Cosmological Constant Research Articles

Shell Universe: Reducing Cosmological Tensions with the Relativistic Ni Solutions

Recent discoveries of massive galaxies existing in the early universe, as well as apparent anomalies in Ωm and H0 at high redshift, have raised sharp new concerns for the ΛCDM model of cosmology. Here, we address these problems by using new solutions for the Einstein field equations of relativistic compact objects originally found by Ni. Applied to the universe, the new solutions imply that the universe’s mass is relatively concentrated in a thick outer shell. The interior space would not have a flat, Minkowski metric, but rather a repulsive gravitational field centered on the origin. This field would induce a gravitational redshift in light waves moving inward from the cosmic shell and a corresponding blueshift in waves approaching the shell. Assuming the Milky Way lies near the origin, within the KBC Void, this redshift would make H0 appear to diminish at high redshifts and could thus relieve the Hubble tension. The Ni redshift could also reduce or eliminate the requirement for dark energy in the ΛCDM model. The relative dimness of distant objects would instead arise because the Ni redshift makes them appear closer to us than they really are. To account for the CMB temperature–redshift relation and for the absence of a systematic blueshift in stars closer to the origin than the Milky Way, it is proposed that the Ni redshift and blueshift involve exchanges of photon energy with a photonic spacetime. These exchanges in turn form the basis for a cosmic CMB cycle, which gives rise to gravity and an Einsteinian cosmological constant, Λ. Black holes are suggested to have analogous Ni structures and gravity/Λ cycles.

The cosmological constant and the weak gravity conjecture

We examine the descent via membrane nucleation through a landscape of vacua where the cosmological constant is given by a combination of four-form fluxes. It has been shown that this descent can be slowed exponentially for very low curvature vacua close to Minkowski space in a wide class of models satisfying certain parametric conditions, providing a possible solution to the cosmological constant problem. We explore in detail whether or not those parametric conditions are compatible with the membrane weak gravity conjecture. Whilst it is true that there is often tension, we show that this is not always the case and present an explicit model where Minkowski space is absolutely stable and the weak gravity conjecture is satisfied. This corresponds to an extension of the Bousso-Polchinski model into a generalised DBI action for four-forms. We also clarify how the landscape should be populated in a consistent model.

Quantum backreactions in (A)dS3 massive gravity and logarithmic asymptotic behavior

We study the interplay between higher-curvature terms and the backreaction of quantum fluctuations in three-dimensional massive gravity in asymptotically (anti–)de Sitter space. We focus on the theory at the special point of the parameter space where the two maximally symmetric vacua coincide. In the case of positive cosmological constant, this corresponds to the partially massless point, at which the classical theory admits de Sitter black holes and exhibits an extra conformal symmetry at linear level. We explicitly find the quantum corrected black hole geometry in the semiclassical approximation and show that it induces a relaxation of the standard asymptotic conditions. Nonetheless, the new asymptotic behavior is still preserved by an infinite-dimensional algebra, which, in addition to Virasoro, contains logarithmic supertranslations. Finally, we show that all the results we obtain for the quadratic massive gravity theory can be extended to theories including cubic and quartic terms in the curvature. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Why the big bang never happened

<p>If general relativity is correct, then the origin of the universe is a simple mathematical problem. The Friedmann equation in cosmology is a well-structured ordinary differential equation, and the global properties of its solutions can be qualitatively analyzed by the phase-trajectory method. In this paper we show that the total energy density of matter in the universe is positive, and the total pressure near the Big Bang is negative. By analyzing the global properties of the solutions to the Friedmann equation according to these two conditions of state functions, we find that the Big Bang is impossible, and the space must be a closed 3-dimensional sphere, the cosmological constant is likely to be zero, and the evolution of the universe should be cyclic. The analysis and the proof are simple and straight forward, therefore these conclusions should be reliable.</p>

Can Stiff Matter Solve the Hubble Tension?

A new form of the mathematical expression for the co-moving volume element of a flat universe with cosmological constant, cold matter, and stiff matter is presented. It is used to determine the constraints from the Planck measurements of the Hubble parameter on the amount of stiff matter in the universe. These constraints are used to investigate whether the presence of stiff matter can solve the Hubble tension. It is found that the Planck measurements lead to an upper bound on the present value of the density parameter of stiff matter ΩS0<5⋅10−23, and that this is too small to solve the Hubble tension. Report. The main objective of this article is to introduce a novel mathematical expression for the co-moving volume element in a flat universe that includes a cosmological constant, cold matter, and stiff matter. This expression is utilized to derive constraints on the amount of stiff matter in the universe based on the Planck measurements of the Hubble parameter. These constraints are then examined to assess whether stiff matter could potentially resolve the Hubble tension. The findings indicate that the Planck measurements impose an upper limit on the current value of the density parameter of stiff matter, ΩS0<5⋅10−23, which is insufficient to resolve the Hubble tension.

Kerr-MOG-(A)dS black hole and its shadow in scalar-tensor-vector gravity theory

The scalar-tensor-vector gravity (STVG) theory has attracted significant interest due to its ability to effectively address the issue of galaxy rotation curves and clusters of galaxies without considering the influence of dark matter. In this paper, we construct rotating black hole solutions with a cosmological constant in the STVG theory (i.e., Kerr-MOG-(A)dS black hole solutions), where the import of a gravitational charge as a source modifies the gravitational constant, determined by GG = G N(1+α). For Kerr-MOG-dS spacetime, the observer is situated at a specific location within the domain of outer communication, rather than being located infinitely far away. Since black hole shadows are shaped by light propagation in spacetime, the interaction between the MOG parameter and the cosmological constant is expected to produce novel effects on these shadows. As the cosmological constant Λ increases, the apparent size of the black hole shadow decreases. Additionally, the shadow expands with an increase in the MOG parameter α, reaching a maximum at a certain value, and its shape becomes more rounded under an arbitrary rotation parameter, which leads to degeneracy between different black hole parameters. However, by employing numerical ray-tracing techniques, we have found that gravitational lensing and the frame-dragging effect effectively distinguish this degeneracy. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of black holes in modified gravity, their observational signatures, and constraints.

Graviton mass due to dark energy as a superconducting medium-theoretical and phenomenological aspects

It is well known that the cosmological constant term in the Einstein field equations can be interpreted as a stress tensor for dark energy. This stress tensor is formally analogous to an elastic constitutive equation in continuum mechanics. As a result, the cosmological constant leads to a “shear modulus” and “bulk modulus” affecting all gravitational fields in the universe. The form of the constitutive equation is also analogous to the London constitutive equation for a superconductor. Treating dark energy as a type of superconducting medium for gravitational waves leads to a Yukawa-like gravitational potential and a massive graviton within standard General Relativity. We discuss a number of resulting phenomenological aspects such as a screening length scale that can also be used to describe the effects generally attributed to dark matter. In addition, we find a gravitational wave plasma frequency, index of refraction, and impedance. The expansion of the universe is interpreted as a Meissner-like effect as dark energy causes an outward “expulsion” of space-time similar to a superconductor expelling a magnetic field. The fundamental cause of these effects is interpreted as a type of spontaneous symmetry breaking of a scalar field. There is an associated chemical potential, critical temperature, and an Unruh-Hawking effect associated with the formulation.

Fermi model of a quantum black hole

We propose a quantum model of the Schwarzschild black hole as a quantum mechanics of a system of fermionic degrees of freedom. The system has a constant density of states and a Fermi energy that is inversely proportional to the size of the system. Assuming the equivalence principle, we show that the degeneracy pressure of the Fermi degrees of freedom is able to withstand the collapse of gravity if the radius of the system is given precisely by the horizon radius of the Schwarzschild black hole. In our model, the fermionic degrees of freedom at each energy level can be entangled in certain different ways, giving rise to a multitude of degenerate ground states of the system. The counting of these microstates reproduces precisely the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. This simple Fermi model is universal and works also for the Reissner-Nordström charged black hole as well as black holes with a cosmological constant. From the properties of the Fermi variables, we propose that quantum gravity is characterized by a principle of where there can be no more than V/lP3 quantum states in any volume V. It implies a loss of spatial locality below the Planck length and suggests that any singularity predicted by general relativity is resolved and replaced by a quantum space in quantum gravity. In our model, a black hole spacetime is equipped with a uniform distribution of energy levels. This is another reason why black holes can be considered a simple harmonic oscillator of quantum gravity. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Unimodular quadratic gravity and the cosmological constant

Unimodular gravity addresses the old cosmological constant (CC) problem, explaining why such constant is not at least as large as the largest particle mass scale, but classically it is indistinguishable from ordinary gravity. Conversely, quantum physics may give us a way to distinguish the two theories. Thus, here the unimodular constraint is imposed on a non-perturbative and background-independent quantum version of quadratic gravity, which was recently formulated. It is shown that unimodularity does lead to different predictions for some inflationary quantum observables. Unimodular gravity per se does not solve the new CC problem (why the CC has the observed value?) even in this realization. To address this issue a multiverse made by different eras in a single big bang is considered and the observed scale of dark energy is explained anthropically.

The semi-classical saddles in three-dimensional gravity via holography and mini-superspace approach

We determine the complex geometries dual to the semi-classical saddles in three-dimensional gravity with positive or negative cosmological constant. We examine the semi-classical saddles in Liouville field theory and interpret them in terms of gravity theory. For this, we describe the gravity theory by Chern-Simons theory and classify the possible saddles based on the homotopy group argument. We further realize the semi-classical saddles using the mini-superspace model of quantum gravity and explicitly determine the integral contour. In the case of positive cosmological constant, we recovered the geometry used for no-boundary proposal of Hartle and Hawking. In the case of negative cosmological constant, the geometry can be identified with Euclidean anti-de Sitter space attached with imaginary radius spheres. The geometry should be unphysical and several arguments on this issue are provided. Partial results were already presented in our earlier letter, and more detailed derivations and explanations on the results are given along with additional results. In particular, we reproduce the classical Liouville action from the Chern-Simons formulation of dual gravity theory.

Thermodynamic formulation of vacuum energy density in flat spacetime and potential implications for the cosmological constant

We propose a thermodynamical definition of the vacuum energy density ρvac, defined as 〈vac|Tμν|vac〉 = − ρvacgμν, in quantum field theory in flat Minkowski space in D spacetime dimensions, which can be computed in the limit of high temperature, namely in the limit β = 1/T → 0. It takes the form ρvac = const ∙ mD where m is a fundamental mass scale and “const” is a computable constant which can be positive or negative depending on interaction couplings. Due to modular invariance ρvac can also be computed in a different non-thermodynamic channel where one spatial dimension is compactifed on a circle of circumference β and we confirm this modularity for free massive theories for both bosons and fermions for D = 2, 3, 4. We list various properties of ρvac that are generally required, for instance ρvac = 0 for conformal field theories, and others, such as the constraint that ρvac has opposite signs for free bosons verses fermions of the same mass, which is related to constraints from supersymmetry. Using the Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz we compute ρvac exactly for 2 classes of integrable QFT’s in 2D and interpreting some previously known results. We apply our definition of ρvac to Lattice QCD data with two light quarks (up and down) and one additional massive flavor (the strange quark), and find it is negative, ρvac ≈ − (200 MeV)4. Finally we make some remarks on the Cosmological Constant Problem since ρvac is central to any discussion of it.

A unimodular Kaluza-Klein theory

Unimodular gravity became an object of increasing interest in the late 80-ties (see, e.g. M. Henneaux and C. Teitelboim, (1989 Phys. Lett. B 222, 195), W. Buchmüller and N. Dragon, N. (1989 Phys. Lett. B 223, 313), W.G. Unruh, (1989 Phys. Rev. D, 40, 1048) and was recently used in primordial Universe modeling with cosmological constant, in the context of the Brans-Dicke gravity including scalar field A. M. Almeida et al (2023 Universe 8, 429). In the present article we investigate the possibility of imposing the unimodular condition within the 5-dimensional Kaluza-Klein theory including the scalar field. The variational principle is formulated in 5 dimensions first, and dimensional reduction is applied to the resulting set of equations. A cosmological model based on these equations is then presented and discussed.

Generalized approach for the perturbative dynamical braneworld in D dimensions

In this paper, we propose an approach to derive the brane cosmology in the D-dimensional braneworld model. We generalize the “bulk-based” approach by treating the 4-brane as a small perturbation to the D-dimensional spherically symmetric spacetime. The linear corrections from a static 4-brane to the metric are derived from the linearized perturbation equations, while the nonlinear corrections are found by a parameterization of the perturbed metric solution. We use a time-dependent generalization to give the nonlinearly perturbed metric solution for the dynamical braneworld model, and analyze the stability of the model under the motion of the 4-brane. Through the fine tuning, we can recover the Friedmann equations for the universe with and without an effective cosmological constant. More importantly, the de Sitter expansion of the universe can be reproduced.

Re-evaluating the cosmological redshift: Insights into inhomogeneities and irreversible processes

Understanding the expansion of the Universe remains a profound challenge in fundamental physics. The complexity of solving general relativity equations in the presence of intricate, inhomogeneous flows has compelled cosmological models to rely on perturbation theory in a homogeneous Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker background. This approach accounts for a redshift of light encompassing contributions from both the cosmological background expansion along the photon's trajectory and Doppler effects at emission due to peculiar motions. However, this computation of the redshift is not covariant, as it hinges on specific coordinate choices that may distort physical interpretations of the relativity of motion. In this study we show that peculiar motions, when tracing the dynamics along time-like geodesics, must contribute to the redshift of light through a local volume expansion factor, in addition to the background expansion. By employing a covariant approach to redshift calculation, we address the central question of whether the cosmological principle alone guarantees that the averaged local volume expansion factor matches the background expansion. We establish that this holds true only in scenarios characterised by a reversible evolution of the Universe, where inhomogeneous expansion and compression modes compensate for one another. In the presence of irreversible processes, such as the dissipation of large-scale compression modes through matter virialisation and associated entropy production, the averaged expansion factor becomes dominated by expansion in voids that can no longer be compensated for by compression in virialised structures. Furthermore, for a universe in which a substantial portion of its mass has undergone virialisation, adhering to the background evolution on average leads to significant violations of the second law of thermodynamics. Our approach shows that entropy production due to irreversible processes during the formation of structures plays the same role as an effective, time-dependent cosmological constant (i.e. dynamical dark energy) without the need to invoke new unknown physics. Our findings underscore the imperative need to re-evaluate the influence of inhomogeneities and irreversible processes on cosmological models, shedding new light on the intricate dynamics of our Universe.

Dipole cosmology in [formula omitted]-gravity

Symmetric teleparallel f(Q)-gravity allows for the presence of a perfect fluid with a tilted velocity in the Kantowski–Sachs geometry. In this dipole model, we consider an ideal gas and we investigate the evolution of the physical parameters. The tilt parameter is constrained by the nonlinear function f(Q) through the non-diagonal equations of the field equations. We find that the dynamics always reduce to the vacuum solutions of STEGR. This includes the Kasner universe, when no cosmological term is introduced by the f(Q) function, and the isotropic de Sitter universe, where fQ plays the role of the cosmological constant. In the extreme tilt limit, the universe is consistently anisotropic and accelerated. However, the final solution matches that of STEGR.

Mixing “Magnetic” and “Electric” Ehlers–Harrison transformations: the electromagnetic swirling spacetime and novel type I backgrounds

In this paper, we obtain a complete list of stationary and axisymmetric spacetimes, generated from a Minkowski spacetime using the Ernst technique. We do so by operating on the associated seed potentials with a composition of Ehlers and Harrison transformations. In particular, assigning an additional “electric” or “magnetic” tag to the transformations, we investigate the new spacetimes obtained either via a composition of magnetic Ehlers and Harrison transformations (first part) or via a magnetic-electric combination (second part). In the first part, the resulting type D spacetime, dubbed electromagnetic swirling universe, features key properties, separately found in swirling and (Bonnor–)Melvin spacetimes, the latter recovered in appropriate limits. A detailed analysis of the geometry is included, and subtle issues are addressed. A detailed proof that the spacetime belongs to the Kundt family, is included, and a notable relation to the5 planar-Reissner–Nordström-NUT black hole is also meticulously worked out. This relation is further exploited to reverse-engineer the form of the solution in the presence of a nontrivial cosmological constant. A Schwarzschild black hole embedded into the new background is also discussed. In the second part, we present four novel stationary and axisymmetric asymptotically nonflat type I spacetimes, which are naively expected to be extensions of the Melvin or swirling solution including a NUT parameter or electromagnetic charges. We actually find that they are, under conditions, free of curvature and topological singularities, with the physical meaning of the electric transformation parameters in these backgrounds requiring further investigation.

A new perspective on Kaluza–Klein theories

Assuming that the geometry of spacetime is uniquely determined by the energy–momentum tensor of matter alone, i.e. without any interactions, enables us to construct the Lagrangian from which the metric of higher dimensional spacetime follows. From the geodesic equations that follow, it becomes clear that the incorrect mass of elementary particles predicted by Kaluza–Klein theories arises from the assumption that in the absence of gravity the solution to the Einstein field equations reduces to the Minkowski metric. From construction of a consistent theory of 4D electromagnetism, we find that this assumption does not only result in the incorrect mass of elementary particles, but also the incorrect value of the cosmological constant. This suggests that these incorrect predictions, which are often regarded as major flaws of Kaluza–Klein theories, just reflect the inconsistency of the assumption that the solution to Einstein field equations reduces to Minkowski metric in the absence of gravity and Weyl invariance which is the symmetry of gauge theories in 4D spacetime. Abandoning this assumption results in modification of general relativity. We show that the unified description of fundamental interactions naturally incorporates the Higgs mechanism. For non-Abelian gauge fields, we find that the manifold comprising the extra dimensions has to be a group manifold and show that the standard model is realized in 16D spacetime. We show that charge and spin are the same concept, but what makes them different is that the former follows from symmetry of 4D spacetime while the latter follows from symmetry of the internal space.

Hawking Temperature Modification and the Physical Dynamics of Black Holes: A Study of the Influence of Internal and Cosmological Variables

<p>The main objective of the study is to develop a model that modifies the traditional Hawking temperature by considering the influence of internal variables such as radius, mass, electric charge, angular momentum, and cosmological constant. The research method involves mathematical analysis and computational modeling based on the modified Hawking temperature equation. The results show that the modified Hawking temperature produces non-linear corrections that show the interaction between black holes and the quantum structure of spacetime. graphical representations visualize the variation of Hawking temperature with changes in area, electric charge, angular momentum, and cosmological parameters. The implications of the research extend to the understanding of the thermal properties of black holes in the context of gravitational and quantum theories. The research identifies gaps in the knowledge of the effects of cosmological parameters on black hole thermodynamics and introduces Hawking temperature modifications that have not been mapped in detail before. The study concludes that the Hawking temperature modification provides a strong foundation for further research in black hole physics, particularly in the effect of physical and cosmological parameters on the thermal properties of black holes.</p>

PDM relativistic quantum oscillator in Einstein–Maxwell–Lambda space-time

In this paper, we study the relativistic dynamics of quantum oscillator fields within the context of a position-dependent mass (PDM) system in the background of a curved space-time. The chosen curved space-time is generated by a magnetic field incorporating a non-zero cosmological constant called Einstein–Maxwell–Lambda solution. To analyze PDM quantum oscillator fields, we introduce a modification into the Klein–Gordon equation by substituting the four-momentum vector [Formula: see text], where various four-vectors are defined by [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] is the mass oscillator frequency. The radial wave equation for the modified Klein–Gordon equation is derived and subsequently solve for two distinct scalar multipliers: (i) [Formula: see text] and (ii) [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The resultant approximate energy levels and wave function for quantum oscillator fields are demonstrated to be influenced by the cosmological constant and the geometrical topology parameter which breaks the degeneracy of the energy spectrum. Furthermore, we observed noteworthy modifications in the approximate energy levels and wave function when compared to the results derived in the flat space.

Higher-spin self-dual General Relativity: 6d and 4d pictures, covariant vs. lightcone

We study the higher-spin extension of self-dual General Relativity (GR) with cosmological constant, proposed by Krasnov, Skvortsov and Tran. We show that this theory is actually a gauge-fixing of a 6d diffeomorphism-invariant Abelian theory, living on (4d spacetime)×(2d spinor space) modulo a finite group. On the other hand, we point out that the theory respects the 4d geometry of a self-dual GR solution, with no backreaction from the higher-spin fields. We also present a lightcone ansatz that reduces the covariant fields to one scalar field for each helicity. The field equations governing these scalars have only cubic vertices. We compare our lightcone ansatz to Metsaev’s lightcone formalism. We conclude with a new perspective on the lightcone formalism in (A)dS spacetime: not merely a complication of its Minkowski-space cousin, it has a built-in Lorentz covariance, and is closely related to Vasiliev’s concept of unfolding.