Tensor Degrees Of Freedom Research Articles

On the degrees of freedom of R2 gravity in flat spacetime

We study the degrees of freedom of R2 gravity in flat spacetime with two approaches. By rewriting the theory a la Stueckelberg, and implementing Lorentz-like gauges to the metric perturbations, we confirm that the pure theory propagates one scalar degree of freedom, while the full theory contains two tensor modes in addition. We then consider the degrees of freedom by directly examining the metric perturbations. We show that the degrees of freedom of the full theory match with those obtained with the manifestly covariant approach. In contrast, we find that the pure R2 gravity has no degrees of freedom. We show that a similar discrepancy between the two approaches appears also in a theory dual to the three-form, and appears due to the Lorentz-like gauges, which lead to the fictitious modes even after the residual gauge redundancy has been taken into account. At first sight, this implies a discontinuity between the full theory and the pure case. By studying the first-order corrections of the full R2 gravity beyond the linear regime, we show that at high-energies, both scalar and tensor degrees of freedom become strongly coupled. This implies that the apparent discontinuity of pure and full R2 gravity is just an artefact of the perturbation theory, and further supports the absence of degrees of freedom in the pure R2 gravity.

Dynamical dark energy in minimally modified gravity

Minimally modified gravity is a class of models with only the two tensor degrees of freedom as in general relativity. Using the framework with auxiliary constraints these models can maintain a dynamical cosmological background. The form of the constraints is thereby restricted by the requirement of dynamical dark energy and the avoidance of a breakdown of perturbation theory. Studying the linear perturbations around the FLRW background the results are, however, quite insensitive to the details of the constraints leading to a modified effective gravitational constant or a non-vanishing sound speed for dust.

Cuscuton inflation

We study the impact of (generalized) cuscuton models on standard single scalar field inflation. Generalized cuscuton models are characterized by spatial covariant gravity where a scalar degree of freedom is made non dynamical, and there are just two tensor degrees of freedom. The presence of the non-dynamical scalar field does not spoil inflation but instead the modifications are, in general, slow-roll suppressed leading to almost scale-invariant power spectra. However, the extra free parameters, which can be tuned relatively independently, lead to a larger parameter range for observable quantities, such as the tensor-to-scalar ratio.For the (generalized) cuscuton model the non-Gaussianties of the curvature bispectrum are suppressed by the slow-roll parameters, and, therefore, outside the reach of current experiments. However, generalized cuscuton models can lead to a different shape for the bispectrum which might be constrained by future experiments.

Gravitational waves and geometrical optics in scalar-tensor theories

The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) propagating through cosmic structures can provide invaluable information on the geometry and content of our Universe as well as on the fundamental theory of gravity. In order to test possible departures from General Relativity, it is essential to analyze, in a modified gravity setting, how GWs propagate through a perturbed cosmological space-time. Working within the framework of geometrical optics, we develop tools to address this topic for a broad class of scalar-tensor theories, including scenarios with non-minimal, derivative couplings between scalar and tensor modes. By focussing on a set-up where scalar modes propagate with the same speed as tensor degrees of freedom, we determine the corresponding evolution equations for the GW amplitude and polarization tensor. The former satisfies a generalized evolution equation that includes possible effects due to a variation of the effective Planck scale; the latter can fail to be parallel transported along the GW geodesics unless certain conditions are satisfied. We apply our general formulas to specific scalar-tensor theories with unit tensor speed, and then focus on GW propagation on a perturbed space-time. We determine corrections to standard formulas for the GW luminosity distance and for the evolution of the polarization tensor, which depend both on modified gravity and on the effects of cosmological perturbations. Our results can constitute a starting point to disentangle among degeneracies from different sectors that can influence GW propagation through cosmological space-times.

Symmetries for scalarless scalar theories

We consider theories containing scalar fields interacting with vector or with tensor degrees of freedom, equipped with symmetries that prevent the propagation of linearized scalar excitations around solutions of the equations of motion. We first study the implications of such symmetries for building vector theories that break Abelian gauge invariance without necessarily exciting longitudinal scalar fluctuations in flat space. We then examine scalar-tensor theories in curved space, and relate the symmetries we consider with a non-linear realization of broken space-time symmetries acting on scalar modes. We determine sufficient conditions on the space-time geometry to avoid the propagation of scalar fluctuations. We analyze linearized perturbations around spherically symmetric black holes, proving the absence of scalar excitations, and pointing out modifications in the dynamics of spin-2 fluctuations with respect to Einstein gravity. We then study consequences of this set-up for the dark energy problem, determining scalar constraints on cosmological configurations that can lead to self-accelerating universes whose expansion is insensitive to the value of the bare cosmological constant.

Discrete cosmological models in the Brans–Dicke theory of gravity

We consider the problem of building inhomogeneous cosmological models in scalar-tensor theories of gravity. This starts by splitting the field equations of these theories into constraint and evolution equations, and then proceeds by identifying exact solutions to the constraints. We find exact, closed form expressions for geometries that correspond to the initial data for cosmological models containing regular arrays of point-like masses. These solutions extend similar methods that have recently been applied to Einstein’s equations, and provides sufficient initial conditions to perform numerical integration of the evolution equations. We use our new solutions to study the effects of inhomogeneity in cosmologies governed by scalar-tensor theories of gravity, including the spatial inhomogeneity allowed in Newton’s constant. Finally, we compare our solutions to their general relativistic counterparts, and investigate the effect of changing the coupling constant between the scalar and tensor degrees of freedom.

The gravitational wave stress–energy (pseudo)-tensor in modified gravity

The recent detections of gravitational waves by the advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors open up new tests of modified gravity theories in the strong-field and dynamical, extreme gravity regime. Such tests rely sensitively on the phase evolution of the gravitational waves, which is controlled by the energy–momentum carried by such waves out of the system. We here study four different methods for finding the gravitational wave stress–energy pseudo-tensor in gravity theories with any combination of scalar, vector, or tensor degrees of freedom. These methods rely on the second variation of the action under short-wavelength averaging, the second perturbation of the field equations in the short-wavelength approximation, the construction of an energy complex leading to a Landau–Lifshitz tensor, and the use of Noether’s theorem in field theories about a flat background. We apply these methods in general relativity, Jordan–Fierz–Brans–Dicky theoy, and Einstein-Æther theory to find the gravitational wave stress–energy pseudo-tensor and calculate the rate at which energy and linear momentum is carried away from the system. The stress–energy tensor and the rate of linear momentum loss in Einstein-Æther theory are presented here for the first time. We find that all methods yield the same rate of energy loss, although the stress–energy pseudo-tensor can be functionally different. We also find that the Noether method yields a stress–energy tensor that is not symmetric or gauge-invariant, and symmetrization via the Belinfante procedure does not fix these problems because this procedure relies on Lorentz invariance, which is spontaneously broken in Einstein-Æther theory. The methods and results found here will be useful for the calculation of predictions in modified gravity theories that can then be contrasted with observations.

Observational signatures of the parametric amplification of gravitational waves during reheating after inflation

We study the evolution of Gravitational Waves (GWs) during and after inflation as well as the resulting observational consequences in a Lorentz-violating massive gravity theory with one scalar (inflaton) and two tensor degrees of freedom. We consider two explicit examples of the tensor mass $m_g$ that depends either on the inflaton field $\phi$ or on its time derivative $\dot{\phi}$, both of which lead to parametric excitations of GWs during reheating after inflation. The first example is Starobinsky's $R^2$ inflation model with a $\phi$-dependent $m_g$ and the second is a low-energy-scale inflation model with a $\dot{\phi}$-dependent $m_g$. We compute the energy density spectrum $\Omega_{\rm GW}(k)$ today of the GW background. In the Starobinsky's model, we show that the GWs can be amplified up to the detectable ranges of both CMB and DECIGO, but the bound from the big bang nucleosynthesis is quite tight to limit the growth. In low-scale inflation with a fast transition to the reheating stage driven by the potential $V(\phi)=M^2 \phi^2/2$ around $\phi \approx M_{\rm pl}$ (where $M_{\rm pl}$ is the reduced Planck mass), we find that the peak position of $\Omega_{\rm GW}(k)$ induced by the parametric resonance can reach the sensitivity region of advanced LIGO for the Hubble parameter of order 1 GeV at the end of inflation. Thus, our massive gravity scenario offers exciting possibilities for probing the physics of primordial GWs at various different frequencies.

Uncolored random tensors, melon diagrams, and the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev models

Certain models with rank-$3$ tensor degrees of freedom have been shown by Gurau and collaborators to possess a novel large $N$ limit, where $g^2 N^3$ is held fixed. In this limit the perturbative expansion in the quartic coupling constant, $g$, is dominated by a special class of "melon" diagrams. We study "uncolored" models of this type, which contain a single copy of real rank-$3$ tensor. Its three indexes are distinguishable; therefore, the models possess $O(N)^3$ symmetry with the tensor field transforming in the tri-fundamental representation. Such uncolored models also possess the large $N$ limit dominated by the melon diagrams. The quantum mechanics of a real anti-commuting tensor therefore has a similar large $N$ limit to the model recently introduced by Witten as an implementation of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model which does not require disorder. Gauging the $O(N)^3$ symmetry in our quantum mechanical model removes the non-singlet states; therefore, one can search for its well-defined gravity dual. We point out, however, that the model possesses a vast number of gauge-invariant operators involving higher powers of the tensor field, suggesting that the complete gravity dual will be intricate. We also discuss the quantum mechanics of a complex 3-index anti-commuting tensor, which has $U(N)^2\times O(N)$ symmetry and argue that it is equivalent in the large $N$ limit to a version of SYK model with complex fermions. Finally, we discuss similar models of a commuting tensor in dimension $d$. While the quartic interaction is not positive definite, we construct the large $N$ Schwinger-Dyson equation for the two-point function and show that its solution is consistent with conformal invariance. We carry out a perturbative check of this result using the $4-\epsilon$ expansion.

BMS in cosmology

Symmetries play an interesting role in cosmology. They are useful in characterizing the cosmological perturbations generated during inflation and lead to consistency relations involving the soft limit of the statistical correlators of large-scale structure dark matter and galaxies overdensities. On the other hand, in observational cosmology the carriers of the information about these large-scale statistical distributions are light rays traveling on null geodesics. Motivated by this simple consideration, we study the structure of null infinity and the associated BMS symmetry in a cosmological setting. For decelerating Friedmann-Robertson-Walker backgrounds, for which future null infinity exists, we find that the BMS transformations which leaves the asymptotic metric invariant to leading order. Contrary to the asymptotic flat case, the BMS transformations in cosmology generate Goldstone modes corresponding to scalar, vector and tensor degrees of freedom which may exist at null infinity and perturb the asymptotic data. Therefore, BMS transformations generate physically inequivalent vacua as they populate the universe at null infinity with these physical degrees of freedom. We also discuss the gravitational memory effect when cosmological expansion is taken into account. In this case, there are extra contribution to the gravitational memory due to the tail of the retarded Green functions which are supported not only on the light-cone, but also in its interior. The gravitational memory effect can be understood also from an asymptotic point of view as a transition among cosmological BMS-related vacua.

Spin precession of slow neutrons in Einstein-Cartan gravity with torsion, chameleon, and magnetic field

We analyse a spin precession of slow neutrons in the Einstein-Cartan gravity with torsion, chameleon and magnetic field. For the derivation of the Heisenberg equation of motion of the neutron spin we use the effective low-energy potential, derived by Ivanov and Wellenzohn (Phys. Rev. D92, 125004 (2015)) for slow neutrons, coupled to gravitational, chameleon and torsion fields to order 1/m, where m is the neutron mass. In addition to this low-energy interactions we switch on the interaction of slow neutrons with a magnetic field. We show that to linear order approximation with respect to gravitational, chameleon and torsion fields the Dirac Hamilton operator for fermions (neutrons), moving in spacetimes created by rotating coordinate systems, contains the anti-Hermitian operators of torsion-fermion (neutron) interactions, caused by torsion scalar and tensor degrees of freedom. Such anti-Hermitian operators violate CP and T invariance. One may assume that in the rotating Universe and galaxies the obtained anti-Hermitian torsion-fermion interactions might be an origin of i) violation of CP and T invariance in the Universe and ii) of baryon asymmetry.

Clustering Fossils from the Early Universe

Many inflationary theories introduce new scalar, vector, or tensor degrees of freedom that may then affect the generation of primordial density perturbations. Here we show how to search a galaxy (or 21-cm) survey for the imprint of primordial scalar, vector, and tensor fields. These new fields induce local departures to an otherwise statistically isotropic two-point correlation function, or equivalently, nontrivial four-point correlation functions (or trispectra, in Fourier space), that can be decomposed into scalar, vector, and tensor components. We write down the optimal estimators for these various components and show how the sensitivity to these modes depends on the galaxy-survey parameters. New probes of parity-violating early-Universe physics are also presented.

Locally extracting scalar, vector and tensor modes in cosmological perturbation theory

Cosmological perturbation theory relies on the decomposition of perturbations into so-called scalar, vector and tensor modes. This decomposition is non-local and depends on unknowable boundary conditions. The non-locality is particularly important at second and higher order because perturbative modes are sourced by products of lower order modes, which must be integrated over all space in order to isolate each mode. However, given a trace-free rank-2 tensor, a locally defined scalar mode may be trivially derived by taking two divergences, which knocks out the vector and tensor degrees of freedom. A similar local differential operation will return a pure vector mode. This means that scalar and vector degrees of freedom have local descriptions. The corresponding local extraction of the tensor mode is unknown however. We give it here. The operators we define are useful for defining gauge-invariant quantities at second order. We perform much of our analysis using an index-free ‘vector-calculus’ approach which makes manipulating tensor equations considerably simpler.

Kerr Black Holes Are Not Unique to General Relativity

Considerable attention has recently focused on gravity theories obtained by extending general relativity with additional scalar, vector, or tensor degrees of freedom. In this Letter, we show that the black-hole solutions of these theories are essentially indistinguishable from those of general relativity. Thus, we conclude that a potential observational verification of the Kerr metric around an astrophysical black hole cannot, in and of itself, be used to distinguish between these theories. On the other hand, it remains true that detection of deviations from the Kerr metric will signify the need for a major change in our understanding of gravitational physics.

TENSOR SELF-ENERGY IN A VECTOR-TENSOR MODEL

The tensor self-energy is computed at one-loop order in a model in which a vector and tensor interact in a way that eliminates all tensor degrees of freedom. Divergencies arise which cannot be eliminated without introducing a kinetic term for the tensor field which does not appear in the classical action. A field redefinition serves to eliminate these divergences.

Gradient Expansion Approach to Nonlinear Superhorizon Perturbations

Using the gradient expansion approach, we formulate a nonlinear cosmological perturbation theory on super-horizon scales valid to O(ε2), where ε is the expansion parameter associated with a spatial derivative. For simplicity, we focus on the case of a single perfect fluid, but we take into account not only scalar but also vector and tensor modes. We derive the general solution under the uniform-Hubble time-slicing. In doing so, we identify the scalar, vector and tensor degrees of freedom contained in the solution. We then consider the coordinate transformation to the synchronous gauge in order to compare our result with the previous result given in the literature. In particular, we find that the tensor mode is invariant to O(ε2) under the coordinate transformation.

CAN GRAVITATIONAL WAVES BE MARKERS FOR AN EXTRA-DIMENSION?

The main issue of the present paper is to fix specific features (which turn out being independent of extradimension size) of gravitational waves generated before a dimensional compactification process. Valuable is the possibility to detect our prediction from gravitational wave experiment without high energy laboratory investigation. In particular we show how gravitational waves can bring information on the number of Universe dimensions. Within the framework of Kaluza–Klein hypotheses, a different morphology arises between waves generated before than the compactification process settled down and ordinary 4-dimensional waves. In the former case the scalar and tensor degrees of freedom cannot be resolved. As a consequence if gravitational waves having the feature predicted here were detected (anomalous polarization amplitudes), then they would be reliable markers for the existence of an extra dimension.

PHENOMENOLOGY FOR AN EXTRA DIMENSION FROM GRAVITATIONAL WAVES PROPAGATION ON A KALUZA–KLEIN SPACE–TIME

In the present work we analyze the behavior of 5-dimensional (5-d) gravitational waves propagating on a Kaluza–Klein background. We face separately the two cases in which the waves are generated before and after the process of dimensional compactification respectively. We show that if the waves are originated on a 5-d space–time which fulfills the principle of general relativity, then the process of compactification cannot reduce the dynamics to the pure 4-d scalar, vector and tensor degrees of freedom. In particular, while the electromagnetic waves evolve independently, the scalar and tensor fields couple to each other; this feature appears because when the gauge conditions are split, the presence of the scalar ripple prevents the 4-d gravitational waves from becoming traceless. The phenomenological issue of this scheme consists of an anomalous relative amplitude of the two independent polarizations which characterize the 4-d gravitational waves. Such profile of polarization amplitudes, if detected, would outline the extra dimension in a very reliable way, because a wave with non-zero trace cannot arise from ordinary matter sources. We discuss the above mentioned phenomenon either in the case of a unit constant value of the background scalar component (when the geodesic deviation is treated with precise outputs), or assuming such background field as a dynamical degree. Only qualitative conclusion are provided here, because the details of the polarization amplitudes depend on the choice of specific metric forms. Finally, we perturb a real Kaluza–Klein theory showing that in this context, while the electromagnetic waves propagate independently, the 4-d gravitational waves preserve their ordinary structure, while the scalar plays for the role of source.

Finite tensor deformations of supergravity solitons

We consider brane solutions where the tensor degrees of freedom are excited. Explicit solutions to the full non-linear supergravity equations of motion are given for the M5 and D3 branes, corresponding to finite selfdual tensor or Born-Infeld field strengths. The solutions are BPS-saturated and half-supersymmetric. The resulting metric space-times are analysed.

Functional versus canonical quantization of a nonlocal massive vector-gauge theory

It has been shown in literature that a possible mechanism of mass generation for gauge fields is through a topological coupling of vector and tensor fields. After integrating over the tensor degrees of freedom, one arrives at an effective massive theory that, although gauge invariant, is nonlocal. Here we quantize this nonlocal resulting theory both by path integral and canonical procedures. This system can be considered as equivalent to one with an infinite number of time derivatives and consequently an infinite number of momenta. This means that the use of the canonical formalism deserves some care. We show the consistency of the formalism we use in the canonical procedure by showing that the obtained propagators are the same as those of the (Lagrangian) path integral approach. The problem of nonlocality appears in the obtainment of the spectrum of the theory. This fact becomes very transparent when we list the infinite number of commutators involving the fields and their velocities.