Giorgio Laverda joined the COSTAR group as a PhD student for the next three years.
Giorgio studied first at the University of Padua and then at Heidelberg University where he specialised in theoretical physics and cosmology. In his master thesis project under the supervision of Prof. L. Amendola he focussed on modified versions of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. More specifically, he analysed the phenomenology of a class of theories known as disformal/ conformal coupling models. These models postulate the existence of an additional gravitational interaction that only affects the dark components of the universe, dark energy and dark matter. The coupled dynamics of the cosmological species reveals a peculiar evolution of the universe that is characterised by periods of weakened gravitational interaction at recent times (the so-called “weak gravity regime”).
At CENTRA, Giorgio will work on quintessence models in the early universe under the supervision of Dr. Javier Rubio. He will study the gravitational symmetry-breaking mechanisms of field’s symmetries, exploring the consequences of such processes, from the generation of cosmic domain walls to the production of gravitational waves and magnetic fields.
If you have any queries, you can get in touch with him in Office 5. 15 or contact him by email.