Lab
COSMOGRAV-UTA
Institution: University of Tarapacá
Department: Departamento de Física
About the lab
The Cosmology and Gravitation Group, COSMOGRAV-UTA, is primarily dedicated to the study of the origin and evolution of the universe as a whole, utilizing as pillars theories of gravitation and quantum field physics. Additionally, natural phenomena originating from the dynamics of gravitational fields are studied within the context of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and its various extensions. Some of the topics of interest for the group include:
Inflation
Reheating
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
Cosmological Perturbations
Structure Formation
Gravitational Waves
The group's research aims to deepen our understanding of the fundamental principles governing the universe and contribute to the broader field of cosmology and gravitational physics.
Inflation
Reheating
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
Cosmological Perturbations
Structure Formation
Gravitational Waves
The group's research aims to deepen our understanding of the fundamental principles governing the universe and contribute to the broader field of cosmology and gravitational physics.
Featured research (11)
We investigate the cosmological dynamics of a homogeneous scalar field non-minimally coupled to torsion gravity, which also interacts with cold dark matter through energy and momentum transfer. The matter and radiation perfect fluids are modeled using the Sorkin-Schutz formalism. We identify scaling regimes of the field during both the radiation and matter eras. Additionally, we discovered a field-dominated scaling attractor; however, it does not exhibit accelerated expansion, making it unsuitable for describing dark energy. Nevertheless, we find two attractor solutions that do exhibit accelerated expansion: one is a quintessence-like fixed point, and the other is a de Sitter fixed point.
The Cosmic Dark Ages mark a pivotal era of the universe's evolution, transitioning from a neutral, opaque medium to the emergence of the first stars and galaxies that initiated cosmic reionization. This study examines the thermodynamics of the intergalactic medium (IGM), molecular hydrogen cooling, and gravitational collapse that led to structure formation. Key emission lines, such as Lyman-alpha (Ly$\alpha $) and [C II] 158 $\mu m$, are analyzed as tracers of star formation, metallicity, and IGM conditions. Simulations highlight Ly$\alpha $ scattering profiles and [C II] emission as critical diagnostics of early galaxy evolution. The findings provide a theoretical framework to interpret high-redshift observations, advancing our understanding of the universe's transition from darkness to illumination.
In this paper, we investigate D-term inflation within the framework of supergravity, employing the minimal Kähler potential. Following previous studies that revealed that this model can overcome the $$\eta $$ η -problem found in F-term models, we explore reheating dynamics and gravitino production, emphasizing the interplay between reheating temperature, spectral index, and gravitino abundance. Our analysis indicates that gravitino production is sensitive to the equation of state during reheating, affecting the reheating temperature and subsequent dark matter relic density. Furthermore, we analyze gravitational waves generated by cosmic strings, providing critical constraints on early Universe dynamics and cosmic string properties, the energy scales of both inflation and string formation influence the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) generated by these cosmic strings.
We investigate the cosmological dynamics of a homogeneous scalar field non-minimally coupled to torsion gravity, which also interacts with cold dark matter through energy and momentum transfer. The matter and radiation perfect fluids are modeled using the Sorkin-Schutz formalism. We identify scaling regimes of the field during both the radiation and matter eras. Additionally, we discovered a field-dominated scaling attractor; however, it does not exhibit accelerated expansion, making it unsuitable for describing dark energy. Nevertheless, we find two attractor solutions that do exhibit accelerated expansion: one is a quintessence-like fixed point, and the other is a de Sitter fixed point.
The International Joint Meeting on Cosmology and Gravitation fosters collaboration among experts, young researchers, and students, offering a platform for sharing research and knowledge exchange. It promotes collaborative research across diverse institutions and countries, engaging the local community in advanced scientific discussions. COSMOLOGY AND GRAVITATION RESEARCH GROUP COSMOGRAV-UTA, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS, UNIVERSIDAD DE TARAPACÁ, https://ijmcg-uta.cl/home
Lab head
Alumni (2)

Francis Vicencio

Stone Rojas