The Einstein field equations, or generalizations thereof, are difficult to solve analytically. On the other hand, numerical solutions of the same equations have become increasingly common, in particular concerning compact objects. Whereas analytic approximations to each individual solution within a numerical family have been proposed, proxies for whole families are missing, which can facilitate studying properties across the parameter space, data compression and a wider usage of such solutions. In this work we tackle this need, proposing a simple strategy based on two different expansions of the unknown functions in an appropriately chosen basis, to build such proxy. We use as an exploratory case-study spherical, fundamental mini-boson stars, to illustrate the feasibility of such an approach, emphasise its advantage in reducing the data size, and the challenges, say, in covering large parameter spaces.

We study the time evolution of spherical, excited -- with $n$ radial nodes -- scalar boson stars in General Relativity minimally coupled to a complex massive scalar field with quartic self-interactions. We report that these stars, with up to $n=10$, can be made dynamically stable, up to timescales of $t\sim\frac{10^{4}}{c\mu}$, where $\mu$ is the inverse Compton wavelength of the scalar particle, for sufficiently large values of the self-interactions coupling constant $\lambda$, which depend on $n$. We observe that the compactness of these solutions is rather insensitive to $n$, for large $\lambda$ and fixed frequency. Generically, along the branches where stability was studied, these excited boson stars are not compact enough to allow for innermost stable circular orbits or light rings. Finally, we discuss the angular velocity of particles along timelike circular orbits, suggesting an application, for solutions in the Newtonian limit, to galactic rotation curves.

(abridged) In a series of publications, we describe a comprehensive comparison of Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) data with theoretical models of Sgr A* and M87*. Here, we report on improvements made to our observational data reduction pipeline and present the generation of observables derived from the EHT models. We make use of ray-traced GRMHD simulations that are based on different black hole spacetime metrics and accretion physics parameters. These broad classes of models provide a good representation of the primary targets observed by the EHT. To generate realistic synthetic data from our models, we took the signal path as well as the calibration process, and thereby the aforementioned improvements, into account. We could thus produce synthetic visibilities akin to calibrated EHT data and identify salient features for the discrimination of model parameters. We have produced a library consisting of an unparalleled 962,000 synthetic Sgr A* and M87* datasets. In terms of baseline coverage and noise properties, the library encompasses 2017 EHT measurements as well as future observations with an extended telescope array. We differentiate between robust visibility data products related to model features and data products that are strongly affected by data corruption effects. Parameter inference is mostly limited by intrinsic model variability, which highlights the importance of long-term monitoring observations with the EHT. In later papers in this series, we will show how a Bayesian neural network trained on our synthetic data is capable of dealing with the model variability and extracting physical parameters from EHT observations. With our calibration improvements, our newly reduced EHT datasets have a considerably better quality compared to previously analyzed data.

We construct a specific example of a class of traversable wormholes in Einstein-Dirac-Maxwell theory in four spacetime dimensions, without needing any form of exotic matter. Restricting to a model with two massive fermions in a singlet spinor state, we show the existence of spherically symmetric asymptotically flat configurations which are free of singularities, representing localized states. These solutions satisfy a generalized Smarr relation, being connected with the extremal Reissner-Nordstr\"om black holes. They also possess a finite mass $M$ and electric charge $Q_e$, with $Q_e/M>1$. An exact wormhole solution with ungauged, massless fermions is also reported.

We analyze the quasinormal modes (QNMs) of a recently obtained solution of a Schwarzschild black hole (BH) with corrections motivated by Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG). This spacetime is regular everywhere and presents the global structure of a wormhole, with a minimal surface whose radius depends on a LQG parameter. We focus on the investigation of massless scalar field perturbations over the spacetime. We compute the QNMs with the WKB approximation, as well as the continued fraction method. The QNM frequency orbits, for $l=0$ and $n>0$, where $l$ and $n$ are the multipole and overtone numbers, respectively, are self-intersecting, spiraling curves in the complex plane. These orbits accumulate to a fixed complex value corresponding to the QNMs of the extremal case. We obtain that, for small values of the LQG parameter, the overall damping decreases as we increase the LQG parameter. Moreover the spectrum of the quantum corrected black hole exhibits an oscillatory pattern, which might imply in the existence of QNMs with vanishing real part. This pattern suggests that the limit $n\rightarrow \infty$ for the real part of the QNMs is not well-defined, what differs from Schwarzschild's case. We also analyze the time-domain profiles for the scalar perturbations, showing that the LQG correction does not alter the Schwarzschild power-law tail. We compute the fundamental mode from the time profile by means of the Prony method, obtaining excellent agreement with the two previously mentioned methods.

Ultracompact objects with light-rings (LRs) but without an event horizon could mimic black holes (BHs) in their strong gravity phenomenology. But are such objects dynamically viable? Stationary and axisymmetric ultracompact objects that can form from smooth, quasi-Minkowski initial data must have at least one stable LR, which has been argued to trigger a spacetime instability; but its development and fate have been unknown. Using fully non-linear numerical evolutions of ultracompact bosonic stars free of any other known instabilities and introducing a novel adiabatic effective potential technique, we confirm the LRs triggered instability, identifying two possible fates: migration to non-ultracompact configurations or collapse to BHs. In concrete examples we show that typical migration/collapse time scales are not larger than $\sim 10^3$ light-crossing times, unless the stable LR potential well is very shallow. Our results show that the LR instability is effective in destroying horizonless ultracompact objects that could be plausible BH imitators.

Recently, a scalar counterpart of the Schwarzschild-Melvin Universe was reported [arXiv:2410.02851]. We show this solution is a special case of a Schwarzschild black hole/mass in a scalar multipolar Universe, that can be constructed algebraically combining known vacuum solutions. This builds on the generalized Weyl construction for scalar-vacuum, that admits two, fully decoupled, independent harmonic functions: one for the gravitational sector and another for the scalar sector. Harmonic solutions with growing multipoles lead to naked singularities (at spatial infinity), including for the scalar counterpart of the Schwarzschild-Melvin; harmonic solutions with decaying (scalar) multipoles are asymptotically flat, but have a singular horizon, in accordance with no-scalar-hair theorems. The scalar-vacuum model can be mapped to a five dimensional pure gravity construction via Kaluza-Klein oxidization and, in this way, to the corresponding $D=5$ generalized Weyl construction.

Can a dynamically robust bosonic star (BS) produce an (effective) shadow that mimics that of a black hole (BH)? The BH shadow is linked to the existence of light rings (LRs). For free bosonic fields, yielding mini-BSs, it is known that these stars can become ultra-compact - i.e., possess LRs - but only for perturbatively unstable solutions. We show this remains the case even when different self-interactions are considered. However, an effective shadow can arise in a different way: if BSs reproduce the existence of an innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) for timelike geodesics (located at $r_{\rm ISCO}=6M$ for a Schwarzschild BH of mass M), the accretion flow morphology around BHs is mimicked and an effective shadow arises in an astrophysical environment. Even though spherical BSs may accommodate stable timelike circular orbits all the way down to their centre, we show the angular velocity along such orbits may have a maximum away from the origin, at $R_{\Omega}$; this scale was recently observed to mimic the BH's ISCO in some scenarios of accretion flow. Then: (i) for free scalar fields or with quartic self-interactions, $R_{\Omega}\neq 0$ only for perturbatively unstable BSs; (ii) for higher scalar self-interactions, e.g. axionic, $R_{\Omega}\neq 0$ is possible for perturbatively stable BSs, but no solution with $R_{\Omega}=6M$ was found in the parameter space explored; (iii) but for free vector fields, yielding Proca stars (PSs), perturbatively stable solutions with $R_{\Omega}\neq 0$ exist, and indeed $R_{\Omega}=6M$ for a particular solution. Thus, dynamically robust spherical PSs can mimic the shadow of a (near-)equilibrium Schwarzschild BH with the same M, in an astrophysical environment, despite the absence of a LR, at least under some observation conditions, as we confirm by comparing the lensing of such PSs and Schwarzschild BHs.

We study numerically the nonlinear stability of {\it excited} fermion-boson stars in spherical symmetry. Such compound hypothetical stars, composed by fermions and bosons, are gravitationally bound, regular, and static configurations described within the coupled Einstein-Klein-Gordon-Euler theoretical framework. The excited configurations are characterized by the presence in the radial profile of the (complex, massive) scalar field -- the bosonic piece -- of at least one node across the star. The dynamical emergence of one such configuration from the accretion of a cloud of scalar field onto an already-formed neutron star, was numerically revealed in our previous investigation. Prompted by that finding we construct here equilibrium configurations of excited fermion-boson stars and study their stability properties using numerical-relativity simulations. In addition, we also analyze their dynamical formation from generic, constraint-satisfying initial data. Contrary to purely boson stars in the excited state, which are known to be generically unstable, our study reveals the appearance of a cooperative stabilization mechanism between the fermionic and bosonic constituents of those excited-state mixed stars. While similar examples of stabilization mechanisms have been recently discussed in the context of $\ell-$boson stars and multi-field, multi-frequency boson stars, our results seem to indicate that the stabilization mechanism is a purely gravitational effect and does not depend on the type of matter of the companion star.

We propose a model with two Higgs doublets and several $SU(2)$ scalar singlets with a global non-Abelian flavor symmetry $\mathcal{Q}_6\times\mathcal{Z}_2$. This discrete group accounts for the observed pattern of fermion masses and mixing angles after spontaneous symmetry breaking. In this scenario only the third generation of fermions get their masses as in the Standard Model (SM). The masses of the remaining fermions are generated through a seesaw-like mechanism. To that end, the matter content of the model is enlarged by introducing electrically charged vector-like fermions (VLFs), right handed Majorana neutrinos and several SM scalar singlets. Here we study the processes involving VLFs that are within the reach of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We perform collider studies for vector-like leptons (VLLs) and vector-like quarks (VLQs), focusing on double production channels for both cases, while for VLLs single production topologies are also included. Utilizing genetic algorithms for neural network optimization, we determine the statistical significance for a hypothetical discovery at future LHC runs. In particular, we show that we can not safely exclude VLLs for masses greater than $200~\mathrm{GeV}$. For VLQ's in our model, we show that we can probe their masses up to 3.8 TeV, if we take only into account the high-luminosity phase of the LHC. Considering Run-III luminosities, we can also exclude VLQs for masses up to $3.4~\mathrm{TeV}$. We also show how the model with predicted VLL masses accommodates the muon anomalous magnetic moment.

Using the Ernst formalism, a novel solution of vacuum general relativity (GR) was recently obtained [1], describing a Schwarzschild black hole (BH) immersed in a nonasymptotically flat rotating background, dubbed swirling universe, with the peculiar property that north and south hemispheres spin in opposite directions. We investigate the null geodesic flow and, in particular, the existence of light rings in this vacuum geometry. By evaluating the total topological charge $w$, we show that there exists one unstable light ring ($w=-1$) for each rotation sense of the background. We observe that the swirling background drives the Schwarzschild BH light rings outside the equatorial plane, displaying counterrotating motion with respect to each other, while (both) corotating with respect to the swirling universe. Using backwards ray tracing, we obtain the shadow and gravitational lensing effects, revealing a novel feature for observers on the equatorial plane: the BH shadow displays an odd $\mathbb{Z}_2$ (north-south) symmetry, inherited from the same type of symmetry of the spacetime itself: a twisted shadow.

The asymptotically flat, spherical, electro-vacuum black holes (BHs) are shown to support static, spherical configurations of a gauged, self-interacting, scalar field, minimally coupled to the geometry. Considering a $Q$-ball type potential for the scalar field, we dub these configurations $Q$-clouds, in the test field approximation. The clouds exist under a resonance condition, at the threshold of (charged) superradiance. This is similar to the stationary clouds supported by Kerr BHs, which exist for a synchronisation condition, at the threshold of (rotational) superradiance. In contrast with the rotating case, however, $Q$-clouds require the scalar field to be massive and self-interacting; no similar clouds exist for massive but free scalar fields. First, considering a decoupling limit, we construct $Q$-clouds around Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstr\"om BHs, showing there is always a mass gap. Then, we make the $Q$-clouds backreact, and construct fully non-linear solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell-gauged scalar system describing spherical, charged BHs with resonant, scalar $Q$-hair. Amongst other properties, we observe there is non-uniqueness of charged BHs in this model and the $Q$-hairy BHs can be entropically preferred over Reissner-Nordstr\"om, for the same charge to mass ratio; some $Q$-hairy BH solutions can be overcharged. We also discuss how some well known no-hair theorems in the literature, applying to electro-vacuum plus minimally coupled scalar fields, are circumvented by this new type of BHs.

We study the time evolution of spherical, excited ($i.e.$ nodeful) boson star models. We consider a model including quartic self-interactions, controlled by a coupling $\Lambda$. Performing non-linear simulations of the Einstein-(complex)-Klein-Gordon system, using as initial data equilibrium boson stars solutions of that system, we assess the impact of $\Lambda$ in the stability properties of the boson stars. In the absence of self-interactions ($\Lambda=0$), we observe the known behaviour that the excited stars in the (candidate) stable branch decay to a non-excited star without a node; however, we show that for large enough values of the self-interactions coupling, these excited stars do not decay (up to timescales of about $t\sim 10^4$). The stabilization of the excited states for large enough self-interactions is further supported by evidence that the nodeful states dynamically form through the gravitational cooling mechanism, starting from dilute initial data. Our results support the healing power (against dynamical instabilities) of self-interactions, recently unveiled in the context of the non-axisymmetric instabilities of spinning boson stars.

Scalar, spherically symmetric, radially excited boson stars were previously shown to be stabilized, against spherical dynamics, by sufficiently strong self-interactions. Here, we further test their stability now in a full 3+1D evolution. We show that the stable stars in the former case become afflicted by a non-spherical instability. Then, we perform head-on collisions of both (stable) fundamental and (sufficiently long-lived) excited boson stars. Depending on the stars chosen, either a black hole or a bosonic remnant are possible. In particular, collisions of excited stars result in a bosonic bound state which resembles a dynamical superposition of chains and rings, akin to the ones found as equilibrium solutions in Liang:2025myf. These evolutions emphasize a key difference concerning the dynamical robustness of fundamental vs. excited spherical boson stars, when generic (beyond spherical) dynamics is considered.

In this paper, a model inspired by Grand Unification principles featuring three generations of vector-like fermions, new Higgs doublets and a rich neutrino sector at the low scale is presented. Using the state-of-the-art Deep Learning techniques we perform the first phenomenological analysis of this model focusing on the study of new charged vector-like leptons (VLLs) and their possible signatures at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In our numerical analysis we consider signal events for vector-boson fusion and VLL pair production topologies, both involving a final state containing a pair of charged leptons of different flavor and two sterile neutrinos that provide a missing energy. We also consider the case of VLL single production where, in addition to a pair of sterile neutrinos, the final state contains only one charged lepton. All calculated observables are provided as data sets for Deep Learning analysis, where a neural network is constructed, based on results obtained via an evolutive algorithm, whose objective is to maximise either the accuracy metric or the Asimov significance for different masses of the VLL. Taking into account the effect of the three analysed topologies, we have found that the combined significance for the observation of new VLLs at the high-luminosity LHC can range from $5.7\sigma$, for a mass of $1.25~\mathrm{TeV}$, all the way up to $28\sigma$ if the VLL mass is $200~\mathrm{GeV}$. We have also shown that by the end of the LHC Run-III a $200~\mathrm{GeV}$ VLL can be excluded with a confidence of $8.8$ standard deviations. The results obtained show that our model can be probed well before the end of the LHC operations and, in particular, providing important phenomenological information to constrain the energy scale at which new gauge symmetries emergent from the considered Grand Unification picture can be manifest.

We formulate a version of the low-scale Majoron model equipped with an inverse seesaw mechanism featuring lepton-number preserving dimension-6 operators in the scalar potential. Contrary to its dimension-4 counterpart, we find that the model can simultaneously provide light and ultralight Majorons, neutrino masses and their mixing, while featuring strong first-order cosmological phase transitions associated to the spontaneous breaking of the lepton number and the electroweak symmetries in the early Universe. We show by a detailed numerical analysis that under certain conditions on the parameter space accounted for in collider physics, the model can be probed via the primordial gravitational wave spectrum potentially observable at LISA and other planned facilities.

Current gravitational wave (GW) detections rely on the existence of libraries of theoretical waveforms. Consequently, finding new physics with GWs requires libraries of non-standard models, which are computationally demanding. We discuss how deep learning frameworks can be used to generate new waveforms "learned" from a simulation dataset obtained, say, from numerical relativity simulations. Concretely, we use the WaveGAN architecture of a generative adversarial network (GAN). As a proof of concept we provide this neural network (NN) with a sample of ($>500$) waveforms from the collisions of exotic compact objects (Proca stars), obtained from numerical relativity simulations. Dividing the sample into a training and a validation set, we show that after a sufficiently large number of training epochs the NN can produce from 12\% to 25\% of the synthetic waveforms with an overlapping match of at least 95\% with the ones from the validation set. We also demonstrate that a NN can be used to predict the overlapping match score, with 90\% of accuracy, of new synthetic samples. These are encouraging results for using GANs for data augmentation and interpolation in the context of GWs, to cover the full parameter space of, say, exotic compact binaries, without the need of intensive numerical relativity simulations.

A line of first-order phase transitions is conjectured in the phase diagram of Quantum Chromodynamics at non-zero baryon density. If this is the case, numerical simulations of neutron star mergers suggest that various regions of the stars may cross this line multiple times. This results in the nucleation of bubbles of the preferred phase, which subsequently expand and collide. The resulting gravitational wave spectrum is highly sensitively to the velocity of the bubble walls. We use holography to perform the first microscopic simulation of bubble dynamics in a theory that qualitatively mirrors the expected phase diagram of Quantum Chromodynamics. We determine the wall velocity in the metastable regions and we compare it to theoretical estimates. We discuss implications for gravitational wave production.

We study the scattering of axially incident massless scalar waves by a charged and rotating black hole solution from heterotic string theory called the Kerr-Sen black hole. We compute the scattering cross section using the partial wave approach, for arbitrary incident wavelengths. We compare our results with those of the general relativistic version of a charged and rotating black hole, namely the Kerr-Newman black hole. We present a selection of numerical results showing that these compact objects have similar scattering properties.

It has been established that Black Hole (BH) spacetimes obeying some general set of assumptions always possess, at least, one light ring (per rotation sense) [arXiv:2003.06445]. This theorem was originally established for asymptotically flat, stationary, axial symmetric, 1+3 dimensional circular spacetimes harbouring a non-extremal and topologically spherical Killing horizon. Following the mantra that a theorem is only as strong as its assumptions in this work we extend this theorem to non topologically spherical (toroidal) BHs and to spacetimes harbouring more than one BH. As in [arXiv:2003.06445], we show that each BH still contributes with, at least, one LR (per rotation sense).