Positive Cosmological Constant Research Articles

Scale hierarchies in particle physics and cosmology

I describe the phenomenology of a model of supersymmetry breaking in the presence of a tiny (tuneable) positive cosmological constant. It utilises a single chiral multiplet with a gauged shift symmetry, that can be identified with the string dilaton (or an appropriate compactification modulus). The model is coupled to the MSSM, leading to calculable soft supersymmetry breaking masses and a distinct low energy phenomenology that allows to differentiate it from other models of supersymmetry breaking and mediation mechanisms. We also study the question if this model can lead to inflation by identifying the dilaton with the inflaton. We find that this is possible if the Kähler potential is modified by a term that has the form of NS5-brane instantons, leading to an appropriate inflationary plateau around the maximum of the scalar potential, depending on two extra parameters.

Non-Abelian cosmic string in the Starobinsky model of gravity

In this paper, we analyze numerically the behavior of the solutions corresponding to a non-Abelian cosmic string in the framework of the Starobinsky model, i.e. where [Formula: see text]. We perform the calculations for both an asymptotically flat and asymptotically (anti)-de Sitter spacetimes. We found that the angular deficit generated by the string decreases as the parameter [Formula: see text] increases, in the case of a null cosmological constant. For a positive cosmological constant, we found that the cosmic horizon is affected in a nontrivial way by the parameter [Formula: see text].

Evolution of cyclic mixmaster universes with noncomoving radiation

We study a model of a cyclic, spatially homogeneous, anisotropic 'mixmaster' universe of Bianchi type IX, containing a radiation field with non-comoving ('tilted' with respect to the tetrad frame of reference) velocities and vorticity. We employ a combination of numerical and approximate analytic methods to investigate the consequences of the second law of thermodynamics on the evolution. We model a smooth cycle-to-cycle evolution of the mixmaster universe, bouncing at a finite minimum, by the device of adding a comoving 'ghost' field with negative energy density. In the absence of a cosmological constant, an increase in entropy, injected at the start of each cycle, causes an increase in the volume maxima, increasing approach to flatness, falling velocities and vorticities, and growing anisotropy at the expansion maxima of successive cycles. We find that the velocities oscillate rapidly as they evolve and change logarithmically in time relative to the expansion volume. When the conservation of momentum and angular momentum constraints are imposed, the spatial components of these velocities fall to smaller values when the entropy density increases, and vice versa. Isotropisation is found to occur when a positive cosmological constant is added because the sequence of oscillations ends and the dynamics expand forever, evolving towards a quasi de Sitter asymptote with constant velocity amplitudes. The case of a single cycle of evolution with a negative cosmological constant added is also studied.

Nonexistence of degenerate horizons in static vacua and black hole uniqueness

We show that in any spacetime dimension D≥4, degenerate components of the event horizon do not exist in static vacuum configurations with positive cosmological constant. We also show that without a cosmological constant asymptotically flat solutions cannot possess a degenerate horizon component. Several independent proofs are presented. One proof follows easily from differential geometry in the near-horizon limit, while others use Bakry–Émery–Ricci bounds for static Einstein manifolds.

Late-time behaviour of the Einstein–Boltzmann system with a positive cosmological constant

In this paper we study the Einstein–Boltzmann system for Israel particles with a positive cosmological constant. We consider spatially homogeneous solutions of all Bianchi types except type IX and obtain future global existence and the asymptotic behaviour of solutions to the Einstein–Boltzmann system. The result shows that the solutions converge to the de Sitter solution at late times.

Stability of stationary-axisymmetric black holes in vacuum general relativity to axisymmetric electromagnetic perturbations

We consider arbitrary stationary and axisymmetric black holes in general relativity in dimensions (with ) that satisfy the vacuum Einstein equation and have a non-degenerate horizon. We prove that the canonical energy of axisymmetric electromagnetic perturbations is positive definite. This establishes that all vacuum black holes are stable to axisymmetric electromagnetic perturbations. Our results also hold for asymptotically de Sitter black holes that satisfy the vacuum Einstein equation with a positive cosmological constant. Our results also apply to extremal black holes provided that the initial perturbation vanishes in a neighborhood of the horizon.

Topology and Singularities in Cosmological Spacetimes Obeying the Null Energy Condition

We consider globally hyperbolic spacetimes with compact Cauchy surfaces in a setting compatible with the presence of a positive cosmological constant. More specifically, for 3+1 dimensional spacetimes which satisfy the null energy condition and contain a future expanding compact Cauchy surface, we establish a precise connection between the topology of the Cauchy surfaces and the occurrence of past singularities. In addition to (a refinement of) the Penrose singularity theorem, the proof makes use of some recent advances in the topology of 3-manifolds and of certain fundamental existence results for minimal surfaces.

Final fate of charged anisotropic fluid collapse

This paper studies the effects of charge on spherically symmetric collapse of anisotropic fluid with a positive cosmological constant. It is observed that electromagnetic field places restriction on the bounds of cosmological constant, which acts as repulsive force against the contraction of matter content and hence the rate of destruction is faster in the presence of electromagnetic field. We have also noted that the presence of charge affects the time interval between the formation of cosmological horizon (CH) and black hole horizon (BHH). When the electric field strength E(t, r) vanishes, our investigations are in full agreement with the results obtained by Ahmad and Malik [Int. J. Theor. Phys. 55, 600 (2016)].

No Smooth Beginning for Spacetime.

We identify a fundamental obstruction to any theory of the beginning of the Universe, formulated as a semiclassical path integral. The Hartle-Hawking no boundary proposal and Vilenkin's tunneling proposal are examples of such theories. Each may be formulated as the quantum amplitude for obtaining a final 3-geometry by integrating over 4-geometries. We introduce a new mathematical tool-Picard-Lefschetz theory-for defining the semiclassical path integral for gravity. The Lorentzian path integral for quantum cosmology with a positive cosmological constant is mathematically meaningful in this approach, but the Euclidean version is not. The Lorentzian-Picard-Lefschetz formulation yields unambiguous predictions. Unfortunately, the outcome is that primordial tensor (gravitational wave) fluctuations are unsuppressed. We prove a general theorem to this effect, in a wide class of theories.

Nonexistence of extremal de Sitter black rings

We show that near-horizon geometries in the presence of a positive cosmological constant cannot exist with ring topology. In particular, de Sitter black rings with vanishing surface gravity do not exist. Our result relies on a known mathematical theorem which is a straightforward consequence of a type of energy condition for a modified Ricci tensor, similar to the curvature-dimension conditions for the m-Bakry–Émery–Ricci tensor.

Poincaré, the dynamics of the electron, and relativity

On June 5, 1905 Poincar\'e presented a Note to the Acad\'emie des Sciences entitled "Sur la dynamique de l'\'electron" ("On the Dynamics of the Electron"). After briefly recalling the context that led Poincar\'e to write this Note, we comment its content. We emphasize that Poincar\'e's electron model consists in assuming that the interior of the worldtube of the (hollow) electron is filled with a positive cosmological constant. We then discuss the several novel contributions to the physico-mathematical aspects of Special Relativity which are sketched in the Note, though they are downplayed by Poincar\'e who describes them as having only completed the May 1904 results of Lorentz "dans quelques points de d\'etail" ("in a few points of detail").

The shape of bouncing universes

What happens to the most general closed oscillating universes in general relativity? We sketch the development of interest in cyclic universes from the early work of Friedmann and Tolman to modern variations introduced by the presence of a cosmological constant. Then we show what happens in the cyclic evolution of the most general closed anisotropic universes provided by the Mixmaster universe. We show that in the presence of entropy increase its cycles grow in size and age, increasingly approaching flatness. But these cycles also grow increasingly anisotropic at their expansion maxima. If there is a positive cosmological constant, or dark energy, present then these oscillations always end and the last cycle evolves from an anisotropic inflexion point towards a de Sitter future of everlasting expansion.

Bianchi I solutions of the Einstein-Boltzmann system with a positive cosmological constant

In this paper, we study the future global existence and late-time behaviour of the Einstein-Boltzmann system with Bianchi I symmetry and a positive cosmological constant Λ>0. For the Boltzmann equation, we consider the scattering kernel of Israel particles which are the relativistic counterpart of Maxwellian particles. Under a smallness assumption on initial data in a suitable norm, we show that solutions exist globally in time and isotropize at late times.

A new way to derive the Taub-NUT metric with positive cosmological constant

We investigate a biaxial Bianchi IX model with positive cosmological constant, which is sometimes called the Λ-Taub-NUT spacetime, whose exact solution is well known. The minisuperspace of biaxial Bianchi IX models admits two non-trivial Killing tensors that play an important role for deriving the Taub-NUT metric.

Expanding polyhedral universe in Regge calculus

The closed Friedmann--Lema\^itre--Robertson--Walker (FLRW) universe of Einstein gravity with positive cosmological constant in three dimensions is investigated by using the Collins--Williams formalism in Regge calculus. A spherical Cauchy surface is replaced with regular polyhedrons. The Regge equations are reduced to differential equations in the continuum time limit. Numerical solutions to the Regge equations approximate well the continuum FLRW universe during the era of small edge length. The deviation from the continuum solution becomes larger and larger with time. Unlike the continuum universe, the polyhedral universe expands to infinite within finite time. To remedy the shortcoming of the model universe we introduce geodesic domes and pseudo-regular polyhedrons. It is shown that the pseudo-regular polyhedron model can approximate well the results of the Regge calculus for the geodesic domes. The pseudo-regular polyhedron model approaches the continuum solution in the infinite frequency limit.

Mass loss due to gravitational waves with Λ > 0

The theoretical basis for the energy carried away by gravitational waves that an isolated gravitating system emits was first formulated by Hermann Bondi during the ’60s. Recent findings from the observation of distant supernovae revealed that the rate of expansion of our universe is accelerating, which may be well explained by sticking a positive cosmological constant into the Einstein field equations for general relativity. By solving the Newman–Penrose equations (which are equivalent to the Einstein field equations), we generalize this notion of Bondi mass–energy and thereby provide a firm theoretical description of how an isolated gravitating system loses energy as it radiates gravitational waves, in a universe that expands at an accelerated rate. This is in line with the observational front of LIGO’s first announcement in February 2016 that gravitational waves from the merger of a binary black hole system have been detected.

Scale hierarchies and string cosmology

I describe the phenomenology of a model of supersymmetry breaking in the presence of a tiny (tuneable) positive cosmological constant. It utilizes a single chiral multiplet with a gauged shift symmetry, that can be identified with the string dilaton (or an appropriate compactification modulus). The model is coupled to the MSSM, leading to calculable soft supersymmetry breaking masses and a distinct low energy phenomenology that allows to differentiate it from other models of supersymmetry breaking and mediation mechanisms. We also study the question if this model can lead to inflation by identifying the dilaton with the inflaton. We find that this is possible if the Kähler potential is modified by a term that has the form of NS5-brane instantons, leading to an appropriate inflationary plateau around the maximum of the scalar potential, depending on two extra parameters.

Linking light scalar modes with a small positive cosmological constant in string theory

Based on the studies in Type IIB string theory phenomenology, we conjecture that a good fraction of the meta-stable de Sitter vacua in the cosmic stringy landscape tend to have a very small cosmological constant Λ when compared to either the string scale MS or the Planck scale MP , i.e., Λ ≪ MS4 ≪ MP4. These low lying de Sitter vacua tend to be accompanied by very light scalar bosons/axions. Here we illustrate this phenomenon with the bosonic mass spectra in a set of Type IIB string theory flux compactification models. We conjecture that small Λ with light bosons is generic among de Sitter solutions in string theory; that is, the smallness of Λ and the existence of very light bosons (may be even the Higgs boson) are results of the statistical preference for such vacua in the landscape. We also discuss a scalar field ϕ3/ϕ4 model to illustrate how this statistical preference for a small Λ remains when quantum loop corrections are included, thus bypassing the radiative instability problem.

The area-angular momentum-charge inequality for black holes with positive cosmological constant

We establish the conjectured area-angular momentum-charge inequality for stable apparent horizons in the presence of a positive cosmological constant, and show that it is saturated precisely for extreme Kerr–Newman-de Sitter horizons. As with previous inequalities of this type, the proof is reduced to minimizing an ‘area functional’ related to a harmonic map energy; in this case maps are from the 2-sphere to the complex hyperbolic plane. The proof here is simplified compared to previous results for less embellished inequalities, due to the observation that the functional is convex along geodesic deformations in the target.

Lorentzian quantum cosmology

We argue that the Lorentzian path integral is a better starting point for quantum cosmology than the Euclidean version. In particular, we revisit the mini-superspace calculation of the Feynman path integral for quantum gravity with a positive cosmological constant. Instead of rotating to Euclidean time, we deform the contour of integration over metrics into the complex plane, exploiting Picard-Lefschetz theory to transform the path integral from a conditionally convergent integral into an absolutely convergent one. We show that this procedure unambiguously determines which semiclassical saddle point solutions are relevant to the quantum mechanical amplitude. Imposing "no-boundary" initial conditions, i.e., restricting attention to regular, complex metrics with no initial boundary, we find that the dominant saddle contributes a semiclassical exponential factor which is precisely the {\it inverse} of the famous Hartle-Hawking result.