We consider the gravitational fields generated by a cosmic string, a global monopole and a tubular matter with interior magnetic field (Safko-Witten space-time), and examine some classical and quantum effects due to these fields. We investigate the Aharonov-Bohm effect in the space-time of a cosmic string, using the loop variables. In the space-time of a global monopole, we calculate the total energy radiated by a uniformly moving charged scalar particle, for small solid angle deficit. We show that the radiated energy is proportional to the cube of the velocity of the particle and to the cube of the Lorenz factor, in the non-relativistic and ultra-relativistic cases, respectively. In the Safko-Witten space-time, we investigate the existence of an electrostatic self-force on a charged particle. We also consider a hydrogen atom in the background space-time generated by a cosmic string and we find the solutions of the corresponding Dirac equation and we determine the energy levels of the atom. We investigate how the topological features of this space-time lead to shifts in the energy levels as compared with the flat Minkowski space-time. We study the behavior of non-relativistic quantum particles interacting with a Kratzer potential in the space-time generated by a global monopole and we find the energy spectrum in the presence of this topological defect. In the Safko-Witten space-time, an investigation is also made concerning the interaction of an harmonic oscillator with this background gravitational field.

We study the behaviour of relativistic quantum particles in the space-time generated by a moving mass current, in the weak field approximation. We solve the Dirac equation in this gravitational field and calculate the current associated with the particles.

We study the behavior of a non-relativistic quantum particle interacting with different potentials, in the background space-time generated by a cosmic string. We find the energy spectra for the quantum systems under consideration and discuss how they differ from their flat Minkowski space-time values.

We discuss the gravitomagnetism in the context of scalar-tensor theories of gravity. We obtain the equation of motion of a particle in terms of gravitoelectric and gravitomagnetic fields. We discuss the gravitomagnetic time delay and the Lense-Thirring effect in the context of scalar-tensor theories of gravity. In the particular case of Brans-Dicke Theory, we compare the results obtained with those predicted by general relativity and show that within the accuracy of experiments designed to measure these effects, both theories predict essentially the same results.

We present a class of exact vacuum solutions corresponding to de Sitter and warm inflation models in the framework of scalar-tensor cosmologies. We show that in both cases the field equations reduce to planar dynamical systems with constraints. Then, we carry out a qualitative analysis of the models by examining the phase diagrams of the solutions near the equilibrium points.

We analyse the planetary perihelion precession and the deffection of light in the Schwarzschild field modified by a conical defect. By using observational results from solar system tests of general relativity, we obtain limits on the conical defect parameter <img src="http:/img/fbpe/bjp/v30n2/ses.gif">. For the physical case of a cosmic string the quoted limits are one and three orders weaker than the cosmological bounds.