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XXII SIGRAV MEETING Cefalù, Sept. 12, 18, 2016 List of Abstracts Andrea ADDAZI (Univ. Aquila/LNGS-INFN) Antievaporation in Extended theories of gravity The semiclassical effects of antievaporating black holes can be discussed in the framework of f(R) gravity. In particular, the BoussoHawking-Nojiri-Odinstov antievaporation instability of degenerate Schwarzschild-de Sitter black holes (the so called Nariai space-time) leads to a dynamical increasing of black hole horizon in f(R) gravity. This phenomenon causes the following transition: emitting marginally trapped surfaces become space-like surfaces before the effective Bekenstein-Hawking emission time. As a consequence, BoussoHawking thermal radiation cannot be emitted in an antievaporating Nariai black hole. Possible implications in cosmology and black hole physics are also discussed. Giulio Francesco ALDI (Univ. Salerno) Contribution of higher order images of accretion disks to relativistic iron lines in the strong deflection limit The shape of relativistic iron lines observed in spectra of candidate black holes carry the signatures of the strong gravitational fields in which the accretion disks lie. These lines result from the sum of the contributions of all images of the disk created by gravitational lensing, with the direct and first-order images largely dominating the overall shapes. Higher order images created by photons tightly winding around the black holes are often neglected in the modeling of these lines, since they require a substantially higher computational effort. With the help of the strong deflection limit, we present the most accurate semi-analytical calculation of these higher order contributions to the iron lines for Schwarzschild black holes. We show that two regimes exist depending on the inclination of the disk with respect to the line of sight. Many useful analytical formulae can be also derived in this framework. Lorenzo AMATI (INAF-IASF Bologna) INVITED SPEAKER Cosmology with Gamma-Ray Bursts TBD L. Angelo ANTONELLI (INAF-OAR/ASI-ASDC Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Searching for VHE emission from GW sources with MAGIC. In this talk I will report on the search for very high energy photons possibly emitted by GW sources with the MAGIC telescopes. Future perspectives on this activity with CTA will be also presented. Paolo ASCHIERI (Univ. Piemonte Orientale) INVITED SPEAKER Observables and dispersion relations in quantum spacetimes We study the propagation of massless fields in noncommutative Minkowski spacetime (jn particular kappa-Minkowski) and single out energy-momentum observables as the deformed energy-momentum Hermitian operators that generate the quantum Lie algebra of translations. They lead to undeformed dispersion relations, in agreement with a group velocity derivation and contrary to previous results in the literature. We next turn on a background gravitational field and observe that the combined effects of non-commutativity and curvature produce deformed dispersion relations. Aiming at a model for the analysis of gamma ray burst data we study dispersion relations in nonocommutative Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker cosmology. Enrico BARAUSSE (IAP/CNRS, France) INVITED SPEAKER Theoretical implications of gravitational-wave observations I will review the implications of gravitational-wave observations for tests of gravitation in the highly relativistic strong-field regime. Massimo BASSAN (Univ. Tor Vergata Roma, Italy) TBD Francesco BECATTINI (Univ. Firenze) INVITED SPEAKER Thermodynamic equilibrium in relativity and quantum field theory We address the general features of thermodynamic equilibrium in special and general relativity within a quantum statistical framework. The building block of relativistic thermodynamics is the four-temperature vector β, which can be defined in terms of ideal thermometers and is to be a Killing vector field at equilibrium. We discuss the quantum corrections to the ideal stress-energy tensor in general equlibria with acceleration and vorticity in flat and curved spacetimes. Tomaso BELLONI (INAF-OA Brera) INVITED SPEAKER Black Holes and Neutron Stars as Laboratories for Strong Gravity Binary systems containing a black hole or a neutron star offer the best possibility to test prediction of General Relativity in the strong field regime. The plasma stripped from the non-degenerate companion star reaches the space time in the immediate vicinity of the compact object and releases strong X-ray emission. The spectral and variability properties of this emission contain the signatures of predicted effects such as the presence of an innermost stable orbit and black hole spin. I discuss the current observational status with particular emphasis onto sub-second time variability, which constitutes the most direct measurement of the properties of the plasma accreting onto a collapsed star. I present recent results that led to a precise measurement of the spin of a stellar-mass black hole through the measurement of GR effects from fast time variability. Stefano BELLUCCI (LNF-INFN Frascati) INVITED SPEAKER Vacuum Currents from Geometry, Topology and Boundaries In the present talk we present the results of recent investigations for the vacuum expectation value of the current density for charged scalar and fermionic fields in background spacetimes with an arbitrary number of toroidally compactified spatial dimensions, in the presence of an external gauge field. Along compact dimensions quasiperiodicity conditions for the field operators are assumed with general phases. Three different cases of the local geometry are considered: Minkowski [1], de Sitter (dS) [2] and anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetimes [3]. The high symmetry of the background geometries allowed us to provide closed expressions for the local characteristics of the vacuum state. We also discuss the effects induced by the presence of boundaries. The latter modify the spectrum of the zero-point fluctuations of quantum fields and, as a result of this, the vacuum expectation values of the current densities are changed. In the problem with AdS bulk the boundaries considered can serve as a models for the branes. We will review applications to the electronic subsystem of cylindrical and toroidal carbon nanotubes described in terms of a (2 + 1)-dimensional effective field theory, and to higher dimensional generalizations of the RandallSundrun-type braneworlds with compact dimensions. [1] S. Bellucci, A. A. Saharian, V. M. Bardeghyan, Phys. Rev. D 82, 065011 (2010); S. Bellucci, A. A. Saharian, Phys. Rev. D 87, 025005 (2013); S. Bellucci, A. A. Saharian, N.A. Saharyan, Eur. Phys. J. C 75, 378 (2015). [2] S. Bellucci, A.A. Saharian, H.A. Nersisyan, Phys. Rev. D 88, 024028 (2013). [3] S. Bellucci, A. A. Saharian, V. Vardanyan, JHEP11(2015)092; S. Bellucci, A. A. Saharian, V. Vardanyan, arXiv: 1512.06569. Eloisa BENTIVEGNA (INFN Catania) INVITED SPEAKER Cosmological Numerical Relativity: a status report Cosmological observations have reached the era of sub-percent measurements, and their interpretation demands accurate modelling of even the finest cosmic history details. Furthermore, the first detection of a gravitational-wave signal, announced in February, opens a new chapter in the exploration of the elaborate role played by General Relativity in our Universe. A number of recent studies have addressed the inclusion of general-relativistic effects in the description of largescale cosmological processes using Numerical Relativity [1-9]; in particular, the first studies of cosmological spacetimes containing pressureless fluids with three-dimensional density profiles have now appeared [10-12]. I will first review the techniques used in these works, presenting the open-source Einstein Toolkit and its extensions necessary to build well-behaved simulations of cosmological spacetimes. I will then illustrate the departures of these exact spacetimes from the modelling approximations commonly used to describe the evolution of the late Universe, thereby providing a first estimate of the systematic errors involved in these approximations. [1] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1204.2411 [2] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1204.3568 [3] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1306.1389 [4] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1306.4055 [5] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1404.1435 [6] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1409.3476 [7] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1409.7953 [8] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1501.06918 [9] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1509.08354 [10] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1511.01105 [11] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1511.01106 [12] http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1511.05124 Massimo BIANCHI (Univ. Tor Vergata Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Fundamental Interactions: one String to rule them all TBD Mishra BIVUDUTTA (Birla Inst. Of Tech & Science, Hyderabad, India) Cylindrically symmetric cosmological model of the universe in modified gravity In this paper, we have constructed the cosmological models of the universe in a cylindrically space time in the two classes of f(R,T) modified theory of gravity. The matter field is considered to be in the form of perfect fluid. It is observed that in the first two classes pressure and energy density remain the same which reduces to a Zeldovich fluid. Some physical properties of the constructed models are studied. Ignazio BOMBACI (Univ. Pisa/EGO) INVITED SPEAKER Neutron stars: cosmic laboratories to study matter at extreme densities Neutron stars, the compact remnants of core-collapse supernova, are the densest macroscopic objects in the Universe. They represent the limit beyond which gravity overwhelm all the other forces of nature and lead to the formation of a black hole. Thus neutron stars are remarkable natural laboratories that allow us to investigate the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions under extreme conditions that cannot be reproduced in terrestrial laboratories. In this talk, I will briefly discuss some of the present models to describe the equation of state of dense strongly interacting matter and their application to neutron star physics. In particular, I will focus on some open problems as the so-called hyperon puzzle in neutron stars and the possible presence of a quark deconfined phase, thus considering the so-called quark stars. Finally, I will discuss the astrophysical consequences of the possible conversion process of hadronic stars to quark stars. Alfio BONANNO (INAF-OA Catania) Astrophysical implications of the Asymptotic Safety Program in Quantum Gravity INVITED SPEAKER The status of the Asymptotic Safety program in QG will be briefly reviewed. Cosmological and astrophysical consequences for the physics of the Early Universe and gravitational collapse will be discussed in detail. Andrzej BOROWIEC (Wroclaw Univ., Poland) Starobinsky cosmological model a la Palatini We discuss Starobinskiy cosmological model in a framework of Palatini gravity. It appears that such approach provides on the one hand very good agreement with the present day experimental data as well as an internal inflationary mechanism driven by type III freeze singularity on the other hand. A dynamical system analysis indicates similarity to LCDM model for the late times while singular inflation takes place before recombination epoch. The talk is based on recent papers with A. Stachowski, M. Szydlowski and A. Wojnar. Mounir BOUSSAHEL (Mohamed Boudiaf Univ, Msila, Algeria) Dark Energy Effect in Quantum Entanglement in Curved Space Considering the accelerate expansion of the universe, the effect of a gravitational field of a massive body `'black hole" on the spin entanglement has been studied for two particles system in a circular geodesic motion. The concurrence is robust, the effect of the cosmological constant is that the triplet state is more robust than the singlet state, not only the effect of the dark energy is evident in both cases but the robustness of the concurrence is prolonged even around the black hole. Marica BRANCHESI (Univ. Urbino) Multi-messenger Astronomy with Electromagnetic Radiation Gravitational Waves and TBD Enzo BROCATO (INAF-OAR Roma, Italy) INVITED SPEAKER TBD Marco BRUNI (Univ, Portsmouth, UK) INVITED SPEAKER Nonlinear GR effects in structure formation: from approximations to full numerical relativity simulations In this talk I will describe progresses in considering general relativistic effects in the dynamics of structure formation in cosmology. First I will briefly describe results obtained with a nonlinear post-Friedman approach, a kind of post-Newtonian formalism, results validated and extended by others. Then I will focus on recent full numerical relativity simulations in cosmology. The recent detections of gravitational waves and of binary black holes have validated the accuracy of numerical relativity codes that are now publicly available. The application of numerical relativity to cosmology is in its infancy, but in the next few years can be a fundamental tool to understand to which extent we can have reliable predictions from standard newtonian N-body simulations; it is indeed clear that, to match the precision of future cosmological measurements, we need theoretical predictions that are not only equally precise, but also accurate at the same level. I will illustrate the first results of these numerical relativity simulations, representing the fully nonlinear GR evolution of perturbations in a Einstein de Sitter background: 1) back-reaction effects on the overall expansion of the model seems to be tiny; 2) voids expansion rate is significantly higher than that of the background and close to that of an open universe; 3) over-densities can reach turn-around much earlier than predicted by the standard top-hat model. I will conclude with an outline of future work that is needed to establish the real significance of these results. Marta BURGAY (INAF-OA Cagliari) INVITED SPEAKER Testing GR with the double pulsar Millisecond pulsars are extremely stable clocks. When in orbit around another compact object, such as a second neutron star, they can be used to precisely probe the effects predicted by General Relativity (and alternative theories). Thirteen years after its discovery, PSR J07373039A/B, the only double pulsar system known and the most relativistic binary pulsar to date, is the best laboratory to test Einstein's theories in the strong field regime. In this talk we will review the results obtained in more than a decade of observations of this unique system, and present the latest limits obtained. Luciano BURDERI (Univ. Cagliari) Quantum clock: A critical discussion on spacetime We critically discuss the measure of very short time intervals. By means of a Gedankenexperiment, we describe an ideal clock based on the occurrence of completely random events. Many previous thought experiments have suggested fundamental Planck-scale limits on measurements of distance and time. Here we present a new type of thought experiment, based on a different type of clock, that provide further support for the existence of such limits. We show that the minimum time interval Δ t that this clock can measure scales as the inverse of its size Δ r . This implies an uncertainty relation between space and time: Δ r Δ t >G ℏ /c4, where G , ℏ , and c are the gravitational constant, the reduced Planck constant, and the speed of light, respectively. We outline and briefly discuss the implications of this uncertainty conjecture. Salvatore BUTERA (Heriot-Watt Univ. Edinburgh, UK) Black-Hole lasing in a spinorial Bose-Einstein condensate We study the analogue of the Hawking radiation physics in a coherently coupled two component Bose-Einstein condensate. In practice, we consider a gas of two level atoms, whose internal states are coupled by an external laser field. Both for the homogeneous and the harmonically trapped (quasi-) one-dimensional system we show, by properly tuning the mean-field coupling constants and the Rabi frequency of the lightatoms interaction, the occurrence of the black-hole lasing effect respectively in the density and in the spin-density branches of the fluctuation field. The advantage of considering this set-up relies on the high controllability of the parameters of the light-atoms interaction in state-of-the-art cold-atom experiments and on the fact that, coupling the internal states by a two-photons Raman interaction, the inhomogeneity of the laser-atom interaction do not locally modify the chemical potential of the system, which remain homogeneous over all the condensate without the necessity of opportunely tailoring the external confining potential. Mariano CADONI (Univ. Cagliari) INVITED SPEAKER Thermodynamics and Holography of Gauss-Bonnet Gravity Gauss-Bonnet gravity is a interesting playground for investigating thermodynamical and holographic properties of black holes. We discuss its thermodynamical and holographic properties, with particular reference to the shear viscosity to entropy ratio in the dual field theory, focusing on the charged black brane solutions. Enrico CALLONI (Univ. Federico II Napoli) INVITED SPEAKER Towards weighing the Vacuum Energy The Archimedes project is a pathfinder for an experiment for the measurement of the interaction of vacuum energy and gravitational field by weighing a suitable realized multi-Casimir cavity. The main ideas and presnt experimental situations are discussed. Roberto CAPUZZO-DOLCETTA (Univ. La Sapienza Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Compact massive objects in galactic centers Central regions of galaxies are sites of both violent activity and exotic objects (super massive black holes, nuclear star clusters). Gravity is the main engine, able to connect the large (kiloparsec) galactic scale down to the inner (parsec) scale. In this talk I outline some relevant aspects of the physics involved. Mauro CARFORA (Univ. Pavia) INVITED SPEAKER The Cosmological Back-Reaction Debate Cosmological Backreaction refers to the influence that density and curvature inhomogeneities may have on the standard Friedman– Lemaıtre–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) description of the average dynamics of the Universe. This is a long standing issue that has become of some relevance in connection with the Dark Energy problem. Recently doubts have been put forward as to the actual role of backreaction in acting like dark energy. In particular, S. Green and R. Wald have elaborated a formalism according to which the contribution of backreaction is represented by a trace-free effective energymomentum tensor and cannot mimic a dark energy component. This has given rise to a lively debate which we overview by discussing the pros and cons of the Green&Wald formalism. Roberto CASADIO (Univ. Bologna) INVITED SPEAKER Black Holes: a window into Quantum Gravity Black holes are regions of space-time where gravity becomes so strong as to confine everything. Their existence has been recently confirmed by direct gravitational wave detection from a binary black hole merger, however their classical picture shows critical aspects when faced with the established quantum nature of matter. After reviewing what we think we know about the gravitational collapse and the special role played by black holes in the development of a theory of quantum gravity, I will focus on an effective quantum description of the gravitational radius of quantum sources as a tool to investigate black hole physics beyond the classical general relativistic picture, and on the possible effects of (virtual) soft gravitons in the collapse of baryonic matter. Both analysis appear to support a corpuscular model of black holes as quantum extended objects. Santi CASSISI (INAF-OA Teramo) POSTER TBD Leonardo CASTELLANI (INFN Torino) INVITED SPEAKER The integral form of supergravity Using integral forms and Poincaré duals, we show how group manifold actions interpolate between superspace and component supergravity actions. The example of D=3, N=1 supergravity is treated explicitly. Bianca CERCHIAI (Centro Fermi, INVITED SPEAKER A special root to Born-Infeld Theories Roma/Politecnico Torino) Various n-field non-linear Born-Infeld like theories are constructed which are self-dual and which feature an on-shell electric-magnetic duality symmetry. They are obtained from a linear Lagrangian by integrating out the auxiliary fields through their equations of motion. The potential is of the type V=Tr(M), where M is a symmetric symplectic matrix depending on scalar fields, and if the scalar fields span a homogeneous symmetric space G/H with H a subgroup of a Lie group G and M defines an embedding of G/H in Sp(2n)/U(n), then the theory exhibits on-shell H duality invariance. This method allows to associate a non-linear BornInfeld type Lagrangian to any extended supergravity theory based on M and to explain the form of some previously known Lagrangians with U(1), U(1) x U(1) and SU(2) on-shell symmetry. A new theory with SO(n) duality is presented, which can be generalized to a non-Abelian Born-Infeld theory. Furthermore, there is a parametrization, generalizing the Euler angles, in which the potential V simplifies significantly due to its H-invariance, explicitly showing that it depends only on a maximal torus in the non-compact manifold and that the other coordinates are flat directions, which play a role similar to Goldstone bosons. Roberto CIANCI (Univ. Genova) INVITED SPEAKER Formal calculation and exact Dirac Einstein solutions We show how formal calculation can be developed and used to exacly solve gravitational interacting fields equation. In particular we look for exact interacting solutions of the Dirac Einstein fields. By considering a massive neutrino field interacting, in a minimal coupling, with the gravitational filed, we present a discuss some new class of solutions which are found within the class of non empty axially-symmetric metric. Riccardo CIOLFI (UNiv. Trento) INVITED SPEAKER TBA Monica COLPI (Univ. Milano Bicocca) INVITED SPEAKER A Gravitational Universe Full of Binary Black Holes in the LISA Era Binary black holes occupy a special place in our quest for understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies along cosmic history. If massive black holes grow at the center of pre-galactic structures that experience a sequence of merger episodes, then "binary" black holes inescapably form. If they end coalescing inside the remnant galaxy, then they become the most powerful sources of gravitational waves in the universe, visible out to very large redshifts. I will shortly describe how binary black holes form and coalesce and the key feature of their gravitational wave signal. Finally I will comment on the impact of LISA science on the astrophysics of black hole formation and evolution. Giovanni COVONE (Univ. Federico II Napoli) The Kilo Degree Survey: new constraints on the cosmological parameters from tomographic weak gravitational lensing The Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS) is an on-going VST survey aimed at cover 1500 square degrees in the optical bands with excellent image quality. I will present the analysis of the shear measurements over the first 450 square degrees, the blind cosmology analysis, the new contraints on the cosmological parameters and the substantial discordance in the full parameter space found with respect to the Planck 2015 results. David COWARD (Univ. Western Australia) INVITED SPEAKER Australian participation in the first EM follow-up of gravitational wave sources: from radio to optical TBD Elena CUOCO (EGO Pisa) INVITED SPEAKER Strategy for signal classification to improve data quality for Advanced Detectors gravitational-wave searches Noise of non-astrophysical origin contaminates science data taken by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors. Characterization of instrumental and environmental noise transients has proven critical in identifying false positives in the first aLIGO observing run O1. In this talk, we present three algorithms designed for the automatic classification of non-astrophysical transients in advanced detectors. Principal Component Analysis for Transients (PCAT) and an adaptation of LALInference Burst (LIB) are based on Principal Component Analysis. The third algorithm is a combination of a glitch finder called Wavelet Detection Filter (WDF) and machine learning techniques for classification. Nandi DEBOTTAM (Indian inst. Of Science Educa & Research, India) Complete Hamiltonian analysis of cosmological perturbations at all orders Cosmological perturbation theory is currently a preferred mathematical procedure to compare the equations of gravity with precise observations. However, due to the difficulties in interpreting gaugeinvariance and invertibility in Hamiltonian formalism, there is no consistent and generalized Hamiltonian analysis for cosmological perturbation theory at any order for any kind of model of gravity. In this work, using a simple model, we provide a simple mathematical approach to deal with all the difficulties to obtain a consistent Hamiltonian formalism and extend the approach to canonical scalar field. We show that our approach can be applied to any order of perturbation for any first order derivative fields. We also apply our approach to Galilean scalar field model and show that, there is no extra degrees of freedom, as expected, at every order of perturbation and obtain all consistent equations of motion. We compare and contrast our approach to the Lagrangian approach (Chen et al[2006]) for extracting higher order correlations and show that our approach is quick and robust and can be applied to any model of gravity and matter fields without invoking slow-roll approximation. Finally, we show that, by introducing a new phase-space variable, it is also possible to extend the same formalism for generalized non-canonical scalar fields. References: 1. D. Nandi and S. Shankaranarayanan, Complete Hamiltonian analysis of cosmological perturbations at all orders, JCAP 1606 (2016), no. 06 038,arXiv:1512.02539 2. D. Nandi and S. Shankaranarayanan, Complete Hamiltonian analysis of cosmological perturbations at all orders II: Non-canonical scalar field, arXiv:1606.05747 Fernando DE FELICE (Univ. Padova) Chronology protection in the Kerr metric (Authors: Donato Bini and Fernando de Felice, Gen. Rel. & Grav. 47 (2015) 131) We show that causality violation in a Kerr naked singularity spacetime is prevented by the existence of radial potential barriers. We extend to the family of vortical non-equatorial null geodesics confined on hyperboloids with constant latitude (Boreal orbits) previous results concerning timelike ones (Calvani et al.; Gen. Rel. & Grav. 9: 155, 1978) showing that within this class of orbits the causality principle is rigorously satisfied. Maria Felicia DE LAURENTIS (Goethe Univ. Frankfurt, Germany) Pulsar dynamics in general black-hole spacetimes: spherically symmetric case TBA Roberto DE PIETRI (Univ. Parma/INFN) INVITED SPEAKER The EinsteinToolikt at work: Simulating the Physics of Equal and Unequal Mass Binary Neutron Star Mergers Using Public Codes After the succesfull detection of the gravitational wave signals emitted by binary black holes mergers observed by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration the modelling of the gravitational wave signal emitted by compact binary sources will play a prominent role. The next target will be the observation emitted during the process of Binary Neutron Star (BNS) mergers that were the the primary expected sources for the LIGO/VIRGO observatory. Fully General Relativistic simulations of BNS coalescence and merger started in 1998 but now, thanks to the development of collection of free software like the Einstein Toolkit (and the LORENE library to generate initial data) it is possible to openly simulate such systems where numerical relativity is almost the only available tool. The use of open and publically available simulation toolkit allows other researchers to reproduce the obtained data and to check the details of the employed methods. We present results for threedimensional simulations of BNS mergers dynamics (in full general relativity) for the late inspiral stage and the post-merger up to ∼50 ms after the system has merged. We report here results for the strength of the gravitational wave (GW) signal and its dependence on the equation of state (EOS), the total ADM mass, and the mass ratio of the two Stars. The present results are based on a semi-realistic description of the EOS that it is represented by seven-segment piece-wise polytropic and a thermal component with Γth=1.8. Antonino DEL POPOLO (Univ. Catania) INVITED SPEAKER The small scale problems in the standard cosmology Despite the fact that the LAmbdaCDM model is often referred to as "concordance model", to emphasize that its predictions are in agreement with current observations, both of the nearby universe and the early universe, some discrepancy with observations has emerged on scales from a few kpc to tens of pc. Examples of the quoted tension are: the missing satellite problem, the too big to fail problem, and the cusp/core problem. While numerical simulations universally produce a cuspy density profile, observed rotation curves of dwarf spiral and low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies give strong indication that the shape of the density profile at small scales is significantly shallower than profiles found in numerical simulations. The quoted discrepancy between simulations and observations has become known as the Cusp/Core problem. In this talk, I review the problem and discuss some solutions. Luca DEL ZANNA (Univ. Firenze) INVITED SPEAKER Magnetized neutron stars: GR modeling and interaction with the environment Magnetized neutron stars have always been among the main characters in high-energy astrophysics, since the discovery of pulsars almost 50 years ago and up to the recent models predicting fastspinning magnetars as the engines of Gamma-Ray Bursts. In this talk I will describe the research carried out in Firenze: from the modeling of such compact objects in general relativity, to the simulations of the interaction of pulsar winds with the external environment. Simone DELL’AGNELLO (LNF-INFN Frascati) INVITED SPEAKER The Moon and Mars as Test Bodies for General Relativity We developed next-generation laser retroreflectors for the exploration and science of the Earth-Moon and Mars systems in the framework of the INFN-NASA/SSERVI Affiliation membership. We will describe payload design/construction/test, space exploration goals and, finally, future prospects to test General Relativity (GR) and new gravitational physics in the Mars and Earth-Moon system. We will describe INRRI (INstrument for landing-Roving laser Retroreflector Investigations) deployed on ESA’s ExoMars Schiaparelli lander and designs for PANDORA (Phobos ANd DeimOs laser Retroreflector Array) and their gravitational science and exploration goals. PANDORA will be observed Mars orbiters with laser ranging capabilities, like NASA’s LADEE and/or LRO for the Moon. By tracking the Phobos orbit we can reconstruct the position of the Mars center of mass and with that, test GR. We developed a large, single, next-generation retroreflector (MoonLIGHT, Moon Laser Instrumentation for General relativity High accuracy Tests). Since it is unaffected by the lunar librations that currently limit the accuracy of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) to Apollo/Lunokhod reflectors, MoonLIGHT will support significantly improved measurements by ground stations of the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS). MoonLIGHT will provide accurate determination of landing sites, of rover positioning during exploration and long-term Moon georeferencing. MoonLIGHT will also support precision tests of GR (improved up to a factor 100): violation of the Weak and Strong Equivalence Principle (WEP/SEP); measurement of the PPN parameter beta; time variations of the gravitational constant Gdot/G; deviations from the inverse-square force-law; accurate measurement of the geodetic precession. We will report also possible test of new gravitational theories, like Non-Minimally Coupled Gravity. We will also report studies and R&D to test new effective Quantum Gravity theories (predicted by theorists of INFN-Naples, G. Esposito and E. Battista) by means of laser retroreflectors deployed in the Lagrangian points of the Earth Moon system R&D (science) on these laser retroreflector payloads is supported by INFN-CSN5 (INFN-CSN2) and is fully synergetic with the goals of the INFN-NASA/SSERVI Partnership. Laser retroreflector performance will be characterized at the SCF_Lab (Satellite/lunar/gnss laser ranging/altimetry Cube/microsat Characterization Facilities Laboratory), a unique and dedicated infrastructure of INFN-LNF, in Frascati (Rome), Italy, (www.lnf.infn.it/esperimenti/etrusco/). Finally, we will discuss mission opportunities retroreflectors. to deploy these next generation laser Massimo DELLA VALLE (INAF-OA Capodimonte) INVITED SPEAKER TBD Antonaldo DIAFERIO (Univ. Torino) INVITED SPEAKER The caustic technique: the wide-angle tool for disclosing cluster formation I review the state of the art and future developments of the caustic technique, a method for estimating the mass of galaxy clusters, both in their virial and outer regions, based on the distribution of galaxies in redshift space. The caustic technique has been proved to recover mass profiles of simulated clusters with an accuracy smaller than 10% out to three virial radii, from cluster catalogs with realistic galaxy density. The technique has been applied to more than 130 real clusters from the CAIRNS, CIRS and HeCS surveys. As a method to identify cluster members, up to the same large radii, the technique prunes interlopers yielding samples with high completeness (~95%) and low contamination (~8%). One of the byproducts of this technique is the creation of a binary tree that arranges the galaxies hierarchically and provides information about the cluster dynamics and its substructures. The caustic technique recovers 50% of the real substructures of the cluster, an unprecedentedly large successful rate in realistic situations. I finally discuss how we can apply this technique to measure the mass growth of galaxy clusters and constrain the theory of gravity. Antonio DI DOMENICO (Univ. La Sapienza Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Precision tests of CPT symmetry and Quantum coherence with entangled neutral K mesons in the search for Quantum Gravity effects Even though CPT symmetry appears to be experimentally respected in Nature, with a very solid theoretical foundation in the well known CPT theorem, tiny CPT violation effects could be justified in the framework of a quantum theory of gravity with non trivial space-time topologies, in some cases implying a loss of coherence in single and entangled quantum states. Entangled neutral K mesons produced in phi meson decays constitute a very special quantum system, which demonstrate, in the most impressive manner, a number of spectacular quantum phenomena. This system appears specially suited for testing the basic principles of Quantum Mechanics and CPT symmetry, thanks to its extreme sensitivity to possible CPT violation and decoherence effects and the subtle interplay between entanglement and discrete symmetries. So far no deviation from the expectations of CPT symmetry and Quantum Mechanics is observed, while the precision of the measurements, in some cases, reaches the interesting Planck scale region, where CPT violation effects driven by quantum gravity might show up. Prospects for this kind of experimental studies at the KLOE-2 experiment at DAFNE will be presented. Sperello DI SEREGO ALIGHIERI (INAF-OA Arcetri) INVITED SPEAKER Cosmic Polarization Rotation: testing the foundations of General Relativity An important reason for searchig for Cosmic Polarization Rotation (CPR), i.e. a rotation in vacuum of the plane of polarization for radiation traveling across a large fraction of the universe, is that it provides a test for the Einstein equivalence principle (EEP). Therefore, a null CPR would increase our confidence on General Relativity which is based on the EEP. I shall review recent constraints on the CPR, including those form Planck, which are all consistent with a null CPR, and discuss future propects for improving the constraints or detecting CPR. Angela Di VIRGILIO (Univ. Pisa) GINGER (Gyroscopes IN General Relativity) is a proposal aiming at measuring the Lense-Thirring effect with an experiment based on Earth. It is an array of ringlasers, which are the most sensitive inertial sensors to measure the rotation rate of the Earth. After reviewing the importance of light as a probe for testing the structure of space-time, we describe the GINGER project. GINGER is based on an array of large size ringlasers able to measure the de Sitter and Lense-Thirring effects. The instrument will be located inside the underground laboratory of GranSasso of INFN, in Italy. We describe the preliminary actions and measurements already under way and present the full road map to GINGER. The prototypes GP2 and GINGERino are described and the preliminary results reported Marco DRAGO (AEI-MPG Hannover, germany) INVITED SPEAKER The beginning of the gravitational wave era On September 14th and December 26th, LIGO detectors registered the first gravitational waves. The signal were confirmed to be both produced by binary black hole system. This talk will present the details of the two observation. Vladimir DZHUNUSHALIEV (Al-Farabi-KazNU) INVITED SPEAKER Compact and extended objects from self-interacting phantom fields We investigate localized and extended objects for gravitating, selfinteracting phantom fields. This study covers phantom balls, traversable wormholes, phantom cosmic strings, and phantom domain walls supported by phantom fields. These four systems are solved numerically and we try to draw out general, interesting features in each case. In each of the four systems we find regions of the parameters where there is a balancing between the tendency of gravity to collapse the system and the tendency of the phantom fields to disperse the system. Giampiero ESPOSITO (INFN Napoli) INVITED SPEAKER Solar System Dynamics in General Relativity: a Modern Perspective TBD Viviana FAFONE (Univ. Tor Vergata Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Sensitivity evolution of interferometric detectors and GW astronomy The first observation of gravitational waves, achieved on September 14, 2015, opened a new frontier of the observational astrophysics and a new tool for fundamental physics. The capabilities of this new tool will grow up in the forthcoming years, fostered by the increasing sensitivity of gravitational wave interferometers. The talk will discuss the perspectives in the field with a focus on the possible evolution of interferometric detectors. Valeria FERRARI (Univ. La Sapienza Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Gravitational waves after the first detection: perspectives for fundamental physics and astrophysics The recent detection by the LIGO interferometers of the gravitational wave signals emitted by two (possibly three) coalescing black hole binaries, provides an entirely new instrument to observe and investigate the universe we live in, challenging or confirming our beliefs on several crucial issues; how does gravity behave in the strong field regime, as near a black hole horizon, how does matter behave at the supranuclear densities which are typical of the inner core of neutron stars; how do gravitating structures evolve to form compact objects which eventually produce binary coalescence as those which have been, or will be, observed. These and other issues, will be illustrated and discussed. Francesco FERRARO (UNiv. Bologna) INVITED SPEAKER The dynamical evolution of star clusters as traced by Blue Stragglers Galactic Globular Clusters are the only cosmic structures able to undergo nearly all the physical processes known in stellar dynamics (such as: gravothermal instability, violent relaxation, mass segregation, dynamical friction, energy equipartition, 2-body collisions, binary formation and heating) over a time-scale shorter than the age of the Universe. In this talk I’m going to discuss these phenomena by using an anomalously massive class of stars (the so-called Blue stragglers) as gravitational test particles Emilio FIORDILINO (Univ. Palermo) Harmonic emission from reduced dimensionality systems 2015 was designated as the international year of the light to acknowledge the prodigious progress in the comprehension of the nature and sources of light. Laser is among the most brilliant source of radiation of the galaxy, for today it can have peak intensity as large as I = 10^20 W/cm^2. The interaction of a strong eld of frequency I_L with the matter has unveiled new laser induced eects. Among these we focus our attention on high order harmonic generation (HHG). Atoms and molecules acted upon by a strong eld scatter radiation whose spectrum is composed by a broad plateau of odd harmonics of !L. The origin of the radiation is to be sought in the large acceleration of the charges which is non linear in the eld-matter interaction energy. The detected plateau can be as large as w_M = 5000w_L indicating that a molecule can be used as a tool for converting radiation from the infrared or optical part of the spectrum to the XUV regime. Modern technology permits the fabrication of mesoscopic materials extending along one or two spatial dimension more that the other(s) and that can be considered as reduced dimensionality systems (RDS); this description is possible because the modes pertaining to the small dimension are energetically very separated and can be considered as frozen. Well known geometrical simmetries make fullerene, graphene, quantum dots and rings as perfect RDS and allow striking simplications of the theoretical treatment unthinkable in simpler systems. We will show that these carbon allotropes are attractive media for the ecient generation of harmonics. Plamen FIZIEV (Joint Inst. Of Nuclear research, Dubna, RUSSIA) New physics in GW150914 TBA Antonia Micol FRASSINO (FIAS & Goethe Univ. Frankfurt, Germany) Phase Transitions in GR TBD Marialuisa FRAU (Univ. PISA/EGO) INVITED SPEAKER Exact results in N=2 Super Yang-Mills Theories We study the non-perturbative behaviour of superconformal gauge theories with rigid N=2 supersymmetry in four dimensions, and discuss the relation between their S-duality properties and the possibility of computing exact quantum observables. For these theories in fact, the prepotential, that encodes the low-energy effective dynamics on the Coulomb branch of moduli space, obeys a modular anomaly equation whose validity is related to S-duality. The recursion relations that follow from the modular anomaly equation allow one to write the prepotential in terms of (quasi)-modular forms, thus resumming all instanton contributions. These results can be checked against the microscopic multi-instanton calculus in the case of classical algebras, but are valid also for the exceptional algebras, where direct computations are not available. We also comment on the extensions of these results to the computation of chiral correlators. Filippo FRONTERA (Univ. Ferrara) INVITED SPEAKER Investigating the physics behind the Ep-intensity correlation in GRBs through the time-resolved analysis TBD Noemi FRUSCIANTE (IAP Paris) Testing dark energy and modified gravity models with the effective field theory formalism Given the wide sample of dark energy and modified gravity models (DE/MG) that address late time accelerated scenario and the high precision data (WMAP, PLANCK, SDSS, EUCLID in the near future), it becomes crucial to test DE/MG theories against data on large scales. In the quest of a model independent parametrization for gravity theories, the effective field theory formalism (EFT) has been applied to the phenomenon of cosmic acceleration. It is developed using a perturbative approach in which an extra scalar degree of freedom appears only at the level of perturbations. I will present the implementation of this framework into CAMB/CosmoMC creating, what we dubbed, EFTCAMB/EFTCosmoMC. These patches allow to test gravity theories with the most recent data releases. To illustrate the use of these patches, I will show some results. Moreover, I will present a thorough stability analysis of modified gravity theories in EFT language when the coupling to matter fields is considered. Remo GARATTINI (Univ. Bergamo) INVITED SPEAKER Aspects of Gravity's Rainbow Quantum Field Theory is plagued by divergences in the attempt to calculate physical quantities. Standard techniques of regularization and renormalization are used to keep under control such a problem. In this talk we would like to use a different scheme based on Gravity's Rainbow (GRw)to remove infinities appearing in one loop approximation in contrast to what happens in conventional approaches. In particular, we apply GRw scheme to the computation of the entropy of a Schwarzschild black hole from one side and the Zero Point Energy (ZPE) of the graviton from the other side. The graviton ZPE is connected to the cosmological constant by means of of the WheelerDeWitt equation. Fabio GARUFI (Univ. Federico II Napoli) Probing newborn population of BH/NS tied to Long Gamma Ray and Gravitational Wave Bursts In this work we present a procedure to infer the mass of progenitors and outcome of core-collapse Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB), starting from the observed energy E_GRBiso emitted isotropically and considering the associated emission of Gravitational Waves (GW) E_GW in the different phases. Without making any assumption, we consider a purely empirical energy balance exclusively in GW energy with a GW emitting oblate progenitor, the energy emitted in GW during the GRB phase and the GW energy emitted by the residual object after the GRB (the remnant). We take a sample of 237 Long GRB, and use an hybrid Montecarlo procedure to explore, for each of them, a region of possible solutions of E_GW as a function of the masses, radii, oblateness, rotation frequencies of progenitor and remnant and the fraction of energy k emitted as GW by the GRB. Bruno GIACOMAZZO (Univ. Trento) INVITED SPEAKER High-Mass Magnetized Binary Neutron Star Mergers and Short Gamma-Ray Bursts TBD Roberto GIAMBO’ (Univ. Camerino) INVITED SPEAKER Nonlinear techniques in the study of cosmological dynamics Some of the mathematical methods exploited in literature, allowing to get information on the asymptotic behavior of cosmological models with different matter sources, are reviewed here. In case of ever expanding cosmologies, the eventually dominating source type can be identified. For cosmologies leading to a spacetime singularity, the formation of an event horizon is investigated. Adalberto GIAZOTTO (INFN Pisa) INVITED SPEAKER Advanced Virgo and LIGO and the worldwide search for gravitational waves Technological efforts of Virgo and LIGO detectors, which led to the detection of the Gravitational Wave event, will be presented. Gabriele GIONTI (Specola Vaticana) Cosmologies of the Planck-Era from Lorentzian Renormalization Group for Quantum Gravity Homogeneous and isotropic cosmologies of the Planck-era are studied taking quantum gravitational effects into account. The cosmological evolution is obtained from a renormalization – group improvement of the classical ADM Lagrangian, using a class of beta-functions obtained with a Lorentzian formulation of the re-normalisation group. The properties of the solutions are discussed, and the corresponding Hamiltonian analysis is presented. Andrea GIUGNO (LMU Munich, Germany) A corpuscular model for Quantum Black Holes A quantum mechanical description of an event horizon supports some features of BEC models of black holes. The Klein-Gordon equation for a toy graviton field coupled to a static matter current classically reproduces the Newtonian potential, while the corresponding quantum state is given by a coherent superposition of scalar modes. When N such bosons are self-confined in a volume the size of their Schwarzschild radius, the spectrum of these system is formed by a discrete ground state and a continuous Planckian distribution at the Hawking temperature representing the radiation. Assuming the latter is due to internal scattering, the N-particle state can be collectively described by a single-particle wave-function. The partition function follows together with the usual entropy law, with a logarithmic correction related to the Hawking component. The backreaction of radiating modes is also shown to reduce the Hawking flux, eventually stopping it. Leonardo GUALTIERI (Univ. La Sapienza Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Testing general relativity with gravitational waves electromagnetic waves and General relativity has passed all weak-field tests with flying colours, but - before September 14, 2015 - it had hardly been tested in the strongfield regime. Gravitational wave observations from present and future interferometric detectors, together with observations from upcoming large-area X-ray telescopes, can tell us if general relativity gives also an accurate description of the strong-field regime of the gravitational interaction. I will discuss how some of the simplest modifications of general relativity, which can be tested by looking at the signals emitted in astrophysical processes such as the coalescence of compact binaries and quasi-periodic oscillations in accretions disks. Gianluca GUIDI (Univ. Urbino) INVITED SPEAKER Detection of Gravitational Waves from Binary Black Hole merger During the first observational run of the Advanced LIGO detectors, from September 12, 2015 to January 19, 2016, two signals, GW150914 and GW151226, were unambiguously detected with a significance of greater than 5σ over the observing period. They were identified as coming from binary black hole mergers at cosmological distance. The detection made use of several analysis method to extract the signals from the noise background; here we report of the matched-filter searches targeting binary coalescences during this first observational run and the prospect for the next observing runs. Francesco HAARDT (Univ. Insubria) INVITED SPEAKER Dynamics of massive black hole triplets in galactic nuclei Massive black-hole binaries (MBHBs) are thought to be the main source of gravita- tional waves (GWs) in the low-frequency domain surveyed by ongoing and forthcom- ing Pulsar Timing Array campaigns and future space-borne missions, such as eLISA. However, many low-redshift MBHBs in realistic astrophysical environments may not reach separations small enough to allow significant GW emission, but rather stall on (sub)pc-scale orbits. This “last-parsec problem” can be eased by the appearance of a third massive black hole (MBH) – the “intruder” – whose action can force, under certain conditions, the inner MBHB on a very eccentric orbit, hence allowing intense GW emission eventually leading to coalescence. A detailed assessment of the process, ultimately driven by the induced Kozai-Lidov oscillations of the MBHB orbit, requires a general relativistic treatment and the inclusion of external factors, such as the Newtonian precession of the intruder orbit in the galactic potential and its hardening by scattering off background stars. In my contribution, I will discuss a recent effort aimed at tackling this problem, based on an original three-body Post-Newtonian (2.5PN) code framed in a realistic galactic potential. Alexander KAMENSHCHIK (Univ. Bologna/INFN) INVITED SPEAKER Some aspects of anisotropic cosmologies We consider the precession of a Dirac particle spin in some anisotropic Bianchi universes. This effect is present already in the Bianchi-I universe. We discuss in some detail the geodesics and the spin precession for both the Kasner and the Heckmann-Schucking solutions. In the Bianchi-IX universe the spin precession acquires the chaotic character due to the stochasticity of the oscillatory approach to the cosmological singularity. The related helicity flip of fermions in the very early Universe may produce the sterile particles contributing to dark matter. Besides, we study the behaviour of the Bianchi-II universe in the presence higher spatial curvature terms in the framework of the Horava-Lifshitz gravity. We derive the rules of the changes of the Kasner indices for this model. Luca IZZO ( Univ. La Sapienza Roma/ICRA) INVITED SPEAKER Novae as Lithium factories in the Milky Way: first evidences TBD Gaetano LAMBIASE (INFN Salerno) INVITED SPEAKER Two-field inflation in early Universe A two-field inflation model, where inflaton field has a non-canonical kinetic term due to the presence of a moduli/dilaton field, is discussed. It is shown that in such an inflation model the quartic and quadratic inflaton potentials, which are otherwise ruled out by the present PlanckKeck/BICEP2 data, yield scalar spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio in accordance with the present data. Such a model yield tensor-toscalar ratio of the order of 0.01 which is within the reach of B−mode experiments like Keck/BICEP3, CMBPol and thus can be put to test in the near future. Adele LA RANA (Univ. La Sapienza Roma, Italy) Looking for coincidences: the birth of gravitational wave detection in Italy and the beginning of the first International detector networks The first projects for gravitational wave (GW) detection in Italy were born in 1971 at the Institute of Physics “Gugliemo Marconi” in Rome and at the European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) in Frascati. The key figures promoting the new research activity were: in Rome, Edoardo Amaldi and his young assistant Guido Pizzella; in Frascati, Donato Bramanti and Karl Maischberger, collaborating with the theoretical physicist Bruno Bertotti. The interest in GWs had been swiftly growing in the scientific community since the end of 1960s, stimulated by the papers by Joseph Weber, claiming with increasing confidence to have detected gravitational radiation. Furthermore, the development of relativistic astrophysics and especially the discovery of pulsars in 1968 provided attractive candidates as GW sources. In Rome, synergies and collaborations between relativistic mathematicians and physicists had been established during the ‘60s, following the new attitude of the international scientific community towards Einstein’s theory of gravitation: the reborn interest in experimental tests of GR and its return from mathematical research to physical investigation (the so-called Renaissance of GR). The GW group in Rome aimed at building a cryogenic resonant bar detector, using the recently invented technology of Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUID) to amplify the signal of the resonant transducer. Instead, the ESRIN team rapidly set up a room temperature detector, as the ones used by Weber in the late Sixties. Both groups established collaborations for coincidence analysis. The activity of the Rome group started as a joint endeavor with the teams of William Fairbank at Stanford University and the team of William Hamilton at Louisiana State University, envisaging the construction of three cryogenic detectors in the three locations. The ESRIN antenna worked in coincidence with the room temperature detector located at the Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics in Munich. Frederic LASSIAILLE Simplified three elements theory In this paper, S.T.E.T. (Simplified Three Elements Theory), an alternative theory to dark matter, is presented. It is based on a modification of Newton’s law. This modification is done by multiplying a Newtonian potential by a given factor, which is varying with local distribution of matter, at the location where the gravitational force is exerted. With this new equation the model emphasizes that a gravitational force is roughly inversely proportional to mass density at the location where this force is applied. After presentation of the model, comparison with experimental data is quickly surveyed. The first result is the following. The simple mechanism presented above allows to solve straightforwardly the following issues: virial theorem mystery, the bullet cluster (“1E 0657-56” galaxy clusters) issue, the strong relative velocity of its sub-clusters, the value of cosmological critical density, the fine tuning issue, and expansion acceleration. Nucleosynthesis is not explained and would require a different model for radiation era. But a de Sitter Universe is predicted, this means that the spatial curvature, K, is 0, and today’s deceleration parameter, q, is -1. The predicted time since last scattering is 68 h-1Gyr. With this value STET explains heterogeneities of large scale structures and galaxy formation. Each kind of experimental speed profiles are retrieved by a simulation of a virtual galaxy. In the simulations, ring galaxies are generated by STET dynamic itself, without the help of any particular external event. By itself the model claims that a modification of Newton’s law might produce better results than what dark matter does. Marco LIMONGI (INAF-OAR Roma, Italy) INVITED SPEAKER TBD Fedele LIZZI (Univ. Federico II Napoli) INVITED SPEAKER The inconstant constants TBD Luca LUSANNA (INFN Firenze) INVITED SPEAKER Dark matter: a problem in relativistic metrology? I make a short review of the existing possibility to explain the presence of dark matter (or at least of part of it) as a relativistic inertial effect induced by the non-Euclidean nature of the 3-spaces. After a Hamiltonian Post-Minkowskian (HPM) linearization of canonical ADM tetrad gravity with particles, having equal inertial and gravitational masses, as matter, followed by a Post-Newtonian (PN) expansion, we find that the Newtonian equality of inertial and gravitational masses breaks down and that the inertial gauge York time produces an increment of the inertial masses explaining at least part of what is called dark matter in all its astrophysical signatures. Naulak MALSAWMTLUANGI (Univ. of Hyderabad, India) Inflation and the BB-mode correlation spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background from massive gravity Graviton, which is commonly believed to be massless, is endowed with mass and hence, the primordial gravitational waves are considered to be massive and are placed in the squeezed vacuum state. The corresponding BB-mode correlation angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background is obtained for various slow roll inflation models. The gravitational waves are also placed in thermal state in addition to the squeezed vacuum state. The angular power spectrum for each model is compared with the limit of BICEP2/Keck and Planck joint analysis data. Stefano MANCINI (Univ. Camerino) INVITED SPEAKER On relativistic quantum information Relativistic quantum information is a new promising field that aims at understanding how general relativity can affect quantum information processing. In this context we first show how entanglement, a key quantum information resource, naturally arises in cosmological models like Robertson–Walker spacetime, thanks to the mechanism of particles and anti-particles production from the vacuum. We also put forward the possibility of using entanglement to infer about cosmic parameters. Next we consider communication through the dynamics of quantum systems under Robertson–Walker spacetime and find that the noise imparted to them is equivalent to an amplitude-damping channel. We then determine the capacity region for communicating classical and quantum information. This is equivalent to evaluating the maximal amount of information preserved during the evolution of the universe, hence it can provide a novel avenue for bounding our knowledge about the origin of the universe. Nazzareno MANDOLESI (Univ. Ferrara) INVITED SPEAKER The Planck Legacy and Future Perspectives I will discuss highlights from the recent Planck 2015 release and present the most stringent bounds to date on a widely accepted cosmological picture, including the latest results from the joint Planck/Bicep effort on the quest for primordial gravitational waves. The LCDM model withstood a wide collection of tests at increasing precision over the last decade and has, with the latest Planck results, gained further strength. At the same time, we still see small anomalies in the data that may be simply due to tiny systematics or hint for new physics. I will briefly review CMB future experiments from ground, balloons and space in the framework of scientific, technical and programmatic constraints. Houda MANSOUR (UNiv. Blida, Algeria) POSTER Applications in f(R) gravity Latest cosmological observations show that the universe is undergoing an accelerating expansion. Several theories were proposed to explain that acceleration: ΛCDM (Λ accounts for dark energy and CDM is the cold dark matter), inflationary models. Despite their success, these theories fail in describing some other phenomenon emerging in astrophysics cosmology, and high energy physics. So, several extensions to the theory of gravitation were proposed aiming to preserve the undoubtedly positive results of Einstein’s Theory of general relativity. The simplest extension is the so called f(R) gravity which consists in replacing the Ricci scalar R by a function f of it. We study the effect of electric charge in compact stars assuming that the charge distribution is proportional to the mass density. We perform a detailed numerical study of the effect of electric charge using a polytropic equation of state. We first try to find the numerical results given in a paper of S. Ray et al. and then apply f(R) gravity to study the effect of the correction terms given. Claudia MARASTON (Univ. Portsmouth, UK) INVITED SPEAKER The formation and evolution of the most massive galaxies in the Universe: a continuing challenge to Cosmology Hierarchical galaxy formation in a Lambda-Cold Dark Matter Universe predicts a bottom-up, environment dependent formation and evolution of galaxies. The stellar and mass assembly properties of the most massive galaxies in the Universe present a challenge to this cosmology which is not yet resolved. I shall review the topic and present new results using both modelling and observations. Alessandro MELCHIORRI (Univ. La Sapienza Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Cosmic Microwave Anisotropies: current status and perspectives TBD Marco MERAFINA (Univ. La Sapienza Roma) A new point of view in the analysis of equilibrium and dynamical evolution of globular clusters Abstract: We develop models of GCs with a different approach by applying thermodynamic principles to a Boltzmann distribution function, with an Hamiltonian function which contains an effective potential depending on the kinetic energy of the stars, due to the effect of tidal interactions induced by the hosting galaxy. The Hamiltonian function is solution of the Fokker-Planck equation, solved in a different way with respect to the King approach. Interesting results implying a different caloric curve for the analysis of the evolution of GCs are presented. Effective potential curve, in accordance with the predicted behaviour, found in N-body simulations of GCs will be analyzed. Salvatore MIGNEMI (Univ. Cagliari) INVITED SPEAKER Physics of Snyder spaces We review the main properties and applications of Snyder noncommutative space. Pierluigi MONACO (Univ. Trieste) INVITED SPEAKER The construction of cosmological mock galaxy catalogs The estimation of cosmological parameters and their confidence levels requires the construction of a large number of galaxy mock catalogs. The highest requirements are set by the computation of covariance matrices, that possibly require thousands of realizations. But the construction of one single mock catalog for the next generation surveys requires so large simulations that have not been run yet; running thousands of them with a brute-force N-body approach is out of the question. I will review the techniques that are presently used for constructing galaxy mock catalogs, concentrating on those approximate methods, typically based on Lagrangian Perturbation Theory, that can be used to generate quick predictions for galaxy clustering and, possibly, for galaxy lensing. I will then discuss how these techniques can be used to reproduce deviations from the LambdaCDM model, starting from the introduction of massive neutrinos. Riccardo MORICONI (Univ. Federico II Napoli) Big-bounce cosmology from quantum gravity: the case of cyclical Bianchi I Universe We analyse the classical and quantum dynamics of a Bianchi I model in the presence of a small negative cosmological constant characterizing its evolution in term of the dust-time dualism. We demonstrate that in a canonical metric approach, the cosmological singularity is removed in correspondence to a positive defined value of the dust energy density. Furthermore, the quantum Big-Bounce is connected to the Universe turning point via a well-defined semiclassical limit. Then we can reliably infer that the proposed scenario is compatible with a cyclical Universe picture. We also show how, when the contribution of the dust energy density is sufficiently high, the proposedscenario can be extended to the Bianchi IX cosmology and therefore how it can be regarded as a paradigm for the generic cosmological model. Finally, we investigate the origin of the observed cut-off on the cosmological dynamics, demonstrating how the Big-Bounce evolution can be mimicked by the same semiclassical scenario, where the negative cosmological constant is replaced via a polymer discretization of the Universe volume. A direct proportionality law between such two parameters is then established. Ugo MOSCHELLA (Univ. Insubria, Italy) INVITED SPEAKER Soluble two-dimensional models of de Sitter Quantum Field Theory We present some new features and unexpected properties concerning Dirac fields and soluble models of two-dimensional de Sitter QFT Mohamed Fouad MOURAD Dirac Equation and Angular Momentum of the Stationary Axisymmetric Space-Time in the Teleparallel gravity In the present study, we are interested in finding the spin precession of a Dirac particle and angular momentum density of the stationary axisymmetric spacetime in the teleparallel gravity for two different sets of tetrad fields. For these sets, we obtained the expressions for the torsion vector, torsion axial-vector and the angular momentum density in stationary axisymmetric space-time solutions. We found that the obtained expressions of torsion axial-vector and the angular momentum density are, in general quite different in both two sets of tetrad fields while the expressions for the torsion vector have the same value. Moreover, the vector part connected with Dirac spin has been evaluated as well. Finally, the special solutions of the stationary axisymmetric solutions are given. Shynaray MYRZAKUL (Al-Farahi Kazakh Nat. University) We discuss the Noether Symmetry Approach in the framework of fessence cosmology showing that the functional form of the R function, where R is the Ricci scalar, can be determined by the presence of symmetries. Besides, the method allows to find out exact solutions due to the reduction of cosmological dynamical system and the presence of conserved quantities. Some specific cosmological models are worked out. A cosmological model where a fermion field is non-minimally coupled with the gravitational field is studied. By applying Noether symmetry the possible functions for the potential density of the fermion field and for the coupling are determined. Cosmological solutions are found showing that the non-minimally coupled fermion field behaves as an inflaton describing an accelerated inflationary scenario, whereas the minimally coupled fermion field describes a decelerated period, behaving as a standard matter field. Piero NICOLINI (Goether Univ. Frankfurt, Germany) INVITED SPEAKER Black hole engineering in short scale modified gravity We present a possible way to model Planck scale corrections to the Schwarzschild metric in agreement to recent proposals such as the quantum N portrait and the self-completeness paradigm. Some thermodynamics and phenomenology considerations will be also discussed. Sergei ODINTSOV (IEEC Univ. Barcelona, Spain) INVITED SPEAKER Unified inflation-dark energy universe evolution from new models of modified gravity. We review scenarios of unified universe evolution in F(R) gravity, unimodular F(R) gravity, mimetic F(R) gravity and QG theories. Number of explicit models and scenarios are presented. The possibility to avoid future singularities in such modified gravities is discussed. Non-singular bounce evolutions in such models are considered, including bounces with consistent dark energy eras. Some attention is paid also to singular inflation scenario in extended gravity. Andronikos PALIATHANASIS (Univ. Austral do Chile) Integrability in modified theories of gravity The integrability of the gravitational field equations in minisuperspace approach is studied for the fourth-order theory of gravity f(R) and the second-order theory f(T). The two approach which are applied are that of the existence of group invariant transformations and that of movable singularities. Paolo PANI (Univ. La Sapienza, Roma/CENTRA-IST Lisbon, Portugal) INVITED SPEAKER Probing Dark Matter with Strong Gravity TBD Maria Alessandra PAPA (MPG-AEI/Univ. Wisconsin) INVITED SPEAKER This is a happy time for gravitational wave (GW) physics. The first detections of GWs, short duration signals from the merger of binary black hole systems, have opened a new window on the Universe. As the detectors' sensitivity improves and as the observation runs span longer and longer periods we expect new and exciting science. One of the targets of the GW observational program are weak, long-lasting signal. The emission mechanism, signal morphology and search techniques are very different from the ones employed in the transient- signal searches. I will review the status of the field, concentrate on the deepest and broadest surveys and for these present the latest results. Alessandro PAPITTO (INAF-OAR Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Relativistic broadening of X-ray emission features from accretion disks in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries Low mass X-ray binaries (LMXB) are composed of a compact object (a neutron star or a black hole) that accretes the mass transferred by a low mass companion star, via an accretion disk. The spectral modelling of the emission lines originated by reflection of the accretion driven X-ray emission off the inner parts of the disk is a fundamental probe of the dynamics of the accretion flow, a few gravitational radii away from the compact object. The shape of such emission features is broadened and skewed by the rotation at relativistic speeds of the disk plasma deep in the gravitational well of the compact object, and carries information about the structure and size of the accretion disk. The sensitivity and spectral resolution capabilities of XMM-Newton have been recently fully exploited to probe the innermost regions around accreting neutron stars in LMXBs through the modelling of such reflection features, among which the Fe K complex stands out. I will review the main results recently obtained, with a particular focus on accreting millisecond pulsars, quickly spinning neutron stars that possess a magnetosphere that is able to truncate the disk flow a few tens of km from the surface. Roberto PASSANTE (Univ. Palermo) INVITED SPEAKER Casimir-Polder interaction between two uniformly accelerated atoms and the Unruh effect We consider the dispersion (Casimir-Polder) interaction between two ground-state atoms, interacting with the quantum electromagnetic field and moving with a uniform acceleration in the vacuum. We separate vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction contributions to the interaction energy, and discuss the relation of our results with the Unruh effect. We show that the accelerated motion of the atoms significantly changes the distance-dependence of their interaction energy and that the interaction exhibits a transition from the Unruh "thermal" shortdistance behavior to a new long-distance non-thermal behavior. Finally, we argue that Casimir-Polder interactions between accelerating atoms could be a suitable system to observe the Unruh effect and, in general, quantum effects related to an accelerated motion. Giovanni PERES (INAF-OA Palermo) INVITED SPEAKER From Supernovae to Supernovae Remnants: Bridging the Gap (Miceli, M., Orlando, S., Peres, G. - authors) Supernova remnants (SNRs), the remains of supernovae (SN) explosions, are diffuse, extended, sources with a quite complex morphology. General consensus is that the morphology reflects the physical and the chemical properties of both the progenitor SN and of the surrounding environment. Thus, the study of SNRs may help us to trace back the structure and the chemical composition of SN ejecta, to investigate the dynamics and the energetics of SN explosions, and to unveil the structure of the medium immediately surrounding the progenitor star.Her we present the first results of a project aimed at linking the morphological properties of SNRs to the physical properties of the progenitor SN engine (prescribed as the initial condition) and to the characteristicsof the environment in which the SN occurs (prescribed as the boundary conditions). We present high-resolution three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations describing the evolution of SN 1987A and of Cassiopeia A from the immediate aftermath of their progenitor SN explosions to the current age. In both cases, by comparing model results with X-ray observations, we have been able to derive the initial structure of ejecta immediately after the SN explosion and to derive the energy and mass of initial anisotropies developed during the initial outburst which are responsible for the current morphology of the remnants. With this approach we have given important constraints to current models of SN explosions. Also we have derived the structure and density distribution of the medium immediately surrounding the progenitor SN explosions, thus providing important clues on the final stages of stellar evolution. Delphine PERRODIN (INAF-OA Cagliari, Italy) Detecting Gravitational Waves with Pulsars: the LEAP project A background of nanohertz gravitational waves from supermassive black hole binaries could soon be detected by pulsar timing arrays, which measure the times-of-arrival of radio pulses from millisecond pulsars with very high precision. The European Pulsar Timing Array uses five large European radio telescopes to monitor high-precision millisecond pulsars, imposing in this way strong constraints on a gravitational wave background. To achieve the necessary precision needed to detect gravitational waves, the Large European Array for Pulsars (LEAP) performs simultaneous observations of pulsars with all five telescopes, which allows us to coherently add the radio pulses, maximize the signal-to-noise of pulsar signals and increase the precision of times-of-arrival. We report on the progress made and results obtained by the LEAP collaboration, and in particular on the addition of the Sardinia Radio Telescope to the LEAP observations. In addition, we discuss how LEAP can be used to monitor strong-gravity systems such as double neutron star systems and impose strong constraints on post-keplerian parameters. Valeria PETTORINO (Univ. Heidelberg, Germany) SPEAKER Dark Energy and Modified Gravity after Planck INVITED TBD Elena PIAN (INAF-IASF Bologna/SNS Pisa) INVITED SPEAKER Gamma-ray burst supernovae: the most powerful explosions in the Universe Long gamma-ray bursts are known to be associated with strippedenvelope core-collapse supernovae with high kinetic energy. A class of super-luminous core-collapse supernovae has recently surged to attention and study. These may also be connected with an ultra-long variety of gamma-ray bursts. I will review the recent observations and the properties and diversity of these various classes of highly luminous and energetic phenomena. Innocenzo Mario PINTO (LIGO-INFN Sannio) INVITED SPEAKER Thermal Noise in Interferometric Detectors - the LIGO Optimized Test Mass Coatings The LIGO noise floor in the intermediate frequency band between a few tens and a few hundreds Hertz is set by Brownian noise in the highly reflective test mass coatings. This is also the band where the antenna noise attains its minimum, and hence determines the instrument visibility distance. Strategies for reducing coating thermal noise, state of the art design criteria, and future options for next generation detectors are discussed. Guido PIZZELLA (LNF-INFN Frascati) INVITED SPEAKER Calibration of gravitational wave detectors TBD Andrea POSSENTI (INAF-OA Cagliari) INVITED SPEAKER The intriguing science of the Fast Radio Bursts The Fast Radio Burst (FRBs) are millisecond duration dispersed radio transients signals which have now been observed at various single-dish radio telescopes. Models of the host galaxy and of the intergalactic medium suggest that they may have cosmological origin. However, other models have proposed a galactic origin. The talk will report on the current status of the research about these radio sources, and will highlight under which conditions the FRBs could be used for fundamental physics investigations. Giovanni PRODI (Univ. Trento) INVITED SPEAKER Overview of Gravitational Wave Observations on behalf of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration TBD Fulvio RICCI (Univ. La Sapienza Roma/INFN) INVITED SPEAKER The Network of the Advanced GW Detectors: Status and Future Perspectives We report on the current status of the GW network and the perspectives of its future evolution Massimiliano RINALDI (Univ. Trento/TIFPA) INVITED SPEAKER Dark energy from classical Yang-Mills Higgs fields coupled to gravity I will discuss how Einstein gravity minimally coupled to Yang-Mills Higgs equations can explain the current acceleration of the Universe. Lucia RIZZUTO (Univ. Palermo) INVITED SPEAKER Resonance interaction between two identical atoms uniformly accelerated in vacuum We investigate the resonance interaction between two uniformly accelerated identical atoms, one in an excited level and the other in the ground-state, prepared in a correlated (symmetric or antisymmetric) state. We suppose the atoms interacting with the scalar or the electromagnetic field in the vacuum state. Using second-order perturbation theory, we separate the contributions of vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction to the resonance interaction, and show that the uniform acceleration of the two atoms significantly affects their interaction. In particular, we show that Unruh "thermal" fluctuations do not affect the resonance interatomic interaction, which is exclusively modified by the radiation-reaction correction. We also show that in the limit of a large interatomic distance, non-thermal effects in the radiation reaction contribution change qualitatively the distance-dependence of the resonance interaction. Piero ROSATI (Univ. Ferrara) INVITED SPEAKER Dark and luminous matter distribution of CLASH-VLT galaxy clusters with high-quality lensing and kinematical data The combination of multi-color HST imaging and extensive spectroscopy of massive galaxy clusters, from the inner core out to 2-3 viral radii, allow their dark matter and baryonic mass distribution to be derived independently using strong/weak-lensing techniques and galaxy dynamics. Specifically, the CLASH-VLT large programme has targeted 12 CLASH clusters (at z=0.2-0.6) spectroscopically identifying 600-1100 galaxy members per cluster, as well as multiply lensed systems. Additional VLT/MUSE integral-field spectroscopy, in some cases, has provided a complete view of the central 300-400 kpc, velocity dispersions of cluster galaxies and secured an unprecedented large number of multiple images. With this combined data set, we show how to derive robust mass density profiles over three decades in radius and to investigate the inner structure of these clusters with high-precision strong lensing models and kinematical information. We find that the sub-halo mass function and the inner slope of the dark-matter halos are difficult to reconcile with LCDM cosmological simulations. Paolo SALUCCI (SISSA, Trieste) INVITED SPEAKER Dark Matter Mystery The issue of dark matter in the Universe, as the time from its discovery passes on, gets always more complex and even more misterious . To date we have no hint for DM in LHC p-p annihilations, no particle detected by underground laboratories. More seriously no Physics beyond the standard model The cosmological structures as galaxies and clusters and their time evolution are very different from the expected ones, if a collisionless cold particle would make the required missing mass. It is time to rethink to the "dark matter issue" starting, not from a paradigm, but from the whole observational scenario. Roberto SCARAMELLA (INAF-OAR Roma, Italy) Euclid: the next space mission for Cosmology Euclid is the next ESA mission for Cosmology. It has passed the Preliminary Design Review and it is expected to be launched in 4 four years. Euclid will survey most of the extragalactic sky, acquiring data in optical imaging, near infrared photometry and nir spectra. Over a lifetime of six years the survey will provide a wealth of information for most of the branches of astrophysics. However, its main aim is to investigate the main actors on the cosmological scene (e.g. dark stuff and/or extended G.R.?). The goal will be pursued by measuring via cluttering and gravitational lensing the time evolution of the expansion and of the growth of structures to an unparalleled precision. This will be achieved by having both a large sample (several billions of galaxies) and a strict monitoring and control of systematic effects. Paolo SCUDELLARO (Univ. Federico II Napoli) POSTER TBD Alighieri SPERELLO DI SEREGO (INAF-OA Arcetri) INVITED SPEAKER Cosmic Polarization Rotation: testing the foundations of General Relativity TBD Cosimo STOMAIOLO (INFN Napoli) I intend to present a new approach to torsion theories Guglielmo TINO (Univ. Firenze) INVITED SPEAKER Testing gravity with atomic interferometers and clocks on ground and in space" TBD Gian Paolo VACCA (Univ. La Sapienza/INFN Roma) INVITED SPEAKER Asymptotic safety for gravity: status and perspectives The QFT formulation based on functional renormalisation group techniques is reviewed together with its application to the study of gravity as a QFT, fundamental or effective. I will critically discuss some aspects of this program together with the technical difficulties encountered so far. Alberto VECCHIO (Univ. Birmingham, UK) INVITED SPEAKER Properties of the first observed binary black hole merger TBD Daniele VERNIERI (IAP Paris) Status of Horava gravity: from theory to cosmology Horava gravity has been proposed as an ultraviolet completion to General Relativity. Adding to the gravitational action higher-order spatial derivatives without adding higher-order time derivatives leads to a modification of the graviton propagator, which renders the theory powercounting renormalizable at the expense of violating Lorentz symmetry at all scales. Perhaps surprisingly, the theory appears to be phenomenologically viable in its more general form. I will first talk about the foundations of the theory and its various restricted versions proposed so far. Then, I will discuss the cosmology of the low-energy limit of the theory and place tight constraints on its parameters using several cosmological data sets. Stefano VIAGGIU (Univ. Tor Vergata Roma) Finite size effects at the apparent horizon. We present our recent proposal for a Modified Bekenstein-Hawking entropy formula together with its consequence for the cosmology and for the nature the cosmological constant. Francesca VIDOTTO (Radboud Univ. Njimegen, NL) INVITED SPEAKER Quantum Gravity Phenomenology with Primordial Black Holes Quantum gravity may allow black holes to decay into white holes. If so, the lifetime of a black hole would be shorter than the one given by Hawking evaporation, solving the information paradox. A concrete calculation can be performed using loop quantum gravity technics, supporting this picture. Interestingly, this could open to a new window for quantum-gravity phenomenology, in connection with the existence of primordial black holes. I discuss in particular the possibility to observe an astrophysical emission in the radio and in the gamma wavelengths, and I will briefly overview the ongoing research to understand the possible consequences of the model for cosmology. Gaetano VILASI (INFN Nappli/Univ. Salerno) INVITED SPEAKER TBA Aneta WOJNAR (Univ. Wroclaw, PL/Univ. Napoli, Italy) Equilibrium and stability of relativistic stars in extended theories of gravity" We study static, spherically symmetric equilibrium configurations in extended theories of gravity (ETG). We calculate the differential equations for the stellar structure in such theories in a very generic form i.e., the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkof generalization for any ETG is introduced. Stability analysis is also investigated with special focus on the particular example of scalar-tensor gravity. Michael Florian WONDRAK (FIAS-Univ. Fankfurt, Germany) Unparticle Effects TBD