Mairi Sakellariadou

I will highlight cosmological consequences of models inspired from string theory or non-perturbative approaches to QG. In particular, I will address the initial singularity, inflation and the late-time accelerated expansion. I will then briefly discuss how recent gravitational waves data can provide a test for some QG models.

After a short introduction to the stochastic GW background I will highlight how one uses currently available LIGO/Virgo/Kagra data not only to learn about compact binaries and the large-scale-structure of our universe, but also to constrain particle physics models beyond the Standard Model, modified gravity proposals, and even quantum gravity theories.

I will highlight cosmological consequences of Group Field theory Condensate Cosmology and Emergent Gravity on Non-commutative Spaces, two cosmological models based on a top-down and a bottom-up, respectively, approaches to quantum gravity. In particular, I will show that the initial singularity of the standard cosmology is replaced by a bounce, while there is an inflation-like phase with a graceful exit, driven by a purely geometrical mechanism which does not require the introduction of an ad-hoc scalar field.

I will discuss the potential for the LISA space-based interferometer to detect the stochastic Gravitational Wave (GW) background produced from different mechanisms during inflation. In particular, I will present the GW contributions from particle production during inflation, inflationary spectator fields with varying speed of sound, effective field theories of inflation with specific patterns of symmetry breaking and models leading to the formation of primordial black holes.

Collisions and subsequent decays of higher dimensional branes leave behind three-dimensional branes, one of which could play the role of our universe. This process also leads to the production of one-dimensional branes, D-strings, and fundamental ones (F-strings), known as cosmic superstrings. In the first part of this talk, I will discuss the mechanism we have proposed in order to explain the origin of the space-time dimensionality, while in the second part I will review formation and dynamics of cosmic superstrings.