We discuss a class of phantom $(p<\mathrm{}-\varrho )$ cosmological models. Except for the phantom we admit various forms of standard types of matter and discuss the problem of singularities for these cosmologies. The singularities are different from those of standard matter cosmology since they appear for infinite values of the scale factor. We also find an interesting relation between the phantom models and standard matter models which is like the duality symmetry of string cosmology.

We apply the formalism of quantum cosmology to models containing a phantom field. Three models are discussed explicitly: a toy model, a model with an exponential phantom potential, and a model with phantom field accompanied by a negative cosmological constant. In all these cases we calculate the classical trajectories in configuration space and give solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation in quantum cosmology. In the cases of the toy model and the model with exponential potential we are able to solve the Wheeler-DeWitt equation exactly. For comparison, we also give the corresponding solutions for an ordinary scalar field. We discuss, in particular, the behavior of wave packets in minisuperspace. For the phantom field these packets disperse in the region that corresponds to the big-rip singularity. This thus constitutes a genuine quantum region at large scales, described by a regular solution of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. For the ordinary scalar field, the big-bang singularity is avoided. Some remarks on the arrow of time in phantom models as well as on the relation of phantom models to loop quantum cosmology are given.

We find an explicit cosmological model which allows a special type of cosmological singularity which we call a $w$-singularity. This singularity has the scale factor finite, the energy density and pressure vanishing, and the only singular behavior appears in a time-dependent barotropic index $w(t)$. It is different from the type IV cosmological singularity in that it does not exhibit the divergence of the higher derivatives of the Hubble parameter and from the big brake since it does not fulfill the anti-Chaplygin gas equation of state. We also find an interesting duality between the $w$-singularities and the big-bang singularities. Physical examples of $w$-singularities appear in $f(R)$, scalar field and brane cosmologies.

Observations of the redshift z = 7.085 quasar J1120+0641 are used to search for variations of the fine structure constant, α, over the redshift range 5.5 to 7.1. Observations at z = 7.1 probe the physics of the universe at only 0.8 billion years old. These are the most distant direct measurements of α to date and the first measurements using a near-IR spectrograph. A new AI analysis method is employed. Four measurements from the x-shooter spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) constrain changes in a relative to the terrestrial value (α₀). The weighted mean electromagnetic force in this location in the universe deviates from the terrestrial value by Δα/α = (α_z − α₀)/α₀ = (−2.18 ± 7.27) × 10⁻⁵, consistent with no temporal change. Combining these measurements with existing data, we find a spatial variation is preferred over a no-variation model at the 3.9σ level.

We find that sudden future singularities of pressure may also appear in spatially inhomogeneous Stephani models of the universe. They are temporal pressure singularities and may appear independently of the spatial finite density singularities already known to exist in these models. It is shown that the main advantage of the homogeneous sudden future singularities which is the fulfillment of the strong and weak energy conditions may not be the case in the inhomogeneous case.