A Proof Of Ghost Freedom In de Rham-Gabadadze-Tolley Massive Gravity

We identify different helicity degrees of freedom of Fierz-Paulian massive gravity around generic backgrounds. We show that the two-parameter family proposed by de Rham, Gabadadze, and Tolley always propagates five degrees of freedom and therefore is free from the Boulware-Deser ghost. The analysis has a number of byproducts, among which (a) it shows how the original decoupling limit construction ensures ghost freedom of the full theory, (b) it reveals an enhanced symmetry of the theory around linearized backgrounds, and (c) it allows us to give an algorithm for finding dispersion relations. The proof naturally extends to generalizations of the theory with a reference metric different from Minkowski.Comment: 34 pages; references added and the presentation improve

Uptunneling to de Sitter

Abstract We propose a Euclidean preparation of an asymptotically AdS2 spacetime that contains an inflating dS2 bubble. The setup can be embedded in a four dimensional theory with a Minkowski vacuum and a false vacuum. AdS2 approximates the near horizon geometry of a two-sided near-extremal Reissner-Nordström black hole, and the two sides can connect to the same Minkowski asymptotics to form a topologically nontrivial worm- hole geometry. Likewise, in the false vacuum the near-horizon geometry of near-extremal black holes is approximately dS2 times 2-sphere. We interpret the Euclidean solution as describing the decay of an excitation inside the wormhole to a false vacuum bubble. The result is an inflating region inside a non-traversable asymptotically Minkowski wormhole

Double Soft Limits of Cosmological Correlations

Correlation functions of two long-wavelength modes with several short-wavelength modes are shown to be related to lower order correlation functions, using the background wave method, and independently, by exploiting symmetries of the wavefunction of the Universe. These soft identities follow from the non-linear extension of the adiabatic modes of Weinberg, and their generalization by Hinterbichler et. al. The extension is shown to be unique. A few checks of the identities are presented.Comment: 18+16 page

CMB Anisotropies from a Gradient Mode

A linear gradient mode must have no observable dynamical effect on short distance physics. We confirm this by showing that if there was such a gradient mode extending across the whole observable Universe, it would not cause any hemispherical asymmetry in the power of CMB anisotropies, as long as Maldacena's consistency condition is satisfied. To study the effect of the long wavelength mode on short wavelength modes, we generalize the existing second order Sachs-Wolfe formula in the squeezed limit to include a gradient in the long mode and to account for the change in the location of the last scattering surface induced by this mode. Next, we consider effects that are of second order in the long mode. A gradient mode $\Phi = \boldsymbol q\cdot \boldsymbol x$ generated in Single-field inflation is shown to induce an observable quadrupole moment. For instance, in a matter-dominated model it is equal to $Q=5 (\boldsymbol q\cdot \boldsymbol x)^2 /18$. This quadrupole can be canceled by superposition of a quadratic perturbation. The result is shown to be a nonlinear extension of Weinberg's adiabatic modes: a long-wavelength physical mode which looks locally like a coordinate transformation.Comment: 21+8 pages. improved presentatio