These notes provide an introduction to the algebra and geometry of differential operators and jet bundles. Their point of view is guided by the leitmotiv that higher-spin gravity theories call for higher-order generalisations of Lie derivatives and diffeomorphisms. Nevertheless, the material covered here may be of general interest to anyone working on topics where geometrical (coordinate-free, global, generic) and mathematically rigorous definitions of differential operators are required.
It is widely accepted that topological superconductors can only have an effective interpretation in terms of curved geometry rather than gauge fields due to their charge neutrality. This approach is commonly employed in order to investigate their properties, such as the behaviour of their energy currents. Nevertheless, it is not known how accurately curved geometry can describe actual microscopic models. Here, we demonstrate that the low-energy properties of the Kitaev honeycomb lattice model, a topological superconductor that supports localised Majorana zero modes at its vortex excitations, a…
The solution space of three-dimensional asymptotically anti-de Sitter or flat Einstein gravity is given by the coadjoint representation of two copies of the Virasoro group in the former and the centrally extended BMS$_3$ group in the latter case. Dynamical actions that control these solution spaces are usually constructed by starting from the Chern-Simons formulation and imposing all boundary conditions. In this note, an alternative route is followed. We study in detail how to derive these actions from a group-theoretical viewpoint by constructing geometric actions for each of the coadjoint or…
The Pre-geometric Origin of Geometric Trinity of Gravity
Università di Napoli “Federico II”（那不勒斯费德里科二世大学）；Scuola Superiore Meridionale（南方高等学院）；INFN Sezione di Napoli（意大利国家核物理研究所那不勒斯分部）；Department of Physics, Loyola Marymount University（洛约拉马利蒙特大学物理系）
We study the procedure that allows to rewrite the actions of some modified gravity theories like mimetic gravity and Regge-Teitelboim embedding theory as Einstein-Hilbert actions with additional matter contributions. It turns out that this procedure can be applied to brane action, which lead to a polynomial brane action. We also examine the connection between this procedure and Polyakov trick in string theory.
Sichuan University（四川大学）；Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati INFN（INFN弗拉斯卡蒂国家实验室）；Università di Napoli “Federico II”（那不勒斯费德里科二世大学）；Scuola Superiore Meridionale（南方高等学院）；INFN Sezione di Napoli（INFN那不勒斯分部）；Khazar University（阿塞拜疆哈萨克斯坦大学）；Fudan University（复旦大学）；INFN sezione di Roma “Tor Vergata”（INFN罗马托维尔加塔分部）
We study two exactly solvable five-dimensional thick brane world models in pure metric $f(R)$ gravity. Working in the Einstein frame, we show that these solutions are stable against small linear perturbations, including the tensor, vector, and scalar modes. For both models, the corresponding gravitational zero mode is localized on the brane, which leads to the four-dimensional Newton's law; while the massive modes are nonlocalized and only contribute a small correction to the Newton's law at a large distance.
A main issue in cosmology and astrophysics is whether the dark sector phenomenology originates from particle physics, then requiring the detection of new fundamental components, or it can be addressed by modifying General Relativity. Extended Theories of Gravity are possible candidates aimed in framing dark energy and dark matter in a comprehensive geometric view. Considering the concept of perfect scalars, we show that the field equations of such theories naturally contain perfect fluid terms. Specific examples are developed for the Friedman-Lemaître-Roberson-Walker metric.
The physical foundations for the geometric structure of relativistic theories of gravitation. From General Relativity to Extended Theories of Gravity through Ehlers-Pirani-Schild approach
We analyze the possible variability of the effective Newtonian gravitational constant $G_{\rm N}$ in space and time in the framework of the geometric scalar theory of gravity suggested by M. Novello et al. [JCAP 06, 014 (2013); arXiv: 1212.0770]. Spatial variations of $G_{\rm N}$ in the Solar system are shown to have orders of magnitude detectable by modern instruments. As to variations of $G_{\rm N}$ with cosmological time, it is shown (at least for the particular formulation of the theory discussed in the original paper and the corresponding cosmological models) that these variations are mor…
A field theory is constructed in the context of parameterized absolute parallelism geometry. The theory is shown to be a pure gravity one. It is capable of describing the gravitational field and a material distribution in terms of the geometric structure of the geometry used (the parallelization vector fields). Three tools are used to attribute physical properties to the geometric objects admitted by the theory. Poisson and Laplace equations are obtained in the linearized version of the theory. The spherically symmetric solution of the theory, in free space, is found to coincide with the Schwa…
We systematically develop the metric aspects of nonassociative differential geometry tailored to the parabolic phase space model of constant locally non-geometric closed string vacua, and use it to construct preliminary steps towards a nonassociative theory of gravity on spacetime. We obtain explicit expressions for the torsion, curvature, Ricci tensor and Levi-Civita connection in nonassociative Riemannian geometry on phase space, and write down Einstein field equations. We apply this formalism to construct R-flux corrections to the Ricci tensor on spacetime, and comment on the potential impl…
We study geometric relativistic flow and Ricci soliton equations which (for respective nonholonomic constraints and self-similarity conditions) are equivalent to the gravitational field equations of $R^2$ gravity and/or to the Einstein equations with scalar field in general relativity, GR. Perelman's functionals are generalized for modified gravity theories, MGTs, which allows to formulate an analogous statistical thermodynamics for geometric flows and Ricci solitons. There are constructed and analyzed generic off-diagonal black ellipsoid, black hole and solitonic exact solutions in MGTs and G…
