The apparent incompatibility between quantum theory and general relativity has long hampered efforts to find a quantum theory of gravity. The recently proposed positive formalism for quantum theory purports to remove this incompatibility. We showcase the power of the positive formalism by applying it to the black hole to white hole transition scenario that has been proposed as a possible effect of quantum gravity. We show how the characteristic observable of this scenario, the bounce time, can be predicted within the positive formalism, while a traditional S-matrix approach fails at this task. Our result also involves a conceptually novel use of positive operator valued measures.
The existence of possible massive white dwarfs more than the Chandrasekhar limit ($1.45M_{\odot }$, in which $M_{\odot }$ is mass of the sun) is a challenging topic. In this regard and motivated by the important effect of massive graviton on the structure of white dwarfs we study the white dwarfs in Vegh's massive gravity which is known as one of theories of de Rham, Gabadadze and Tolley (dRGT) like massive gravity. First, we consider the modified Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation in this theory of massive gravity and solve it numerically by using the Chandrasekhar's equation of state. Our r…
A simple cooling model of white dwarf stars is re-analyzed in Palatini $f(R)$ gravity. Modified gravity affects the white dwarf structures and consequently their ages. We find that the resulting super-Chandrasekhar white dwarfs need more time to cool down than sub-Chandrasekhar ones, or when compared to the Newtonian models.
In this paper, we explore the properties of white dwarfs with the modified TOV equation in Einstein-$Λ$ gravity, the equilibrium configurations predict a maximum mass limit for white dwarfs same as the Chandrasekhar limit when we consider $Λ$ to be very small($Λ<10^{-16}$ m$^{-2}$), by increasing $Λ$, the maximum mass and radius of white dwarf are reduced. We study effects of the cosmological constant on the physical properties of white dwarf such as $M-ρ_c$ relation, $M-R$ relation, Schwarzschild radius, average density, compactness, gravitational redshift and dynamical stability. The gravita…
Quantum gravity places important consistency conditions on low-energy effective field theory, such as the absence of global symmetries. These may have important consequences in the search for particle physics beyond the Standard Model. We review some of these conditions and their phenomenological implications for the strong CP problem, the weak scale, new gauge interactions, and cosmology. We also offer some general comments on how these ideas can guide model building.
In this work we investigate the equilibrium configurations of white dwarfs in a modified gravity theory, na\-mely, $f(R,T)$ gravity, for which $R$ and $T$ stand for the Ricci scalar and trace of the energy-momentum tensor, respectively. Considering the functional form $f(R,T)=R+2λT$, with $λ$ being a constant, we obtain the hydrostatic equilibrium equation for the theory. Some physical properties of white dwarfs, such as: mass, radius, pressure and energy density, as well as their dependence on the parameter $λ$ are derived. More massive and larger white dwarfs are found for negative values of…
We show that there is a classical metric satisfying the Einstein equations outside a finite spacetime region where matter collapses into a black hole and then emerges from a white hole. We compute this metric explicitly. We show how quantum theory determines the (long) time for the process to happen. A black hole can thus quantum-tunnel into a white hole. For this to happen, quantum gravity should affect the metric also in a small region outside the horizon: we show that contrary to what is commonly assumed, this is not forbidden by causality or by the semiclassical approximation, because quan…
We investigate the impact of gravity portal to properties of white dwarfs, such as equation-of-state as well as cooling time. We find that the interaction between dark matter spin-zero bosons and electrons in the mean field approximation softens the equation-of-state, and the object coolers down slower compared to the usual case.
Modified gravity theories can introduce modifications to the Poisson equation in the Newtonian limit. As a result, we expect to see interesting features of these modifications inside stellar objects. White dwarf stars are one of the most well studied stars in stellar astrophysics. We explore the effect of modified gravity theories inside white dwarfs. We derive the modified stellar structure equations and solve them to study the mass-radius relationships for various modified gravity theories. We also constrain the parameter space of these theories from observations.
Scalar-tensor theories of gravity can lead to modifications of the gravitational force inside astrophysical objects. We exhibit that compact stars such as white dwarfs provide a unique set-up to test beyond Horndeski theories of ${\rm G}^3$ type. We obtain stringent and independent constraints on the parameter $Υ$ characterizing the deviations from Newtonian gravity using the mass-radius relation, the Chandrasekhar mass limit and the maximal rotational frequency of white dwarfs. We find that white dwarfs impose stronger constraints on $Υ$ than red and brown dwarfs.
We investigate the Chandrasekhar mass limit for white dwarfs in various models of $f(R)$ gravity. Two equations of state for stellar matter are used: simple relativistic polytropic equation with polytropic index $n=3$ and the realistic Chandrasekhar equation of state. For calculations it is convenient to use the equivalent scalar-tensor theory in the Einstein frame and then to return in the Jordan frame picture. For white dwarfs we can neglect terms containing relativistic effects from General Relativity and we consider the reduced system of equations. Its solution for any model of $f(R)=R+βR^…
Static solutions of white dwarfs with spherical symmetry and local anisotropy are studied in the post-Newtonian approximation. It is argued that the condition for equilibrium must be that the total energy is a minimum for given baryon number and the question whether there is local isotropy or anisotropy inside the star should follow from that condition, rather than be postulated "a priori". It is shown show that, in post-Newtonian gravity, there are stable configurations with local anisotropy for masses above the Chandrasekhar limit.
In Palatini $f(R)$ gravity, the parameters of the Schwarzschild - de Sitter solution as well as the whole interior solutions of compact objects are expected to change when compared to general relativity. We solve the Palatini field equations numerically in the case of the models $f(R) = R + αR^2$ and $f(R) = R - μ^4/R$, and using the equation of state of Fermi gas. We show how the density profiles and the prediction for the maximum masses of white dwarfs (the Chandrasekhar limit) and neutron stars (the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit) are altered, and thereby conclude that observations on com…
A few questions related to white dwarfs' physics is posed. It seems that the modified gravity framework can be a good starting point to provide alternative explanations to cooling processes, their age determination, and Chandrasekhar mass limits. Moreover, we have also obtained the Chandrasekhar limit coming from Palatini $f(\mathcal{R})$ gravity provided by a simple Lane-Emden model.
After the prediction of many sub- and super-Chandrasekhar (at least a dozen for the latter) limiting mass white dwarfs, hence apparently peculiar class of white dwarfs, from the observations of luminosity of type Ia supernovae, researchers have proposed various models to explain these two classes of white dwarfs separately. We earlier showed that these two peculiar classes of white dwarfs, along with the regular white dwarfs, can be explained by a single form of the f(R) gravity, whose effect is significant only in the high-density regime, and it almost vanishes in the low-density regime. Howe…
Quantum gravity effects in effective models of loop quantum gravity, such as loop quantum cosmology, are encoded in the choice of so-called polymerisation schemes. Physical viability of the models, such as an onset of quantum effects at curvature scales near the Planck curvature, severely restrict the possible choices. An alternative point of view on the choice of polymerisation scheme is to choose adapted variables so that the scheme is the simplest possible one, known as $μ_0$-scheme in loop quantum cosmology. There, physically viable models with $μ_0$-scheme polymerise the Hubble rate $b$ t…
Progress in the quantum readout and control of mechanical devices from single atoms to large masses may enable a first generation of experiments probing the gravitational interaction in the quantum regime, conceivably within the next decade. In this Snowmass whitepaper, we briefly outline the possibilities and challenges facing the realization of these experiments. In particular, we emphasize the need for detailed theories of modifications to the usual effective QFT of gravitons in the infrared regime $E/L^3 \ll m_{\rm Pl}/\ell_{\rm Pl}^3$ in which these experiments operate, and relations to p…
The string inspired higher dimensional theories suggest modification of Newton's law at submillimeter length scales. Inter-particle distances in white dwarf and neutron stars are $10^{-10} cms$ and $10^{-13} cms$ respectively, and therefore, the effects of of short distance corrections to gravity deserve investigation. We show, by carrying out explicit analytical many-body calculations that, in the presence of corrections, the normal state of these compact stars become metastable. The actual quantum mechanical ground state of the stars turns out to be unstable. However, the tunneling probabili…
We explore the internal structures of the white dwarfs in two different modified theories of gravity: (i) scalar-tensor-vector gravity and (ii) beyond Horndeski theories of $G_3$ type. The modification of the gravitational force inside the white dwarf results in the modification of the mass and radius of the white dwarf. We use observational data from various astrophysical probes including $\textit{Gaia}$ to test the validity of these two classes of modified theories of gravity. We update the constraints on the parameters controlling the deviation from general relativity (and Newtonian gravity…
In this work, we investigate the equilibrium configurations of massive white dwarfs (MWD) in the context of modified gravity, namely $f(R,L_m)$ gravity, where $R$ stands for the Ricci scalar and $L_m$ is the Lagrangian matter density. We focused on the specific case $f(R,L_m) = R/2 + L_m + σRL_m$, i.e., we have considered a non-minimal coupling between the gravity field and the matter field, with $σ$ being the coupling constant. For the first time, the theory is applied to white dwarfs, in particular to study massive white dwarfs, which is a topic of great interest in the last years. The equil…
Crystallized white dwarf stars in scalar-tensor gravity
University of Tartu（塔尔图大学）；Complutense University of Madrid（马德里康普顿斯大学）；Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen（蒂宾根大学）；Bulgarian Academy of Sciences（保加利亚科学院）
This short review is intended as a colloquium-level summary, for the Snowmass 2021 process, on recent theoretical results on infrared observables in quantum gravity. We rely on simple physical arguments, most notably a random walk intuition, to show how effects of quantum gravity in the ultraviolet (at the Planck length $\ell_p \approx 10^{-35} \mbox{ m}$) may integrate into the infrared when the large measurement length scale $L$ enters into the observable. A quantum uncertainty at lightsheet horizons would give rise to an accumulated effect of size $δL^2 \simeq \ell_p L/4 π$. We discuss how …
The understanding of black holes in loop quantum gravity is becoming increasingly accurate. This review focuses on the possible experimental or observational consequences of the underlying spinfoam structure of space-time. It adresses both the aspects associated with the Hawking evaporation and the ones due to the possible existence of a bounce. Finally, consequences for dark matter and gravitational waves are considered.
Recently, O.B.Zaslavskii considers the collision near the horizon of the extremal Kerr black hole that produces two particles and one of two particles has divergent conserved killing energy(the so called super Penrose process). O.B.Zaslavskii shows this particle can not move in a asymptotic region in this universe. This means super Penrose process for extremal Kerr black hole is impossible. However, recently, Mandar Patil and Tomohiro Harada show this particle can enter event horizon, turns back and emerges through white hole event horizon into asymptotic region in other universe. This means s…
Recent observations of several peculiar over- and under-luminous type Ia supernovae infer indirect evidence for the violation of the Chandrasekhar mass-limit by suggesting the existence of super- and sub-Chandrasekhar limiting mass white dwarfs. In an attempt to explain these phenomena in the context of general relativistic extensions, we study these objects in Palatini $f(R)$ gravity. We obtain the super- and sub-Chandrasekhar limiting masses as well as the dynamical instability criteria for white dwarfs in the given gravitational theory. We further demonstrate that the conventional positivit…
We analyze the effects of modified gravity on specific heats of electrons and ions, Debye temperature, crystallization process, and cooling mechanism in white dwarfs. We derive the Lane-Emden-Chandrasekhar equation and relate it to the cooling process equations for Palatini $f(R)$ gravity. Moreover, for the first time in the literature, we show that the gravity model plays a crucial role not only in the mass and size of the white dwarf, but also affects their internal properties. We further demonstrate that modified gravity can decrease the cooling age significantly.
We examine the Chandrasekhar limit for white dwarfs in $f(R)$ gravity, with a simple polytropic equation of state describing stellar matter. We use the most popular $f(R)$ gravity model, namely the $f(R)=R+αR^2$ gravity, and calculate the parameters of the stellar configurations with polytropic equation of state of the form $p=Kρ^{1+1/n}$ for various values of the parameter $n$. In order to simplify our analysis we use the equivalent Einstein frame form of $R^2$-gravity which is basically a scalar-tensor theory with well-known potential for the scalar field. In this description one can use sim…
A theory of quantum gravity is expected to change profoundly our understanding of black holes. Quantum theory has already shown, as a first approximation, that a black hole slowly evaporates. Non-perturbative quantum gravity also predicts that such an object could metamorphose into a white hole, its time-reverse. In this thesis, we study the foundations of such a scenario and propose a mathematical model that includes the phenomenon of evaporation.
While computing the Fermi degeneracy pressure of electrons in a white dwarf star within the framework of hydrostatic equilibrium, we depart from the extant practice of treating the electrons as a free fermion gas, by including the effect of the star's self-gravity as an effective gravitational potential. By the star's self gravity, we mean the gravitational field due to the star itself, resulting from the mass of its constituent atoms, the mass of the atom being effectively the mass of the proton. Modifying the free particle Hamiltonian with this effective potential, we employ first order quan…
If a grand-unified extension of the asymptotically safe Reuter fixed-point for quantum gravity exists, it determines free parameters of the grand-unified scalar potential. All quartic couplings take their fixed-point values in the trans-Planckian regime. They are irrelevant parameters that are, in principle, computable for a given particle content of the grand unified model. In turn, the direction of spontaneous breaking of the grand-unified gauge symmetry becomes predictable. For the flow of the couplings below the Planck mass, gauge and Yukawa interactions compete for the determination of th…
We investigate the formation dynamics of sonic horizons in a Bose gas confined in a (quasi) one-dimensional trap. This system is one of the most promising realizations of the analogue gravity paradigm and has already been successfully studied experimentally. Taking advantage of the exact solution of the one-dimensional, hard-core, Bose model (Tonks-Girardeau gas) we show that, by switching on a step potential, either a sonic (black-hole-like) horizon or a black/white hole pair may form, according to the initial velocity of the fluid. Our simulations never suggest the formation of an isolated w…
We establish the importance of modified Einstein's gravity (MG) in white dwarfs (WDs) for the first time in the literature. We show that MG leads to significantly sub- and super-Chandrasekhar limiting mass WDs, depending on a single model parameter. However, conventional WDs on approaching Chandrasekhar's limit are expected to trigger type Ia supernovae (SNeIa), a key to unravel the evolutionary history of the universe. Nevertheless, observations of several peculiar, under- and over-luminous SNeIa argue for the limiting mass widely different from Chandrasekhar's limit. Explosions of MG induced…
We consider theories that modify gravity at cosmological distances, and show that any such theory must exhibit a strong coupling phenomenon, or else it is either inconsistent or is already ruled out by the solar system observations. We show that all the ghost-free theories that modify dynamics of spin-2 graviton on asymptotically flat backgrounds, automatically have this property. Due to the strong coupling effect, modification of the gravitational force is source-dependent, and for lighter sources sets in at shorter distances. This universal feature makes modified gravity theories predictive …
Quantization of the gravitational field may allow the existence of a decay channel of black holes into white holes with an explicit time-reversal symmetry. The definition of a meaningful decay probability for this channel is studied in spherically symmetric situations. As a first nontrivial calculation, we present the functional integration over a set of geometries using a single-variable function to interpolate between black-hole and white-hole geometries in a bounded region of spacetime. This computation gives a finite result which depends only on the Schwarzschild mass and a parameter measu…
Charged anisotropic white dwarfs in $f\left({R}, {T}\right)$ gravity
CAS Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院理论物理研究所）；School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学）；Hohai University（河海大学）
Type Ia supernovae (SNeIa), used as one of the standard candles in astrophysics, are believed to form when the mass of the white dwarf approaches Chandrasekhar mass limit. However, observations in last few decades detected some peculiar SNeIa, which are predicted to be originating from white dwarfs of mass much less than the Chandrasekhar mass limit or much higher than it. Although the unification of these two sub-classes of SNeIa was attempted earlier by our group, in this work, we, for the first time, explain this phenomenon in terms of just one property of the white dwarf which is its centr…
The idea of possible modification to gravity theory, whether it is in the Newtonian or general relativistic premises, is there for quite sometime. Based on it, astrophysical and cosmological problems are targeted to solve. But none of the Newtonian theories of modification has been performed from the first principle. Here, we modify Poisson's equation and propose two possible ways to modify the law gravitation which, however, reduces to Newton's law far away from the center of source. Based on these modified Newton's laws, we attempt to solve problems lying with white dwarfs. There are observa…
In recent years, the idea of sub- and super-Chandrasekhar limiting mass white dwarfs (WDs), which are potential candidates to produce under- and over-luminous type Ia supernovae, respectively, has been a key interest in the scientific community. Although researchers have proposed different models to explain these peculiar objects, modified theories of Einstein's gravity, particularly $f(R)$ gravity with $R$ being the scalar curvature, seems to be one of the finest choices to explain both the regimes of these peculiar WDs. It was already shown that considering higher-order corrections to the St…
The coupling of the electromagnetic field directly with gravitational gauge fields leads to new physical effects that can be tested using astronomical data. Here we consider a particular case for closer scrutiny, a specific nonminimal coupling of torsion to electromagnetism, which enters into a metric-affine geometry of space-time. We show that under the assumption of this nonminimal coupling, spacetime is birefringent in the presence of such a gravitational field. This leads to the depolarization of light emitted from extended astrophysical sources. We use polarimetric data of the magnetic wh…
We use the most recent, complete and independent measurements of masses and radii of white dwarfs in binaries to bound the class of non-trivial modified gravity theories, viable after GW170817/GRB170817, using its effect on the mass-radius relation of the stars. We show that the uncertainty in the latest data is sufficiently small that residual evolutionary effects, most notably the effect of core composition, finite temperature and envelope structure, must now accounted for if correct conclusions about the nature of gravity are to be made. We model corrections resulting from finite temperatur…
I develop a phenomenological approach to the description of the noise levels that the space-time foam of quantum gravity could induce in modern gravity-wave detectors. Various possibilities are considered, including white noise and random-walk noise. In particular, I find that the sensitivity level expected for the planned LIGO and VIRGO interferometers and for the next upgrade of the NAUTILUS resonant-bar detector corresponds to a white-noise level which can be naturally associated with the Planck length.
Observations of several peculiar, under- and over-luminous type Ia supernovae (SNeIa) argue for exploding masses widely different from the Chandrasekhar-limit. We explore the modification to Einstein's gravity in white dwarfs for the first time in the literature, which shows that depending on the (density dependent) modified gravity parameter $α$, chosen for the present purpose of representation, limiting mass of white dwarfs could be significantly sub- as well as super-Chandrasekhar. Hence, this unifies the apparently disjoint classes of SNeIa, establishing the importance of modified Einstein…
The observation of low-frequency gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will allow the study of new sources of gravitational radiation that are not accessible by ground-based instruments. Gravitational wave sources provide invaluable information both about their astrophysics, as well as the nature of the gravitational interaction in their neighborhoods. One low frequency source that has not received much attention regarding the latter are galactic binaries composed of two white dwarves or a white dwarf and a neutron star. We here show that, contrary to the common lore,…
We explore the effect of modification to Einstein's gravity in white dwarfs for the first time in the literature, to the best of our knowledge. This leads to significantly sub- and super-Chandrasekhar limiting masses of white dwarfs, determined by a single model parameter. On the other hand, type Ia supernovae (SNeIa), a key to unravel the evolutionary history of the universe, are believed to be triggered in white dwarfs having mass close to the Chandrasekhar limit. However, observations of several peculiar, under- and over-luminous SNeIa argue for exploding masses widely different from this l…
We design a direct test of the local position invariance (LPI) in the post-Newtonian gravity, using the timing observation of the triple pulsar, PSR J0337+1715. The test takes advantage of the large gravitational acceleration exerted by the outer white dwarf to the inner neutron star -- white dwarf binary. Using machine-precision three-body simulations and dedicated Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques with various sampling strategies and noise realizations, we estimate that the Whitehead's parameter could have already been limited to $|ξ| \lesssim 0.4$ (95\% CL), with the published timi…
