Understanding the nature of cosmic acceleration and dark energy remains one of the most profound challenges in modern cosmology. To address these mysteries, upcoming large-scale spectroscopic surveys aim to map the three-dimensional distribution of millions of galaxies across vast cosmic volumes and look-back times. As the most powerful next-generation spectroscopic facility, the Wide-field...
Cosmic voids, the underdense regions of the universe, offer a unique opportunity for understanding the cosmos. These mildly nonlinear structures preserve the evolutionary imprints of the universe, making them invaluable for constraining cosmological parameters and exploring new physics, that can be unlocked using the potential of WST. In this talk, we present the current status of the...
Gravitational waves (GWs) from compact binary coalescences provide direct luminosity distance measurements, making them ideal "standard sirens". However, to be used as cosmological probes information on source redshifts has to be included with priors on the astrophysical populations and external electromagnetic data. In a recent analysis of LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O4 and O5 scenarios, we demonstrate...
Higher-order statistics in galaxy clustering constrain non-Gaussian information, offering a pathway to more precise measurements of the statistical properties of the Universe on large scales. This is particularly relevant for probing dark energy, dark matter and phenomena associated with nonlinear evolution, the effects of massive neutrinos, and primordial non-Gaussianity. In this talk, I will...
WST will push the boundaries of our understanding of the Universe, providing an unprecedented amount of data from regions previously unreachable by any observational survey. Next-generation datasets will require a new suite of models and tools designed for the next level of precision cosmology: cosmic void studies are no exception.
I present a novel dynamical void-finding algorithm, the...
An unfortunate star passing too close to a Super Massive Black Hole (SMBH) can be destroyed by the strong tidal forces at play, giving rise to a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE). These transient phenomena manifest themselves as a luminous, short-lived, UV/optical/Xray flares coming from the nuclei of otherwise quiescent galaxies and have been heralded as a unique laboratory for studying SMBHs....
Some theoretical extensions of standard cosmology predict that values of fundamental constants vary in time and/or in space. The analysis of 300 quasar absorption spectra collected with VLT/UVES and Keck/HIRES indicate that the fine structure constant, $\alpha$, may vary as a dipole across the sky. These results are currently being followed-up through observations made using extremely precise...
