Symmetric Background Research Articles

Scalar field dark energy with a minimal coupling in a spherically symmetric background

Dark energy models and modified gravity theories have been actively studied and the behaviors in the solar system have been also carefully investigated in a part of the models. However, the isotropic solutions of the field equations in the simple models of dark energy, e.g. quintessence model without matter coupling, have not been well investigated. One of the reason would be the nonlinearity of the field equations. In this paper, a method to evaluate the solution of the field equations is constructed, and it is shown that there is a model that can easily pass the solar system tests, whereas, there is also a model that is constrained from the solar system tests.

Nonsingular black holes, wormholes, and de Sitter cores from anisotropic fluids

We study Born-Infeld gravity coupled to an anisotropic fluid in a static, spherically symmetric background. The free function characterizing the fluid is selected on the following grounds: i) recovery of the Reissner-Nordstr\"om solution of General Relativity at large distances, ii) fulfillment of classical energy conditions, and iii) inclusion of models of nonlinear electrodynamics as particular examples. Four branches of solutions are obtained, depending on the signs of two parameters on the gravity and matter sectors. On each branch, we discuss in detail the modifications on the innermost region of the corresponding solutions, which provides a plethora of configurations, including nonsingular black holes and naked objects, wormholes, and de Sitter cores. The regular character of these configurations is discussed according to the completeness of geodesics and the behavior of curvature scalars.

Hairy black-hole solutions in generalized Proca theories

We present a family of exact black-hole solutions on a static spherically symmetric background in second-order generalized Proca theories with derivative vector-field interactions coupled to gravity. We also derive non-exact solutions in power-law coupling models including vector Galileons and numerically show the existence of regular black holes with a primary hair associated with the longitudinal propagation. The intrinsic vector-field derivative interactions generally give rise to a secondary hair induced by non-trivial field profiles. The deviation from General Relativity is most significant around the horizon and hence there is a golden opportunity for probing the Proca hair by the measurements of gravitational waves (GWs) in the regime of strong gravity.

Suppression of matter couplings with a vector field in generalized Proca theories

We derive the profile of a vector field coupled to matter on a static and spherically symmetric background in the context of generalized Proca theories. The cubic Galileon self-interaction leads to the suppression of a longitudinal vector component due to the operation of the Vainshtein mechanism. For quartic and sixth-order derivative interactions, the solutions consistent with those in the continuous limit of small derivative couplings correspond to the branch with the vanishing longitudinal mode. We compute the corrections to gravitational potentials outside a compact body induced by the vector field in the presence of cubic, quartic, and sixth-order derivative couplings, and show that the models can be consistent with local gravity constraints under mild bounds on the temporal vector component. The quintic Galileon interaction does not allow regular solutions of the longitudinal mode for a rapidly decreasing matter density outside the body.

Eternal inflation and the quantum birth of cosmic structure

We consider the eternal inflation scenario of the slow-roll/chaotic type with the additional element of an objective collapse of the wave function. The incorporation of this new agent to the traditional inflationary setting might represent a possible solution to the quantum measurement problem during inflation, a subject that has not reached a consensus among the community. Specifically, it could provide an explanation for the generation of the primordial anisotropies and inhomogeneities, starting from a perfectly symmetric background and invoking symmetric dynamics. We adopt the continuous spontaneous localization model, in the context of inflation, as the dynamical reduction mechanism that generates the primordial inhomogeneities. Furthermore, when enforcing the objective reduction mechanism, the condition for eternal inflation can be bypassed. In particular, the collapse mechanism incites the wave function, corresponding to the inflaton, to localize itself around the zero mode of the field. Then the zero mode will evolve essentially unperturbed, driving inflation to an end in any region of the Universe where inflation occurred. Also, our approach achieves a primordial spectrum with an amplitude and shape consistent with the one that best fits the observational data.

The inverse spatial Laplacian of spherically symmetric spacetimes

We derive the inverse spatial Laplacian for static, spherically symmetric backgrounds by solving Poisson’s equation for a point source. This is different from the electrostatic Green function, which is defined on the four dimensional static spacetime, while the equation we consider is defined on the spatial hypersurface of such spacetimes. This Green function is relevant in the Hamiltonian dynamics of theories defined on spherically symmetric backgrounds, and closed form expressions for the solutions we find are absent in the literature. We derive an expression in terms of elementary functions for the Schwarzschild spacetime, and comment on the relation of this solution with the known Green function of the spacetime Laplacian operator. We also find an expression for the Green function on the static pure de-Sitter space in terms of hypergeometric functions. We conclude with a discussion of the constraints of the electromagnetic field.

On the stability of cubic galileon accretion

We examine the linear stability of the nongravitating steady-state galileon accretion for the case of a Schwarzcshild black hole. Considering the galileon action up to the cubic term in a static and spherically symmetric background we obtain the general solution for the equation of motion which is divided into two branches. By perturbing this solution we define an effective metric which determines the propagation of fluctuations. In this general picture we establish the position of the sonic horizon together with the matching condition of the two branches on it. Restricting to the case of a Schwarzschild background, we show, via the analysis of the energy of the perturbations and its time derivative, that the accreting field is linearly stable.

Generalized quasitopological gravity

We construct the most general, to cubic order in curvature, theory of gravity whose (most general) static spherically symmetric vacuum solutions are fully described by a single field equation. The theory possess the following remarkable properties: i) it has a well-defined Einstein gravity limit ii) it admits `Schwarzschild-like' solutions characterized by a single metric function iii) on maximally symmetric backgrounds it propagates the same degrees of freedom as Einstein's gravity iv) Lovelock and quasi-topological gravities, as well as the recently developed Einsteinian cubic gravity [ArXiv:1607.06463] in four dimensions, are recovered as special cases. We perform a brief analysis of asymptotically flat black holes in this theory and study their thermodynamics.

All symmetric space solutions of eleven-dimensional supergravity

We find all symmetric space solutions of eleven-dimensional supergravity completing an earlier classification by Figueroa-O’Farrill. They come in two types: AdS solutions and pp-wave solutions. We analyze the supersymmetry conditions and show that out of the 99 AdS geometries the only supersymmetric ones are the well known backgrounds arising as near-horizon limits of (intersecting) branes and preserving 32, 16 or 8 supersymmetries. The general form of the superisometry algebra for symmetric space backgrounds is also derived.

Geodesics and the magnitude-redshift relation on cosmologically symmetric Finsler spacetimes

We discuss the geodesic motion of both massive test particles, following timelike geodesics, and light, following null geodesics, on Finsler spacetimes with cosmological symmetry. Using adapted coordinates on the tangent bundle of the spacetime manifold, we derive the general form of the geodesic equation. Further, we derive a complete set of constants of motion. As an application of these findings, we derive the magnitude-redshift relation for light propagating on a cosmologically symmetric Finsler background, both for a general Finsler spacetime and for particular examples, such as spacetimes equipped with Bogoslovsky and Randers length measures. Our results allow a confrontation of these geometries with observations of the magnitude and redshift of supernovae.

Quintessential quartic quasi-topological quartet

We construct the quartic version of generalized quasi-topological gravity, which was recently constructed to cubic order in arXiv:1703.01631. This class of theories includes Lovelock gravity and a known form of quartic quasi-topological gravity as special cases and possess a number of remarkable properties: (i) In vacuum, or in the presence of suitable matter, there is a single independent field equation which is a total derivative. (ii) At the linearized level, the equations of motion on a maximally symmetric background are second order, coinciding with the linearized Einstein equations up to a redefinition of Newton’s constant. Therefore, these theories propagate only the massless, transverse graviton on a maximally symmetric background. (iii) While the Lovelock and quasi-topological terms are trivial in four dimensions, there exist four new generalized quasi-topological terms (the quartet) that are nontrivial, leading to interesting higher curvature theories in d ≥ 4 dimensions that appear well suited for holographic study. We construct four dimensional black hole solutions to the theory and study their properties. A study of black brane solutions in arbitrary dimensions reveals that these solutions are modified from the ‘universal’ properties they possess in other higher curvature theories, which may lead to interesting consequences for the dual CFTs.

Dirac equation of spin particles and tunneling radiation from a Kinnersly black hole

In curved space-time, the Hamilton–Jacobi equation is a semi-classical particle equation of motion, which plays an important role in the research of black hole physics. In this paper, starting from the Dirac equation of spin 1/2 fermions and the Rarita–Schwinger equation of spin 3/2 fermions, respectively, we derive a Hamilton–Jacobi equation for the non-stationary spherically symmetric gravitational field background. Furthermore, the quantum tunneling of a charged spherically symmetric Kinnersly black hole is investigated by using the Hamilton–Jacobi equation. The result shows that the Hamilton–Jacobi equation is helpful to understand the thermodynamic properties and the radiation characteristics of a black hole.

Constrained field theories on spherically symmetric spacetimes with horizons

We apply the Dirac-Bergmann algorithm for the analysis of constraints to gauge theories defined on spherically symmetric black hole backgrounds. We find that the constraints for a given theory are modified on such spacetimes through the presence of additional contributions from the horizon. As a concrete example, we consider the Maxwell field on a black hole background, and determine the role of the horizon contributions on the dynamics of the theory.

Aspects of general higher-order gravities

We study several aspects of higher-order gravities constructed from general contractions of the Riemann tensor and the metric in arbitrary dimensions. First, we use the fast-linearization procedure presented in [P. Bueno and P. A. Cano, arXiv:1607.06463] to obtain the equations satisfied by the metric perturbation modes on a maximally symmetric background in the presence of matter and to classify $\mathcal{L}(\mathrm{Riemann})$ theories according to their spectrum. Then, we linearize all theories up to quartic order in curvature and use this result to construct quartic versions of Einsteinian cubic gravity. In addition, we show that the most general cubic gravity constructed in a dimension-independent way and which does not propagate the ghostlike spin-2 mode (but can propagate the scalar) is a linear combination of $f(\mathrm{Lovelock})$ invariants, plus the Einsteinian cubic gravity term, plus a new ghost-free gravity term. Next, we construct the generalized Newton potential and the post-Newtonian parameter $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ for general $\mathcal{L}(\mathrm{Riemann})$ gravities in arbitrary dimensions, unveiling some interesting differences with respect to the four-dimensional case. We also study the emission and propagation of gravitational radiation from sources for these theories in four dimensions, providing a generalized formula for the power emitted. Finally, we review Wald's formalism for general $\mathcal{L}(\mathrm{Riemann})$ theories and construct new explicit expressions for the relevant quantities involved. Many examples illustrate our calculations.

Degrees of Freedom of Weak Gravitational Field on a Spherically Symmetric Background

Degrees of Freedom of Weak Gravitational Field on a Spherically Symmetric Background

A hydrodynamic approach to the study of anisotropic instabilities in dissipative relativistic plasmas

We develop a purely hydrodynamic formalism to describe collisional, anisotropic instabilities in a relativistic plasma, that are usually described with kinetic theory tools. Our main motivation is the fact that coarse-grained models of high particle number systems give more clear and comprehensive physical descriptions of those systems than purely kinetic approaches, and can be more easily tested experimentally as well as numerically. Also they make it easier to follow perturbations from linear to nonlinear regimes. In particular, we aim at developing a theory that describes both a background nonequilibrium fluid configurations and its perturbations, to be able to account for the backreaction of the latter on the former. Our system of equations includes the usual conservation laws for the energy–momentum tensor and for the electric current, and the equations for two new tensors that encode the information about dissipation. To make contact with kinetic theory, we write the different tensors as the moments of a nonequilibrium one-particle distribution function (1pdf) which, for illustrative purposes, we take in the form of a Grad-like ansatz. Although this choice limits the applicability of the formalism to states not far from equilibrium, it retains the main features of the underlying kinetic theory. We assume the validity of the Vlasov–Boltzmann equation, with a collision integral given by the Anderson–Witting prescription, which is more suitable for highly relativistic systems than Marle’s (or Bhatnagar, Gross and Krook) form, and derive the conservation laws by taking its corresponding moments. We apply our developments to study the emergence of instabilities in an anisotropic, but axially symmetric background. For small departures of isotropy we find the dispersion relation for normal modes, which admit unstable solutions for a wide range of values of the parameter space.

The Impact of the Asian Summer Monsoon Circulation on the Tropopause

Abstract Previous studies have identified two important features of summertime thermodynamics: 1) a significant correlation between the low-level distribution of equivalent potential temperature and the potential temperature θ of the extratropical tropopause and 2) a northwestward shift of the maximum tropopause θ relative to the maximum low-level . Here, the authors hypothesize these two features occur because of the Asian monsoon circulation. The hypothesis is examined using a set of idealized prescribed sea surface temperature (SST) aquaplanet simulations. Simulations with a zonally symmetric background climate exhibit a weak moisture–tropopause correlation. A significant correlation and northwestward shift occurs when a zonal wave-1 SST perturbation is introduced in the Northern Hemisphere subtropics. The equivalent zonal-mean subtropical warming does not produce a significant correlation. A mechanism is proposed to explain the moisture–tropopause connection that involves the circulation response to zonally asymmetric surface heating and its impact on the tropopause defined by the 2-potential-vorticity-unit (PVU; 1 PVU = 10−6 K kg−1 m2 s−1) surface. While the circulation response to diabatic heating is well known, here the focus is on the implications for the tropopause. Consistent with previous research, surface heating increases the low-level and produces low-level convergence and a cyclonic circulation. The low-level convergence is coupled with upper-level divergence via convection and produces an upper-level anticyclonic circulation consistent with Sverdrup balance. The anticyclonic vorticity lowers the PV northwest of the surface heating via Rossby wave dynamics. The decreased PV leads to a northwestward shift of the 2-PVU surface on fixed pressure levels. The θ value to the northwest of the surface heating is higher, and consequently the maximum tropopause θ increases.

Einsteinian cubic gravity

We drastically simplify the problem of linearizing a general higher-order theory of gravity. We reduce it to the evaluation of its Lagrangian on a particular Riemann tensor depending on two parameters, and the computation of two derivatives with respect to one of those parameters. We use our method to construct a D-dimensional cubic theory of gravity which satisfies the following properties: 1) it shares the spectrum of Einstein gravity, i.e., it only propagates a transverse and massless graviton on a maximally symmetric background; 2) the relative coefficients of the different curvature invariants involved are the same in all dimensions; 3) it is neither trivial nor topological in four dimensions. Up to cubic order in curvature, the only previously known theories satisfying the first two requirements are the Lovelock ones: Einstein gravity, Gauss-Bonnet and cubic-Lovelock. Of course, the last two theories fail to satisfy requirement 3 as they are, respectively, topological and trivial in four dimensions. We show that, up to cubic order, there exists only one additional theory satisfying requirements 1 and 2. Interestingly, this theory is, along with Einstein gravity, the only theory which also satisfies 3.

Analytical solutions of Skyrme model

Exact analytic solutions of the kink soliton equation obtained ina recent interesting study of the classical Skyrme model definedon a simple spherically symmetric background are presented.By a variational method, the existence of spherically symmetric monopole solutions are proved. In particular, all finite-energy kink solitons must be Bogomool'nyi--Prasad--Sommerfield are showed. Moreover, together with numerical analysis, we can clearly see the validity of our theoretical results.

Solutions in the generalized Proca theory with the nonminimal coupling to the Einstein tensor

We investigate the static and spherically symmetric solutions in a class of the generalized Proca theory with the nonminimal coupling to the Einstein tensor. First, we show that the solutions in the scalar-tensor theory with the nonminimal derivative coupling to the Einstein tensor can be those in the generalized Proca theory with the vanishing field strength. We then show that when the field strength takes the nonzero value the static and spherically symmetric solutions can be found only for the specific value of the nonminimal coupling constant. Second, we investigate the first-order slow-rotation corrections to the static and spherically symmetric background. We find that for the background with the vanishing electric field strength the slowly rotating solution is identical to the Kerr- (anti-) de Sitter solutions in general relativity. On the other hand, for the background with the nonvanishing electric field strength the stealth property can realized at the first order in the slow-rotation approximation.