Infrared Modification Research Articles

Visible energy alternative to dark energy

Quantum gravitational effects usually are assumed to be important on small scale (Planck scale), but actually these effects are also very significant on large (cosmological) scales. It is recognized that in curved spacetime, the existence of a minimal measurable momentum is inevitable. In this paper, we study thermodynamic properties of the late time universe in the presence of a minimal measurable momentum cutoff that encodes infra-red modification of the underlying field theory. In this regard, we consider a non-relativistic regime and show that the existence of a minimal measurable momentum in the very essence of the theory leads to accelerating expansion of the universe, which can be interpreted as an alternative to Dark Energy. The universe in this model has experienced the phantom line crossing in the near past.

In situ thermal modification of kafirin using infrared radiations and microwaves.

Kafirin is a prolamin protein located in the corneous endosperm of sorghum. The conventional thermal processing of kafirin reduces its solubility, which limits its utilization in the food industry. Therefore, the study was aimed to investigate the effect of in situ thermal modification of kafirin using two different electromagnetic thermal treatments, namely infrared (IR) and microwave (MW) radiation, on the physicochemical, structural, thermal, and antioxidant properties. The results demonstrated that both the thermal modifications improved yield, purity, and solubility of the kafirin with a decrease in hydrophobicity. However, IR-treated samples showed higher solubility (910.67 g kg-1 ) and lower hydrophobicity (387.67). The IR modifications also improved the ratio of α helix/β sheets to a great extent. The alterations in the disulfide content were concomitant with the improvement in the thermal stability of kafirin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed variations in the band intensities of β- and γ-kafirin, indicating alterations in the kafirin subunits. Morphological examination of kafirin revealed surface withering and agglomeration. Notably, IR treatment improved the antioxidant activity more efficiently (from 32.11% to 74.05%). Although both the IR and MW treatments modified kafirin, the effect seemed to be more pronounced in IR modification. The IR-modified kafirin had better solubility and lesser hydrophobicity than MW-modified kafirin. The physicochemical and structural changes induced by IR treatment improved the biological activity of kafirin, in terms of antioxidant activity. Therefore, it was concluded that the in situ IR modification of kafirin can alter its characteristic properties, improving its potential as a food ingredient. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quantum gravity phenomenology in the infrared

Quantum gravity effects are traditionally tied to short distances and high energies. In this essay, we argue that, perhaps surprisingly, quantum gravity may have important consequences for the phenomenology of the infrared. We center our discussion around a conception of quantum gravity involving a notion of quantum spacetime that arises in metastring theory. This theory allows for an evolution of a cosmological Universe in which string-dual degrees of freedom decouple as the Universe ages. Importantly, such an implementation of quantum gravity allows for the inclusion of a fundamental length scale without introducing the fundamental breaking of Lorentz symmetry. The mechanism seems to have potential for an entirely novel source for dark matter/energy. The simplest observational consequences of this scenario may very well be residual infrared modifications that emerge through the evolution of the Universe.

Astrophysical signatures of black holes in generalized Proca theories

Explaining the late time acceleration is one of the most challenging tasks for theoretical physicists today. Infra-red modification of Einstein's general theory of relativity (GR) is a possible route to model late time acceleration. In this regard, vector-tensor theory as a part of gravitational interactions on large cosmological scales, has been proposed recently. This involves generalization of massive Proca lagrangian in curved space time. Black hole solutions in such theories have also been constructed. In this paper, we study different astrophysical signatures of such black holes. We first study the strong lensing and time delay effect of such static spherically symmetric black hole solutions, in particular for the case of gravitational lensing of the star S2 by Sagittarius A* at the centre of Milky Way. We also construct the rotating black hole solution from this static spherically symmetric solution in Proca theories using the Newman-Janis algorithm and subsequently study lensing, time delay and black hole shadow effect in this rotating black hole space time. We discuss the possibility of detecting Proca hair in future observations.

Superfluids and the cosmological constant problem

We introduce a novel method to circumvent Weinberg's no-go theorem for self-tuning the cosmological vacuum energy: a finite-temperature superfluid can counter the effects of an arbitrarily large cosmological constant. Fluctuations of the superfluid result in the graviton acquiring a Lorentz-violating mass and we identify a unique class of theories that are pathology free, phenomenologically viable, and do not suffer from instantaneous modes. This new and hitherto unidentified phase of massive gravity propagates the same degrees of freedom as general relativity with an additional Lorentz-violating scalar that is introduced by higher-derivative operators in a UV insensitive manner. The superfluid is therefore a consistent infrared modification of gravity. We demonstrate how the superfluid can degravitate a cosmological constant and discuss its phenomenology.

Gravitational collapse in Vaidya space–time for Galileon gravity theory

The motive of this work is to study gravitational collapse in Vaidya space–time embedded in Galileon gravity theory. Galileon gravity is in fact an infrared modification of Einstein gravity, which was proposed as a generalization of the four-dimensional effective theory in the DGP brane model. Vaidya’s metric is used all over to follow the nature of future outgoing radial null geodesics. Detecting whether the central singularity is naked or wrapped by an event horizon, by the existence of future directed radial null geodesic emitted in the past from the singularity is the basic objective. To point out the existence of a positive trajectory tangent solution, both particular parametric cases (through tabular forms) and wide range contouring process have been applied. Precisely, the equation of state (EoS) in a perfect fluid satisfies a wide range of phenomena: from dust to exotic fluids like dark energy. We have used the EoS parameter, k, to determine the end collapse state in different cosmological eras.

Cosmological dynamics and dark energy from nonlocal infrared modifications of gravity

We study the cosmological dynamics of a recently proposed infrared modification of the Einstein equations, based on the introduction of a nonlocal term constructed with m2gμν□-1R, where m is a mass parameter. The theory generates automatically a dynamical dark energy component, that can reproduce the observed value of the dark energy density without introducing a cosmological constant. Fixing m so to reproduce the observed value Ω DE ≃0.68, and writing w DE (a) = w0+(1-a)wa, the model provides a neat prediction for the equation of state parameters of dark energy, w0≃-1.042 and wa≃-0.020, and more generally provides a pure prediction for w DE as a function of redshift. We show that, because of some freedom in the definition of □-1, one can extend the construction so to define a more general family of nonlocal models. However, in a first approximation this turns out to be equivalent to adding an explicit cosmological constant term on top of the dynamical dark energy component. This leads to an extended model with two parameters, ΩΛ and m. Even in this extension the EOS parameter w0 is always on the phantom side, in the range -1.33 ≲w0≤-1, and there is a prediction for the relation between w0 and wa.

Spherically symmetric static solutions in a nonlocal infrared modification of General Relativity

We discuss static spherically symmetric solutions in a recently proposed non-local infrared modification of Einstein equations induced by a term $m^2g_{\mu\nu}\Box^{-1} R$, where $m$ is a mass scale. We find that, contrary to what happens in usual theories of massive gravity, in this non-local theory there is no vDVZ discontinuity and classical non-linearities do not become large below a Vainshtein radius parametrically larger than the Schwarzschild radius $r_S$. Rather on the contrary, in the regime $r\ll m^{-1}$ the corrections to the metric generated by a static body in GR are of the form $1+{\cal O}(m^2r^2)$ and become smaller and smaller toward smaller values of $r$. The modification to the GR solutions only show up at $r > m^{-1}$. For $m={\cal O}(H_0)$, as required for having interesting cosmological consequences, the non-local theory therefore recovers all successes of GR at the solar system and lab scales.

Cosmological perturbations and structure formation in nonlocal infrared modifications of general relativity

We study the cosmological consequences of a recently proposed nonlocal modification of general relativity, obtained by adding a term m2R □−2R to the Einstein-Hilbert action. The model has the same number of parameters as ΛCDM, with m replacing ΩΛ.At the background level, after fixing m so to reproduce the observed value of ΩM, we get a pure prediction for the equation of state of dark energy as a function of redshift, wDE(z), withwDE(0) in the range [−1.165,−1.135] as ΩM varies over the broad range ΩM∊[0.20,0.36]. We find that the cosmological perturbations are well-behaved, and the model fully fixes the dark energy perturbations as a function of redshift z and wavenumber k.The nonlocal model provides a good fit to supernova data and predicts deviations from General Relativity in structure formation and in weak lensing at the level of 3-4%, therefore consistent with existing data but readily detectable by future surveys. For the logarithmic growth factor we obtain γ ≃ 0.53, to be compared withγ ≃ 0.55 in ΛCDM. For the Newtonian potential on subhorizon scales our results are well fitted byΨ(a;k) = [1+μsas]ΨGR(a;k)with a scale-independent μs ≃ 0.09 and s ≃ 2, while the anisotropic stress is negligibly small.

Phantom dark energy from nonlocal infrared modifications of general relativity

We discuss the cosmological consequences of a model based on a nonlocal infrared modification of Einstein equations. We find that the model generates a dynamical dark energy that can account for the presently observed value of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{\mathrm{DE}}$, without introducing a cosmological constant. Tuning a free mass parameter $m$ to a value $m\ensuremath{\simeq}0.67{H}_{0}$, we reproduce the observed value ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{\mathrm{DE}}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.68$. This leaves us with no free parameter, and we then get a pure prediction for the equation of state parameter of dark energy. Writing ${w}_{\mathrm{DE}}(a)={w}_{0}+(1\ensuremath{-}a){w}_{a}$, we find ${w}_{0}\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}1.04$ and ${w}_{a}\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.02$, consistent with the Planck data and on the phantom side. We also argue that nonlocal equations of the type that we propose must be understood as purely classical effective equations, such as those derived in semiclassical gravity for the in-in matrix elements of the metric. As such, any apparent ghost instability in such equations only affects the classical dynamics, but there is no propagating degree of freedom associated to the ghost and no issue of ghost-induced quantum vacuum decay.

GENERALIZED DARK GRAVITY

The late-time cosmic acceleration may be due to infra-red modifications of General Relativity. In particular, we consider a maximal extension of the Hilbert–Einstein action and analyze several interesting features of the theory. Generally, the motion is nongeodesic and takes place in the presence of an extra force, which is orthogonal to the four-velocity. These models could lead to some major differences, as compared to the predictions of General Relativity or other modified theories of gravity, in several problems of current interest, such as cosmology, gravitational collapse or the generation of gravitational waves. The study of these phenomena may also provide some specific signatures and effects, which could distinguish and discriminate between the various gravitational models.

Late-time cosmic acceleration: Dark gravity

A central theme in cosmology is the perplexing fact that the Universe is undergoing an accelerating expansion. The latter, one of the most important and challenging current problems in cosmology, represents a new imbalance in the governing gravitational field equations. Several candidates, responsible for this expansion, have been proposed in the literature, in particular, dark energy models and modified gravity, amongst others. In this paper, we explore the possibility that the late-time cosmic acceleration is due to infra-red modifications of Einstein's theory of General Relativity, and review some of the modified theories of gravity that address this intriguing and exciting problem facing modern physics.

Bi-galileon theory I: motivation and formulation

We introduce bi-galileon theory, the generalisation of the single galileon model introduced by Nicolis et al. The theory contains two coupled scalar fields and is described by a Lagrangian that is invariant under Galilean shifts in those fields. This paper is the first of two, and focuses on the motivation and formulation of the theory. We show that the boundary effective theory of the cascading cosmology model corresponds to a bi-galileon theory in the decoupling limit, and argue that this is to be expected for co-dimension 2 braneworld models exhibiting infra-red modification of gravity. We then generalise this, by constructing the most general bi-galileon Lagrangian. By coupling one of the galileons to the energy-momentum tensor, we pitch this as a modified gravity theory in which the modifications to General Relativity are encoded in the dynamics of the two galileons. We initiate a study of phenomenology by looking at maximally symmetric vacua and their stability, developing elegant geometric techniques that trivially explain why some of the vacua have to be unstable in certain cases (eg DGP). A detailed study of phenomenology appears in our companion paper.

Cascading gravity is ghost free

We perform a full perturbative stability analysis of the 6D cascading gravity model in the presence of 3-brane tension. We demonstrate that for sufficiently large tension on the (flat) 3-brane, there are no ghosts at the perturbative level, consistent with results that had previously only been obtained in a specific 5D decoupling limit. These results establish the cascading gravity framework as a consistent infrared modification of gravity.

The universe is accelerating. Do we need a new mass scale?

We try to address quantitatively the question whether a new mass is needed to fit current supernovae data. For this purpose, we consider an infra-red modification of gravity that does not contain any new mass scale but systematic subleading corrections proportional to the curvature. The modifications are of the same type as the one recently derived by enforcing the “Ultra Strong Equivalence Principle” (USEP) upon a Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker universe in the presence of a scalar field. The distance between two comoving observers is altered by these corrections and the observations at high redshift are affected at any time during the cosmic evolution. While the specific values of the parameters predicted by USEP are ruled out, there are regions of parameter space that fit SnIa data very well. This allows an interesting possibility to explain the apparent cosmic acceleration today without introducing either a dark energy component or a new mass scale.

TIMELIKE GEODESIC MOTION IN HORAVA–LIFSHITZ SPACE–TIME

Recently a nonrelativistic renormalizable theory of gravitation has been proposed by P. Horava. When restricted to satisfy the condition of detailed balance, this theory is intimately related to topologically massive gravity in three dimensions, and the geometry of the Cotton tensor. At long distances, this theory is expected to flow to the relativistic value λ = 1, and could therefore serve as a possible candidate for a UV completion of Einstein's general relativity or an infrared modification thereof. In this paper under allowing the lapse function to depend on the spatial coordinates xias well as t, we obtain the spherically symmetric solutions. And then by analyzing the behavior of the effective potential for the particle, we investigate the timelike geodesic motion of particle in the Horava–Lifshitz space–time. We find that the nonradial particle falls from a finite distance to the center along the timelike geodesics when its energy is in an appropriate range. However, we find that it is complexity for radial particle along the timelike geodesics. There are three different cases due to the energy of radial particle: (i) when the energy of radial particle is higher than a critical value EC, the particle will fall directly from infinity to the singularity; (ii) when the energy of radial particle equals to the critical value EC, the particle orbit at r = rCis unstable, i.e. the particle will escape from r = rCto the infinity or to the singularity, depending on the initial conditions of the particle; (iii) when the energy of radial particle is in a proper range, the particle will rebound to the infinity or plunge to the singularity from a infinite distance, depending on the initial conditions of the particle.

Modified gravity in Arnowitt–Deser–Misner formalism

Motivated by Hořava–Lifshitz gravity theory, we propose and investigate two kinds of modified gravity theories, the f(R) kind and the K-essence kind, in the Arnowitt–Deser–Misner (ADM) formalism. The f(R) kind includes one ultraviolet (UV) term and one infrared (IR) term together with the Einstein–Hilbert action. We find that these two terms naturally present the ultraviolet and infrared modifications to the Friedmann equation. The UV and IR modifications can avoid the past Big-Bang singularity and the future Big–Rip singularity, respectively. Furthermore, the IR modification can naturally account for the current acceleration of the Universe. The Lagrangian of K-essence kind modified gravity is made up of the three-dimensional Ricci scalar and an arbitrary function of the extrinsic curvature term. We find the cosmic acceleration can also be naturally interpreted without invoking any kind of dark energy. The static, spherically symmetry and vacuum solutions of both theories are Schwarzschild or Schwarzschild–de Sitter solution. Thus these modified gravity theories are viable for solar system tests.

Infrared modified gravity with dynamical torsion

We continue the recent study of the possibility of constructing a consistent infrared modification of gravity by treating the vierbein and connection as independent dynamical fields. We present the generalized Fierz-Pauli equation that governs the propagation of a massive spin-2 mode in a model of this sort in the backgrounds of arbitrary torsionless Einstein manifolds. We show explicitly that the number of propagating degrees of freedom in these backgrounds remains the same as in flat space-time. This generalizes the recent result that the Boulware-Deser phenomenon does not occur in de Sitter and anti-de Sitter backgrounds. We find that, at least for weakly curved backgrounds, there are no ghosts in the model. We also discuss the interaction of sources in flat background. It is generally believed that the spinning matter is the only source of torsion. Our flat space study shows that this is not the case. We demonstrate that an ordinary conserved symmetric energy-momentum tensor can also generate torsion fields and thus excite massive spin-2 degrees of freedom.

Cosmological constraints on DGP braneworld gravity with brane tension

We perform a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis of the self-accelerating and normal branch of Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati braneworld gravity. By adopting a parameterized post-Friedmann description of gravity, we utilize all of the cosmic microwave background data, including the largest scales, and its correlation with galaxies in addition to the geometrical constraints from supernovae distances and the Hubble constant. We find that on both branches brane tension or a cosmological constant is required at high significance with no evidence for the unique Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati modifications. The cross-over scale must therefore be substantially greater than the Hubble scale H_0 r_c > 3 and 3.5 at the 95% CL with and without uncertainties from spatial curvature. With spatial curvature, the limit from the normal branch is substantially assisted by the galaxy cross-correlation which highlights its importance in constraining infrared modifications to gravity.

Towards constraining of the Horava–Lifshitz gravities

Recently a renormalizable model of gravity has been proposed, which might be a UV completion of General Relativity (GR) or its infra-red modification, probably with a strongly coupled scalar mode. Although the generic vacuum of the theory is anti-de Sitter one, particular limits of the theory allow for the Minkowski vacuum. In this limit (though without consideration of the strongly coupled scalar field) post-Newtonian coefficients of spherically symmetric solutions coincide with those of the General Relativity. Thus the deviations from the convenient GR should be tested beyond the post-Newtonian corrections, that is for a system with strong gravity at astrophysical scales. In this Letter we consider potentially observable properties of black holes in the deformed Horava–Lifshitz gravity with Minkowski vacuum: the gravitational lensing and quasinormal modes. We have showed that the bending angle is seemingly smaller in the considered Horava–Lifshitz gravity than in GR. The quasinormal modes of black holes are longer lived and have larger real oscillation frequency in the Horava–Lifshitz gravity than in GR. These corrections should be observable in the near future experiments on lensing and by gravitational antennas, helping to constrain parameters of the Horava–Lifshitz gravity or to discard it.