A review of our results on the asymptotic structure of gravity at spatial infinity in four spacetime dimensions is given. Finiteness of the action and integrability of the asymptotic Lorentz boost generators are key criteria that we implement through appropriate boundary conditions. These conditions are `twisted parity conditions', expressing that the leading order of the asymptotic fields obey strict parity conditions under the sphere antipodal map up to an improper gauge transformation. The asymptotic symmetries are shown to form the infinite-dimensional BMS group, which has a non trivial action. The charges and their algebra are worked out. The presentation aims at being self-contained and at possessing a pedagogical component.
We show that the asymptotic charges associated with Lorentz symmetries on past and future null infinity match in the limit to spatial infinity in a class of asymptotically-flat spacetimes. These are spacetimes that obey the Ashtekar-Hansen definition of asymptotic flatness at null and spatial infinity and satisfy an additional set of conditions which we lay out explicitly. Combined with earlier results on the matching of supertranslation charges, this shows that all Bondi-Metzner-Sachs (BMS) charges on past and future null infinity match in the limit to spatial infinity in this class of spacet…
It is well known that the spacetime $\text{AdS}_2\times S^2$ arises as the `near horizon' geometry of the extremal Reisser-Nordstrom solution, and for that reason it has been studied in connection with the AdS/CFT correspondence. Motivated by a conjectural viewpoint of Juan Maldacena, the authors in [4] studied the rigidity of asymptotically $\text{AdS}_2\times S^2$ spacetimes satisfying the null energy condition. In this paper, we take an entirely different and more general approach to the asymptotics based on the notion of conformal infinity. This involves a natural modification of the usual…
We study the propagation of a massless scalar wave in de Sitter spacetime perturbed by an arbitrary central mass. By focusing on the late time limit, this probes the portion of the scalar signal traveling inside the null cone. Unlike in asymptotically flat spacetimes, the amplitude of the scalar field detected by an observer at timelike infinity does not decay back to zero but develops a spacetime constant shift - both at zeroth and first order in the central mass M. This indicates that massless scalar field propagation in asymptotically de Sitter spacetimes exhibits both linear and nonlinear …
We study asymptotically flat spacetimes in five spacetime dimensions by Hamiltonian methods, focusing on spatial infinity and keeping all asymptotically relevant nonlinearities in the transformation laws and in the charge-generators. Precise boundary conditions that lead to a consistent variational principle are given. We show that the algebra of asymptotic symmetries, which had not been uncovered before, is a nonlinear deformation of the semi-direct product of the Lorentz algebra by an abelian algebra involving four independent (and not just one) arbitrary functions of the angles on the $3$-s…
We discuss three separate types of infinities that occur in non-supersymmetric canonical gravity and string theory. We consider UV perturbative singularities in non-supersymmetric gravity coupled to matter and how these are related to loop corrections to beta functions for non-supersymmetric strings. Next we consider classical cosmological singularities that occur in these equations and discuss a specific singular cosmology of Dudas and Mourad for non-supersymmetric string theory. Finally we discuss the infinities that occur in quantum cosmology associated with topology change and discuss how …
We construct the phase space of 3-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes that forms the bulk metric representation of the BMS group consisting of both supertranslations and superrotations. The asymptotic symmetry group is a unique copy of the BMS group at both null infinities and spatial infinity. The BMS phase space obeys a notion of holographic causality and can be parametrized by boundary null fields. This automatically leads to the antipodal identification of bulk fields between past and future null infinity in the absence of a global conical defect.
Boundary conditions for Ashtekar-Barbero variables in the context of asymptotically flat spacetimes which lead to supertranslations at spatial infinity
We summarize theoretical and experimental work on tests of CPT and local Lorentz symmetry in gravity. Recent developments include extending the effective field theory framework into the nonlinear regime of gravity.
We explore a scenario of the general relativity determined by the framework of the rainbow gravity with the purpose of searching for analogues of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. By focusing on the confinement of the Dirac field and the scalar field to a hard-wall confining potential in a modified background of the cosmic string spacetime, we examine the effects of the rainbow gravity and the topology of the cosmic string spacetime. Then, we compare each spectrum of energy with the cases where the rainbow gravity is absent.
We study almost universal spacetimes - spacetimes for which the field equations of any generalized gravity with the Lagrangian constructed from the metric, the Riemann tensor and its covariant derivatives of arbitrary order reduce to one single differential equation and one algebraic condition for the Ricci scalar. We prove that all d-dimensional Kundt spacetimes of Weyl type III and traceless Ricci type N are almost universal. Explicit examples of Weyl type II almost universal Kundt metrics are also given. The considerable simplification of the field equations of higher-order gravity theories…
The Janis-Newman-Winicour metric is a solution of Einstein's gravity minimally coupled to a real massless scalar field. The $γ$-metric is instead a vacuum solution of Einstein's gravity. These spacetimes have no horizon and possess a naked singularity at a finite value of the radial coordinate, where curvature invariants diverge and the spacetimes are geodetically incomplete. In this paper, we reconsider these solutions in the framework of conformal gravity and we show that it is possible to solve the spacetime singularities with a suitable choice of the conformal factor. Now curvature invaria…
In this work we present a non-relativistic gravity theory defined in four spacetime dimensions using the MacDowell-Mansouri geometrical formulation. We obtain a Newtonian gravity action which is constructed from the curvature of a Newton-Hooke version of the so-called Newtonian algebra. We show that the non-relativistic gravity theory presented here contains the Poisson equation in presence of a cosmological constant. Moreover we make contact with the Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) approach for gravity by considering a particular ansatz for a given gauge field. We extend our results to a g…
We discuss the relevance of quantum gravity to the frontier questions in high energy phenomenology: the problems of dark matter, dark energy, and vacuum selection as well as the problems of emergent spacetime and wormholes. Dark matter and dark energy phenomenology, and the problem of vacuum selection are discussed within the context of string theory as a model of quantum gravity. Emergent spacetime and wormholes are discussed in a more general context of effective theories of quantum gravity.
In this paper,using Hamilton-Jacobi ansatz, we investigate scalar particles tunneling radiation in the Demianski-Newman spacetime. We get the effective temperature with influences of quantum gravity, and compare this temperature with the original temperature of the Demianski-Newman black hole. We find that it's similar to the case of fermions, for scalar particles the influence of quantum gravity will also slow down the increase of Hawking temperatures,which naturally leads to remnants left in the evaporation.
Spacetimes, which are representations of a bridge-like geometry in gravity theory, are constructed as vacuum solutions to the first order equations of motion. Each such configuration consists of two copies of an asymptotically flat sheet, connected by a bridge of finite extension where tetrad is noninvertible. These solutions can be classified into static and non-static spacetimes. The associated SO(3,1) invariant fields, namely the metric, affine connection and field-strength tensor, are all continuous across the hypersurfaces connecting the invertible and noninvertible phases of tetrad and a…
We make biframe and quaternion extensions on the noncommutative geometry, and construct the biframe spacetime for the unification of gravity and quantum field theory. The extended geometry distinguishes between the ordinary spacetime based on the frame bundle and an extra non-coordinate spacetime based on the biframe bundle constructed by our extensions. The ordinary spacetime frame is globally flat and plays the role as the spacetime frame in which the fields of the standard model are defined. The non-coordinate frame is locally flat and is the gravity spacetime frame. The field defined in bo…
Topological order is a new type order that beyond Landau's symmetry breaking theory. It has some interesting properties, such as producing quasi-particles with fractional quantum numbers and fractional/Fermi statistics, robust gapless boundary modes and emergent gauge excitations. In this essay, we will show that the quantum gravity in $AdS_3$ spacetime can also have topological orders. Actually the theory has all the three features that define the topological order. We conjecture that quantum gravity in four dimension can also have topological orders.
Flat Space Cosmology (FSC) spacetimes are exact solutions of 3D gravity theories. In this work, we study phase transition between FSC spacetimes and Hot Flat Spacetimes (HFS) in general minimal massive gravity and exotic general massive gravity. We show that similar to topological massive gravity the tunneling occurs between two spacetimes by comparing their free energies. We also obtain the corrections to the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, and its effect on the phase transition is studied.
In this review we discuss emergence of unimodular gravity (or, more precisely, Weyl transverse gravity) from thermodynamics of spacetime. By analyzing three different ways to obtain gravitational equations of motion by thermodynamic arguments, we show that the results point to unimodular rather than fully diffeomorphism invariant theories and that this is true even for modified gravity. The unimodular character of dynamics is especially evident from the status of cosmological constant and energy-momentum conservation.
We consider the unique continuation properties of asymptotically Anti-de Sitter spacetimes by studying Klein-Gordon-type equations $\Box_g ϕ+ σϕ= \mathcal{G} ( ϕ, \partial ϕ)$, $σ\in \mathbb{R}$, on a large class of such spacetimes. Our main result establishes that if $ϕ$ vanishes to sufficiently high order (depending on $σ$) on a sufficiently long time interval along the conformal boundary $\mathcal{I}$, then the solution necessarily vanishes in a neighborhood of $\mathcal{I}$. In particular, in the $σ$-range where Dirichlet and Neumann conditions are possible on $\mathcal{I}$ for the forward…
The conformal gravity remarkably boosts our prehension of gravity theories. We find a series of dynamical solutions in the $W^2$-conformal gravity, including generalized Schwarzschild-Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (GSFRW), charged generalized Schwarzschild-Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (CGSFRW), especially rotating Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (RFRW), charged rotating Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (CRFRW), and a dynamical cylindrically symmetric solutions. The RFRW, CRFRW and the dynamical cylindrically symmetric solutions are never found in the Einstein gravity and modified gravities. The GSFRW and CGSF…
We hereby show that the Kasner spacetime turns out to be singularity-free in Einstein's conformal gravity in vacuum or in presence of matter. Such a statement is based on the regularity of the curvature invariants and on the geodesic completion of the spacetime when it is probed by massive, massless, and conformally coupled particles. As a universal feature of the regular metric, nothing can reach the singularity located in t=0 in a finite amount of proper time (for massive particles and conformally coupled particles) or for finite values of the affine parameter (for massless particles).
We consider necessary and sufficient conditions for photons emitted from an arbitrary spacetime position of the extremal Kerr black hole to escape to infinity. The radial equation of motion determines the necessary conditions for photons emitted from $r=r_*$ to escape to infinity, and the polar angle equation of motion further restricts the allowed region of photon motion. From these two conditions, we provide a method to visualize a two-dimensional photon impact parameter space that allows photons to escape to infinity, i.e., the escapable region. Finally, we completely identify the escapable…
Logarithmic supertranslations as asymptotic symmetries of gravity at null infinity
Instituto de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (ICEN), Universidad Arturo Prat（阿图罗·普拉特大学精确科学与自然学院）；Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Arturo Prat（阿图罗·普拉特大学理学院）；Université Libre de Bruxelles and International Solvay Institutes（布鲁塞尔自由大学与国际索尔维研究所）；Collège de France, Université PSL（法兰西公学，巴黎文理研究大学）
