Astrid Eichhorn

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at University of Southern Denmark

New physics beyond General Relativity impacts black-hole spacetimes. The effects of new physics can be investigated in a largely theory-agnostic way by following the principled-parameterized approach. In this approach, a classical black-hole metric is upgraded by following a set of principles, such as regularity, i.e., the absence of curvature sing...

We explore purely metric theories of gravity with second-order equations of motion and a single additional, purely gravitational, propagating, scalar degree of freedom. We identify a subclass of these theories in which this scalar causes a phenomenon similar to black-hole scalarization, which we call curvaturization: around small enough Kerr black...

The “Swampland Program” aims to discriminate consistent-looking effective field theories that do not admit a UV completion in quantum gravity from those that do. While most often developed under the umbrella of string theory, several swampland criteria have been explored also in other contexts, especially asymptotically safe gravity. A comparison b...

Combining asymptotically safe quantum gravity with a tensor field theory, we exhibit the first example of a theory with gravity and scalar fields in four dimensions which may realize asymptotic safety at a non-vanishing value of the scalar quartic coupling. We first present (further) evidence that in the asymptotic-safety paradigm, quantum fluctuat...

The no-global-symmetries conjecture is central to the swampland program that delineates the boundary between effective field theories that can be obtained from a quantum theory of gravity to those that cannot. The conjecture states that virtual black-hole configurations in the path integral generate terms that violate all global symmetries in the e...

The study of regular black holes and black hole mimickers as alternatives to standard black holes has recently gained significant attention, driven both by the need to extend general relativity to describe black hole interiors, and by recent advances in observational technologies. Despite considerable progress in this field, significant challenges...

The understanding of phenomena falling outside the Ginzburg-Landau paradigm of phase transitions represents a key challenge in condensed matter physics. A famous class of examples is constituted by the putative deconfined quantum critical points between two symmetry-broken phases in layered quantum magnets, such as pressurised SrCu2(BO3)2. Experime...

To deepen our understanding of Quantum Gravity and its connections with black holes and cosmology, building a common language and exchanging ideas across different approaches is crucial. The Nordita Program "Quantum Gravity: from gravitational effective field theories to ultraviolet complete approaches" created a platform for extensive discussions,...

Horizons and bound photon orbits are defining features of black holes that translate into key features of black hole images. We review a purely geometric proof that spherically symmetric, isolated objects with horizons in gravity theories with null-geodesic propagation of light must display bound photon orbits forming a photon sphere. Identifying t...

The SMEFT provides a general framework to search for new physics beyond the current reach of direct detection. One such form of new physics is quantum gravity. Based on dimensional analysis, one would expect the prediction that the quantum-gravity contribution to the SMEFT coefficients is unmeasurably tiny at LHC scales. In this paper, we test this...

The no-global-symmetries conjecture is central to the swampland program that delineates the boundary between effective field theories that can be obtained from a quantum theory of gravity to those that cannot. The conjecture states that virtual black-hole configurations in the path integral generate terms which violate all global symmetries in the...

New physics beyond General Relativity impacts black-hole spacetimes. The effects of new physics can be investigated in a largely theory-agnostic way by following the principled-parameterized approach. In this approach, a classical black-hole metric is upgraded by following a set of principles, such as regularity, i.e., the absence of curvature sing...

The ``Swampland Program'' aims to discriminate consistent-looking effective field theories that do not admit a UV completion in quantum gravity from those that do. While most often developed under the umbrella of string theory, several swampland criteria have been explored also in other contexts, especially asymptotically safe gravity. A comparison...

New physics beyond General Relativity can modify image features of black holes and horizonless spacetimes and increase the separation between photon rings. This motivates us to explore synthetic images consisting of two thin rings. Our synthetic images are parameterized by the separation as well as the relative flux density of the two rings. We per...

Positivity bounds are bounds on the Wilson coefficients of an effective field theory. They hold, if the ultraviolet completion satisfies unitarity, microcausality, locality and Lorentz symmetry; accordingly their violation signals a violation of at least one of these properties of the ultraviolet completion. We explore whether positivity bounds on...

In this work, we explore the properties and shadows of spin-induced scalarized black holes, as well as investigate how a Ricci coupling influences them. Our findings reveal significant deviations from the Kerr metric in terms of the location and geodesic frequencies of the innermost stable circular orbit and light ring, with the former exhibiting m...

The nature of dark matter is a problem with too many potential solutions. We investigate whether a consistent embedding into quantum gravity can decimate the number of solutions to the dark-matter problem. Concretely, we focus on a hidden sector composed of a gauge field and a charged scalar, with gauge group U ( 1 ) D or SU ( 2 ) D . The gauge fie...

New physics beyond the Standard Model can give rise to stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds, for example, through cosmic strings. In this way, gravitational-wave searches with pulsar-timing arrays as well as existing and future laser interferometers may provide information on particle physics beyond the Standard Model. Here, we take one additi...

In the Standard Model of particle physics, the mass of the Higgs particle can be linked to the scale at which the Standard Model breaks down due to a Landau pole/triviality problem: for a Higgs mass somewhat higher than the measured value, the Standard Model breaks down before the Planck scale. We take a first step towards investigating this relati...

Asymptotically safe quantum gravity is an approach to quantum gravity that achieves formulating a standard quantum field theory for the metric. Therefore, even the deep quantum gravity regime, that is expected to determine the true structure of the core of black holes, is described by a spacetime metric. The essence of asymptotic safety lies in a n...

We construct higher-order curvature invariants in causal set quantum gravity. The motivation for this work is twofold: First, to characterize causal sets, discrete operators that encode geometric information on the emergent spacetime manifold, e.g., its curvature invariants, are indispensable. Second, to make contact with the asymptotic-safety appr...

New physics beyond the Standard Model can give rise to stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds, for example through cosmic strings. In this way, gravitational-wave searches with pulsar-timing arrays as well as existing and future laser interferometers may provide information on particle physics beyond the Standard Model. Here, we take one additio...

We study the capabilities of present and future radio very long baseline interferometry arrays to distinguish black holes from horizonless spacetimes. We consider an example of a horizonless spacetime, obtained by overspinning a regular black hole. Its image is distinct from the image of a Kerr spacetime due to a second set of photon rings interior...

In the Standard Model of particle physics, the mass of the Higgs particle can be linked to the scale at which the Standard Model breaks down due to a Landau pole/triviality problem: for a Higgs mass somewhat higher than the measured value, the Standard Model breaks down before the Planck scale. We take a first step towards investigating this relati...

The bound on the proton lifetime is one of a small handful of observations that constrains physics not far from the Planck scale. This calls for a calculation of the proton lifetime in quantum gravity. Here, we calculate how quantum fluctuations of the metric impact four-fermion interactions which mediate proton decay. We find that quantum gravity...

Horndeski gravity is a popular contender for a phenomenological model of dynamical dark energy, and as such subject to observational constraints. In this work, we ask whether Horndeski gravity can be more than a phenomenological model and instead become a fundamental theory, which extends towards high energy scales and includes quantum effects. We...

We explore the effect of quantum gravity on matter within a Renormalization Group framework. First, our results provide an explicit example of how misleading conclusions can be drawn by analyzing the gravitational contributions to beta functions, instead of analyzing universal quantities, such as critical exponents, that can be extracted from the b...

We construct higher-order curvature invariants in causal set quantum gravity. The motivation for this work is twofold: first, to characterize causal sets, discrete operators that encode geometric information on the emergent spacetime manifold, e.g., its curvature invariants, are indispensable. Second, to make contact with the asymptotic-safety appr...

Within quantum-gravity approaches and beyond, different mechanisms for singularity resolution in black holes exist. Under a set of assumptions that we spell out in detail, these mechanisms leave their imprint in shadow images of spherically symmetric black holes. We find that even current EHT accuracy is sufficient to place nontrivial constraints o...

Quantum-gravity effects in black holes are generally expected to be unobservable if they set in at transplanckian curvature scales. Here, we challenge this expectation. A near-critical spin parameter can serve as a lever arm that translates Planckian quantum-gravity effects to a global change in the spacetime: the horizon dissolves and the black ho...

Horndeski gravity is a popular contender for a phenomenological model of dynamical dark energy, and as such subject to observational constraints. In this work, we ask whether Horndeski gravity can be more than a phenomenological model and instead become a fundamental theory, which extends towards high energy scales and includes quantum effects. We...

The asymptotic-safety paradigm posits that the symmetry of quantum theories of gravity and matter is enhanced to quantum scale symmetry, i.e., scale symmetry in the presence of quantum fluctuations, at very high energies. To achieve such a symmetry enhancement, the effect of quantum fluctuations must balance out. It is to be expected that such a ba...

Understanding the quantum nature of spacetime and gravity remains one of the most ambitious goals of theoretical physics. It promises to provide key new insights into fundamental particle theory, astrophysics, cosmology and the foundations of physics. Despite this common goal, the community of quantum gravity researchers is sometimes seen as divide...

Quantum-gravity effects in black holes are generally expected to be unobservable if they set in at transplanckian curvature scales. Here, we challenge this expectation. A near-critical spin parameter can serve as a lever arm that translates Planckian quantum-gravity effects to a global change in the spacetime: the horizon dissolves and the black ho...

We discuss parameterizations of black-hole spacetimes in and beyond General Relativity in view of their symmetry constraints: within the class of axisymmetric, stationary spacetimes, we propose a parameterization that includes non-circular spacetimes, both in Boyer-Lindquist as well as in horizon-penetrating coordinates. We show how existing parame...

A bstract We investigate axion-like particles (ALPs) in the context of asymptotically safe gravity-matter systems. The ALP-photon interaction, which facilitates experimental searches for ALPs, is a dimension-5-operator. Quantum fluctuations of gravity lower its scaling dimension, and the ALP-photon coupling can become asymptotically free or even as...

We study the capabilities of present and future radio very-long-baseline-interferometry arrays to distinguish black holes from horizonless spacetimes. We consider an example of a horizonless spacetime, obtained by overspinning a regular black hole. Its image is distinct from the image of a Kerr spacetime due to a second set of photon rings interior...

We present a mechanism which drives Dirac neutrino masses to tiny values along the Renormalization Group flow, starting from an asymptotically safe ultraviolet completion of the third generation of the Standard Model including quantum gravity. At the same time, the mechanism produces a mass-splitting between the neutrino and the quark sector and al...

Within quantum-gravity approaches and beyond, different mechanisms for singularity resolution in black holes exist. Under a set of assumptions that we spell out in detail, these mechanisms leave their imprint in shadow images of spherically symmetric black holes. We find that even current EHT accuracy is sufficient to place nontrivial constraints o...

We discuss parameterizations of black-hole spacetimes in and beyond General Relativity in view of their symmetry constraints: within the class of axisymmetric, stationary spacetimes, we propose a parameterization that includes non-circular spacetimes, both in Boyer-Lindquist as well as in horizon-penetrating coordinates. We show how existing parame...

The field of asymptotically safe matter-gravity systems is maturing from the study of simple toy models to the exploration of sectors of the Standard Model and beyond. This status update reviews the current state of the art and points out open questions and future perspectives.

We explore the effect of quantum gravity on matter within a Renormalization Group framework. First, our results provide an explicit example of how misleading conclusions can be drawn by analyzing the gravitational contributions to beta functions, instead of analyzing universal quantities, such as critical exponents, that can be extracted from the b...

The weak-gravity bound has been discovered in asymptotically safe gravity-matter systems, where it limits the maximum strength of gravitational fluctuations. In the present paper, we explore it for the first time in systems with more than one gauge field, to discover whether systems with 12 gauge fields (like the Standard Model) exhibit a weak-grav...

We investigate axion-like particles (ALPs) in the context of asymptotically safe gravity-matter systems. The ALP-photon interaction, which facilitates experimental searches for ALPs, is a dimension-5-operator. Quantum fluctuations of gravity lower its scaling dimension, and the ALP-photon coupling can become asymptotically free or even asymptotical...

A bstract We discover a weak-gravity bound in scalar-gravity systems in the asymptotic-safety paradigm. The weak-gravity bound arises in these systems under the approximations we make, when gravitational fluctuations exceed a critical strength. Beyond this critical strength, gravitational fluctuations can generate complex fixed-point values in high...

A bstract There are indications that an asymptotically safe UV completion of the Standard Model with gravity could constrain the Higgs self-coupling, resulting in a prediction of the Higgs mass close to the vacuum stability bound in the Standard Model. The predicted value depends on the top quark mass and comes out somewhat higher than the experime...

To understand the true nature of black holes, fundamental theoretical developments should be linked all the way to observational features of black holes in their natural astrophysical environments. Here, we take several steps to establish such a link. We construct a family of spinning, regular black-hole spacetimes based on a locality principle for...

There are indications that an asymptotically safe UV completion of the Standard Model with gravity could constrain the Higgs self-coupling, resulting in a prediction of the Higgs mass close to the vacuum stability bound in the Standard Model. The predicted value depends on the top quark mass and comes out somewhat higher than the experimental value...

Many real-world networks are embedded into a space or spacetime. The embedding space(time) constrains the properties of these real-world networks. We use the scale-dependent spectral dimension as a tool to probe whether real-world networks encode information on the dimensionality of the embedding space. We find that spacetime networks which are ins...

We discover a weak-gravity bound in scalar-gravity systems in the asymptotic-safety paradigm. The weak-gravity bound arises in these systems under the approximations we make, when gravitational fluctuations exceed a critical strength. Beyond this critical strength, gravitational fluctuations can generate complex fixed-point values in higher-order s...

The nature of dark matter and the fundamental quantum structure of spacetime could be directly linked in the asymptotic-safety framework. A toy model for the visible Higgs-Yukawa sector of the Standard Model, coupled to a dark sector through a portal coupling, provides a very first example for a model that simultaneously i) could become asymptotica...

Current observations present unprecedented opportunities to probe the true nature of black holes, which must harbor new physics beyond General Relativity to provide singularity-free descriptions. To test paradigms for this new physics, it is necessary to bridge the gap all the way from theoretical developments of new-physics models to phenomenologi...

We calculate the gravitational-wave spectra produced by the electroweak phase transition with TeV-scale Beyond-Standard-Model physics in the early universe. Our study captures the effect of quantum and thermal fluctuations within a non-perturbative framework. We discover a universal relation between the mean bubble separation and the strength param...

A bstract The question whether global symmetries can be realized in quantum-gravity-matter-systems has far-reaching phenomenological consequences. Here, we collect evidence that within an asymptotically safe context, discrete global symmetries of the form ℤ n , n > 4, cannot be realized in a near-perturbative regime. In contrast, an effective-field...

The Renormalization Group encodes three concepts that could be key to accelerate progress in quantum gravity. First, it provides a micro-macro connection that could connect microscopic spacetime physics to phenomenology at observationally accessible scales. Second, it enables a search for universality classes that could link diverse quantum-gravity...

Current observations present unprecedented opportunities to probe the true nature of black holes, which must harbor new physics beyond General Relativity to provide singularity-free descriptions. To test paradigms for this new physics, it is necessary to bridge the gap all the way from theoretical developments of new-physics models to phenomenologi...

To understand the true nature of black holes, fundamental theoretical developments should be linked all the way to observational features of black holes in their natural astrophysical environments. Here, we take several steps to establish such a link. We construct a family of spinning, regular black-hole spacetimes based on a locality principle for...

Quantum gravity is expected to resolve the singularities of classical general relativity. Based on destructive interference of singular spacetime-configurations in the path integral, we find that higher-order curvature terms may allow to resolve black-hole singularities both in the spherically symmetric and axisymmetric case. In contrast, the Einst...

We study the impact of quantum gravity on a system of chiral fermions that are charged under an Abelian gauge group. Under the impact of quantum gravity, a finite value of the gauge coupling could be generated and in turn drive four-fermion interactions to criticality. We find indications that the gravity-gauge-fermion interplay protects the lightn...

The renormalization group plays an essential role in many areas of physics, both conceptually and as a practical tool to determine the long-distance low-energy properties of many systems on the one hand and on the other hand search for viable ultraviolet completions in fundamental physics. It provides us with a natural framework to study theoretica...

We explore the phenomenology of scalar fields coupled to asymptotically safe quantum gravity, in light of their potential significance for dark matter, for the inflaton as well as dynamical dark energy, and in the Higgs sector in and beyond the Standard Model. This work is a step toward delineating the boundaries of the asymptotically safe swamplan...

Quantum Gravity is expected to resolve the singularities of classical General Relativity. Based on destructive interference of singular spacetime-configurations in the path integral, we find that higher-order curvature terms may allow to resolve black-hole singularities both in the spherically symmetric and axisymmetric case. In contrast, the Einst...

The question whether global symmetries can be realized in quantum-gravity-matter-systems has far-reaching phenomenological consequences. Here, we collect evidence that within an asymptotically safe context, discrete global symmetries of the form $\mathbb{Z}_n$, $n>4$, cannot be realized in a near-perturbative regime. In contrast, an effective-field...

Quantum field theory and Einstein’s theory of general relativity are extremely successful in predicting the outcome of particle physics and gravitational experiments [...]

A bstract At criticality, discrete quantum-gravity models are expected to give rise to continuum spacetime. Recent progress has established the functional renormalization group method in the context of such models as a practical tool to study their critical properties and to chart their phase diagrams. Here, we apply these techniques to the multi-m...

We study the impact of quantum gravity on a system of chiral fermions that are charged under an Abelian gauge group. Under the impact of quantum gravity, a finite value of the gauge coupling could be generated and in turn drive four-fermion interactions to criticality. We find indications that the gravity-gauge-fermion interplay protects the lightn...

We calculate the gravitational-wave spectra produced by the electroweak phase transition with TeV-scale Beyond-Standard-Model physics in the early universe. Our study captures the effect of quantum and thermal fluctuations within a non-perturbative framework. We discover a universal relation between the mean bubble separation and the strength param...

We explore the phenomenology of scalar fields coupled to asymptotically safe quantum gravity, in light of their potential significance for dark matter, for the inflaton as well as dynamical dark energy, and in the Higgs sector in and beyond the Standard Model. This work is a step towards delineating the boundaries of the asymptotically safe swampla...

At criticality, discrete quantum-gravity models are expected to give rise to continuum spacetime. Recent progress has established the functional renormalization group method in the context of such models as a practical tool to study their critical properties and to chart their phase diagrams. Here, we apply these techniques to the multi-matrix mode...

Asymptotic safety is a theoretical proposal for the ultraviolet completion of quantum field theories, in particular for quantum gravity. Significant progress on this program has led to a first characterization of the Reuter fixed point. Further advancement in our understanding of the nature of quantum spacetime requires addressing a number of open...

We explore a simple parameterization of new physics that results in an ultraviolet complete gauge-quark sector of the Standard Model. Specifically, we add an antiscreening contribution to the beta functions of the gauge couplings and a flavor-independent, antiscreening contribution to the beta functions of the Yukawa couplings. These two free param...

A bstract If a grand-unified extension of the asymptotically safe Reuter fixed-point for quantum gravity exists, it determines free parameters of the grand-unified scalar potential. All quartic couplings take their fixed-point values in the trans-Planckian regime. They are irrelevant parameters that are, in principle, computable for a given particl...

We explore the interplay of matter with quantum gravity with a preferred frame to highlight that the matter sector cannot be protected from the symmetry-breaking effects in the gravitational sector. Focusing on Abelian gauge fields, we show that quantum gravitational radiative corrections induce Lorentz-invariance-violating couplings for the Abelia...

The renormalization group plays an essential role in many areas of physics, both conceptually and as a practical tool to determine the long-distance low-energy properties of many systems on the one hand and on the other hand search for viable ultraviolet completions in fundamental physics. It provides us with a natural framework to study theoretica...

The nature of dark matter and the fundamental quantum structure of spacetime could be directly linked in the asymptotic-safety framework. A toy model for the visible Higgs-Yukawa sector of the Standard Model, coupled to a dark sector through a portal coupling, provides a very first example for a model that i) could become asymptotically safe at fin...

Asymptotic safety is a theoretical proposal for the ultraviolet completion of quantum field theories, in particular for quantum gravity. Significant progress on this program has led to a first characterization of the Reuter fixed point. Further advancement in our understanding of the nature of quantum spacetime requires addressing a number of open...

We explore a simple parameterization of new physics that results in an ultraviolet complete gauge-quark sector of the Standard Model. Specifically, we add an antiscreening contribution to the beta functions of the gauge couplings and a flavor-independent, antiscreening contribution to the beta functions of the Yukawa couplings. These two free param...

This is an introduction to asymptotically safe quantum gravity, explaining the main idea of asymptotic safety and how it could solve the problem of predictivity in quantum gravity. In the first part, the concept of an asymptotically safe fixed point is discussed within the functional Renormalization Group framework for gravity, which is also briefl...

A bstract Four-dimensional random geometries can be generated by statistical models with rank-4 tensors as random variables. These are dual to discrete building blocks of random geometries. We discover a potential candidate for a continuum limit in such a model by employing background-independent coarse-graining techniques where the tensor size ser...

Four-dimensional random geometries can be generated by statistical models with rank-4 tensors as random variables. These are dual to discrete building blocks of random geometries. We discover a potential candidate for a continuum limit in such a model by employing background-independent coarse-graining techniques where the tensor size serves as a p...

An important probe of quantum geometry is its spectral dimension, defined via a spatial diffusion process. In this work we study the spectral dimension of a ‘spatial hypersurface’ in a manifoldlike causal set using the induced spatial distance function. In previous work, the diffusion was taken on the full causal set, where the nearest neighbours a...

We explore the interplay of matter with quantum gravity with a preferred frame to highlight that the matter sector cannot be protected from the symmetry-breaking effects in the gravitational sector. Focusing on Abelian gauge fields, we show that quantum gravitational radiative corrections induce Lorentz-invariance-violating couplings for the Abelia...

We propose a scenario with string theory in the deep ultraviolet, an intermediate asymptotically safe scaling regime for gravity and matter, and the Standard Model in the infrared. This could provide a new perspective to tackle challenges of the two models: For instance, the gravitational Renormalization Group flow could connect a negative microsco...

If a grand-unified extension of the asymptotically safe Reuter fixed-point for quantum gravity exists, it determines free parameters of the grand-unified scalar potential. All quartic couplings take their fixed-point values in the trans-Planckian regime. They are irrelevant parameters that are, in principle, computable for a given particle content...

A bstract Constraining quantum gravity from observations is a challenge. We expand on the idea that the interplay of quantum gravity with matter could be key to meeting this challenge. Thus, we set out to confront different potential candidates for quantum gravity — unimodular asymptotic safety, Weyl-squared gravity and asymptotically safe gravity...

We explore whether the phase diagram of tensor models could feature a pregeometric, discrete and a geometric, continuum phase for the building blocks of space. The latter are associated to rank d tensors of size N. We search for a universal large N scaling limit in a rank-3 model with real tensors that could be linked to a transition between the tw...

Constraining quantum gravity from observations is a challenge. We expand on the idea that the interplay of quantum gravity with matter could be key to meeting this challenge. Thus, we set out to confront different potential candidates for quantum gravity -- unimodular asymptotic safety, Weyl-squared gravity and asymptotically safe gravity -- with c...

We propose a scenario with string theory in the deep ultraviolet, an intermediate asymptotically safe scaling regime for gravity and matter, and the Standard Model in the infrared. This could provide a new perspective to tackle challenges of the two models: For instance, the gravitational Renormalization Group flow could connect a negative microsco...

We review aspects of the interplay of asymptotically safe gravity with matter, focusing on the potential predictive power of the quantum scale-symmetry underlying the asymptotically safe fixed point. We explain how an asymptotically safe fixed point for the Standard Model, induced by quantum-gravity fluctuations, might i) render the Standard Model...

We set out to bridge the gap between regular black-hole spacetimes and observations of a black-hole shadow by the Event Horizon Telescope. We explore modifications of spinning and non-spinning black-hole spacetimes inspired by asymptotically safe quantum gravity which features a scale dependence of the Newton coupling. As a consequence, the predict...

An important probe of quantum geometry is its spectral dimension, defined via a spatial diffusion process. In this work we study the spectral dimension of a ``spatial hypersurface'' in a manifoldlike causal set using the induced spatial distance function. In previous work, the diffusion was taken on the full causal set, where the nearest neighbours...

Motivated by the Hawking–King–McCarthy–Malament (HKMM) theorem and the associated reconstruction of spacetime geometry from its causal structure and local volume element , we define a one-parameter family of spatial distance functions on a Cauchy hypersurface using only and . The parameter corresponds to a ‘mesoscale’ cut-off which, when appropriat...