Dr Ivonne Zavala Carrasco

Associate Professor

Physics

+44 (0) 1792 602294

e.i.zavalacarrasco@swansea.ac.uk

Academic staff office - 517B
Fifth Floor
Vivian Building
Singleton Campus

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5589-9928

About

I am a theoretical physicist working on understanding the fundamental structure of the Universe. I want to understand how inflation, dark energy and dark matter can arise from a fundamental theory of gravity, and how cosmological data and gravitational waves can put those theories to the test.

I am a member of the Centre for Quantum Fields and Gravity and of the Cosmology & Gravity @ Swansea group.

I completed Part III of the Mathematical Tripos (master’s level) and my PhD at the University of Cambridge. After postdoctoral positions in Europe and the US, I joined Swansea in 2014. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

For up-to-date information on my research and group, visit my personal page. A complete list of my publications is on INSPIRE.

Areas Of Expertise

Theoretical Cosmology
String Cosmology
Early and late time cosmology
Supergravity models

Career Highlights

Teaching Interests

I currently teach three modules across the undergraduate programme.

In the first year, Special Relativity introduces Einstein’s theory of space and time. It covers Lorentz transformations, time dilation and length contraction, spacetime diagrams, and relativistic energy and momentum, showing how much of physics follows from a few simple principles.

In the second year, I teach on Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, contributing the theoretical side, with a focus on cosmology and gravitational waves.

In the fourth year, The Gravitational Universe: Black Holes and Gravitational Waves explores two of the most striking predictions of general relativity. We study black holes and the structure of spacetime around them, and gravitational waves: how they are produced, from merging black holes to the early Universe, and how we detect them today.

Research Collaborations

Publications

Research Highlights

Chowdhury, D., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2022). The rise of the primordial tensor spectrum from an early scalar-tensor epoch. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2022(08), 010
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2022/08/010, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60779
Aragam, V., Chiovoloni, R., Paban, S., Rosati, R., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2022). Rapid-turn inflation in supergravity is rare and tachyonic. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2022(03), 002
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2022/03/002, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61262
Bento, B., Chakraborty, D., Parameswaran, S., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2022). Gravity at the tip of the throat. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2022(9)
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep09(2022)208, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61261
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/jhep09(2022)208
Bento, B., Chakraborty, D., Parameswaran, S., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2021). A new de Sitter solution with a weakly warped deformed conifold. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(12)
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep12(2021)124, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61263
Bansal, S., Nagy, S., Padilla, A., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2021). Unimodular vs nilpotent superfield approach to pure dS supergravity. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(1)
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep01(2021)146, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61264
Zavala Carrasco, I., Holland, J., Zavala, I., & Tasinato, G. (2020). On chromonatural inflation in string theory. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2020(12), 026-026.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2020/12/026, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57931
Nagy, S., Padilla, A., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2020). The Super-Stückelberg procedure and dS in pure supergravity. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 476(2237), 20200035
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2020.0035, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54815
Chakraborty, D., Chiovoloni, R., Loaiza-Brito, O., Niz, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2020). Fat inflatons, large turns and the η-problem. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2020(01), 020-020.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2020/01/020, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54816
Olguín-Trejo, Y., Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2019). Runaway quintessence, out of the swampland. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2019(01), 031-031.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2019/01/031, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa48886
Ozsoy, O., Mylova, M., Parameswaran, S., Powell, c., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2019). Squeezed tensor non-Gaussianity in non-attractor inflation. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2019(09), 036-036.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2019/09/036, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa51936

All Research

Journal Articles

Ghaleb, A., Malhotra, A., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2025). Bayesian reconstruction of primordial perturbations from induced gravitational waves. Physical Review D, 112(12), 123538
https://doi.org/10.1103/n23j-5bfc, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71107
Jimenez Cruz, M., Malhotra, A., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2025). Astrometry meets pulsar timing arrays: Synergies for gravitational wave detection. Physical Review D, 112(8), 083558
https://doi.org/10.1103/8k1p-pzcg, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70640
Valentino, E., Said, J., Riess, A., Pollo, A., Poulin, V., Gómez-Valent, A., Weltman, A., Palmese, A., Huang, C., Bruck, C., Saraf, C., Kuo, C., Uhlemann, C., Grandón, D., Paz, D., Eckert, D., Teixeira, E., Saridakis, E., Colgáin, E...., & Davari, Z. (2025). The CosmoVerse White Paper: Addressing observational tensions in cosmology with systematics and fundamental physics. Physics of the Dark Universe, 49, 101965
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dark.2025.101965, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70101
Bento, B., Chakraborty, D., Parameswaran, S., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2025). A guide to frames, 2π’s, scales and corrections in string compactifications. International Journal of Modern Physics D, 34(10)
https://doi.org/10.1142/s0218271825300034, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69781
Borghetto, G., Malhotra, A., Tasinato, G., Zavala Carrasco, I., Tasinato, G., & Borghetto, G. (2025). Bounded dark energy. Physical Review D, 112(2)
https://doi.org/10.1103/tscs-h4xv, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70033
Bansal, S., Nagy, S., Padilla, A., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2025). Stückelberg path to pure de Sitter supergravity. Physical Review D, 111(12), 125004
https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.111.125004, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69767
CRUZ, N., Malhotra, A., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2024). Measuring the circular polarization of gravitational waves with pulsar timing arrays. Physical Review D, 110(10), 103505
https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.110.103505, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68001
Bhattacharya, S., Borghetto, G., Malhotra, A., Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2024). Cosmological constraints on curved quintessence. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2024(09), 073
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2024/09/073, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67849
Cruz, N., Malhotra, A., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2024). Measuring kinematic anisotropies with pulsar timing arrays. Physical Review D, 110(6)
https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.110.063526, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67446
Andriot, D., Parameswaran, S., Tsimpis, D., Wrase, T., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2024). Exponential quintessence: curved, steep and stringy?. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2024(8), 117
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep08(2024)117, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68372
Cicoli, M., Conlon, J., Maharana, A., Parameswaran, S., Quevedo, F., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2024). String cosmology: From the early universe to today. Physics Reports, 1059, 1-155.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physrep.2024.01.002, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66546
Chowdhury, D., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2023). Dark energy, D-branes and pulsar timing arrays. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2023(11), 090
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2023/11/090, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65120
http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2023/11/090
Bento, B., Chakraborty, D., Parameswaran, S., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2023). De Sitter vacua — when are ‘subleading corrections’ really subleading?. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2023(11)
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep11(2023)075, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65055
Chowdhury, D., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2023). Response of the Einstein Telescope to Doppler anisotropies. Physical Review D, 107(8)
https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.107.083516, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63192
http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.107.083516
Bento, B., Chakraborty, D., Parameswaran, S., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2022). Gravity at the tip of the throat. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2022(9)
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep09(2022)208, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61261
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/jhep09(2022)208
Chowdhury, D., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2022). The rise of the primordial tensor spectrum from an early scalar-tensor epoch. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2022(08), 010
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2022/08/010, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60779
Aragam, V., Chiovoloni, R., Paban, S., Rosati, R., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2022). Rapid-turn inflation in supergravity is rare and tachyonic. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2022(03), 002
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2022/03/002, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61262
Bento, B., Chakraborty, D., Parameswaran, S., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2021). A new de Sitter solution with a weakly warped deformed conifold. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(12)
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep12(2021)124, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61263
Bansal, S., Nagy, S., Padilla, A., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2021). Unimodular vs nilpotent superfield approach to pure dS supergravity. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(1)
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep01(2021)146, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61264
Zavala Carrasco, I., Holland, J., Zavala, I., & Tasinato, G. (2020). On chromonatural inflation in string theory. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2020(12), 026-026.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2020/12/026, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57931
Nagy, S., Padilla, A., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2020). The Super-Stückelberg procedure and dS in pure supergravity. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 476(2237), 20200035
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2020.0035, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54815
Chakraborty, D., Chiovoloni, R., Loaiza-Brito, O., Niz, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2020). Fat inflatons, large turns and the η-problem. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2020(01), 020-020.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2020/01/020, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54816
Olguín-Trejo, Y., Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2019). Runaway quintessence, out of the swampland. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2019(01), 031-031.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2019/01/031, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa48886
Ozsoy, O., Mylova, M., Parameswaran, S., Powell, c., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2019). Squeezed tensor non-Gaussianity in non-attractor inflation. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2019(09), 036-036.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2019/09/036, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa51936
Mylova, M., Özsoy, O., Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2018). A new mechanism to enhance primordial tensor fluctuations in single field inflation. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2018(12), 024-024.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2018/12/024, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa47975
Özsoy, O., Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2018). Mechanisms for primordial black hole production in string theory. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2018(07), 005-005.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2018/07/005, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa40943
Maharana, A., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2018). Postinflationary scalar tensor cosmology and inflationary parameters. Physical Review D, 97(12)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.97.123518, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa45454
Holland, J., Kanno, S., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2018). Anisotropic inflation with derivative couplings. Physical Review D, 97(10)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.97.103534, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa45453
Dutta, B., Jimenez, E., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2017). Dark matter relics and the expansion rate in scalar-tensor theories. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2017(06), 032-032.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2017/06/032, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa37995
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1612.05553.pdf
Dutta, B., Jimenez, E., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2017). D-brane disformal coupling and thermal dark matter. Physical Review D, 96(10)
https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.96.103506, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa37997
Moral, M., Parameswaran, S., Quiroz, N., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2017). Anti-D3 branes and moduli in non-linear supergravity. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2017(10)
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep10(2017)185, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa37996
Kooner, K., Parameswaran, S., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2016). Warping the Weak Gravity Conjecture. Physics Letters B, 759, 402-409.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2016.05.082, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa28859
Bizet, N., Loaiza-Brito, O., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2016). Mirror quintic vacua: hierarchies and inflation. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2016(10)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2016)082, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31155
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84992163036&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Parameswaran, S. & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2016). Prospects for primordial gravitational waves in string inflation. International Journal of Modern Physics D, 25(12), 1644011
https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218271816440119, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31156
Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2016). Subleading effects and the field range in axion inflation. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2016(04), 008-008.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2016/04/008, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa27197
Zavala, I. & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2015). Effects of the speed of sound at large N. Physical Review D, 91(6)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.91.063005, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21616
Zavala Carrasco, I. (2015). Effects of the speed of sound at largeN. Physical Review D, 91(6)
https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.91.063005, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54817
Garcia-Bellido, J., Roest, D., Scalisi, M., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2014). Can CMB data constrain the inflationary field range?. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2014(09), 006-006.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2014/09/006, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21630
Parameswaran, S., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2014). Worldsheet instantons and coupling selection rules in heterotic orbifolds. Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters, 11(7), 981-983.
https://doi.org/10.1134/S154747711407036X, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21631
Bizet, N., Kobayashi, T., Peña, D., Parameswaran, S., Schmitz, M., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2014). Discrete R-symmetries and anomaly universality in heterotic orbifolds. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2014(2)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2014)098, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21645
Garcia-Bellido, J., Roest, D., Scalisi, M., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2014). Lyth bound of inflation with a tilt. Physical Review D, 90(12)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.90.123539, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21629
Blåbäck, J., Roest, D., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2014). de Sitter vacua from nonperturbative flux compactifications. Physical Review D, 90(2)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.90.024065, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21632
Koivisto, T., Wills, D., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2014). Dark D-brane cosmology. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2014(06), 036-036.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2014/06/036, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21633
Roest, D., Scalisi, M., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2013). Kähler potentials for Planck inflation. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2013(11), 007-007.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2013/11/007, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21647
Bizet, N., Kobayashi, T., Peña, D., Parameswaran, S., Schmitz, M., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2013). R-charge conservation and more in factorizable and non-factorizable orbifolds. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2013(5)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2013)076, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23876
Dimopoulos, K., Wills, D., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2013). Statistical anisotropy from vector curvaton in D-brane inflation. Nuclear Physics B, 868(1), 120-155.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2012.11.010, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23881
Chatzistavrakidis, A., Erfani, E., Nilles, H., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2012). Axiology. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2012(09), 006-006.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2012/09/006, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23877
Kobayashi, T., Parameswaran, S., Ramos-Sánchez, S., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2012). Erratum: revisiting coupling selection rules in heterotic orbifold models. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2012(12)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP12(2012)049, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31158
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84878519789&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Borghese, A., Roest, D., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2012). A geometric bound on F-term inflation. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2012(9)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP09(2012)021, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23878
Barclay, L., Gregory, R., Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2012). Lifshitz black holes in IIA supergravity. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2012(5)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2012)122, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23879
Cicoli, M., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., Burgess, C., Quevedo, F., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2012). Modulated reheating and large non-gaussianity in string cosmology. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2012(05), 039-039.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2012/05/039, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23880
Kobayashi, T., Parameswaran, S., Ramos-Sánchez, S., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2012). Revisiting coupling selection rules in heterotic orbifold models. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2012(5)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2012)008, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23896
Förste, S., Nilles, H., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2011). Nontrival cosmological constant in brane worlds with unorthodox lagrangians. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2011(07), 007-007.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2011/07/007, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23898
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79961233300&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Parameswaran, S., Ramos-Sánchez, S., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2011). On moduli stabilisation and de Sitter vacua in MSSM heterotic orbifolds. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2011(1)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2011)071, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23897
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-80053135921&partnerID=MN8TOARS
O'Callaghan, E., Chadburn, S., Geshnizjani, G., Gregory, R., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2010). Effect of Extra Dimensions on Gravitational Waves from Cosmic Strings. Physical Review Letters, 105(8)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.081602, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23902
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77955676960&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Gregory, R., Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2010). Lifshitz solutions in supergravity and string theory. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2010(12)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP12(2010)047, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23901
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78650255085&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Burgess, C., Cicoli, M., Gómez-Reino, M., Quevedo, F., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2010). Non-standard primordial fluctuations and nongaussianity in string inflation. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2010(8)
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2010)045, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23900
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77955888343&partnerID=MN8TOARS
O'Callaghan, E., Chadburn, S., Geshnizjani, G., Gregory, R., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2010). The effect of extra dimensions on gravity wave bursts from cosmic string cusps. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2010(09), 013-013.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2010/09/013, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23899
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78449288558&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Avgoustidis, A., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2009). Warped Wilson line DBI inflation. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2009(01), 045-045.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2009/01/045, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23903
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-62649147808&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Burgess, C., Parameswaran, S., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2009). The fate of unstable gauge flux compactifications. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2009(05), 008-008.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708/2009/05/008, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23904
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-67649559805&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Easson, D., Gregory, R., Mota, D., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2008). Spinflation. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2008(02), 010
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2008/02/010, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23906
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-40549091648&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Förste, S., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2008). Oddness from rigidness. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2008(07), 086-086.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708/2008/07/086, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31160
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-49749108882&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Antusch, S., King, S., Malinský, M., Velasco-Sevilla, L., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2008). Flavon inflation. Physics Letters B, 666(2), 176-180.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2008.07.051, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31159
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-50949095521&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Easson, D., Gregory, R., Zavala, I., Tasinato, G., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2007). Cycling in the throat. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2007(04), 026-026.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708/2007/04/026, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31162
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-34247846269&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Förste, S., Zavala, I., Timirgaziu, C., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2007). Orientifold's landscape: non-factorisable six-tori. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2007(10), 025-025.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708/2007/10/025, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31163
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-35748949563&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Parameswaran, S., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2006). The 6D superswirl. Nuclear Physics B, 737(1-2), 49-72.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2005.12.020, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31164
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-31344470993&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Burgess, C., Quevedo, F., Rabadán, R., Tasinato, G., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2004). On bouncing brane worlds, S-branes and branonium cosmology. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2004(02), 008-008.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2004/02/008, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31165
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-23244463788&partnerID=MN8TOARS

Conference Contributions

Zavala Carrasco, I. (2017). Sub-Leading Effects and the Field Range in Axion Inflation. In Proceedings of 38th International Conference on High Energy Physics — PoS(ICHEP2016)Sissa Medialab.
https://doi.org/10.22323/1.282.0349, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54818
Zavala Carrasco, I. (2016). Bumpy Inflation: Subleading Effects In Axion Inflation. In Proceedings, 51st Rencontres de Moriond, Cosmology session
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54819
Borghese, A., Roest, D., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2013). Inflationary implications of supersymmetry breaking. (pp. 126-133).
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4817034, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21646
Zavala Carrasco, I. (2013). D-branes and cosmic structure. In Proceedings of the Barcelona Postgrad Encounters in Fundamental Physics (pp. 179-190).
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54820
Borghese, A., Roest, D., Zavala, I., & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2012). A geometric constraint on supergravity inflation. In Proceedings of Science
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31157
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84990964629&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Zavala, I. & Zavala Carrasco, I. (2008). The flavour of inflation. In AIP Conference Proceedings
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3052017, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa31161
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-63849297114&partnerID=MN8TOARS

Supervision

Untitled (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Prof Gianmassimo Tasinato
Untitled (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Prof Prem Kumar
Catching Waves and Hanging 10^-32: Probing the Early Universe with Gravitational Waves (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Prof Gianmassimo Tasinato
Breaking Dawn in the Dark Sector: the role of couplings in cosmic evolution. (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Prof Gianmassimo Tasinato
Scalar-Induced Gravitational Waves as Probes of the Early Universe (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Prof Gianmassimo Tasinato
Evolving Dark Energy in the Machine Learning Era: Theory, Inference and Symbolic Discovery (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Dr Azadeh Maleknejad

Taught Modules

PH-118 Astronomy, Cosmology, and Special Relativity

This module explores how our understanding of the universe has evolved from the observation of distant stars and galaxies to the modern conception of space and time as a unified fabric. It introduces key ideas in astronomy, cosmology, and special relativity, revealing how observations of the cosmos and the physics of motion at high speeds are deeply connected. Students will learn how light and matter inform us about the structure and history of the universe, and how Einstein¿s theory of relativity reshaped our picture of space, time, and energy. The module combines conceptual insight with practical experience: students will have opportunities for astronomical observation and for applying relativistic ideas to real physical scenarios.
PH-234 Theoretical physics and astrophysics

The lecture component of this module will introduce students to the quantitative physics underlying the formation, evolution and eventual demise of stars. Students will learn how fundamental concepts from diverse areas of physics, such as gravity, thermodynamics, statistical physics and quantum mechanics come together to provide a complete mathematical model of stellar dynamics which is in beautiful and comprehensive agreement with observational data. The aim of the special topics sessions of the module is to introduce students to advanced concepts and techniques in theoretical physics through a selection of specific topics that include, but are not limited to advanced applications of quantum mechanics, general relativity and mathematical physics. Students will learn these topics through discussion sessions, with the the aid of references (review articles, book chapters and original papers), and by preparing project reports and poster presentations. The module fosters critical thinking, research skills, and scientific literacy, equipping students to contribute meaningfully to the fields of astrophysics and theoretical physics.
PH-M45 The Gravitational Universe: Black Holes and Gravitational Waves

This module provides a rigorous introduction to the physics of black holes and gravitational waves -- two of the most compelling arenas of contemporary gravitational physics. The first part develops the theory of Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes from first principles: gravitational collapse, causal structure, the laws of black hole mechanics, Bekenstein¿Hawking entropy, Hawking radiation, and the information paradox, alongside observational evidence from the Galactic Centre and the Event Horizon Telescope. The second part treats gravitational waves within linearised general relativity, from their generation and propagation to detection by ground-based and space-based interferometers and pulsar timing arrays, with connections to inflationary gravitational waves and cosmological sources. Throughout, the module emphasises mathematical rigour, critical engagement with contemporary research literature, and the interplay between theory and observation at the frontier of gravitational physics.

Public Engagement

Over the years I have taken part in a range of outreach activities, including:

2021: Interview on dark matter for the BBC Science Café, Radio Wales.
2017: Main organiser of Dark Matter Day at Swansea University, covered by S4C’s Prynhawn Da.
2016: Street science talk at Soapbox Science Swansea.
2016: Invited public talks at the Swansea and Bridgend astronomical societies.

Making physics open to everyone matters to me. I am proud to supervise Eleanna Kolonia, the first Bell Burnell Graduate Scholar in Swansea Physics. The scholarship, created by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell through the Institute of Physics, supports PhD students from groups that are under-represented in physics.

I have given public lectures on different areas of physics in Swansea and around the world. Please get in touch if you would like me to give a public talk to your society.

Invited Presentations and Conferences (last 5 years)

Conferences and workshops

June 2026: Invited convener and speaker, PASCOS 2026 (31st International Symposium on Particles, Strings and Cosmology), Sheffield, UK.
April 2026: Invited speaker, SCALE: Strings & Cosmology – All Lengths Explored, Tenerife, Spain.
January 2026: Invited speaker, Cosmic Origins and the Search for New Physics, IIT Madras, Chennai, India.
September 2025: Invited speaker, programme on Geometry and Convergence in Mathematical General Relativity, Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, Stony Brook, USA.
April–May 2025: Invited speaker, The Dawn of GW Cosmology, Benasque, Spain.
February 2025: Invited speaker, Theoretical Advances in Cosmology, Imperial College London, UK.
January 2025: Invited speaker, Hearing Beyond the Standard Model with Cosmic Sources of Gravitational Waves, ICTS, Bengaluru, India.
February 2024: Invited speaker, Multifield Cosmology: Inflation, Dark Energy and More, Simons Center, Stony Brook, USA.
August 2023: Invited speaker, String Phenomenology 2023, Daejeon, Korea.
July 2023: Invited speaker, Axion 2023 (Second International Conference on Axion Physics and Experiment), Beijing, China (online).
July 2023: Invited speaker, Fundamental Physics UK (FPUK) 2023, Durham, UK.
October 2022: Invited speaker, Holography for Astrophysics and Cosmology, Nordita, Stockholm, Sweden.
July 2022: Invited speaker, String Phenomenology 2022, Liverpool, UK.
November 2021: Invited speaker, BIRS-CMO online workshop on Geometry and Symmetries for Phenomenology.

Lectures

May 2024: Invited lectures on cosmology, Dutch Research School of Theoretical Physics (DRSTP), Wageningen, the Netherlands.

Seminars and colloquia

November 2026: Colloquium, Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, Stockholm, Sweden.
December 2025: Seminar, CosmoVerse network (online).
October 2025: Seminar, DAMTP, University of Cambridge, UK.
September 2025: Seminar, ICN-UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico.
February 2025: Seminar, King’s College London, UK.
December 2024: Colloquium and seminar, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Prayagraj, India.
December 2024: Seminar, IIT Madras, Chennai, India.
April 2023: Seminar, Higgs Centre, University of Edinburgh, UK.
April 2023: Seminar, Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, UNAM, Mexico (online).
October 2022: Seminar, Imperial College London, UK.
December 2021: Seminar, LAPTh, CNRS, Annecy, France (online).

Dr Ivonne Zavala Carrasco

Telephone number

Email address

Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Career Highlights

Publications

Research Highlights

All Research

Journal Articles

Conference Contributions

Supervision

Untitled (current)

Untitled (current)

Catching Waves and Hanging 10^-32: Probing the Early Universe with Gravitational Waves (current)

Breaking Dawn in the Dark Sector: the role of couplings in cosmic evolution. (current)

Scalar-Induced Gravitational Waves as Probes of the Early Universe (current)

Evolving Dark Energy in the Machine Learning Era: Theory, Inference and Symbolic Discovery (current)

Taught Modules

PH-118 Astronomy, Cosmology, and Special Relativity

PH-234 Theoretical physics and astrophysics

PH-M45 The Gravitational Universe: Black Holes and Gravitational Waves

Public Engagement

Invited Presentations and Conferences (last 5 years)