Self-interactions can stabilize excited boson stars

We study the time evolution of spherical, excited (i.e. nodeful) boson star models. We consider a model including quartic self-interactions, controlled by a coupling Λ. Performing non-linear simulations of the Einstein-(complex)-Klein-Gordon system, using as initial data equilibrium boson stars solutions of that system, we assess the impact of Λ in the stability properties of the boson stars. In the absence of self-interactions (Λ = 0), we observe the known behaviour that the excited stars in the (candidate) stable branch decay to a non-excited star without a node; however, we show that for large enough values of the self-interactions coupling, these excited stars do not decay (up to timescales of about t ∼104). The stabilization of the excited states for large enough self-interactions is further supported by evidence that the nodeful states dynamically form through the gravitational cooling mechanism, starting from dilute initial data. Our results support the healing power (against dynamical instabilities) of self-interactions, recently unveiled in the context of the non-axisymmetric instabilities of spinning boson stars.

MICROSCOPE Mission scenario, ground segment and data processing

Testing the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) to a precision of 10-15 requires a quantity of data that give enough confidence on the final result: ideally, the longer the measurement the better the rejection of the statistical noise. The science sessions had a duration of 120 orbits maximum and were regularly repeated and spaced out to accommodate operational constraints but also in order to repeat the experiment in different conditions and to allow time to calibrate the instrument. Several science sessions were performed over the 2.5 year duration of the experiment. This paper aims to describe how the data have been produced on the basis of a mission scenario and a data flow process, driven by a tradeoff between the science objectives and the operational constraints. The mission was led by the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) which provided the satellite, the launch and the ground operations. The ground segment was distributed between CNES and Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA). CNES provided the raw data through the Centre d’Expertise de Compensation de Trainee (CECT: Drag-free expertise centre). The science was led by the Observatoire de la Coote d’Azur (OCA) and ONERA was in charge of the data process. The latter also provided the instrument and the Science Mission Centre of MICROSCOPE (CMSM).

Study of acceleration measurement in gravitational wave detection

Position-meter and speed-meter interferometers have been analysed for detecting gravitational waves. Speed-meter is proposed to reduce the radiation pressure noise, which is dominant at low frequency. We introduce the concept of acceleration measurement in comparison with position and speed measurement. In this paper, we describe a general acceleration measurement and derive its standard quantum limit. We provide an example of an acceleration-meter interferometer configuration. We show that shot noise dominates at low frequency following a frequency dependence of $1/\Omega^2$, while radiation pressure noise is constant. The acceleration-meter has even a stronger radiation pressure noise suppression than speed-meter.

Late time cosmology in f(R,G)- gravity with interacting fluids

Cosmological models are obtained in a $f(R)$ modified gravity with a coupled Gauss-Bonnet (GB) terms in the gravitational action. The dynamical role of the GB terms is explored with a coupled dilaton field in two different cases (I) $f(R)= R + \gamma R^2- \lambda \left( \frac{R}{3m_s^2} \right)^{\delta}$ where $\gamma$, $\lambda$ and $\delta$ are arbitrary constants and (II) $f(R)=R$ and estimate the constraints on the model parameters. In the first case we choose GB terms coupled with a free scalar field in the presence of interacting fluid and in the second case GB terms coupled with scalar field in a self interacting potential to compare the observed universe. The evolutionary scenario of the universe is obtained adopting a numerical technique as the field equations are highly non-linear. Defining a new density parameter $\Omega_{H}$, a ratio of the dark energy density to the present energy density of the non-relativistic matter, we look for a late accelerating universe. The state finder parameters $\Omega_{H}$, deceleration parameter ($q$), jerk parameter ($j$) are plotted. It is noted that a non-singular universe with oscillating cosmological parameters for a given strength of interactions is admitted in Model-I. The gravitational coupling constant $\lambda$ is playing an important role. The Lagrangian density of $f(R)$ is found to dominate over the GB terms when oscillating phase of dark energy arises. In Model-II, we do not find oscillation of the cosmological parameters as the universe evolves. In the presence of interaction the energy from radiation sector of matter cannot flow to the other two sectors of fluid. The range of values of the strengths of interaction of the fluids are estimated for a stable universe assuming the primordial gravitational wave speed equal to unity.

Lie theory for asymptotic symmetries in general relativity: The BMS Group

We study the Lie group structure of asymptotic symmetry groups in General Relativity from the viewpoint of infinite-dimensional geometry. To this end, we review the geometric definition of asymptotic simplicity and emptiness due to Penrose and the coordinate-wise definition of asymptotic flatness due to Bondi et al. Then we construct the Lie group structure of the Bondi--Metzner--Sachs (BMS) group and discuss its Lie theoretic properties. We find that the BMS group is regular in the sense of Milnor, but not real analytic. This motivates us to conjecture that it is not locally exponential. Finally, we verify the Trotter property as well as the commutator property. As an outlook, we comment on the situation of related asymptotic symmetry groups. In particular, the much more involved situation of the Newman--Unti group is highlighted, which will be studied in future work.

On the duality of Schwarzschild-de Sitter spacetime and moving mirror

The Schwarzschild-de Sitter (SdS) metric is the simplest spacetime solution in general relativity with both a black hole event horizon and a cosmological event horizon. Since the Schwarzschild metric is the most simple solution of Einstein's equations with spherical symmetry and the de Sitter metric is the most simple solution of Einstein's equations with a positive cosmological constant, the combination in the SdS metric defines an appropriate background geometry for semi-classical investigation of Hawking radiation with respect to past and future horizons. Generally, the black hole temperature is larger than that of the cosmological horizon, so there is heat flow from the smaller black hole horizon to the larger cosmological horizon, despite questions concerning the definition of the relative temperature of the black hole without a measurement by an observer sitting in an asymptotically flat spacetime. Here we investigate the accelerating boundary correspondence (ABC) of the radiation in SdS spacetime without such a problem. We have solved for the boundary dynamics, energy flux and asymptotic particle spectrum. The distribution of particles is globally non-thermal while asymptotically the radiation reaches equilibrium.

Complex, Lorentzian, and Euclidean simplicial quantum gravity: numerical methods and physical prospects

Evaluating gravitational path integrals in the Lorentzian has been a long-standing challenge due to the numerical sign problem. We show that this challenge can be overcome in simplicial quantum gravity. By deforming the integration contour into the complex, the sign fluctuations can be suppressed, for instance using the holomorphic gradient flow algorithm. Working through simple models, we show that this algorithm enables efficient Monte Carlo simulations for Lorentzian simplicial quantum gravity. In order to allow complex deformations of the integration contour, we provide a manifestly holomorphic formula for Lorentzian simplicial gravity. This leads to a complex version of simplicial gravity that generalizes the Euclidean and Lorentzian cases. Outside the context of numerical computation, complex simplicial gravity is also relevant to studies of singularity resolving processes with complex semi-classical solutions. Along the way, we prove a complex version of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, which may be of independent interest.

MICROSCOPE: systematic errors

The MICROSCOPE mission aims to test the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) in orbit with an unprecendented precision of 10-15 on the Eövös parameter thanks to electrostatic accelerometers on board a drag-free microsatellite. The precision of the test is determined by statistical errors, due to the environment and instrument noises, and by systematic errors to which this paper is devoted. Sytematic error sources can be divided into three categories: external perturbations, such as the residual atmospheric drag or the gravity gradient at the satellite altitude, perturbations linked to the satellite design, such as thermal or magnetic perturbations, and perturbations from the instrument internal sources. Each systematic error is evaluated or bounded in order to set a reliable upper bound on the WEP parameter estimation uncertainty.

Influence of cosmological expansion in local experiments

Whether the cosmological expansion can influence the local dynamics, below the galaxy clusters scale, has been the subject of intense investigations in the past three decades. In this work, we consider McVittie and Kottler spacetimes, embedding a spherical object in a FLRW spacetime. We calculate the influence of the cosmological expansion on the frequency shift of a resonator and estimate its effect on the exchange of light signals between local observers. In passing, we also clarify some of the statements made in the literature.

Asymptotic quasinormal frequencies of different spin fields in d-dimensional spherically-symmetric black holes

While Hod's conjecture is demonstrably restrictive, the link he observed between black hole (BH) area quantisation and the large overtone ($n$) limit of quasinormal frequencies (QNFs) motivated intense scrutiny of the regime, from which an improved understanding of asymptotic quasinormal frequencies (aQNFs) emerged. A further outcome was the development of the ``monodromy technique", which exploits an anti-Stokes line analysis to extract physical solutions from the complex plane. Here, we use the monodromy technique to validate extant aQNF expressions for perturbations of integer spin, and provide new results for the aQNFs of half-integer spins within higher-dimensional Schwarzschild, Reissner-Nordstr{\"o}m, and Schwarzschild (anti-)de Sitter BH spacetimes. Bar the Schwarzschild anti-de Sitter case, the spin-1/2 aQNFs are purely imaginary; the spin-3/2 aQNFs resemble spin-1/2 aQNFs in Schwarzschild and Schwarzschild de Sitter BHs, but match the gravitational perturbations for most others. Particularly for Schwarzschild, extremal Reissner-Nordstr{\"o}m, and several Schwarzschild de Sitter cases, the application of $n \rightarrow \infty$ generally fixes $\mathbb{R}e \{ \omega \}$ and allows for the unbounded growth of $\mathbb{I}m \{ \omega \}$ in fixed quantities.