Bimetric theory describes a massless and a massive spin-2 field with fully non-linear (self-)interactions. It has a rich phenomenology and has been successfully tested with several data sets. However, the observational constraints have not been combined in a consistent framework, yet. We propose a parametrization of bimetric solutions in terms of the effective cosmological constant $Λ$ and the mass $m_\mathrm{FP}$ of the spin-2 field as well as its coupling strength to ordinary matter $\barα$. This simplifies choosing priors in statistical analysis and allows to directly constrain these parameters with observational data not only from local systems but also from cosmology. By identifying the physical vacuum of bimetric theory these parameters are uniquely determined. We work out the dictionary for the new parametrization for various submodels and present the implied consistency constraints on the physical parameter space. We then apply the dictionary to derive observational constraints from SN1a on the physical parameters. As a result we find that even self-accelerating models with a heavy spin-2 field are in perfect agreement with current supernova data.
Bimetric gravity is a ghost-free and observationally viable extension of general relativity, exhibiting both a massless and a massive graviton. The observed abundances of light elements can be used to constrain the expansion history of the Universe at the period of Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Applied to bimetric gravity, we readily obtain constraints on the theory parameters which are complementary to other observational probes. For example, the mixing angle between the two gravitons must satisfy $θ\lesssim 18^\circ$ in the graviton mass range $m_\mathrm{FP} \gtrsim 10^{-16} \, \mathrm{eV}/c^2$,…
The goal of this work was to investigate the propagation of the constraints in the ghost-free bimetric theory where the evolution equations are in standard 3+1 form. It is established that the constraints evolve according to a first-order symmetric hyperbolic system whose characteristic cone consists of the null cones of the two metrics. Consequently, the constraint evolution equations are well-posed, and the constraints stably propagate.
We perform a canonical analysis of the bimetric theory in the metric formulation, computing the constraints and their algebra explicitly. In particular, we compute a secondary constraint, that has been argued to exist earlier, and show that it has the correct form to eliminate the ghost. We also identify a set of four first class constraints that generate the algebra of general covariance. The covariance algebra naturally determines a spacetime metric for the theory. However, in bimetric theory, this metric is not unique but depends on how the first class constraints are identified.
Ghost-free bimetric theory describes two nonlinearly interacting spin-2 fields, one massive and one massless, thus extending general relativity. We confront bimetric theory with observations of Supernovae type 1a, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and the Cosmic Microwave Background in a statistical analysis, utilising the recently proposed physical parametrisation. This directly constrains the physical parameters of the theory, such as the mass of the spin-2 field and its coupling to matter. We find that all models under consideration are in agreement with the data. Next, we compare these results …
Ghost-free bimetric gravity is an extension of general relativity, featuring a massive spin-2 field coupled to gravity. We parameterize the theory with a set of observables having specific physical interpretations. For the background cosmology and the static, spherically symmetric solutions (for example approximating the gravitational potential of the solar system), there are four directions in the parameter space in which general relativity is approached. Requiring that there is a working screening mechanism and a nonsingular evolution of the Universe, we place analytical constraints on the p…
We derive dynamical and gravitational lensing properties of local sources in the Hassan-Rosen bimetric gravity theory. Observations of elliptical galaxies rule out values of the effective length-scale of the theory, in units of the Hubble radius, in the interval 10^-6 < lambda_g/r_H < 10^-3, unless the proportionality constant between the metrics at the background level is far from unity, in which case general relativity is effectively restored for local sources. In order to have background solutions resembling the concordance cosmological model, without fine-tuning of the parameters of the mo…
We investigate the observational consequences of scalar instabilities in bimetric theory, under the assumption that the Vainshtein mechanism restores general relativity within a certain distance from gravitational sources. We argue that early time instabilities have a negligible impact on observed structures. Assuming that the instabilities affect sub-horizon density fluctuations, we constrain the redshift, z_i, below which instabilities are ruled out. For the "minimal" beta_1-model, observational constraints are close to the theoretical expectations of z_i = 0.5, potentially allowing the mode…
Ghost-free bimetric gravity is a theory of two interacting spin-2 fields, one massless and one massive, in addition to the standard matter particles and fields, thereby generalizing Einstein's theory of general relativity. To parameterize the theory, we use five observables with specific physical interpretations. We present, for the first time, observational constraints on these parameters that: (i) apply to the full theory, (ii) are consistent with a working screening mechanism (i.e., restoring general relativity locally), (iii) exhibit a continuous, real-valued background cosmology (without …
Among the various possibilities to probe the theory behind the recent accelerated expansion of the universe, the energy conditions (ECs) are of particular interest, since it is possible to confront and constrain the many models, including different theories of gravity, with observational data. In this context, we use the ECs to probe any alternative theory whose extra term acts as a cosmological constant. For this purpose, we apply a model-independent approach to reconstruct the recent expansion of the universe. Using Type Ia supernova, baryon acoustic oscillations and cosmic-chronometer data,…
We argue that the most conservative geometric extension of Einstein gravity describing both positive and negative mass sources and observers is bimetric gravity and contains two copies of standard model matter which interact only gravitationally. Matter fields related to one of the metrics then appear dark from the point of view of an observer defined by the other metric, and so may provide a potential explanation for the dark universe. In this framework we consider the most general form of linearized field equations compatible with physically and mathematically well-motivated assumptions. Usi…
We show that, in four-dimensional spacetimes with an arbitrary Einstein metric, with and without a cosmological constant, perturbative dynamical degrees of freedom in generic quadratic-curvature gravity can be decoupled into massless and massive parts. The massive part has the structure identical to, modulo the over-all sign, the non-Fierz-Pauli-type massive gravity, and a further decomposition into the spin-2 and spin-0 sectors can be done. The equivalence at the level of equations of motion allows us to translate various observational bounds on the mass of extra fields into constraints on th…
A formulation of linearized gravity which is manifestly invariant under electric-magnetic duality rotations in the internal space of the metric and its dual, and which contains both metrics as basic variables (rather than the corresponding prepotentials), is derived. In this bimetric formulation, the variables have a more immediate geometrical significance, but the action is non-local in space, contrary to what occurs in the prepotential formulation. More specifically, one finds that: (i) the kinetic term is non-local in space (but local in time); (ii) the Hamiltonian is local in space and in …
We derive the full perturbative equations of motion for the most general background solutions in ghost-free bimetric theory in its metric formulation. Clever field redefinitions at the level of fluctuations enable us to circumvent the problem of varying a square-root matrix appearing in the theory. This greatly simplifies the expressions for the linear variation of the bimetric interaction terms. We show that these field redefinitions exist and are uniquely invertible if and only if the variation of the square-root matrix itself has a unique solution, which is a requirement for the linearised …
We study spherically symmetric solutions in a four-parameter Einstein-Cartan-type class of theories. These theories include torsion, as well as the metric, as dynamical fields, and contain only two physical excitations (around flat spacetime): a massless spin-2 excitation and a massive spin-2 one (of mass $ m_2 \equiv κ$). They offer a geometric framework (which we propose to call "torsion bigravity") for a modification of Einstein's theory that has the same spectrum as bimetric gravity models. We find that the spherically symmetric solutions of torsion bigravity theories exhibit several remar…
We constrain theories of a massive spin-2 particle coupled to a massless spin-2 particle by demanding the absence of a time advance in eikonal scattering. This is an $S$-matrix consideration that leads to model-independent constraints on the cubic vertices present in the theory. Of the possible cubic vertices for the two spin-2 particles, the requirement of subluminality leaves a particular linear combination of cubic vertices of the Einstein--Hilbert type. Either the cubic vertices must appear in this combination or new physics must enter at a scale parametrically the same as the mass of the …
The search for a physical model which explains the observed recent acceleration of the universe is a compelling task of modern fundamental cosmology. Recently Fernandes \textit{et al.} presented low redshift observational constraints on a scale invariant model by Maeder. Phenomenologically this can be interpreted as a bimetric theory with a time-dependent cosmological constant. It was shown that a matter density $Ω_m\sim0.3$ is a poor fit to the data, and the best-fit model would require a fluid with a much smaller density and a significantly positive equation of state parameter. This model is…
We investigate non-Gaussianity in general single field models without assuming slow-roll conditions or the exact scale-invariance of the scalar power spectrum. The models considered include general single field inflation (e.g. DBI and canonical inflation) as well as bimetric models. We compute the full non-Gaussian amplitude, its size fnl, its shape, and the running with scale n_{NG}. In doing so we show that observational constraints allow significant violations of slow roll conditions and we derive explicit bounds on slow-roll parameters for fast-roll single field scenarios. A variety of new…
We compare higher order gravity models to observational constraints from magnitude-redshift supernova data, distance to the last scattering surface of the CMB, and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations. We follow a recently proposed systematic approach to higher order gravity models based on minimal sets of curvature invariants, and select models that pass some physical acceptability conditions (free of ghost instabilities, real and positive propagation speeds, and free of separatrices). Models that satisfy these physical and observational constraints are found in this analysis and do provide fits to t…
Physical limits on the equation-of-state (EoS) parameter of a dark energy component non-minimally coupled with the dark matter field are examined in light of the second law of thermodynamics and the positiveness of entropy. Such constraints are combined with observational data sets of type Ia supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations and the angular acoustic scale of the cosmic microwave background to impose restrictions on the behaviour of the dark matter/dark energy interaction. Considering two EoS parameterisations of the type $w = w_0 + w_aζ(z)$, we derive a general expression for the evolu…
We provide further details on a recent proposal addressing the nature of the dark sectors in cosmology and demonstrate that all current observations related to Dark Matter can be explained by the presence of a heavy spin-2 particle. Massive spin-2 fields and their gravitational interactions are uniquely described by ghost-free bimetric theory, which is a minimal and natural extension of General Relativity. In this setup, the largeness of the physical Planck mass is naturally related to extremely weak couplings of the heavy spin-2 field to baryonic matter and therefore explains the absence of s…
A cosmological model with a cyclic interpretation is introduced, which is subject to quantum back-reaction and yet can be treated rather completely by physical coherent state as well as effective constraint techniques. By this comparison, the role of quantum back-reaction in quantum cosmology is unambiguously demonstrated. Also the complementary nature of strengths and weaknesses of the two procedures is illustrated. Finally, effective constraint techniques are applied to a more realistic model filled with radiation, where physical coherent states are not available.
For a given metric $g_{μν}$, which is identified as Fisher information metric, we generate new constraints for the probability distributions for physical systems. We postulate the existence of intrinsic probability distributions for physical systems, and calculate the probability distribution by optimizing the Fisher information metric under specified constraints. Accordingly, we get differential equations for the probability distributions.
In the literature on $f(T)$ gravity, the status of local Lorentz invariance and the number of physical degrees of freedom have been controversial issues. Relying on a detailed Hamiltonian analysis, we show that there are several scenarios describing how local Lorentz invariance can be broken, but in the generic case, the number of physical degrees of freedom is found to be $N^*=5$; in $D$ dimensions, this number is $N^*=D(D-3)/2+(D-1)$. As expected, the theory is vulnerable to having problematical propagating modes. We compare our results with those existing in the literature. As a byproduct o…
In Dirac-Bergmann constrained dynamics, a first-class constraint typically does not _alone_ generate a gauge transformation. Each first-class constraint in Maxwell's theory generates a change in the electric field E by an arbitrary gradient, spoiling Gauss's law. The secondary constraint p^i,_i=0 still holds, but being a function of derivatives of momenta (mere auxiliary fields), it is not directly about the observable electric field (a function of derivatives of A), which couples to charge. Only a special combination of the two first-class constraints, the Anderson-Bergmann-Castellani gauge g…
In the project AQV the issue of quantum constraints, KMS-states and algebras of quantum configuration and momentum variables in Loop Quantum Gravity has been argued. There a physical algebra has been required to contain complete observables and the quantum constraints, or at least the quantum constraints are affilliated with this algebra. In this context a first conjecture for a physical algebra is presented in this article. A new *-algebra for LGQ, which is called the localised holonomy-flux cross-product *-algebra, is studied. A suggestion for a physical *-algebra, which contains the localis…
