We study a model for gravity in 3+1 dimensions, inspired in general relativity in 2+1 dimensions. In contrast regular general relativity in 3+1 dimensions, the model postulates that space in absence of matter is flat. The requirement that the Einstein equation still holds for the complete spacetime, implies that matter may only appear as conical defects of co-dimension 2, which may be interpreted as straight cosmic strings moving at a constant velocity. The study of collisions of these defects reveals that the dynamics of the model is incomplete. Certain highly energetic collisions of almost parallel defects suggest that no dynamic completion may exist that is fully compatible with the principles on which the model was based. We also study the phase space of the model in the continuum limit. We find that even though does not contain gravitational waves at the fundamental level, they do appear as an emergent feature in the continuum limit.
We generalize our previous linear result [1] in obtaining gravitational waves from our piecewise flat model for gravity in 3+1 dimensions to exact piecewise flat configurations describing exact planar gravitational waves. We show explicitly how to construct a piecewise flat spacetime that describes an impulsive plane wavefront. From these wavefronts more general plane waves may be constructed.
The gravity action on the piecewise flat Riemannian manifold is formulated using the discrete set of the nondegenerate 4$\times$4 matrices on the 3-simplices as some connection type variables. These variables are the discrete counterpart of the affine (Christoffel) connection used as independent variables in the Palatini form of the Einstein gravity action. Excluding these with the help of the equations of motion we get the original discrete gravity action on the piecewise flat spacetime (Regge action). The discrete version of the diffeomorphisms and path integral are briefly discussed.
We consider the (3+1)-dimensional locally finite gravity model proposed by 't Hooft. In particular we revisit the problem of resolving collisions of string defects. We provide a new geometric description of the configurations of strings using piecewise flat manifolds, and use it to resolve a more general class of collisions. We argue that beyond certain bounds for the deficiency/surplus angles no resolutions may be found that satisfy the imposed causality conditions.
We examine the continuum limit of the piecewise flat locally finite gravity model introduced by 't Hooft. In the linear weak field limit we find the energy--momentum tensor and metric perturbation of an arbitrary configuration of defects. The energy--momentum turns out to be restricted to satisfy certain conditions. The metric perturbation is mostly fixed by the energy--momentum except for its lightlike modes which reproduce linear gravitational waves, despite no such waves being present at the microscopic level.
We introduce a physical piecewise linear metric associated to a Regge triangulation of a smooth 4-manifold. We describe the basic properties of the corresponding geometry in the cases of the Euclidean and the Minkowski signature. In the Minkowski case, we describe the Regge action and how to define the corresponding path integral for the casual triangulations. We also discus the Regge path integral for a triangulation associated to the Friedman-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker cosmological model and briefly study the corresponding wavefunctions, namely the Hartle-Hawking and the Vilenkin wavefunction…
We study the Faddeev formulation of gravity in which the metric is composed of vector fields. This system is reducible with the help of the equations of motion to the general relativity. The Faddeev action is evaluated for the piecewise flat ansatz for these fields when the metric corresponds to the flat interior of the 4-simplices of the general simplicial complex. Thereby an analogue of the Regge action in the usual general relativity is obtained. A peculiar feature of the Faddeev gravity is finiteness of the action on the discontinuous fields, and this means possibility of the complete inde…
Simplicial, piecewise-flat discretizations of manifolds provide a clear path towards curvature analysis on discrete geometries and for solutions of PDE's on manifolds of complex topologies. In this manuscript we review and expand on discrete exterior calculus methods using hybrid domains. We then analyze the geometric structure of curvature operators in a piecewise-flat lattice.
We define a modification of LQG in which graphs are required to consist in piecewise linear edges, which we call piecewise linear LQG (plLQG). At the diffeomorphism invariant level, we prove that plLQG is equivalent to standard LQG, as long as one chooses the class of diffeomorphisms appropriately. That is, we exhibit a unitary map between the diffeomorphism invariant Hilbert spaces that maps physically equivalent operators into each other. In addition, using the same ideas as in standard LQG, one can define a Hamiltonian and Master constraint in plLQG, and the unitary map between plLQG and LQ…
In the Faddeev formulation of gravity, the metric is regarded as composite field, bilinear of $d = 10$ 4-vector fields. We derive the minisuperspace (discrete) Faddeev action by evaluating the Faddeev action on the spacetime composed of the (flat) 4-simplices with constant 4-vector fields. This is an analog of the Regge action obtained by evaluating the Hilbert-Einstein action on the spacetime composed of the flat 4-simplices. One of the new features of this formulation is that the simplices are not required to coincide on their common faces. Also an analog of the Barbero-Immirzi parameter $γ$…
We study the quantum contributions to the classical cosmological constant in a quantum gravity theory for GR with matter on a piecewise linear spacetime corresponding to a triangulation of a smooth manifold. We use the effective action approach and a special path-integral (PI) measure which depends on a free parameter, while matter is modeled by a massive self-interacting scalar field. The effective cosmological constant (CC) is given as a sum of 3 terms: the classical CC, the quantum gravity CC and the matter CC. We show that the free parameters of the theory can be chosen such that the class…
We review the construction of the path integral and the corresponding effective action for the Regge formulation of General Relativity under the assumption that the short-distance structure of the spacetime is not a smooth 4-manifold, but a picewise linear manifold based on a triangulation of a smooth 4-manifold. We point out that the exponentially damped 4-volume path-integral measure does not give a finite path integral, although it can be used for the construction of the perturbative effective action. We modify the 4-volume measure by multiplying it by an inverse power of the product of the…
It is well known that the SU(2)-gauge invariant phase space of loop gravity can be represented in terms of twisted geometries. These are piecewise-linear-flat geometries obtained by gluing together polyhedra, but the resulting geometries are not continuous across the faces. Here we show that this phase space can also be represented by continuous, piecewise-flat three-geometries called spinning geometries. These are composed of metric-flat three-cells glued together consistently. The geometry of each cell and the manner in which they are glued is compatible with the choice of fluxes and holonom…
A construction of conformal infinity in null and spatial directions is constructed for the Rainbow-flat space-time corresponding to doubly special relativity. From this construction a definition of asymptotic DSRness is put forward which is compatible with the correspondence principle of Rainbow gravity. Furthermore a result equating asymptotically flat space-times with asymptotically DSR spacetimes is presented.
We describe a theory of quantum gravity which is based on the assumption that the spacetime structure at small distances is given by a piecewise linear (PL) 4-manifold corresponding to a triangulation of a smooth 4-manifold. The fundamental degrees of freedom are the edge lengths of the triangulation. One can work with finitely many edge lengths, so that the corresponding Regge path integral can be made finite by using an appropriate path-integral measure. The semi-classical limit is computed by using the effective action formalism, and the existence of a semi-classical effective action restri…
We give the correct expressions for the spin network evaluations proposed in Class. Quant. Grav. 21 (2004) 3909 as the coefficients of the quantum gravity vacuum wavefunction in the spin network basis.
A variational phase space is constructed for a compact and piecewise flat Riemannian manifold. An extended action functional is provided such that the variational dynamics generate a symplectic flow on the phase space. This symplectic flow is numerically integrated as it evolves with respect to the variational parameter. Assuming ergodicity, the resulting flow samples the Euclidean path integral.
We investigate the spacetime of a slowly rotating black hole in the Chern-Simons modified gravity. The long range feature of frame-dragging effect under the Chern-Simon gravity well explains the flat rotation curves of galaxies which is a central evidence of dark matter. Our solution provides a different scenario of rotating space from Goedel's solution.
In dilaton gravity theories, we consider a string-like topological defect formed during U(1) gauge symmetry-breaking phase transition in the early Universe, and far from the cosmic string we have vacuum solutions of the generalized Einstein equation. We discuss how they can be related to the flatness of galactic rotation curves.
After motivating why the study of asymptotically flat spaces is important in loop quantum gravity, we review the extension of the standard framework of this theory to the asymptotically flat sector based on the GNS construction. In particular, we provide a general procedure for constructing new Hilbert spaces for loop quantum gravity on non-compact spatial manifolds. States in these Hilbert spaces can be interpreted as describing fluctuations around fiducial fixed backgrounds. When the backgrounds are chosen to approximate classical asymptotically flat 3-geometries this gives a natural framewo…
The gravitational effects in the relativistic quantum mechanics are investigated in a relativistically derived version of Heaviside's speculative Gravity (in flat space-time) named here as Maxwellian Gravity. The standard Dirac's approach to the intrinsic spin in the fields of Maxwellian Gravity yields the gravitomagnetic moment of a Dirac (spin 1/2) particle exactly equals to its intrinsic spin. Violation of The Equivalence Principle (both at classical and quantum mechanical level) in the relativistic domain has also been reported in this work.
It was recently found that there are classes of nonlocal gravity theories that are free of ghosts and singularities in their Newtonian limit [PRL, 108 (2012), 031101]. In these proceedings, a detailed and pedagogical derivation of a main result, the flat space propagator for an arbitrary covariant metric theory of gravitation, is presented. The result is applied to analyse f(R) models, Gauss-Bonnet theory, Weyl-squared gravity and the potentially asymptotically free nonlocal theories.
The field equations of the recent nonlocal generalization of Einstein's theory of gravitation are presented in a form that is reminiscent of general relativity. The implications of the nonlocal field equations are studied in the case of conformally flat spacetimes. Even in this simple case, the field equations are intractable. Therefore, to gain insight into the nature of these equations, we investigate the structure of nonlocal gravity in two-dimensional spacetimes. While any smooth 2D spacetime is conformally flat and satisfies Einstein's field equations, only a subset containing either a Ki…
In Brans-Dicke theory of gravity we explain how the extra constant value in the formula for rotation velocities of stars in a galactic halo can be obtained due to the global monopole field. We argue on a few points of the preceding Comment and discuss improvement of our model.
Discrete approaches to gravity, both classical and quantum, are reviewed briefly, with emphasis on the method using piecewise-linear spaces. Models of 3-dimensional quantum gravity involving 6j-symbols are then described, and progress in generalising these models to four dimensions is discussed, as is the relationship of these models in both three and four dimensions to topological theories. Finally, the repercussions of the generalisations are explored for the original formulation of discrete gravity using edge-length variables.
We study the correspondence between two theoretical frameworks for describing dark energy, $f(R)$ gravity and higher-dimensional Space-Time-Matter (STM) or induced-matter theory. We show that the Hubble expansion parameter in $f(R)$ gravity can be associated with a combination of metric functions in STM theory, and consider a specific example whose properties are consistent with late-time acceleration.
We construct a state in the loop quantum gravity theory with zero cosmological constant, which should correspond to the flat spacetime vacuum solution. This is done by defining the loop transform coefficients of a flat connection wavefunction in the holomorphic representation which satisfies all the constraints of quantum General Relativity and it is peaked around the flat space triads. The loop transform coefficients are defined as spin foam state sum invariants of the spin networks embedded in the spatial manifold for the SU(2) quantum group. We also obtain an expression for the vacuum wavef…
In the present paper we examine a projectively flat spacetime solution of $F(R)$-gravity theory. It is seen that once we deploy projective flatness in the geometry of the spacetime, the matter field has constant energy density and isotropic pressure. We then make the condition weaker and discuss the effects of projectively harmonic spacetime geometry in $F(R)$-gravity theory and show that the spacetime in this case reduces to a generalised Robertson-Walker spacetime with a shear, vorticity, acceleration free perfect fluid with a specific form of expansion scalar presented in terms of the scale…
Regarding Pauli's matrices as proper Higgs fields one can deduce an effective(!) approximation for gravity in flat space. In this work we extend this approximation up to the second order. Reaching complete agreement in the special case of gravitational waves. Unification in view, we introduce isospinorial degrees of freedom. In this way the mass spectrum and chiral asymmetry can be generated with the help of an additional scalar Higgs field. The Higgs modes corresponding to gravity are discussed.
We investigate the geometrical and physical structures of a pseudo-symmetric spacetime $(PS)_4$ with timelike vector under the condition of conformal flatness. We classify it into two possible types: constant Ricci scalar and closed velocity vector. We further study this spacetime as a solution of $F(R)$-gravity theory and show that the pressure and energy density of the effective cosmological perfect fluid separately possess certain typical relations with the geometry and the gravity sector of the theory. Based on this result, some observational and cosmological analyses are done for the $F(R…
Modern ether-drift experiments in vacuum could in principle detect the tiny refractive index that, in a flat-space picture of gravity, is appropriate for an apparatus placed on the Earth's surface. In this picture, in fact, if there were a preferred reference frame, light on the Earth would exhibit a slight anisotropy with definite quantitative differences from General Relativity. By re-analyzing the data published by two modern experiments with rotating optical resonators, and concentrating on the part of the signal that should be free of spurious systematic effects, we have found evidences t…
The $f(R)$ gravity models formulated in Einstein conformal frame are equivalent to Einstein gravity together with a minimally coupled scalar field. The scalar field couples with the matter sector and the coupling term is given by the conformal factor. We apply the holographic principle to such an interacting model in spatially flat and curved universes. We show that the model leads to a constant ratio of energy densities of dark matter to dark energy in a spatially flat universe. In a spatially curved universe, the ratio is not a constant and the evolution seems to be model-dependent. However,…
We present exact spherically symmetric dyonic black hole solutions in four-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton gravity with Liouville-type potentials for the dilaton field. These solutions have unusual asymptotics--they are neither asymptotically flat nor asymptotically (anti-) de Sitter. The solutions have one or two horizons hiding a curvature singularity at the origin. A class of topological dyonic black holes with topology of a torus is also presented. Some basic properties of the black holes are discussed.
The present work reports a reconstruction scheme for f(T) gravity based on QCD ghost dark energy. Two models of f(T) have been generated and the pressure and density contributions due to torsion have been reconstructed. Two realistic models have been obtained and the effective equations of state have been studied. Also, the squared speed of sound has been studied to examine the stability of the models.
In this paper we study traversable wormholes in the context of $f(R)$ gravity. Exact solutions of traversable wormholes are found by imposing the nonconstant Ricci scalar. These solutions asymptotically match spherical, flat and hyperbolic FRW metric. By choosing some static $f(R)$ gravity models, we verify the standard energy conditions for the asymptotically spherical, flat and hyperbolic wormhole solutions. Unlike the Einstein gravity, we find that in the context of $f(R)$ modified gravity, the asymptotically spherical, flat and hyperbolic wormhole solutions can respect the null energy cond…
We propose a formulation of gravity theory in the form of a field theory in a flat space-time with a number of dimensions greater than four. Configurations of the field under consideration describe the splitting of this space-time into a system of mutually noninteracting four-dimensional surfaces. Each of these surfaces can be considered our four-dimensional space-time. If the theory equations of motion are satisfied, then each surface satisfies the Regge-Teitelboim equations, whose solutions, in particular, are solutions of the Einstein equations. Matter fields then satisfy the standard equat…
We construct a new type of thin-shell wormhole for non-asymptotically flat charged black holes in generalized dilaton-axion gravity inspired by low-energy string theory using cut-and-paste technique. We have shown that this thin shell wormhole is stable. The most striking feature of our model is that the total amount of exotic matter needed to support the wormhole can be reduced as desired with the suitable choice of the value of a parameter. Various other aspects of thin-shell wormhole are also analyzed.
In this paper, a general FRW cosmological model has been constructed in $f(R,T)$ gravity reconstruction with variable cosmological constant. A number of solutions to the field equations has been generated by utilizing a form for the Hubble parameter that leads to Berman's law of constant deceleration parameter $q=m-1$. The possible decelerating and accelerating solutions have been investigated. For ($q>0$) we get a stable flat decelerating radiation-dominated universe at $q=1$. For ($q<0$) we get a stable accelerating solution describing a flat universe with positive energy density and negativ…
Thin-shell wormholes in Einstein-Yang-Mills-dilaton (EYMD) gravity are considered. We show that a non-asymptotically flat (NAF) black hole solution of the d-dimensional EYMD theory provides stable thin-shell wormholes which are supported entirely by exotic matter. The presence of dilaton makes the spacetime naturally NAF, and with our conclusion it remains still open to construct wormholes supported by normal matter between two such spacetimes.
We describe the canonical phase space of asymptotically flat gravity in Ashtekar-Barbero variables. We show that the Gauss constraint multiplier must fall off slower than previously considered in order to recover ADM phase space. The generators of the asymptotic Poincare group are derived within the Ashtekar-Barbero phase space without reference to the ADM generators. The resulting expressions are shown to agree, modulo Gauss constraint terms, with those obtained from the ADM generators. A payoff of this procedure is a new expression for the generator of asymptotic rotations which is polynomia…
Quantum nature of classical flat Kasner spacetime is studied using effective spacetime description in loop quantum cosmology. We find that even though the spacetime curvature vanishes at the classical level, non-trivial quantum gravitational effects can arise. For the standard loop quantization of Bianchi-I spacetime, which uniquely yields universal bounds on expansion and shear scalars and results in a generic resolution of strong singularities, we find that a flat Kasner metric is not a physical solution of the effective spacetime description, except in a limit. The lack of a flat Kasner met…
In the present paper we study a conformally flat generalized Ricci recurrent perfect fluid spacetime with constant Ricci scalar as a solution of modified $F(R)$-gravity theory. We show that a Robertson-Walker spacetime is generalized Ricci Recurrent if and only if it is Ricci symmetric. The perfect fluid type matter is shown to have EoS $ω=-1$. Some energy conditions are analyzed with couple of popular toy models of $F(R)$-gravity, like $F(R)= R+αR^m $ where $α, m$ are constants and $ F(R)=R+βRlnR $ where $β$ is constant. In harmony with the recent observational studies of accelerated expansio…
We investigated a flat multidimensional cosmological model in Gauss-Bonnet gravity in presence of a matter in form of perfect fluid. We found analytically new stationary regimes (these results are valid for arbitrary number of spatial dimensions) and studied their stability by means of numerical recipes in 4+1-dimensional case. In the vicinity of the stationary regime we discovered numerically another non-singular regime which appears to be periodical. Finally, we demonstrated that the presence of matter in form of a perfect fluid lifts some constraints on the dynamics of the 4+1-dimensional m…
There are some gravitational theories in which the ordinary energy-momentum conservation law is not valid in the curved spacetime. Rastall gravity is one of the known theories in this regard which includes a non-minimal coupling between geometry and matter fields. Equipped with the basis of such theory, we study the properties of traversable wormholes with flat asymptotes. We investigate the possibility of exact solutions by a source with the baryonic matter state parameter. Our survey indicates that Rastall theory has considerable effects on the wormhole characteristics. In addition, we study…
In the paper, we apply the weak gravity conjecture to the holographic quintessence model of dark energy. Three different holographic dark energy models are considered: without the interaction in the non-flat universe; with interaction in the flat universe; with interaction in the non-flat universe. We find that only in the models with the spatial curvature and interaction term proportional to the energy density of matter, it is possible for the weak gravity conjecture to be satisfied.
The present work includes an analytical investigation of a collapsing spherical star in f (R) gravity. The interior of the collapsing star admits a conformal flatness. Information regarding the fate of the collapse is extracted from the matching conditions of the extrinsic curvature and the Ricci curvature scalar across the boundary hypersurface of the star. The radial distribution of the physical quantities such as density, anisotropic pressure and radial heat flux are studied. The inhomogeneity of the collapsing interior leads to a non-zero acceleration. The divergence of this acceleration a…
We consider simplest piecewise flat manifold consisting of two identical 4-tetrahedra (call it bisimplex). General relativity action for arbitrary piecewise flat manifold can be expressed in terms of sum of the (half of) bisimplex actions. We use representation of each bisimplex action in terms of certain rotation matrices (connections). This gives representation of any minisuperspace piecewise flat gravity system in terms of connections which do not connect neighboring 4-tetrahedra (more appropriate would be call these self-connections). If Regge calculus with independent 4-tetrahedra is cons…
The retarded gravitation produced by the matter and energy content of the observable universe is formulated and shown how this cosmological gravity gives rise to inertial forces in accelerated frames of reference. The model is developed for spatially flat Friedman-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universes. The retarded potential of cosmological gravity is determined first in fundamental frames of reference, in Einstein-de Sitter (ES)and in LambdaCDM models. Despite the expansion, the observable universe gives rise to a static, retarded gravitational potential equal to c2 in ES universe, while gravity i…
We consider Faddeev formulation of general relativity in which the metric is composed of ten vector fields or a $4 \times 10$ tetrad. This formulation reduces to the usual general relativity upon partial use of the field equations. A distinctive feature of the Faddeev action is its finiteness on the discontinuous fields. This allows to introduce its minisuperspace formulation where the vector fields are constant everywhere on ${\rm I \hspace{-3pt} R}^4$ with exception of a measure zero set (the piecewise constant fields). The fields are parameterized by their constant values {\it independently…
We consider the asymptotics of flat, radiation-dominated isotropic universes in four-dimensional theories with quadratic curvature corrections which may arise when contributions related to the string parameter $α'$ are switched on. We show that all such universes are singular initially, and calculate all early time asymptotics using the method of asymptotic splittings. We also examine the late time asymptotic behaviour of these models and show that there are no solutions which diverge as $e^{t^2}$, the known radiation solution of general relativity is essentially the only late time asymptotic …
First and foremost, we show that a 4-dimensional conformally flat generalized Ricci recurrent spacetime $(GR)_4$ is an Einstein manifold. We examine such a spacetime as a solution of $f(R, G)$-gravity theory and it is shown that the additional terms from the modification of the gravitational sector can be expressed as a perfect fluid. Several energy conditions are investigated with $f(R, G) = R +\sqrt{G}$ and $f(R, G) = R^2+GlnG$. For both the models, weak, null and dominant energy conditions are satisfied while strong energy condition is violated, which is a good agreement with the recent obs…
Geons, small topological structures that exhibit particle properties such as charge and angular momentum without the presence of matter sources, have been extensively discussed in 3+1-dimensional general relativity. Given the recent renewal of interest in 2+1 gravity, it is natural to ask whether or not the notion of geons extends to three dimensions. We prove here that, in contrast to the 3+1-dimensional case, there are no 2+1-dimensional asymptotically flat solutions of the vacuum Einstein or Einstein-Maxwell equations containing geons. In contrast, 2+1-dimensional asymptotically anti-de Sit…
An approach to the discrete quantum gravity based on the Regge calculus is discussed which was developed in a number of our papers. Regge calculus is general relativity for the subclass of general Riemannian manifolds called piecewise flat ones. Regge calculus deals with the discrete set of variables, triangulation lengths, and contains continuous general relativity as a particular limiting case when the lengths tend to zero. In our approach the quantum length expectations are nonzero and of the order of Plank scale $10^{-33}cm$. This means the discrete spacetime structure on these scales.
The cosmological sector to the full non-linear topologically massive gravity (TMG) is obtained for localized sources of mass $m$ and spin $σ$ besides the asymptotically spinning conical flat sector previously obtained. In a small region near but outside the sources, the metric resembles the spinning conical flat metric, but we find that the mass $m$ creates a negative deficit angle of $3m$ as opposed to $m$. Furthermore, it is not possible to recover the results of pure Einstein gravity in the limit $μ\to \infty$ unlike the flat sector.
In this paper, we investigate the stability of the flat FLRW metric in $f(T)$ gravity. This is achieved by analysing the small perturbations, $δ$ about the Hubble parameter and the matter energy density, $δ_\text{m}$. We find that $δ\propto \dot{H}/H$ and $δ_{\text{m}} \propto H$. Since the Hubble parameter depends on the function $f(T)$, two models were considered (A) the power-law model $f(T) = α(-T)^n$, and (B) the exponential model $f(T) = αT_0 \left(1 - \exp \left[-p \sqrt{\dfrac{T}{T_0}}\right]\right)$, where the parameters $n$ and $p$ were chosen to give comparable physical results. For…
We examine a Type-1 neck pinch singularity in simplicial Ricci flow (SRF) for an axisymmetric piecewise flat 3-dimensional geometry with 3-sphere topology. SRF was recently introduced as an unstructured mesh formulation of Hamilton's Ricci flow (RF). It describes the RF of a piecewise-flat simplicial geometry. In this paper, we apply the SRF equations to a representative double-lobed axisymmetric piecewise flat geometry with mirror symmetry at the neck similar to the geometry studied by Angenent and Knopf (A-K). We choose a specific radial profile and compare the SRF equations with the corresp…
We introduce flat space spin-3 gravity in the presence of chemical potentials and discuss some applications to flat space cosmology solutions, their entropy, free energy and flat space orbifold singularity resolution. Our results include flat space Einstein gravity with chemical potentials as special case. We discover novel types of phase transitions between flat space cosmologies with spin-3 hair and show that the branch that continuously connects to spin-2 gravity becomes thermodynamically unstable for sufficiently large temperature or spin-3 chemical potential.
