Black Holes and Black String-like Solutions in Codimension-2 Braneworlds

We discuss black hole solutions with a Gauss-Bonnet term in the bulk and an induced gravity term on a thin brane of codimension-2. We show that these black holes can be localized on the brane, and they can be extended further into the bulk by a warp function. These solutions have regular horizons and no other curvature singularities appear apart from the string-like ones. The projection of the Gauss-Bonnet term on the brane imposes a constraint relation which dictates the form of matter on the brane and in the bulk.Comment: 9 pages, no figures, plenary talk given at the 7th Friedmann International Seminar on Gravitation and Cosmology, 29 June-5 July 2008, Joao Pessoa, Brazil, to appear in the proceeding

Braneworld Cosmological Models

The main cosmological models on the brane are presented. A generic equation is given, from which the Friedmann equations of the Randall-Sundrum, induced gravity, Gauss-Bonnet and the combined induced gravity and Gauss-Bonnet cosmological models are obtained. We discuss the modifications they bring to the standard cosmology and the main features of their inflationary dynamics.Comment: Talk given at Pascos04/Nath Fest, Boston, August 16-22, 2004, 11 pages, no figure

The effects of curvature correction terms on brane cosmology

We study the cosmology of the Randall-Sundrum brane-world where the Einstein-Hilbert action is modified by curvature correction terms: a four-dimensional scalar curvature from induced gravity on the brane, and a five-dimensional Gauss-Bonnet curvature term. The combined effect of these curvature corrections to the action removes the infinite-density big bang singularity, although the curvature can still diverge for some parameter values. A radiation brane undergoes accelerated expansion near the minimal scale factor, for a range of parameters. This acceleration is driven by the geometric effects, without an inflaton field or negative pressures. At late times, conventional cosmology is recovered.Comment: 16 pages, no figures, Invited talk given at Tenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting, Rio de Janeiro, July 20-26, 200

Chaotic Inflation on the Brane with Induced Gravity

We study the slow-roll inflationary dynamics in a self-gravitating induced gravity braneworld model with bulk cosmological constant. For E \gg M_{5}^{3}/M^{2}_{2} we find important corrections to the four-dimensional Friedmann equation which bring the standard chaotic inflationary scenario in closer agreement with recent observations. For \lambda/M^{3}_{5} \ll E \ll M^{3}_{5}/M^{2}_{4} we find five-dimensional corrections to the Friedmann equation, which give the known Randall-Sundrum results of the inflationary parameters.Comment: LaTex file, 21 pages, 3 figures, the energy scales are redefined, new results on the chaotic inflation, typos are corrected. Accepted for publication in JCA

Discontinuities and collision of gravitational waves in string theory

We examine here discontinuities in the metric, the antisymmetric tensor and the dilaton field which are allowed by conformal invariance. We find that the surfaces of discontinuity must necessarily be null surfaces and shock and impulsive waves are both allowed. We employ our results for the case of colliding plane gravitational waves and we discuss the SL(2,R)XSU(2)/RXR WZW model in the present prespective. In particular, the singularities encountered in this model may be viewed as the result of the mutual focusing of the colliding waves.Comment: 15 pages, Late

Induced Curvature in Brane Worlds by Surface Terms in String Effective Actions with Higher-Curvature Corrections

In string-inspired effective actions, representing the low-energy bulk dynamics of brane/string theories, the higher-curvature ghost-free Gauss-Bonnet combination is obtained by local field redefinitions which leave the (perturbative) string amplitudes invariant. We show that such redefinitions lead to surface terms which induce curvature on the brane world boundary of the bulk spacetime.Comment: 15 pages, no figures, comments added, typos corrected, to appear in PR

Bi-paracontact structures and Legendre foliations

We study almost bi-paracontact structures on contact manifolds. We prove that if an almost bi-paracontact structure is defined on a contact manifold $(M,\eta)$, then under some natural assumptions of integrability, $M$ carries two transverse bi-Legendrian structures. Conversely, if two transverse bi-Legendrian structures are defined on a contact manifold, then $M$ admits an almost bi-paracontact structure. We define a canonical connection on an almost bi-paracontact manifold and we study its curvature properties, which resemble those of the Obata connection of an anti-hypercomplex (or complex-product) manifold. Further, we prove that any contact metric manifold whose Reeb vector field belongs to the $(\kappa,\mu)$-nullity distribution canonically carries an almost bi-paracontact structure and we apply the previous results to the theory of contact metric $(\kappa,\mu)$-spaces.Comment: To appear on: Kodai Mathematical Journa

Brane Inflation from Mirage Cosmology

We study the cosmological evolution of a D3-brane universe in a type 0 string background. We follow the brane-universe along the radial coordinate of the background and we calculate the energy density which is induced on the brane because of its motion in the bulk. We find that for some typical values of the parameters the brane-universe has an inflationary phase.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, Invited Talk given at IX Marcel Grossmann Meeting, Rome, 2-8 July 200

Type 0 Brane Inflation from Mirage Cosmology

We consider a three-dimensional brane-universe moving in a Type 0 String background. The motion induces on the brane a cosmological evolution which, for some range of the parameters, exhibits an inflationary phase.Comment: 11 pages, latex, one figur