16 research outputs found
Mechanics of universal horizons
Modified gravity models such as Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity or
Einstein-{\ae}ther theory violate local Lorentz invariance and therefore
destroy the notion of a universal light cone. Despite this, in the infrared
limit both models above possess static, spherically symmetric solutions with
"universal horizons" - hypersurfaces that are causal boundaries between an
interior region and asymptotic spatial infinity. In other words, there still
exist black hole solutions. We construct a Smarr formula (the relationship
between the total energy of the spacetime and the area of the horizon) for such
a horizon in Einstein-{\ae}ther theory. We further show that a slightly
modified first law of black hole mechanics still holds with the relevant area
now a cross-section of the universal horizon. We construct new analytic
solutions for certain Einstein-{\ae}ther Lagrangians and illustrate how our
results work in these exact cases. Our results suggest that holography may be
extended to these theories despite the very different causal structure as long
as the universal horizon remains the unique causal boundary when matter fields
are added.Comment: Minor clarifications. References update
Preferred foliation effects in Quantum General Relativity
We investigate the infrared (IR) effects of Lorentz violating terms in the
gravitational sector using functional renormalization group methods similar to
Reuter and collaborators. The model we consider consists of pure quantum
gravity coupled to a preferred foliation, described effectively via a scalar
field with non-standard dynamics. We find that vanishing Lorentz violation is a
UV attractive fixed-point of this model in the local potential approximation.
Since larger truncations may lead to differing results, we study as a first
example effects of additional matter fields on the RG running of the Lorentz
violating term and provide a general argument why they are small.Comment: 12 pages, no figures, compatible with published versio
Modified Dispersion Relations from the Renormalization Group of Gravity
We show that the running of gravitational couplings, together with a suitable
identification of the renormalization group scale can give rise to modified
dispersion relations for massive particles. This result seems to be compatible
with both the frameworks of effective field theory with Lorentz invariance
violation and deformed special relativity. The phenomenological consequences
depend on which of the frameworks is assumed. We discuss the nature and
strength of the available constraints for both cases and show that in the case
of Lorentz invariance violation, the theory would be strongly constrained.Comment: revtex4, 9 pages, updated to match published versio
Einstein-aether as a quantum effective field theory
The possibility that Lorentz symmetry is violated in gravitational processes
is relatively unconstrained by experiment, in stark contrast with the level of
accuracy to which Lorentz symmetry has been confirmed in the matter sector. One
model of Lorentz violation in the gravitational sector is Einstein-aether
theory, in which Lorentz symmetry is broken by giving a vacuum expectation
value to a dynamical vector field. In this paper we analyse the effective
theory for quantised gravitational and aether perturbations. We show that this
theory possesses a controlled effective expansion within dimensional
regularisation, that is, for any process there are a finite number of Feynman
diagrams which will contribute to a given order of accuracy. We find that there
is no log-running of the two-derivative phenomenological parameters, justifying
the use of experimental constraints for these parameters obtained over many
orders of magnitude in energy scale. Given the stringent experimental bounds on
two-derivative Lorentz-violating operators, we estimate the size of matter
Lorentz-violation which arises due to loop effects. This amounts to an
estimation of the natural size of coefficients for Lorentz-violating
dimension-six matter operators, which in turn can be used to obtain a new bound
on the two-derivative parameters of this theory.Comment: 21 page
Future of the universe in modified gravitational theories: Approaching to the finite-time future singularity
We investigate the future evolution of the dark energy universe in modified
gravities including gravity, string-inspired scalar-Gauss-Bonnet and
modified Gauss-Bonnet ones, and ideal fluid with the inhomogeneous equation of
state (EoS). Modified Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) dynamics for all these
theories may be presented in universal form by using the effective ideal fluid
with an inhomogeneous EoS without specifying its explicit form. We construct
several examples of the modified gravity which produces accelerating
cosmologies ending at the finite-time future singularity of all four known
types by applying the reconstruction program. Some scenarios to resolve the
finite-time future singularity are presented. Among these scenarios, the most
natural one is related with additional modification of the gravitational action
in the early universe. In addition, late-time cosmology in the non-minimal
Maxwell-Einstein theory is considered. We investigate the forms of the
non-minimal gravitational coupling which generates the finite-time future
singularities and the general conditions for this coupling in order that the
finite-time future singularities cannot emerge. Furthermore, it is shown that
the non-minimal gravitational coupling can remove the finite-time future
singularities or make the singularity stronger (or weaker) in modified gravity.Comment: 25 pages, no figure, title changed, accepted in JCA
Modern tests of Lorentz invariance
Motivated by ideas about quantum gravity, a tremendous amount of effort over
the past decade has gone into testing Lorentz invariance in various regimes.
This review summarizes both the theoretical frameworks for tests of Lorentz
invariance and experimental advances that have made new high precision tests
possible. The current constraints on Lorentz violating effects from both
terrestrial experiments and astrophysical observations are presented.Comment: Modified and expanded discussions of various points. Numerous
references added. Version matches that accepted by Living Reviews in
Relativit
The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment
The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical
frameworks for analysing them is reviewed. Einstein's equivalence principle
(EEP) is well supported by experiments such as the Eotvos experiment, tests of
special relativity, and the gravitational redshift experiment. Future tests of
EEP and of the inverse square law are searching for new interactions arising
from unification or quantum gravity. Tests of general relativity at the
post-Newtonian level have reached high precision, including the light
deflection, the Shapiro time delay, the perihelion advance of Mercury, and the
Nordtvedt effect in lunar motion. Gravitational-wave damping has been detected
in an amount that agrees with general relativity to better than half a percent
using the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar, and other binary pulsar systems have
yielded other tests, especially of strong-field effects. When direct
observation of gravitational radiation from astrophysical sources begins, new
tests of general relativity will be possible.Comment: 89 pages, 8 figures; an update of the Living Review article
originally published in 2001; final published version incorporating referees'
suggestion