Fourth order gravity: Equations, history, and applications to cosmology
01 Mar 2007-International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics (World Scientifiv Publishing Company)-Vol. 04, Iss: 02, pp 209-248
TL;DR: In this paper, the field equations following from a Lagrangian L(R) were deduced and solved for special cases, and it was shown that these equations are of fourth order in the metric.
Abstract: The field equations following from a Lagrangian L(R) will be deduced and solved for special cases. If L is a non-linear function of the curvature scalar, then these equations are of fourth order in the metric. In the introduction, we present the history of these equations beginning with the paper of H. Weyl from 1918, who first discussed them as alternative to Einstein's theory. In the third part, we give details about the cosmic no hair theorem, i.e. the details of how within fourth order gravity with L= R + R2, the inflationary phase of cosmic evolution turns out to be a transient attractor. Finally, the Bicknell theorem, i.e. the conformal relation from fourth order gravity to scalar-tensor theory, will be shortly presented.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of the most important aspects of the different classes of modified gravity theories, including higher-order curvature invariants and metric affine.
Abstract: Modified gravity theories have received increased attention lately due to combined motivation coming from high-energy physics, cosmology, and astrophysics. Among numerous alternatives to Einstein's theory of gravity, theories that include higher-order curvature invariants, and specifically the particular class of $f(R)$ theories, have a long history. In the last five years there has been a new stimulus for their study, leading to a number of interesting results. Here $f(R)$ theories of gravity are reviewed in an attempt to comprehensively present their most important aspects and cover the largest possible portion of the relevant literature. All known formalisms are presented---metric, Palatini, and metric affine---and the following topics are discussed: motivation; actions, field equations, and theoretical aspects; equivalence with other theories; cosmological aspects and constraints; viability criteria; and astrophysical applications.
4,027 citations
Cites background from "Fourth order gravity: Equations, hi..."
...…interest of the scientific community in higher-order theories of gravity, i.e., modifications of the Einstein–Hilbert action in order to include higher-order curvature invariants with respect to the Ricci scalar [see (Schmidt, 2007) for a historical review and a list of references to early work]....
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TL;DR: A comprehensive survey of recent work on modified theories of gravity and their cosmological consequences can be found in this article, where the authors provide a reference tool for researchers and students in cosmology and gravitational physics, as well as a selfcontained, comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the subject as a whole.
3,674 citations
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TL;DR: Various applications of f(R) theories to cosmology and gravity — such as inflation, dark energy, local gravity constraints, cosmological perturbations, and spherically symmetric solutions in weak and strong gravitational backgrounds are reviewed.
Abstract: Over the past decade, f(R) theories have been extensively studied as one of the simplest modifications to General Relativity. In this article we review various applications of f(R) theories to cosmology and gravity - such as inflation, dark energy, local gravity constraints, cosmological perturbations, and spherically symmetric solutions in weak and strong gravitational backgrounds. We present a number of ways to distinguish those theories from General Relativity observationally and experimentally. We also discuss the extension to other modified gravity theories such as Brans-Dicke theory and Gauss-Bonnet gravity, and address models that can satisfy both cosmological and local gravity constraints.
3,375 citations
Cites background from "Fourth order gravity: Equations, hi..."
...The readers who are interested in the more detailed history of f (R) theories and fourth-order gravity may have a look at the review articles by Schmidt [531] and Sotiriou and Faraoni [556]....
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TL;DR: Extended Theories of Gravity as discussed by the authors can be considered as a new paradigm to cure shortcomings of General Relativity at infrared and ultraviolet scales, which is an approach that, by preserving the undoubtedly positive results of Einstein's theory, is aimed to address conceptual and experimental problems recently emerged in astrophysics, cosmology and High Energy Physics.
2,776 citations
University of Mississippi1, University of Lisbon2, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris3, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics4, Sapienza University of Rome5, California Institute of Technology6, University of Cambridge7, Cornell University8, Max Planck Society9, Montana State University10, Princeton University11, University of Oxford12, McMaster University13, University of Aveiro14, University of Tübingen15, Naresuan University16, Rochester Institute of Technology17, University of Oldenburg18, Georgia Institute of Technology19, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee20, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign21, University of Florida22, The Chinese University of Hong Kong23, Northwestern University24, Case Western Reserve University25, Sao Paulo State University26, Cardiff University27, Imperial College London28, Grand Valley State University29, Kyoto University30
TL;DR: In this article, a catalog of modified theories of gravity for which strong-field predictions have been computed and contrasted to Einstein's theory is presented, and the current understanding of the structure and dynamics of compact objects in these theories is summarized.
Abstract: One century after its formulation, Einstein's general relativity (GR) has made remarkable predictions and turned out to be compatible with all experimental tests. Most of these tests probe the theory in the weak-field regime, and there are theoretical and experimental reasons to believe that GR should be modified when gravitational fields are strong and spacetime curvature is large. The best astrophysical laboratories to probe strong-field gravity are black holes and neutron stars, whether isolated or in binary systems. We review the motivations to consider extensions of GR. We present a (necessarily incomplete) catalog of modified theories of gravity for which strong-field predictions have been computed and contrasted to Einstein's theory, and we summarize our current understanding of the structure and dynamics of compact objects in these theories. We discuss current bounds on modified gravity from binary pulsar and cosmological observations, and we highlight the potential of future gravitational wave measurements to inform us on the behavior of gravity in the strong-field regime.
1,066 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this paper, the Einstein equations with quantum one-loop contributions of conformally covariant matter fields are shown to admit a class of nonsingular isotropic homogeneous solutions that correspond to a picture of the universe being initially in the most symmetric (de Sitter) state.
6,969 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of modified gravities considered as a gravitational alternative for dark energy is presented, and the possibility to explain the coincidence problem as the manifestation of the universe expansion in such models is mentioned.
Abstract: We review various modified gravities considered as gravitational alternative for dark energy. Specifically, we consider the versions of f(R), f(G) or f(R, G) gravity, model with non-linear gravitational coupling or string-inspired model with Gauss-Bonnet-dilaton coupling in the late universe where they lead to cosmic speed-up. It is shown that some of such theories may pass the Solar System tests. On the same time, it is demonstrated that they have quite rich cosmological structure: they may naturally describe the effective (cosmological constant, quintessence or phantom) late-time era with a possible transition from decceleration to acceleration thanks to gravitational terms which increase with scalar curvature decrease. The possibility to explain the coincidence problem as the manifestation of the universe expansion in such models is mentioned. The late (phantom or quintessence) universe filled with dark fluid with inhomogeneous equation of state (where inhomogeneous terms are originated from the modifi...
2,590 citations
TL;DR: The necessary Slavnov identities are derived from Becchi-Rouet-Stora (BRS) transformations of the gravitational and Faddeev-Popov ghost fields.
Abstract: Gravitational actions which include terms quadratic in the curvature tensor are renormalizable. The necessary Slavnov identities are derived from Becchi-Rouet-Stora (BRS) transformations of the gravitational and Faddeev-Popov ghost fields. In general, non-gauge-invariant divergences do arise, but they may be absorbed by nonlinear renormalizations of the gravitational and ghost fields (and of the BRS transformations). Fortunately, these artifactual divergences may be eliminated by letting the coefficient of the harmonic gauge-fixing term tend to infinity, thus considerably simplifying the renormalization procedure. Coupling to other renormalizable fields may then be handled in a straightforward manner.
2,429 citations
"Fourth order gravity: Equations, hi..." refers background in this paper
...The original scale invariant theory then, again emerges as the high-energy limit of that sum....
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...(Leipzig) 27 (1990) 41, gr-qc/0412038, are incorporated....
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TL;DR: In this article, the dynamical content of the linearized field is analyzed by reducing the fourth-order field equations to separated second-order equations, related by coupling to external sources in a fixed ratio.
Abstract: Inclusion of the four-derivative terms ∫RμνRμν(−g)1/2 and ∫R2(−g)1/2 into the gravitational action gives a class of effectively multimass models of gravity. In addition to the usual massless excitations of the field, there are now, for general amounts of the two new terms, massive spin-two and massive scalar excitations, with a total of eight degrees of freedom. The massive spin-two part of the field has negative energy. Specific ratios of the two new terms give models with either the massive tensor or the massive scalar missing, with correspondingly fewer degrees of freedom. The static, linearized solutions of the field equations are combinations of Newtonian and Yukawa potentials. Owing to the Yukawa form of the corrections, observational evidence sets only very weak restrictions on the new masses. The acceptable static metric solutions in the full nonlinear theory are regular at the origin. The dynamical content of the linearized field is analyzed by reducing the fourth-order field equations to separated second-order equations, related by coupling to external sources in a fixed ratio. This analysis is carried out into the various helicity components using the transverse-traceless decomposition of the metric.
1,209 citations
"Fourth order gravity: Equations, hi..." refers background in this paper
...…order of the differential equation, a prescribed matter distribution plus the O(1/r)-behaviour of the gravitational potential suffice – such as it takes place in Newtonian theory – to determine the gravitational potential for isolated bodies in a unique way for the weak-field slow-motion…...
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