Singularity-Free and Cosmologically Viable Born-Infeld Gravity with Scalar Matter

The early cosmology, driven by a single scalar field, both massless and massive, in the context of Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity, is explored. We show the existence of nonsingular solutions of bouncing and loitering type (depending on the sign of the gravitational theory’s parameter, ϵ) replacing the Big Bang singularity, and discuss their properties. In addition, in the massive case, we find some new features of the cosmological evolution depending on the value of the mass parameter, including asymmetries in the expansion/contraction phases, or a continuous transition between a contracting phase to an expanding one via an intermediate loitering phase. We also provide a combined analysis of cosmic chronometers, standard candles, BAO, and CMB data to constrain the model, finding that for roughly |ϵ|≲5·10−8m2 the model is compatible with the latest observations while successfully removing the Big Bang singularity. This bound is several orders of magnitude stronger than the most stringent constraints currently available in the literature.

On the consistency of (partially-)massless matter couplings in de Sitter space

We study the consistency of the cubic couplings of a (partially-)massless spinning field to two scalars in (d + 1)-dimensional de Sitter space. Gauge invariance of observables with external (partially)-massless spinning fields translates into Ward-Takahashi identities on the boundary. Using the Mellin-Barnes representation for boundary correlators in momentum space, we give a systematic study of Ward-Takahashi identities for tree-level 3- and 4-point processes involving a single external (partially-)massless field of arbitrary integer spin-J. 3-point Ward-Takahashi identities constrain the mass of the scalar fields to which a (partially-)massless spin-J field can couple. 4-point Ward-Takahashi identities then constrain the corresponding cubic couplings. For massless spinning fields, we show that Weinberg’s flat space results carry over to (d+1)-dimensional de Sitter space: for spins J = 1, 2 gauge-invariance implies charge-conservation and the equivalence principle while, assuming locality, higher-spins J > 2 cannot couple consistently to scalar matter. This result also applies to anti-de Sitter space. For partially-massless fields, restricting for simplicity to those of depth-2, we show that there is no consistent coupling to scalar matter in local theories. Along the way we also give a detailed account of how contact amplitudes with and without derivatives are represented in the Mellin-Barnes representation. Various new explicit expressions for 3- and 4-point functions involving (partially-)massless fields and conformally coupled scalars in dS4 are given.

Non-singular vortices with positive mass in 2+1-dimensional Einstein gravity with AdS3 and Minkowski background

In previous work, black hole vortex solutions in Einstein gravity with AdS3 background were found where the scalar matter profile had a singularity at the origin r = 0. In this paper, we find numerically static vortex solutions where the scalar and gauge fields have a non-singular profile under Einstein gravity in an AdS3 background. Vortices with different winding numbers n, VEV v and cosmological constant Λ are obtained. These vortices have positive mass and are not BTZ black holes as they have no event horizon. The mass is determined in two ways: by subtracting the numerical values of two separate asymptotic metrics and via an integral that is purely over the matter fields. The mass of the vortex increases as the cosmological constant becomes more negative and this coincides with the core of the vortex becoming smaller (compressed). We then consider the vortex with gravity in asymptotically flat spacetime for different values of the coupling α = 1/(16πG). At the origin, the spacetime has its highest curvature and there is no singularity. It transitions to an asymptotic conical spacetime with angular deficit that increases significantly as α decreases. For comparison, we also consider the vortex without gravity in flat spacetime. For this case, one cannot obtain the mass by the first method (subtracting two metrics) but remarkably, via a limiting procedure, one can obtain an integral mass formula. In the absence of gauge fields, there is a well-known logarithmic divergence in the energy of the vortex. With gravity, we present this divergence in a new light. We show that the metric acquires a logarithmic term which is the 2 + 1 dimensional realization of the Newtonian gravitational potential when General Relativity is supplemented with a scalar field. This opens up novel possibilities which we discuss in the conclusion.

Fixing the non-relativistic expansion of the 1PM potential

We obtain a first order post-Minkowskian two-body effective potential whose post-Newtonian expansion directly reproduces the Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann potential. Post-Minkowskian potentials can be extracted from on-shell scattering amplitudes in a quantum field theory of scalar matter coupled to gravity. Previously, such potentials did not reproduce the Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann potential without employing a suitable canonical transformation. In this work, we resolve this issue by obtaining a new expression for the first-order post-Minkowskian potential. This is accomplished by exploiting the reference frame dependence that arises in the scattering amplitude computation. Finally, as a check on our result, we demonstrate that our new potential gives the correct scattering angle.

Cosmological flows on hyperbolic surfaces

We outline the geometric formulation of cosmological flows for FLRW models with the scalar matter as well as certain aspects which arise in their study with methods originating from the geometric theory of dynamical systems. We briefly summarize certain results of numerical analysis which we carried out when the scalar manifold of the model is a hyperbolic surface of the finite or infinite area.

Shear and expansion evolution for dissipative fluids

The aim of this work is to analyze the role of shear evolution equation in the modeling of relativistic spheres in f(R) gravity. We assume that non-static diagonally symmetric geometry is coupled with dissipative anisotropic viscous fluid distributions in the presence of f(R) dark source terms. A specific distribution of f(R) cosmic model has been assumed and the spherical mass function through generic formula introduced by Misner–Sharp has been formulated. Some very important relations regarding Weyl scalar, matter variables and mass functions are being computed. After decomposing orthogonally the Riemann tensor, some scalar variables in the presence of f(R) extra degrees of freedom are calculated. The effects of the three parametric modified structure scalars in the modeling of Weyl, shear, expansion scalar differential equations are investigated. The energy density irregularity factor has been calculated for both anisotropic radiating viscous with varying Ricci scalar and dust cloud with present Ricci scalar corrections.

Role of modified scalar variables in the modeling of spherical fluids

The aim of this work is to analyze the role of shear evolution equation in the modeling of relativistic spheres in [Formula: see text] gravity. We assume that non-static diagonally symmetric geometry is coupled with dissipative anisotropic viscous fluid distributions in the presence of [Formula: see text] dark source terms. A specific distribution of [Formula: see text] cosmic model has been assumed and the spherical mass function through generic formula introduced by Misner-Sharp has been formulated. Some very important relations regarding Weyl scalar, matter variables and mass functions are being computed. After decomposing orthogonally the Riemann tensor, some scalar variables in the presence of [Formula: see text] extra degrees of freedom are calculated. The effects of the polynomial modified structure scalars in the modeling of through Weyl, shear, expansion scalar differential equations are investigated. The energy density irregularity factor has been calculated for both anisotropic radiating viscous with varying Ricci scalar and for dust cloud with present Ricci scalar corrections.