248 research outputs found
On the absence of the usual weak-field limit, and the impossibility of embedding some known solutions for isolated masses in cosmologies with f(R) dark energy
This version deposited at arxiv 02-10-12 arXiv:1210.0730v1. Subsequently published in Physical Review D as Phys. Rev. D 87, 063517 (2013) http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevD.87.063517. Copyright American Physical Society (APS).11 pages11 pages11 pages11 pagesThe problem of matching different regions of spacetime in order to construct inhomogeneous cosmological models is investigated in the context of Lagrangian theories of gravity constructed from general analytic functions f(R), and from non-analytic theories with f(R)=R^n. In all of the cases studied, we find that it is impossible to satisfy the required junction conditions without the large-scale behaviour reducing to that expected from Einstein's equations with a cosmological constant. For theories with analytic f(R) this suggests that the usual treatment of weak-field systems may not be compatible with late-time acceleration driven by anything other than a constant term of the form f(0), which acts like a cosmological constant. For theories with f(R)=R^n we find that no known spherically symmetric vacuum solutions can be matched to an expanding FLRW background. This includes the absence of any Einstein-Straus-like embeddings of the Schwarzschild exterior solution in FLRW spacetimes
Irrotational dust with Div H=0
For irrotational dust the shear tensor is consistently diagonalizable with
its covariant time derivative: , if
and only if the divergence of the magnetic part of the Weyl tensor vanishes:
. We show here that in that case, the consistency of the Ricci
constraints requires that the magnetic part of the Weyl tensor itself vanishes:
.Comment: 19 pages. Latex. Also avaliable at
http://shiva.mth.uct.ac.za/preprints/text/lesame2.te
A fully covariant description of CMB anisotropies
Starting from the exact non-linear description of matter and radiation, a
fully covariant and gauge-invariant formula for the observed temperature
anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CBR) radiation, expressed in
terms of the electric () and magnetic () parts of the Weyl
tensor, is obtained by integrating photon geodesics from last scattering to the
point of observation today. This improves and extends earlier work by Russ et
al where a similar formula was obtained by taking first order variations of the
redshift. In the case of scalar (density) perturbations, is related to
the harmonic components of the gravitational potential and the usual
dominant Sachs-Wolfe contribution to the
temperature anisotropy is recovered, together with contributions due to the
time variation of the potential (Rees-Sciama effect), entropy and velocity
perturbations at last scattering and a pressure suppression term important in
low density universes. We also explicitly demonstrate the validity of assuming
that the perturbations are adiabatic at decoupling and show that if the surface
of last scattering is correctly placed and the background universe model is
taken to be a flat dust dominated Friedmann-Robertson-Walker model (FRW), then
the large scale temperature anisotropy can be interpreted as being due to the
motion of the matter relative to the surface of constant temperature which
defines the surface of last scattering on those scales.Comment: 18 pages LaTeX, 1 figure. Submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravity.
Also available at http://shiva.mth.uct.ac.za/preprints/9705.htm
On Shear-Free perturbations of FLRW Universes
A surprising exact result for the Einstein Field Equations is that if
pressure-free matter is moving in a shear-free way, then it must be either
expansion-free or rotation-free. It has been suggested this result is also true
for any barotropic perfect fluid, but a proof has remained elusive. We consider
the case of barotropic perfect fluid solutions linearized about a
Robertson-Walker geometry, and prove that the result remains true except for
the case of a specific highly non-linear equation of state. We argue that this
equation of state is non-physical, and hence the result is true in the
linearized case for all physically realistic barotropic perfect fluids. This
result, which is not true in Newtonian cosmology, demonstrates that the
linearized solutions, believed to result in standard local Newtonian theory, do
not always give the usual behaviour of Newtonian solutions
Cosmic Electromagnetic Fields due to Perturbations in the Gravitational Field
We use non-linear gauge-invariant perturbation theory to study the
interaction of an inflation produced seed magnetic field with density and
gravitational wave perturbations in an almost
Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) spacetime. We compare the effects
of this coupling under the assumptions of poor conductivity, infinite
conductivity and the case where the electric field is sourced via the coupling
of velocity perturbations to the seed field in the ideal magnetohydrodynamic
(MHD) regime, thus generalizing, improving on and correcting previous results.
We solve our equations for long wavelength limits and numerically integrate the
resulting equations to generate power spectra for the electromagnetic field
variables, showing where the modes cross the horizon. We find that the rotation
of the electric field dominates the power spectrum on small scales, in
agreement with previous arguments.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, published in PR
Ultrasound-mediated optical tomography: a review of current methods
Ultrasound-mediated optical tomography (UOT) is a hybrid technique that is able to combine the high penetration depth and high spatial resolution of ultrasound imaging to overcome the limits imposed by optical scattering for deep tissue optical sensing and imaging. It has been proposed as a method to detect blood concentrations, oxygenation and metabolism at depth in tissue for the detection of vascularized tumours or the presence of absorbing or scattering contrast agents. In this paper, the basic principles of the method are outlined and methods for simulating the UOT signal are described. The main detection methods are then summarized with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each. The recent focus on increasing the weak UOT signal through the use of the acoustic radiation force is explained, together with a summary of our results showing sensitivity to the mechanical shear stiffness and optical absorption properties of tissue-mimicking phantoms
The Existence of Einstein Static Universes and their Stability in Fourth order Theories of Gravity
We investigate whether or not an Einstein Static universe is a solution to
the cosmological equations in gravity. It is found that only one class
of theories admits an Einstein Static model, and that this class is
neutrally stable with respect to vector and tensor perturbations for all
equations of state on all scales. Scalar perturbations are only stable on all
scales if the matter fluid equation of state satisfies
. This result is remarkably similar to
the GR case, where it was found that the Einstein Static model is stable for
.Comment: Minor changes, To appear in PR
The evolution of density perturbations in f(R) gravity
We give a rigorous and mathematically well defined presentation of the
Covariant and Gauge Invariant theory of scalar perturbations of a
Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker universe for Fourth Order Gravity, where
the matter is described by a perfect fluid with a barotropic equation of state.
The general perturbations equations are applied to a simple background solution
of R^n gravity. We obtain exact solutions of the perturbations equations for
scales much bigger than the Hubble radius. These solutions have a number of
interesting features. In particular, we find that for all values of n there is
always a growing mode for the density contrast, even if the universe undergoes
an accelerated expansion. Such a behaviour does not occur in standard General
Relativity, where as soon as Dark Energy dominates, the density contrast
experiences an unrelenting decay. This peculiarity is sufficiently novel to
warrant further investigation on fourth order gravity models.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, typos corrected, submitted to PR
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