Cosmological constraints on heavy sterile neutrinos
We consider heavy sterile neutrinos $\nu_s$, with mass in the range 10 MeV $\lesssim m_s \lesssim m_{\pi} \sim 135$ MeV, thermally produced in the early universe and freezing out after the QCD phase transition. The existence of these neutrinos may alter the value of the effective number of neutrino species $N_{\rm eff}$, measured by the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and the ${}^4$He production during the BBN. We provide a detailed account of the solution of the relevant Boltzmann equations and we identify the parameter space constrained by current Planck satellite data and forecast the parameter space probed by future Stage-4 ground-based CMB (CMB-S4) observations.
Effects of modified theories of gravity on neutrino pair annihilation energy deposition near neutron stars
We study the neutrino pairs annihilation into electron-positron pairs ($\nu+{\bar \nu}\to e^- + e^+$) near the surface of a neutron star. The analysis is performed in the framework of extended theories of gravity. The latter induce a modification of the minimum photon-sphere radius ($R_{ph}$) and the maximum energy deposition rate near to $R_{ph}$, as compared to ones of General Relativity. These results might lead to an efficient mechanism for generating GRBs.
Einstein, Planck and Vera Rubin: Relevant Encounters Between the Cosmological and the Quantum Worlds
In Cosmology and in Fundamental Physics there is a crucial question like: where the elusive substance that we call Dark Matter is hidden in the Universe and what is it made of? that, even after 40 years from the Vera Rubin seminal discovery [1] does not have a proper answer. Actually, the more we have investigated, the more this issue has become strongly entangled with aspects that go beyond the established Quantum Physics, the Standard Model of Elementary particles and the General Relativity and related to processes like the Inflation, the accelerated expansion of the Universe and High Energy Phenomena around compact objects. Even Quantum Gravity and very exotic Dark Matter particle candid…