Dipartment of Physics

Herein, we report thin films' characterizations and photovoltaic properties of an organic semiconductor zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc). To study the former, a 100 nm thick film of ZnPc is thermally deposited on quartz glass by using vacuum thermal evaporator at 1.5 × 10 −6 mbar. Surface features of the ZnPc film are studied by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) with in situ energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and atomic force microscope (AFM) which reveal uniform film growth, grain sizes and shapes with slight random distribution of the grains. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies are carried out of the ZnPc thin films to measure its optical bandgap (1.55 eV and 3.08 eV) as well as to study chemical composition and bond-dynamics. To explore photovoltaic properties of ZnPc, an Ag/ZnPc/PEDOT:PSS/ITO cell is fabricated by spin coating a 20 nm thick film of hole transport layer (HTL)-poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS)-on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate followed by thermal evaporation of a 100 nm layer of ZnPc and 50 nm silver (Ag) electrode. Current-voltage (I-V) properties of the fabricated device are measured in dark as well as under illumination at standard testing conditions (STC), i.e., 300 K, 100 mW/cm 2 and 1.5 AM global by using solar simulator. The key device parameters such as ideality factor (n), barrier height (φ b), junction/interfacial resistance (R s) and forward current rectification of the device are measured in the dark which exhibit the formation of depletion region. The Ag/ZnPc/PEDOT:PSS/ITO device demonstrates good photovoltaic characteristics by offering 0.48 fill factor (FF) and 1.28 ± 0.05% power conversion efficiency (PCE), η.

he cosmological background of gravitational waves can be tuned by the higher-order corrections to the gravitational Lagrangian. In particular, it can be shown that assuming $R^{1+\epsilon}$, where $\epsilon$ indicates a generic (eventually small) correction to the Hilbert-Einstein action in the Ricci scalar $R$, gives a parametric approach to control the evolution and the production mechanism of gravitational waves in the early Universe.

The cosmological background of gravitational waves can be tuned by Extended Theories of Gravity. In particular, it can be shown that assuming a generic function $f(R)$ of the Ricci scalar $R$ gives a parametric approach to control the evolution and the production mechanism of gravitational waves in the early Universe.

A stochastic background of relic gravitational waves is achieved by the so called adiabatically-amplified zero-point fluctuations process derived from early inflation. In principle, it provides a distinctive spectrum of relic gravitational waves. In the framework of scalar-tensor gravity, we discuss the scalar modes of gravitational waves and the primordial production of this scalar component which is generated beside tensorial one. We discuss also the upper limit for such a relic scalar component with respect to the WMAP constraints.

The emission of gravitational waves from a system of massive objects interacting on elliptical, hyperbolic and parabolic orbits is studied in the quadrupole approximation. Analytical expressions are then derived for the gravitational wave luminosity, the total energy output and gravitational radiation amplitude. A crude estimate of the expected number of events towards peculiar targets (i.e. globular clusters) is also given. In particular, the rate of events per year is obtained for the dense stellar cluster at the Galactic Center.

he emission of gravitational waves from a system of massive objects interacting on hyperbolic orbits is studied in the quadrupole approximation. Analytic expressions are derived for the gravitational radiation luminosity, the total energy output and the gravitational radiation amplitude. An estimation of the expected number of events towards different targets (i.e. globular clusters and the center of the Galaxy) is also given. In particular, for a dense stellar cluster at the galactic center, a rate up to one event per year is obtained.

Gravitational waves detected from well-localized inspiraling binaries would allow to determine, directly and independently, both binary luminosity and redshift. In this case, such systems could behave as "standard candles" providing an excellent probe of cosmic distances up to $z <0.1$ and thus complementing other indicators of cosmological distance ladder.

We linearize the field equations for higher order theories that contain scalar invariants other than the Ricci scalar. We find that besides a massless spin-2 field (the standard graviton), the theory contains also spin-0 and spin-2 massive modes with the latter being, in general, ghost modes. Then, we investigate the possible detectability of such additional polarization modes of a stochastic gravitational wave by ground-based and space interferometric detectors. Finally, we extend the formalism of the cross-correlation analysis, including the additional polarization modes, and calculate the detectable energy density of the spectrum for a stochastic background of the relic gravity waves that corresponds to our model. For the situation considered here, we find that these massive modes are certainly of interest for direct detection by the LISA experiment.

In this paper we investigate the gravitational waves emission by stellar dynamical structures as complex systems in the quadrupole approximation considering bounded and unbounded orbits. Precisely, after deriving analytical expressions for the gravitational wave luminosity, the total energy output and gravitational radiation amplitude, we present a computational approach to evaluate the gravitational wave-forms from elliptical, circular, parabolic and hyperbolic orbits as a function of Keplerian parameters.

Coalescing binary systems, consisting of two collapsed objects, are among the most promising sources of high frequency gravitational waves signals detectable, in principle, by ground-based interferometers. Binary systems of Neutron Star or Black Hole/Neutron Star mergers should also give rise to short Gamma Ray Bursts, a subclass of Gamma Ray Bursts. Short-hard-Gamma Ray Bursts might thus provide a powerful way to infer the merger rate of two-collapsed object binaries. Under the hypothesis that most short Gamma Ray Bursts originate from binaries of Neutron Star or Black Hole/Neutron Star mergers, we outline here the possibility to associate short Gamma Ray Bursts as electromagnetic counterpart of coalescing binary systems.

Alternative theories of gravity predict the presence of massive scalar, vector, and tensor gravitational wave modes in addition to the standard massless spin~2 graviton of general relativity. The deflection and frequency shift effects on light from distant sources propagating through a stochastic background of gravitational waves, containing such modes, differ from their counterparts in general relativity. Such effects are considered as a possible signature for alternative gravity in attempts to detect deviations from Einstein's gravity by astrophysical means.

This review paper is devoted to the theory of orbits. We start with the discussion of the Newtonian problem of motion then we consider the relativistic problem of motion, in particular the PN approximation and the further gravitomagnetic corrections. Finally by a classification of orbits in accordance with the conditions of motion, we calculate the gravitational waves luminosity for different types of stellar encounters and orbits.

The gravitational phase shift of neutrino oscillation can be discussed in the framework of f(R)-gravity. We show that the shift of quantum mechanical phase can depend on the given f(R)-theory that we choose. This fact is general and could constitute a fundamental test to discriminate among the various alternative relativistic theories of gravity. Estimations of ratio between the gravitational phase shift and the standard phase are carried out for the electronic Solar neutrinos.