angle at finite distance, providing a connection between sky positions and photon constants of motion. These local identities feed a closed model for the frequency shift of photons traveling between a maser clump circularly orbiting a black hole and a finite-distance detector, making explicit the dependence on the metric at emission and detection radii. We also apply the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to this construction on the equatorial two-manifold as an intrinsic cross-check. This theorem provides a global consistency relation between the local emission and detection angles, helping to validate sign conventions and angle branch choices in the local setup. In this sense, the local and global perspectives on the megamaser system support each other. To supplement the instantaneous information contained in frequency shifts, we incorporate the time-domain general relativistic invariant, the redshift rapidity. We further introduce a prospective angular-domain observable, the angular redshift rate, and give its analytic expression in the SSS framework. The results are formulated for generic SSS backgrounds, providing closed relations suited for likelihood-based inference from VLBI positions and spectral monitoring. In particular, for a Schwarzschild background, the black hole mass, its distance to Earth and megamaser orbital radius are fully constrained in the language of astrophysical observables.

The cosmological tensions present in the $\Lambda$ cold dark matter model that have emerged and strengthened over recent years motivate model independent approaches to analysing data. Cosmography is useful for interpreting data in cosmology without imposing assumptions about the field equations of gravity or the matter content in the Universe. Some cosmography methods, denoted covariant cosmography, go even further and stay agnostic to the underlying space-time metric. Due to their high level of generality, covariant cosmography methods can incorporate the anisotropies and inhomogeneities in the observer's vicinity, and may in turn inform about the associated curvature of the relevant structures in our cosmic neighbourhood. Thus, covariant cosmography is a powerful model-independent tool for analysing cosmological data while also enabling the mapping of our local cosmic neighbourhood. In order to be able to explore the covariant cosmography framework to its fullest, it must be tested in tractable models and simulations. In this paper we derive the cosmography of luminosity distance to fourth order in redshift and investigate it in the special case of axially symmetric Szekeres models. We compare the numerical results for the distance-redshift relations of synthetic observers placed within the Szekeres structures with the predictions from the cosmography, and comment on the found level of approximation of the cosmography in relation to other results in the litterature.

Supergravity theories in de Sitter spacetime are known to be very constrained, and rather unnatural within String/M Theory. We revisit the seminal paper by Pilch, van Nieuwenhuizen and Sohnius, where the possible existence of a real Lagrangian for ${\cal N}=2$ pure supergravity in four-dimensional de Sitter spacetime was pointed out. We clarify several issues related to the non-unitarity of the theory and explicitly construct the unique, complete theory searched for long ago by the aforementioned authors. We argue that the lack of unitarity of the Lorentzian theory may be revisited in the Euclidean approach to de Sitter quantum gravity, where alternative definitions of unitarity can be introduced.

Galactic double white dwarf (DWD) binaries are among the guaranteed sources for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), an upcoming space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector. Most DWDs in the LISA band are far from merging and emit quasimonochromatic GWs. As these sources are distributed throughout the Milky Way, they experience different accelerations in the Galactic gravitational potential, and therefore each DWD exhibits an apparent GW frequency chirp due to differential acceleration between the source and LISA. We examine how Galactic acceleration influences parameter estimation for these sources; and investigate how LISA observations could provide insight into the distribution of matter in the Galaxy.

The evolution of density perturbations is analysed in a modified theory of gravity with a nonminimal coupling between curvature and matter. We consider the broken degeneracy between the choices of matter Lagrangian for a perfect fluid, $\mathcal{L}_m=-\rho$ and $\mathcal{L}_m=p$, and determine the differences between their effects on the effective gravitational constant. We review the result for $\mathcal{L}_m=-\rho$ in the quasistatic approximation and show how it can lead to unphysical singular behaviour for late-time dominating models. This divergent regime can be avoided when considering the fully non-quasistatic perturbative equations, although the higher-order nature of the nonminimally coupled theory and the requirement of a physically viable effective gravitational constant strongly constrains the magnitude of these modifications to the action. We find that both of these issues can be removed when considering $\mathcal{L}_m=p$ at late times due to the pressureless nature of non-relativistic matter and provide predictions for inverse power-law models.

We present an asymptotically flat spherically symmetric non-singular metric that describes gravitational collapse and matter bounce with transient black hole and white hole regions. The metric provides a dynamical counterpart to proposed static non-singular black holes, and a phenomenological model for possible black hole to white hole transitions in quantum gravity.

We compute explicitly the equations of motion of the Hamiltonian formulation of quadratic gravity. This is the theory with the most general Lagrangian with terms of quadratic order in the curvature tensor. We employ the symbolic computational tool Cadabra. We present the linearized version of the equations of motion, performing the longitudinal-transverse decomposition. We compare the linear equations with the covariant field equations, finding that, if general-relativity terms are active, the linear Hamiltonian formulation is valid only if the perturbative spatial metric is traceless, a condition that can be freely imposed by recurring to an arbitrary function. We apply the equations of motion on homogeneous and isotropic configurations, finding explicit solutions.

In this work, we introduce a novel framework to investigate ringdown gravitational waveforms in the presence of dynamical matter fields outside the horizon of a black hole. We systematically analyze two distinct scenarios of dynamical matter fields: motion along geodesics and uniform motion with constant velocity. Our results reveal rich phenomenology in the ringdown gravitational wave signals, including the suppression or enhancement of echoes, frequency shifts in the decay oscillations, and intricate modulations of the power-law tails. Notably, we demonstrate that subluminal moving potentials can produce irregular echo patterns and shift the dominant frequencies, offering potential new observational signatures beyond the already-known ringdown analyses. This study provides a new perspective for probing dynamic environments around black holes and offers a theoretical foundation for interpreting possible deviations in future gravitational wave detections.

We construct the Hamiltonian formulation of the isotropic Universe in a generic metric f(R)-theory in the Jordan frame. We canonically quantize the Universe volume via a polymer formulation, and we adopt the scalar field naturally arising from this scenario as a physical clock. Being within the limit of cut-off values of the space volume, we are legitimized to neglect, at first approximation level, the self-interacting potential term associated with the scalar field. We first study the semi-classical polymer dynamics, outlining the emergence of a bouncing cosmology, both in the internal as well as in the synchronous time. In this latter time variable, we are also able to compare the obtained picture with that of a standard polymer Big-Bounce. We see that in the studied case, the collapsing and expanding branches are no longer symmetric with respect to the minimum volume configuration. Then, we fully quantize the system dynamics in the momentum representation, constructing a suitable dynamical Hilbert space and setting up the dynamics of localized wave packets. The mean value dynamics, both for the momentum and volume spaces, is characterized by a bouncing dynamics as described via the internal time, which closely resembles that one obtained in Loop Quantum Cosmology and Polymerization, respectively.

We unveil the dynamical equivalence of field theories with non-canonical kinetic terms and canonical theories with a volume element invariant under transverse diffeomorphisms. The proof of the equivalence also reveals a subtle connection between the standard Legendre transformation and the so-called Clairaut equation. Explicit examples of canonizable theories include classes of $k$-essence, non-linear electrodynamics, or $f(R)$ theories. The equivalence can also be extended to the class of mimetic theories.

By employing Duan's topological method, we classify critical points by their topological charge Q = +/-1 or 0. Previous work (Wei et al., Phys. Rev. D 105, 104003, 2022) investigated two typical anti-de Sitter (AdS) black holes: the Reissner-Nordstroem (RN) case (with only one critical point Q = -1) and the Born-Infeld (BI) case (with two critical points Q = +/-1). In this work, we first find that all three types of critical points appear in quantum anomalous black holes for 4D spacetime. We then compute the quasinormal modes of massless scalar perturbations near these critical points and find that both the oscillation frequency and damping rate increase with the black hole radius at the critical temperature. Besides such common behavior, although the Q = +1 and Q = 0 cases do not show a discernible pattern due to the limited number of samples, the Q = -1 case exhibits very similar dynamical characteristics across all three black hole solutions, implying a nontrivial connection between topological thermodynamics and dynamics.

Dynamical captures of black holes are unique events that provide an exceptional opportunity to probe the strong-field regime of gravitational physics. In this article, we perform numerical relativity simulations to study the events of dynamical capture of two equal-mass nonspinning black holes. We consider a suite of scenarios within a range of initial linear momenta ($p/M=0.095-0.75$) and incidence angles ($\theta=6.36^\circ-2.83^\circ$), and study the emitted Weyl scalar ($\Psi_4$) of each case, as well as the spins and masses of the black holes before and after they merge. We provide a simple analytical model which accurately fits the gravitational-wave emission. We study the dependence of the time interval between the capture and the merger emissions with respect to the incidence angle, which can be well parametrized by a first-order divergent behavior, allowing us to find the angle that separates a scattering event from a dynamical capture. We also find that, in general, the parameters that model the first emission can be well described by linear or exponentially decaying functions in terms of the incidence angle, while others display more complex behaviors that offer valuable insights into the nature of these events.

We construct exact black hole solutions free of curvature singularities, sourced by dark matter halos described by galactic density profiles. Regularity of the geometry is ensured by adopting the relation $P_{r}=-\rho$ between radial pressure and density, which is consistent with the phenomenological freedom of halo models. Under the assumptions of regularity and the weak-energy condition, sufficiently dense dark matter halos can give rise to asymptotically flat, singularity-free black holes embedded in a galactic environment. These regular black holes are shown to be stable under axial perturbations. In particular, we obtain solutions corresponding to Einasto and Dehnen-type dark matter profiles. We further compute the shadow radii and Lyapunov exponents associated with photon circular orbits around these black holes.

An extremal Reissner-Nordström black hole can form in finite time in the gravitational collapse of a massless charged scalar field. The proof of this is based on the method of characteristic gluing, which involves making an Ansatz for the scalar field at the horizon. We perform a numerical investigation of the characteristic gluing procedure for several different Ansätze. In each case, gluing is possible only if the final black hole mass is large enough. We find that the minimum required mass varies significantly for different Ansätze. We also consider the effect of including a mass term for the scalar field. In this case, for each Ansatz we determine the maximum mass-to-charge ratio for the scalar field such that gluing is possible. Analogous results are obtained for a non-zero cosmological constant.

We analyze the recent article by Aydiner, Sucu, and Sakalli [Phys.\ Dark Univ.\ \textbf{50}, 102164 (2025)] [arXiv:2507.05145], which investigates the thermodynamics, tunneling kinetics, and weak-lensing signatures of a regular, magnetically charged nonlinear-electrodynamics black hole. While the study addresses interesting phenomenological questions, we identify several inconsistencies that compromise the validity of the reported results. Specifically, we note mutually contradictory values for the extremal charge separating the black hole and horizonless regimes, an inaccurate characterization of the Schwarzschild limit as an extremal configuration, a vacuum weak-deflection expansion that fails to recover the standard second-order Schwarzschild coefficient, and a sign error in the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) corrected tunneling probability. We also highlight terminology regarding the nature of the horizonless solution and the physical interpretation of plasma parameters that requires correction. We clarify these points to ensure the robustness of the model's asymptotic limits.

We calculate the Feynman propagator at finite temperature in an Einstein universe for a neutral massive scalar field arbitrarily coupled to the Ricci curvature. Then, the propagator is used to determine the mean square fluctuation, the internal energy, and pressure of a scalar blackbody radiation as functions of the curvature coupling parameter $\xi$. By studying thermodynamics of massless scalar fields, we show that the only value of $\xi$ consistent with stable thermodynamic equilibrium at all temperatures and for all radii of the universe is $1/6$, i.e., corresponding to the conformal coupling. Moreover, if electromagnetic and neutrino radiations are present at the regime of high temperatures and/or large radii, we show that at least one scalar field must also be present to ensure thermodynamic stability.

In this paper, we investigate periodic orbits of test particles around a deformed Schwarzschild black hole and the resulting gravitational waves. Firstly, we examine the properties of circular orbits and find that circular orbits could disappear when the deformation is large enough. Then, using an orbital taxonomy, we characterize various periodic orbits with a set of triples, which describes the zoom-whirl behaviours. We also calculate the gravitational waveform signals generated by different periodic orbits, revealing the influence of the deformation on the gravitational wave, which can be potentially picked up by future space-based detectors.

We derive exact general solutions (as opposed to attractor particular solutions) for the evolution of a scalar field $\phi$ in a universe dominated by a background fluid with equation of state parameter $w_B = -1$, extending earlier work on exact solutions with $w_B > -1$. Straightfoward exact solutions exist when the evolution is described by a linear differential equation, corresponding to constant, linear, and quadratic potentials. In the nonlinear case, exact solutions are derived for $V = V_0\ln \phi$, $V = V_0 \phi^{1/2}$ and $V = V_0/\phi$, and the logarithmic potential also yields an exact first integral. These complicated parametric solutions are considerably less useful than those derived previously for a universe dominated by a barotropic fluid such as matter or radiation with $w_B > -1$. However, we generalize the slow-roll approximation and show that it applies to all sufficiently flat potentials in the case of a vacuum-dominated expansion, while it never applies when the universe is dominated by a background fluid with $w_B > -1$.

We discuss a model of the universe where dark energy is replaced by electrically-charged extremely-massive dark matter. The cosmological constant has a value of the same order as the mean matter density, consistent with observations, and is obtained classically without fine-tuning.

Wet extreme mass-ratio inspirals (wet EMRIs), which arise from stellar-mass black holes inspiral into supermassive black holes (SMBHs) within the gas-rich environments of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), are primary sources of gravitational waves (GWs) for space-borne detectors like LISA, TianQin, and Taiji. Unlike "dry EMRIs", which form through gravitational scattering in nuclear star clusters, wet EMRIs are naturally accompanied by interactions with accretion disks, offering rich multi-messenger science opportunities. They are distinct in generating transient electromagnetic (EM) signals, such as quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs), which serve as valuable probes of accretion disk physics and SMBH environments. Their GW signals provide an unprecedented precision of the order of $O(10^{-4}\sim 10^{-6})$ in measuring SMBH mass and spin, enabling the calibration of traditional EM techniques and offering insights into jet formation models. Additionally, wet EMRIs serve as bright and dark sirens for cosmology, facilitating percent-level precision measurements of Hubble parameter through AGN host identification or statistical association. These systems hold immense potential for advancing our understanding of black hole dynamics, accretion physics, and cosmology.

In nonperturbative formulation of Euclidean signature quantum field theory (QFT), the vacuum state is characterized by the Wilsonian renormalization group (RG) flow of Feynman measures. Such an RG flow is a family of Feynman measures on the space of ultraviolet (UV) regularized fields, linked by the Wilsonian renormalization group equation. In this paper we show that under mild conditions, a Wilsonian RG flow of Feynman measures extending to arbitrary regularization strengths has a factorization property: there exists an ultimate Feynman measure (UV limit) on the distribution sense fields, such that the regularized instances in the flow are obtained from this UV limit via taking the marginal measure against the regulator. Existence theorems on the flow and UV limit of the corresponding action functional are also discussed.

In light of the recent results from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), which have provided a notable shift in the constraints on $(n_s, r)$ and placed several otherwise viable models of inflation in tension with the latest data, we investigate the possible effects that radiative corrections can have on $\xi$-attractor and $\alpha$-attractor models of inflation. These models, which share much in common with Starobinsky inflation, have likewise been put under pressure by these results. We find that percent (and even sub-percent) level radiative corrections can easily shift both of these classes of inflation models comfortably into the regions of parameter space favoured by the most recent constraints. However, the flexibility under such corrections calls into question to what extent it is possible to precisely pin down model-specific predictions for important cosmological observables.

Inflation with an inflection point potential is a popular model for producing primordial black holes. The potential near the inflection point is approximately flat, with a local maximum next to a local minimum, prone to eternal inflation. We show that a sufficient condition for eternal inflation is $\lambda_1 \leq 3$, where $\lambda_1$ is the index of the `exponential tail,' the lowest eigenvalue of the Fokker--Planck equation over a bounded region. We write $\lambda_1$ in terms of the model parameters for linear and quadratic regions. Wide quadratic regions inflate eternally if the second slow-roll parameter $\eta_V \geq -6$. We test example models from the literature and show this condition is satisfied; we argue eternal inflation is difficult to avoid in inflection point PBH models. Eternally inflating regions correspond to type II perturbations and form baby universes, hidden behind black hole horizons. These baby universes are inhomogeneous on large scales and dominate the multiverse's total volume. We argue that, if volume weighting is used, eternal inflation makes inflection point primordial black hole models incompatible with large-scale structure observations.

Understanding the nature of dark matter (DM) particles remains a pivotal challenge in modern cosmology. Current cosmological research on these phenomena primarily utilizes cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations and other late-time probes, which predominantly focus on large scales. We introduce a novel probe, the 21 cm forest signal, which can be used to investigate DM properties on small scales during the epoch of reionization, thereby addressing the gap left by other cosmological probes. Annihilation and decay of DM particles, as well as Hawking radiation from PBHs, can heat the intergalactic medium (IGM). This heating suppresses the amplitude of the 21 cm forest 1D power spectrum. Therefore, the 1D power spectrum provides an effective method for constraining DM properties. However, astrophysical heating processes in the early universe can also affect the 21 cm forest 1D power spectrum. In this work, we assess the potential of using the SKA to observe the 21 cm forest 1D power spectrum for constraining DM properties, under the assumption that astrophysical heating can be constrained reliably by other independent probes. Under low astrophysical heating conditions, the 1D power spectrum could constrain the DM annihilation cross section and decay lifetime to $\langle\sigma v\rangle \sim {10^{-31}}\,{\rm cm^{3}\,s^{-1}}$ and $\tau \sim {10^{30}}\,{\rm s}$ for ${10}\,{\rm GeV}$ DM particles, and probe PBHs with masses $\sim {10^{15}}\,{\rm\,g}$ at abundances $f_{\mathrm{PBH}} \simeq 10^{-13}$. These constraints represent improvements of 5-6 orders of magnitude over current limits. Furthermore, the 21 cm forest 1D power spectrum has the potential to exceed existing bounds on sub-GeV DM and to probe PBHs with masses above $10^{18}\,{\rm g}$, which are otherwise inaccessible by conventional cosmological probes.

We present a fully analytic treatment of Schwarzschild--de~Sitter (SdS) black-hole evaporation in two-dimensional dilaton gravity with anomaly-induced backreaction. Starting from the spherical reduction of four-dimensional Einstein gravity with a cosmological constant, we construct an exactly solvable 2D model that captures the full causal and thermodynamic structure of the SdS static patch, including both black-hole and cosmological horizons. Incorporating the trace anomaly of $N$ conformal matter fields via the Polyakov action, we determine the evolution of the black-hole mass and geometry in the Unruh--de~Sitter state, track the steady nonequilibrium Hawking flux, and compute local thermodynamic observables for static observers. The conserved Killing energy flux drives an irreversible heat current from the black hole to the cosmological horizon whenever their surface gravities differ, ensuring monotonic entropy growth and satisfaction of the generalized second law. We prove that $\kappa_b>\kappa_c$ throughout the physical static patch, so the only zero-flux configuration is the Nariai limit where the horizons coincide. Extending the framework to the quantum-information regime, we construct a thermo-controlled estimate of the Page curve and show how quantum extremal surfaces and entanglement islands emerge naturally within the anomaly-induced steady state. These results constitute a fully analytic, backreacted solution for SdS evaporation that unifies semiclassical thermodynamics and information flow in a cosmological setting, thereby elucidating the ultimate fate of evaporating black holes in de~Sitter space.

The assumption that photons are massless is a foundational postulate of modern physics, yet it remains subject to experimental verification. Fast radio bursts (FRBs), with their cosmological distances and precisely measured dispersion, offer an excellent laboratory for testing this hypothesis. In this work, we propose an improved distribution function for the dispersion measure arising from extragalactic gas and demonstrate that it provides an excellent fit to mock data. We then apply this distribution to constrain the photon rest mass under the $\Lambda$CDM, $w$CDM, and $w_{0}w_{a}$CDM cosmological models, the last of which is favored by recent DESI baryon acoustic oscillation observations. The corresponding 1$\sigma$ upper limits on the photon mass are found to be $4.83\times10^{-51}\,\mathrm{kg}$, $4.71\times10^{-51}\,\mathrm{kg}$, and $4.86\times10^{-51}\,\mathrm{kg}$, respectively, which are the most stringent constraints derived from FRBs to date. These results indicate that the choice of cosmological model has only a minor impact on photon-mass bounds, demonstrate that FRBs provide robust and reliable constraints, and offer strong empirical support for the massless nature of the photon.

In 2507.17558, we provide a map from a scalar theory on $(D+2)$-dimensional Minkowski spacetime to a scalar theory with a continuous mass spectrum on $(D+1)$-dimensional de Sitter spacetime, and propose a link between celestial amplitudes and cosmological correlators (the cosmological-celestial dictionary). We extend the construction to fields with spin 1 and 2, and find that massless spin fields map to spin fields with continuous mass spectra. In this construction, we identify the de Sitter counterparts of the Nambu-Goldstone modes associated with the asymptotic symmetries in Minkowski spacetime. For $U(1)$ gauge theories, the counterpart is restricted to the massless sector within the continuous Proca spectrum, while for linearized gravity supertranslations are encoded in the partially massless sector and superrotations in the strictly massless sector. Using the identification, we reveal that the associated Ward-Takahashi identities of the cosmological correlators reproduce the conformally soft photon and graviton theorems via the cosmological-celestial dictionary. In particular, the celestial stress tensor is derived from the asymptotic limit of gravitons in de Sitter spacetime.

We investigate the analytic structure of thermal spectral function of holographic CFTs, synthesizing recent developments into a set of observations about its asymptotics. Specifically, for a class of scalar primaries with integral dimension, we demonstrate factorization of the exact spectral function into a polynomial piece, which captures the vacuum dynamics, and a non-perturbative piece, which controls its asymptotics. Using exact WKB techniques, we derive a transseries expression for the latter. We use this information to deduce the singular loci of a spatially averaged thermofield double correlator in the complex time plane. Such singularities have been argued to encode information regarding the black hole singularity in the dual spacetime. Our results give a refinement of these statements by capturing the momentum dependence.

We give an explicit closed form description of the late-time near-horizon approach to dynamical extreme Reissner-Nordstrom (DERN) black holes. These are spherically symmetric dynamical solutions of Einstein-Maxwell theory coupled to a neutral scalar that feature: (i) a spacetime metric which tends to that of a static extreme Reissner-Nordstrom (RN), and (ii) a scalar field which exhibits the linear Aretakis instability ad infinitum in the non-linear theory. We employ the two-dimensional Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity to solve explicitly for the non-linear s-wave dynamics of the four-dimensional theory near an ${\rm AdS}_2\times {\rm S}^2$ throat. For a teleologically defined black hole horizon, we impose boundary conditions on JT's dilaton field (which encodes the gravitational dynamics) and the scalar matter as follows: (i) the JT dilaton decays at late times on the ${\rm AdS}_2$ boundary to a value that corresponds to a static extreme RN in the exterior, and (ii) the scalar obeys boundary conditions characteristic of linear Aretakis behavior on ${\rm AdS}_2$. We ensure our DERN solutions are singularity-free and we note that our approach to DERN is accompanied by a final burst of outgoing scalar matter flux leaking out of the ${\rm AdS}_2$ throat. The boundary conditions we impose on the JT dilaton place its late-time boundary profile on the threshold of black hole formation with sub-extreme and super-extreme RN on either side of our DERNs.