427 research outputs found
Stationary Configurations Imply Shift Symmetry: No Bondi Accretion for Quintessence / k-Essence
In this paper we show that, for general scalar fields, stationary
configurations are possible for shift symmetric theories only. This symmetry
with respect to constant translations in field space should either be manifest
in the original field variables or reveal itself after an appropriate field
redefinition. In particular this result implies that neither k-Essence nor
Quintessence can have exact steady state / Bondi accretion onto Black Holes. We
also discuss the role of field redefinitions in k-Essence theories. Here we
study the transformation properties of observables and other variables in
k-Essence and emphasize which of them are covariant under field redefinitions.
Finally we find that stationary field configurations are necessarily linear in
Killing time, provided that shift symmetry is realized in terms of these field
variables.Comment: 8 page
Imperfect Dark Energy from Kinetic Gravity Braiding
We introduce a large class of scalar-tensor models with interactions
containing the second derivatives of the scalar field but not leading to
additional degrees of freedom. These models exhibit peculiar features, such as
an essential mixing of scalar and tensor kinetic terms, which we have named
kinetic braiding. This braiding causes the scalar stress tensor to deviate from
the perfect-fluid form. Cosmology in these models possesses a rich
phenomenology, even in the limit where the scalar is an exact Goldstone boson.
Generically, there are attractor solutions where the scalar monitors the
behaviour of external matter. Because of the kinetic braiding, the position of
the attractor depends both on the form of the Lagrangian and on the external
energy density. The late-time asymptotic of these cosmologies is a de Sitter
state. The scalar can exhibit phantom behaviour and is able to cross the
phantom divide with neither ghosts nor gradient instabilities. These features
provide a new class of models for Dark Energy. As an example, we study in
detail a simple one-parameter model. The possible observational signatures of
this model include a sizeable Early Dark Energy and a specific equation of
state evolving into the final de-Sitter state from a healthy phantom regime.Comment: 41 pages, 7 figures. References and some clarifying language added.
This version was accepted for publication in JCA
Constraining the CDM and Galileon models with recent cosmological data
The Galileon theory belongs to the class of modified gravity models that can
explain the late-time accelerated expansion of the Universe. In previous works,
cosmological constraints on the Galileon model were derived, both in the
uncoupled case and with a disformal coupling of the Galileon field to matter.
There, we showed that these models agree with the most recent cosmological
data. In this work, we used updated cosmological data sets to derive new
constraints on Galileon models, including the case of a constant conformal
Galileon coupling to matter. We also explored the tracker solution of the
uncoupled Galileon model. After updating our data sets, especially with the
latest \textit{Planck} data and BAO measurements, we fitted the cosmological
parameters of the CDM and Galileon models. The same analysis framework
as in our previous papers was used to derive cosmological constraints, using
precise measurements of cosmological distances and of the cosmic structure
growth rate. We showed that all tested Galileon models are as compatible with
cosmological data as the CDM model. This means that present
cosmological data are not accurate enough to distinguish clearly between both
theories. Among the different Galileon models, we found that a conformal
coupling is not favoured, contrary to the disformal coupling which is preferred
at the level over the uncoupled case. The tracker solution of the
uncoupled Galileon model is also highly disfavoured due to large tensions with
supernovae and \textit{Planck}+BAO data. However, outside of the tracker
solution, the general uncoupled Galileon model, as well as the general
disformally coupled Galileon model, remain the most promising Galileon
scenarios to confront with future cosmological data. Finally, we also discuss
constraints coming from Lunar Laser Ranging experiment and gravitational wave
speed of propagation.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, published version in A&
Experimental constraints on the uncoupled Galileon model from SNLS3 data and other cosmological probes
The Galileon model is a modified gravity theory that may provide an
explanation for the accelerated expansion of the Universe. This model does not
suffer from instabilities or ghost problems (normally associated with
higher-order derivative theories), restores local General Relativity -- thanks
to the Vainshtein screening effect -- and predicts late time acceleration of
the expansion. In this paper, we derive a new definition of the Galileon
parameters that allows us to avoid having to choose initial conditions for the
Galileon field, and then test this model against precise measurements of the
cosmological distances and the rate of growth of cosmic structures. We observe
a small tension between the constraints set by growth data and those from
distances. However, we find that the Galileon model remains consistent with
current observations and is still competitive with the \Lambda CDM model,
contrary to what was concluded in recent publications.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, accepted to Astronomy and Astrophysic
First experimental constraints on the disformally coupled Galileon model
The Galileon model is a modified gravity model that can explain the late-time
accelerated expansion of the Universe. In a previous work, we derived
experimental constraints on the Galileon model with no explicit coupling to
matter and showed that this model agrees with the most recent cosmological
data. In the context of braneworld constructions or massive gravity, the
Galileon model exhibits a disformal coupling to matter, which we study in this
paper. After comparing our constraints on the uncoupled model with recent
studies, we extend the analysis framework to the disformally coupled Galileon
model and derive the first experimental constraints on that coupling, using
precise measurements of cosmological distances and the growth rate of cosmic
structures. In the uncoupled case, with updated data, we still observe a low
tension between the constraints set by growth data and those from distances. In
the disformally coupled Galileon model, we obtain better agreement with data
and favour a non-zero disformal coupling to matter at the level.
This gives an interesting hint of the possible braneworld origin of Galileon
theory.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, updated versio
Dimuon production by laser-wakefield accelerated electrons
We analyze pair production generated by high-energy electrons
emerging from a laser-wakefield accelerator. The pairs are created
in a solid thick high- target, following the electron accelerating plasma
region. Numerical estimates are presented for electron beams obtained presently
in the LBL TW laser experiment \cite{C2} and possible future developments.
Reactions induced by the secondary bremsstrahlung photons dominate the dimuon
production. According to our estimates, a 20 pC electron bunch with energy of 1
(10) GeV may create about 200 (6000) muon pairs. The produced can be
used in studying various aspects of muon-related physics in table top
installations. This may be considered as an important step towards the
investigation of more complicated elementary processes induced by laser driven
electrons.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure
Single-qubit optical quantum fingerprinting
We analyze and demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of linear optical
single-qubit fingerprinting over its classical counterpart. For one-qubit
fingerprinting of two-bit messages, we prepare `tetrahedral' qubit states
experimentally and show that they meet the requirements for quantum
fingerprinting to exceed the classical capability. We prove that shared
entanglement permits 100% reliable quantum fingerprinting, which will
outperform classical fingerprinting even with arbitrary amounts of shared
randomness.Comment: 4 pages, one figur
k-Essence, superluminal propagation, causality and emergent geometry
The k-essence theories admit in general the superluminal propagation of the
perturbations on classical backgrounds. We show that in spite of the
superluminal propagation the causal paradoxes do not arise in these theories
and in this respect they are not less safe than General Relativity.Comment: 34 pages, 5 figure
Quark-hadron phase transition with surface fluctuation
The effect of surface fluctuation on the observables of quark-hadron phase
transition is studied. The Ginzburg-Landau formalism is extended by the
inclusion of an extra term in the free energy that depends on the vertical
displacements from a flat surface. The probability that a bin has a particular
net displacement is determined by lattice simulation, where the physics input
is color confinement. The surface fluctuation from bin to bin is related to
multiplicity fluctuation, which in turn is measured by the factorial moments.
It is found that both the F-scaling behavior and the scaling exponent are
essentially unaffected by the inclusion of surface fluctuation.Comment: 9 pages, LaTex, 7 figures in a single postscript file, submitted to
Phys. Rev.
The Vainshtein mechanism in the Decoupling Limit of massive gravity
We investigate static spherically symmetric solutions of nonlinear massive
gravities. We first identify, in an ansatz appropriate to the study of those
solutions, the analog of the decoupling limit (DL) that has been used in the
Goldstone picture description. We show that the system of equations left over
in the DL has regular solutions featuring a Vainshtein-like recovery of
solutions of General Relativity (GR). Hence, the singularities found to arise
integrating the full nonlinear system of equations are not present in the DL,
despite the fact those singularities are usually thought to be due to a
negative energy mode also seen in this limit. Moreover, we show that the
scaling conjectured by Vainshtein at small radius is only a limiting case in an
infinite family of non singular solutions each showing a Vainshtein recovery of
GR solutions below the Vainshtein radius but a different common scaling at
small distances. This new scaling is shown to be associated with a zero mode of
the nonlinearities left over in the DL. We also show that, in the DL, this
scaling allows for a recovery of GR solutions even for potentials where the
original Vainshtein mechanism is not working. Our results imply either that the
DL misses some important features of nonlinear massive gravities or that
important features of the solutions of the full nonlinear theory have been
overlooked. They could also have interesting outcomes for the DGP model and
related proposals.Comment: 52 pages, 7 figures; v3: minor typos corrected, discussion of the
validity of the Decoupling Limit extended; accepted for publication in JHE
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