Abstract

General Relativity (GR) predicts numerous observational tests at large distances and late time scales (infrared scales), matching several observations ranging from Solar System tests to large scale structure of the Universe. However, at short distances and small time scales (ultraviolet regimes) GR breaks down by virtue of the appearance of unavoidable singularities (black hole type and cosmological singularities), a possible signal that an unknown (quantum-scale) description of gravity  is required.. In addition, the current cosmological picture of the Universe turns out to be substantially new with respect to the Standard Cosmological Model. In fact, observations provide a composition of the Universe constituents according to which the present Universe is made by a large amount of unknown form of matter and energy. Experimental searches for a direct evidence of dark candidates have not yielded so far any conclusive result. It is therefore reasonable to pursue schemes beyond Einstein’s gravity in order to account for observations and phenomenology without introducing “ad hoc” ingredients. This means to extend the geometric part of the gravitational field equations in view of addressing phenomenology under a geometric standard. However, at suitable scales like Solar System, GR must be recovered to make the picture consistent.

The QGSKY project focuses on theoretical and phenomenological aspects of QFT, GR, and theories beyond GR taking into account observations resulting from the so-called precision cosmology. Our nodes have a joint collaboration in various projects, and although our main interests are in the theoretical and phenomenological aspects, the competences of our IS range from phenomenology of particle physics to cosmology and relativistic astrophysics.The common threads of the IS:

Extended theories of gravity

Non-local QFT and non-local theories of gravity

Dark Matter and Dark energy

QFT in curved space-time

Exact  black hole solutions

Theoretical cosmology