Little Rip, Λ\LambdaCDM and singular dark energy cosmology from Born-Infeld-f(R)f(R) gravity

We study late-time cosmic accelerating dynamics from Born-Infeld-$f(R)$ gravity in a simplified conformal approach. We find that a variety of cosmic efects such as Little Rip, $\Lambda$CDM universe and dark energy cosmology with finite-time future singularities may occur. Unlike the convenient Born-Infeld gravity where in the absence of matter only de Sitter expansion may emerge, apparentlly any FRW cosmology maybe reconstructed from this conformal version of the Born-Infeld-$f(R)$ theory. Despite the fact that the explicit form of $f(R)$ is fixed by the conformal ansatz, the relation between the two metrics in this approach may be changed so as to bring out any desired FRW cosmology.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. This version accepted in Phys. Lett.

Semiclassical geons as solitonic black hole remnants

We find that the end state of black hole evaporation could be represented by non-singular and without event horizon stable solitonic remnants with masses of the order the Planck scale and up to 16 units of charge. Though these objects are locally indistinguishable from spherically symmetric, massive electric (or magnetic) charges, they turn out to be sourceless geons containing a wormhole generated by the electromagnetic field. Our results are obtained by interpreting semiclassical corrections to Einstein's theory in the first-order (Palatini) formalism, which yields second-order equations and avoids the instabilities of the usual (metric) formulation of quadratic gravity. We also discuss the potential relevance of these solutions for primordial black holes and the dark matter problem.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Microscopic wormholes and the geometry of entanglement

It has recently been suggested that Einstein-Rosen (ER) bridges can be interpreted as maximally entangled states of two black holes that form a complex Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pair. This relationship has been dubbed as the ER = EPR correlation. In this work, we consider the latter conjecture in the context of quadratic Palatini theory. An important result, which stems from the underlying assumptions about the geometry on which the theory is constructed, is the fact that all the charged solutions of the quadratic Palatini theory possess a wormhole structure. Our results show that spacetime may have a foam-like microstructure with wormholes generated by fluctuations of the quantum vacuum. This involves the spontaneous creation/annihilation of entangled particle-antiparticle pairs, existing in a maximally entangled state connected by a non-traversable wormhole. Since the particles are produced from the vacuum and therefore exist in a singlet state, they are necessarily entangled with one another. This gives further support to the ER=EPR claim.Comment: 5 pages. V2: minor changes and references adde

Hybrid modified gravity unifying local tests, galactic dynamics and late-time cosmic acceleration

The non-equivalence between the metric and Palatini formalisms of $f(R)$ gravity is an intriguing feature of these theories. However, in the recently proposed hybrid metric-Palatini gravity, consisting of the superposition of the metric Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian with an $f(\cal R)$ term constructed \`{a} la Palatini, the "true" gravitational field is described by the interpolation of these two non-equivalent approaches. The theory predicts the existence of a light long-range scalar field, which passes the local constraints and affects the galactic and cosmological dynamics. Thus, the theory opens new possibilities for a unified approach, in the same theoretical framework, to the problems of dark energy and dark matter, without distinguishing a priori matter and geometric sources, but taking their dynamics into account under the same standard.Comment: 8 pages. Received an Honorable Mention in the Gravity Research Foundation Essay Contest 2013. V2: references added; version to appear in the International Journal of Modern Physics

Non-singular Universes a la Palatini

It has recently been shown that f(R) theories formulated in the Palatini variational formalism are able to avoid the big bang singularity yielding instead a bouncing solution. The mechanism responsible for this behavior is similar to that observed in the effective dynamics of loop quantum cosmology and an f(R) theory exactly reproducing that dynamics has been found. I will show here that considering more general actions, with quadratic contributions of the Ricci tensor, results in a much richer phenomenology that yields bouncing solutions even in anisotropic (Bianchi I) scenarios. Some implications of these results are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, no figures. Contribution to the Spanish Relativity Meeting (ERE2010), 6-10 Sept. Granada, Spai

Teachers\u27 Attitudes Towards Code Switching within a Bilingual Classroom

Within the United States, the number of native Spanish speaking students entering our schools has increased as the years have passed (Alanis & Rodriguez, 2008). Once they are in the school system, these students are labeled as English Language Learners (ELLs) or Limited English Proficient (LEP) with each entering with varying levels of the English language as well as their native language, Spanish. As more of these students come in, the more students our schools need to accommodate for their linguistic and academic needs. Thus, the purpose of bilingual programs is to develop students\u27 native language and develop their second language through the use of content. As these students are fortunate enough to develop both language skills, it is common to see bilingual students code switching within a single conversation. Some researchers and educators see code switching as a negative aspect while learning a language while others see it as a stage within the process of learning a new language. This thesis project investigates the functions of code switching, in what kinds of situations students code switch, and whether or not teachers see code switching as an asset or deficit

Palatini wormholes and energy conditions from the prism of General Relativity

Wormholes are hypothetical shortcuts in spacetime that in General Relativity unavoidably violate all of the pointwise energy conditions. In this paper, we consider several wormhole spacetimes that, as opposed to the standard \emph{designer} procedure frequently employed in the literature, arise directly from gravitational actions including additional terms resulting from contractions of the Ricci tensor with the metric, and which are formulated assuming independence between metric and connection (Palatini approach). We reinterpret such wormhole solutions under the prism of General Relativity and study the matter sources that thread them. We discuss the size of violation of the energy conditions in different cases, and how this is related to the same spacetimes when viewed from the modified gravity side.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. Significant changes mainly in introduction and conclusions. Accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.