Showing papers on "Gravitation published in 2023"

Teleparallel gravity: from theory to cosmology

Abstract: Abstract Teleparallel gravity (TG) has significantly increased in popularity in recent decades, bringing attention to Einstein’s other theory of gravity. In this Review, we give a comprehensive introduction to how teleparallel geometry is developed as a gauge theory of translations together with all the other properties of gauge field theory. This relates the geometry to the broader metric-affine approach to forming gravitational theories where we describe a systematic way of constructing consistent teleparallel theories that respect certain physical conditions such as local Lorentz invariance. We first use TG to formulate a teleparallel equivalent of general relativity (GR) which is dynamically equivalent to GR but which may have different behaviors for other scenarios, such as quantum gravity. After setting this foundation, we describe the plethora of modified teleparallel theories of gravity that have been proposed in the literature. We attempt to connect them together into general classes of covariant gravitational theories. Of particular interest, we highlight the recent proposal of a teleparallel analogue of Horndeski gravity which offers the possibility of reviving all of the regular Horndeski contributions. In the second part of the Review, we first survey works in teleparallel astrophysics literature where we focus on the open questions in this regime of physics. We then discuss the cosmological consequences for the various formulations of TG. We do this at background level by exploring works using various approaches ranging from dynamical systems to Noether symmetries, and more. Naturally, we then discuss perturbation theory, firstly by giving a concise approach in which this can be applied in TG theories and then apply it to a number of important theories in the literature. Finally, we examine works in observational and precision cosmology across the plethora of proposal theories. This is done using some of the latest observations and is used to tackle cosmological tensions which may be alleviated in teleparallel cosmology. We also introduce a number of recent works in the application of machine learning to gravity, we do this through deep learning and Gaussian processes, together with discussions about other approaches in the literature.

Nonlinearities in Black Hole Ringdowns

Abstract: The gravitational wave strain emitted by a perturbed black hole (BH) ringing down is typically modeled analytically using first-order BH perturbation theory. In this Letter, we show that second-order effects are necessary for modeling ringdowns from BH merger simulations. Focusing on the strain’s (ℓ,m)=(4,4) angular harmonic, we show the presence of a quadratic effect across a range of binary BH mass ratios that agrees with theoretical expectations. We find that the quadratic (4,4) mode’s amplitude exhibits quadratic scaling with the fundamental (2,2) mode—its parent mode. The nonlinear mode’s amplitude is comparable to or even larger than that of the linear (4,4) mode. Therefore, correctly modeling the ringdown of higher harmonics—improving mode mismatches by up to 2 orders of magnitude—requires the inclusion of nonlinear effects.Received 26 August 2022Revised 8 November 2022Accepted 15 December 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.081402© 2023 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasClassical black holesGeneral relativityGeneral relativity equations & solutionsGravitational wave sourcesGravitational wavesTechniquesNumerical relativityNumerical simulations in gravitation & astrophysicsNumerical techniquesGravitation, Cosmology & Astrophysics

Celestial chiral algebras, colour-kinematics duality and integrability

Abstract: A bstract We study celestial chiral algebras appearing in celestial holography, using the light-cone gauge formulation of self-dual Yang-Mills theory and self-dual gravity, and explore also a deformation of the latter. The recently discussed w 1+ ∞ algebra in self-dual gravity arises from the soft expansion of an area-preserving diffeomorphism algebra, which plays the role of the kinematic algebra in the colour-kinematics duality and the double copy relation between the self-dual theories. The W 1+ ∞ deformation of w 1+ ∞ arises from a Moyal deformation of self-dual gravity. This theory is interpreted as a constrained chiral higher-spin gravity, where the field is a tower of higher-spin components fully constrained by the graviton component. In all these theories, the chiral structure of the operator-product expansion exhibits the colour-kinematics duality: the implicit ‘left algebra’ is the self-dual kinematic algebra, while the ‘right algebra’ provides the structure constants of the operator-product expansion, ensuring its associativity at tree level. In a scattering amplitudes version of the Ward conjecture, the left algebra ensures the classical integrability of this type of theories. In particular, it enforces the vanishing of the tree-level amplitudes via the double copy.

Static spherical vacuum solutions in the bumblebee gravity model

Abstract: The bumblebee gravity model is a vector-tensor theory of gravitation where the vector field nonminimally couples to the Ricci tensor. By investigating the vacuum field equations with spherical symmetry, we find two families of black-hole (BH) solutions in this model: one has a vanishing radial component of the vector field and the other has a vanishing radial component of the Ricci tensor. When the coupling between the vector field and the Ricci tensor is set to zero, the first family becomes the Reissner-Nordstr\"om solution while the second family degenerates to the Schwarzschild solution with the vector field being zero. General numerical solutions in both families are obtained for nonzero coupling between the vector field and the Ricci tensor. Besides BH solutions, we also reveal the existence of solutions that have a nonvanishing $tt$-component of the metric on the supposed event horizon where the $rr$-component of the metric diverges while the curvature scalars are finite. These solutions are not supported by existing observations but present certain properties that are of academic interests. We conclude the study by putting the BH solutions into tests against the Solar-system observations and the images of supermassive BHs.

Quantum Gravity in the Lab. II. Teleportation by Size and Traversable Wormholes

Abstract: A comprehensive investigation on how size winding of quantum operators connects to bulk gravitational physics and traversable wormholes is presented, together with a proposal on possible realizations in near-term quantum devices.

Lorentzian Quantum Gravity and the Graviton Spectral Function

Abstract: We present the first direct and nonperturbative computation of the graviton spectral function in quantum gravity. This is achieved with the help of a novel Lorentzian renormalization group approach, combined with a spectral representation of correlation functions. We find a positive graviton spectral function, showing a massless one-graviton peak and a multigraviton continuum with an asymptotically safe scaling for large spectral values. We also study the impact of a cosmological constant. Further steps to investigate scattering processes and unitarity in asymptotically safe quantum gravity are indicated.

Revisiting Fractional Cosmology

Abstract: Recently, the research community has been exploring fractional calculus to address problems related to cosmology; in this approach, the gravitational action integral is altered, leading to a modified Friedmann equation, then the resulting theory is compared against observational data. In this context, dynamical systems can be used along with an analysis the phase spaces for different values of the fractional order of the derivative and their different matter contents. The equilibrium points are classified, providing a range for the order of the fractional derivative in order to investigate whether the cosmological history can be reconstructed and a late-time accelerating power-law solution obtained for the scale factor. In this paper, we discuss the physical interpretation of the corresponding cosmological solutions with particular emphasis on the influence of the fractional order of the derivative in a theory of gravity that includes a scalar field minimally coupled to gravity. The presented results improve and extend those obtained previously, further demonstrating that fractional calculus can play a relevant role in cosmology.

Probing vector hair of black holes with extreme-mass-ratio inspirals

Abstract: The bumblebee gravity model, with a vector field nonminimally coupled to gravity, is a natural extension of the Einstein-Maxwell theory. In this theory, a black hole can carry a vector hair, making the metric deviate from the Schwarzschild metric. To investigate the detectability of the vector hair, we consider an extreme-mass-ratio inspiral (EMRI) system, where a stellar-mass black hole inspiraling into a supermassive black hole. We find that, with a one-year observation of an EMRI by a space-based gravitational-wave detector, we can probe the vector charge as small as $Q\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ in the bumblebee gravity model, which is about three orders of magnitude tighter comparing to current EHT observations.

Entanglement island and Page curve in wedge holography

Abstract: Entanglement islands play an essential role in the recent breakthrough in resolving the black hole information paradox. However, whether entanglement islands can exist in massless gravity theories is controversial. It is found that entanglement islands disappear in the initial model of wedge holography with massless gravity on the brane. As a result, the entanglement entropy of Hawking radiation becomes a time-independent constant, and there is no Page curve. In this paper, we recover massless entanglement islands in wedge holography with suitable DGP gravity or higher derivative gravity on the branes. We study two typical cases. In the first case, we consider a black hole on the strong-gravity brane and a bath on the weak-gravity brane. It is similar to the usual double holography with non-gravitational baths. In the second case, we discuss two black holes on the two branes with the same gravitational strength. We recover massless entanglement islands and non-trivial Page curves in both cases. We also argue that the entanglement island is consistent with massless gravity. Our results strongly support that entanglement islands can exist in long-range theories of gravity.

Complexity-free solution generated by gravitational decoupling for anisotropic self-gravitating star in symmetric teleparallel f(Q)-gravity theory

Abstract: Abstract In this work, we attempt to find an anisotropic solution for a compact star generated by gravitational decoupling in f ( Q )-gravity theory having a null complexity factor. To do this, we initially derive the complexity factor condition in f ( Q ) gravity theory using the definition given by Herrera (Phys Rev D 97:044010, 2018) and then derived a bridge equation between gravitational potentials by assuming complexity factor to be zero (Contreras and Stuchlik in Eur Phys J C 82:706, 2022). Next, we obtain two systems of equations using the complete geometric deformation (CGD) approach. The first system of equations is assumed to be an isotropic system in f ( Q )-gravity whose isotropic condition is similar to GR while the second system is dependent on deformation functions. The solution of the first system is obtained by Buchdahl’s spacetime geometry while the governing equations for the second system are solved through the mimic constraint approach along with vanishing complexity condition. The novelty of our work is to generalize the perfect fluid solution into an anisotropic domain in f ( Q )-gravity theory with zero complexity for the first time. We present the solution’s analysis to test its physical viability. We exhibit that the existence of pressure anisotropy due to gravitational within the self-gravitating bounded object plays a vital role to stabilize the f ( Q ) gravity system. In addition, we show that the constant involved in the solution controls the direction of energy flow between the perfect fluid and generic fluid matter distributions.

Unity Formulas for the Coupling Constants and the Dimensionless Physical Constants

Abstract: In this paper in an elegant way will be presented the unity formulas for the coupling constants and the dimensionless physical constants. We reached the conclusion of the simple unification of the fundamental interactions. We will find the formulas for the Gravitational constant. It will be presented that the gravitational fine-structure constant is a simple analogy between atomic physics and cosmology. We will find the expression that connects the gravitational fine-structure constant with the four coupling constants. Perhaps the gravitational fine-structure constant is the coupling constant for the fifth force. Also will be presented the simple unification of atomic physics and cosmology. We will find the formulas for the cosmological constant and we will propose a possible solution for the cosmological parameters. Perhaps the shape of the universe is Poincare dodecahedral space. This article will be followed by the energy wave theory and the fractal space-time theory.

Polarized primordial gravitational waves in spatial covariant gravities

Abstract: The spatial covariant gravities provide a natural way to including odd-order spatial derivative terms into the gravitational action, which breaks the parity symmetry at gravitational sector. A lot of parity-violating scalar-tensor theories can be mapped to the spatial covariant framework by imposing the unitary gauge. This provides us with a general framework for exploring the parity-violating effects in primordial gravitational waves (PGWs). The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the polarization of PGWs in the spatial covariant gravities and their possible observational effects. To this end, we first construct the approximate analytical solution to the mode function of the PGWs during the slow-roll inflation by using the uniform asymptotic approximation. With the approximate solution, we calculate explicitly the power spectrum and the corresponding circular polarization of the PGWs analytically. It is shown that the new contributions to power spectrum from spatial covariant gravities contain two parts, one from the parity-preserving terms and the other from the parity-violating terms. While the parity-preserving terms can only affect the overall amplitudes of PGWs, the parity-violating terms induce nonzero circular polarization of PGWs, i.e., the left-hand and right-hand polarization modes of GWs have different amplitudes. The observational implications of this nonzero circular polarization is also briefly discussed.

Irrefutable Proof of The Non-Existence of a ‎Gravitational ‎Singularity at The Centre of a ‎Black Hole

Abstract: Astronomical observations confirm that gravitational force decreases with the square of the distance. If the gravitational ‎force in the centre of Sagittarius A* were close to infinity and would decrease with the square of the distance, our Milky Way ‎could not exist as we observe it. This fact is irrefutable proof that there is no gravitational singularity in the centre of ‎Sagittarius A* and in general, there is no gravitational singularity in the centre of a black hole.‎

Precessing and periodic orbits around hairy black holes in Horndeski’s Theory

Abstract: Abstract We investigate the dynamics of neutral timelike particles around a hairy black hole in Horndeski’s theory, which is characterized by a coupling parameter with the dimension of length. With deriving the particles’ relativistic periastron precessions, a preliminary bound on the hairy black hole is obtained by using the result of the S2 star’s precession with GRAVITY. It is tighter than the previous result constrained by the shadow size from EHT observations of M87* by about 3–4 orders of magnitude. We also analyse the particles’ periodic motions around the hole in the strong gravitational field. It clearly shows that small variations in the coupling parameter can make the neutral particles’ motions back and forth from the quasi-periodic orbits to the periodic orbits or no bound orbit. Our present work might provide hints for distinguishing the hairy black hole in Horndeski’s theory from the classical hole by using the particles’ dynamics in the strong gravitational field.

Gravitational-Scalar Instability of Cosmological Model Based on Two-Component System of Degenerate Scalarly Charged Fermions with Asymmetric Higgs Interaction. I. Equations for Perturbations

Abstract: A mathematical model is formulated for the evolution of plane perturbations in a cosmological two-component statistical system of completely degenerate scalarly charged fermions with an asymmetric scalar Higgs interaction. A complete closed system of differential equations are constructed to describe the unperturbed state of a homogeneous and isotropic system and a system of self-consistent evolution equations of small perturbations.

Gravitational radiation contributions to the two-body scattering angle

Abstract: We compute the contribution to the two-body scattering angle of a specific class of interactions involving the exchange of gravitational radiative degrees of freedom, including the nonlinear memory process and square of radiation reaction effects. Our computation is performed directly from the equations of motion, thus computing the overall effect of both conservative and dissipative processes. Such contributions provide in principle the last missing ingredients to compute the scattering angle at fifth post-Newtonian, at fourth post-Minkowskian order.

Inspiral gravitational waveforms from compact binary systems in Horndeski gravity

Abstract: In a subclass of Horndeski theories with the speed of gravity equivalent to that of light, we study gravitational radiation emitted during the inspiral phase of compact binary systems. We compute the waveform of scalar perturbations under a post-Newtonian expansion of energy-momentum tensors of pointlike particles that depend on a scalar field. This scalar mode not only gives rise to breathing and longitudinal polarizations of gravitational waves, but it is also responsible for scalar gravitational radiation in addition to energy loss associated with transverse and traceless tensor polarizations. We calculate the Fourier-transformed gravitational waveform of two tensor polarizations under a stationary phase approximation and show that the resulting waveform reduces to the one in a parametrized post-Einsteinian (ppE) formalism. The ppE parameters are directly related to a scalar charge in the Einstein frame, whose existence is crucial to allow the deviation from general relativity (GR). We apply our general framework to several concrete theories and show that a new theory of spontaneous scalarization with a higher-order scalar kinetic term leaves interesting deviations from GR that can be probed by the observations of gravitational waves emitted from neutron star--black hole binaries. If the scalar mass exceeds the order of typical orbital frequencies $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\simeq}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$, which is the case for a recently proposed scalarized neutron star with a self-interacting potential, the gravitational waveform practically reduces to that in GR.

Ghost and Laplacian instabilities in teleparallel Horndeski gravity

Abstract: Teleparallel geometry offers a platform on which to build up theories of gravity where torsion rather than curvature mediates gravitational interaction. The teleparallel analogue of Horndeski gravity is an approach to teleparallel geometry where scalar-tensor theories are considered in this torsional framework. Teleparallel gravity is based on the tetrad formalism. This turns out to result in a more general formalism of Horndeski gravity. In other words, the class of teleparallel Horndeski gravity models is much broader than the standard metric one. In this work, we explore constraints on this wide range of models coming from ghost and Laplacian instabilities. The aim is to limit pathological branches of the theory by fundamental considerations. It is possible to conclude that a very large class of models results physically viable.

Complexity equals anything II

Abstract: A bstract We expand on our results in [1] to present a broad new class of gravitational observables in asymptotically Anti-de Sitter space living on general codimension-zero regions of the bulk spacetime. By taking distinct limits, these observables can reduce to well-studied holographic complexity proposals, e.g., the volume of the maximal slice and the action or spacetime volume of the Wheeler-DeWitt patch. As with the codimension-one family found in [1], these new observables display two key universal features for the thermofield double state: they grow linearly in time at late times and reproduce the switchback effect. Hence we argue that any member of this new class of observables is an equally viable candidate as a gravitational dual of complexity. Moreover, using the Peierls construction, we show that variations of the codimension-zero and codimension-one observables are encoded in the gravitational symplectic form on the semi-classical phase-space, which can then be mapped to the CFT.

Causality constraints on corrections to Einstein gravity

Abstract: We study constraints from causality and unitarity on $2\to2$ graviton scattering in four-dimensional weakly-coupled effective field theories. Together, causality and unitarity imply dispersion relations that connect low-energy observables to high-energy data. Using such dispersion relations, we derive two-sided bounds on gravitational Wilson coefficients in terms of the mass $M$ of new higher-spin states. Our bounds imply that gravitational interactions must shut off uniformly in the limit $G \to 0$, and prove the scaling with $M$ expected from dimensional analysis (up to an infrared logarithm). We speculate that causality, together with the non-observation of gravitationally-coupled higher spin states at colliders, severely restricts modifications to Einstein gravity that could be probed by experiments in the near future.

On the impact of f(Q) gravity on the large scale structure

Abstract: We investigate the exponential f(Q) symmetric teleparallel gravitation, namely $f(Q)=Q+\alpha Q_0(1-e^{-\beta \sqrt{Q/Q_0}})$ using ME-GADGET code to probe the structure formation with box sizes Lbox = 10/100 Mpc/h and middle resolution $N_p^{1/3}=512$. To reproduce viable cosmology within the aforementioned modified gravity theory, we first perform Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling on OHD/BAO/Pantheon datasets and constrain a parameter space. Furthermore, we also derive theoretical values for deceleration parameter q(z), statefinder pair {r, s} and effective gravitational constant Geff, perform Om(z) diagnostics. While carrying out N-body+SPH simulations, we derive CDM+baryons over density/temperature/mean molecular weight fields, matter power spectrum (both 2/3D, with/without redshift space distortions), bispectrum, two-point correlation function and halo mass function. Results for small and big simulation box sizes are therefore properly compared, halo mass function is related to the Seth-Tormen theoretical prediction and matter power spectrum to the standard CAMB output.

Magnetized Black Holes: Interplay between Charge and Rotation

Abstract: Already in the cornerstone works on astrophysical black holes published as early as in the 1970s, Ruffini and collaborators have revealed the potential importance of an intricate interaction between the effects of strong gravitational and electromagnetic fields. Close to the event horizon of the black hole, magnetic and electric lines of force become distorted and dragged even in a purely electro-vacuum system. Moreover, as the plasma effects inevitably arise in any astrophysically realistic environment, particles of different electric charges can separate from each other, become accelerated away from the black hole or accreted onto it, and contribute to the net electric charge of the black hole. From the point of principle, the case of super-strong magnetic fields is of particular interest, as the electromagnetic field can act as a source of gravity and influence spacetime geometry. In a brief celebratory note, we revisit aspects of rotation and charge within the framework of exact (asymptotically non-flat) solutions of mutually coupled Einstein–Maxwell equations that describe magnetized, rotating black holes.

Possible existence of quark stars in Rastall Gravity

Abstract: In this work, we consider static quark star (QS) within the framework of Rastall gravity. Rastall gravity purports to be the nonconservative theory of gravity and an unusual nonminimal coupling between matter and geometry. In our study, we consider a Quantum chromodynamics (QCD)-motivated Equation of State (EoS) to determine the properties of QSs in Rastall gravity. Depending on the values of parameters, we seek to determine the mass–radius relations for QSs in Rastall gravity, identifying the deviation from standard general relativity (GR) counterparts. Interestingly, we find the value of the maximum gravitational mass to be more than 2[Formula: see text][Formula: see text] for the given equation of state (EoS). We present the essential features regarding the stability of QSs.

On the weak-gravity bound for a shift-symmetric scalar field

Abstract: The weak-gravity bound has been discovered in several asymptotically safe gravity-matter systems. It limits the strength of gravitational fluctuations that are compatible with an ultraviolet-complete matter sector, and results from the collision of two partial fixed points of the matter system as a function of the strength of the gravitational interactions. In this paper, we will investigate this mechanism in detail for a shift-symmetric scalar field. First, we will study the fixed point structure of the scalar system without gravity. We find indications that the Gaussian fixed point is the only viable fixed point, suggesting that a weak-gravity bound resulting from the collision of two partial fixed points is a truncation artefact. We will then couple the scalar system to gravity and perform different expansions to track the Gaussian fixed point as gravitational fluctuations become stronger. We also introduce a new notion of the weak-gravity bound that is based on the number of relevant operators.

Scientific value of the quantum tests of equivalence principle in light of Hilbert’s sixth problem

Abstract: In his sixth problem, Hilbert called for an axiomatic approach to theoretical physics with an aim to achieve precision and rigour in scientific reasoning, where logic and language (semantics) of physics play pivotal roles. It is from such a point of view, that we investigate the scientific value of the modern experiments to perform quantum tests of equivalence principle. Determination of Planck constant involves the use of acceleration due to gravity of the Earth (g) that results in the force on a test mass. The equivalence between the inertial mass and gravitational mass of a test object is assumed in the process of logically defining g from the relevant hypotheses of physics. Consequently, if Planck constant is used as input in any experiment (or in the associated theory that finds such an experiment) that is designed to test the equivalence between inertial and gravitational mass, then it is equivalent to establish a scientific truth by implicitly assuming it, i.e. a tautology. There are several notable examples which plague the frontiers of current scientific research which claim to make quantum test of equivalence principle. We question the scientific value of such experiments from Hilbert’s axiomatic point of view. This work adds to the recently reported semantic obstacle in any axiomatic attempt to put ‘quantum’ and ‘gravity’ together, albeit with an experimental tint.

Quantum gravity bounds on $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 1 effective theories in four dimensions

Abstract: We propose quantum gravitational constraints on effective four-dimensional theories with N=1 supersymmetry. These Swampland constraints arise by demanding consistency of the worldsheet theory of a class of axionic, or EFT, strings whose existence follows from the Completeness Conjecture of quantum gravity. Modulo certain assumptions, we derive positivity bounds and quantization conditions for the axionic couplings to the gauge and gravitational sector at the two- and four-derivative level, respectively. We furthermore obtain general bounds on the rank of the gauge sector in terms of the gravitational couplings to the axions. We exemplify how these bounds rule out otherwise consistent effective supergravity theories as theories of quantum gravity. Our derivations of the quantum gravity bounds are tested and further motivated in concrete string theoretic settings. In particular, this leads to a sharper version of the bound on the gauge group rank in F-theory on elliptic four-folds with a smooth base, which improves the known geometrical Kodaira bounds. We furthermore provide a detailed derivation of the EFT string constraints in heterotic string compactifications including higher derivative corrections to the effective action and apply the bounds to M-theory compactifications on $G_2$ manifolds.