In this paper we have considered an interacting model of dark energy where the dark sectors are allowed to interact among themselves through an assumed relation. By solving the perturbation equations numerically, we have studied the imprints on the growth of matter as well as dark energy fluctuations. It has been found that for higher rate of interaction strength for the coupling term, visible imprints on the dark energy density fluctuations are observed at the early epochs of evolution. In order to check the viability of the model, we have tested the interacting model with different observational datasets and have looked into the evolution of the density contrast, and the effects on the CMB temperature fluctuation as well as matter power spectrum.

We propose a new class of f(R) theory where its Weyl gauge symmetry is broken in the primordial era of the universe. This symmetry forces one to adopt a new scalar field, namely a Weyl field and a gauge vector boson. Furthermore, an equivalent form of the Einstein–Hilbert Lagrangian with a non-minimally coupled scalar field corresponding to the function f(R) is found. Due to the geometrical feature of the Weyl field, it turns out that the symmetry breaking induces a non-minimal coupling, which cannot be expected in the standard f(R) theories. We explain how this affects the evolution of the universe at cosmological scales. It is shown that there may be a value shift in the Planck constant and the cosmological constant. This can be regarded as a genuine exemplification of the cosmological backreaction. Furthermore, one also finds new features in the evolution of perturbational variables and cosmic microwave background anisotropy. Moreover, we prove that when a specific f(R) model invokes inflation, the amplitude of the primordial gravitational waves affects the evolution of scalar perturbation due to the new non-minimal coupling. As a case study, we explain how this can be embodied in the Starobinsky inflation. Finally, we discuss some impacts that this physics can bear and the possibility of giving a new restriction of the estimation of cosmological variables such as the gravitational wave amplitude with experiments.

Neutrinos are the Standard Model (SM) particles which we understand the least, often due to how weakly they interact with the other SM particles. Beyond this, very little is known about interactions among the neutrinos, i.e., their self-interactions. The SM predicts neutrino self-interactions at a level beyond any current experimental capabilities, leaving open the possibility for beyond-the-SM interactions across many energy scales. In this white paper, we review the current knowledge of neutrino self-interactions from a vast array of probes, from cosmology, to astrophysics, to the laboratory. We also discuss theoretical motivations for such self-interactions, including neutrino masses and possible connections to dark matter. Looking forward, we discuss the capabilities of searches in the next generation and beyond, highlighting the possibility of future discovery of this beyond-the-SM physics.