1,023 research outputs found
Exotic Smoothness and Physics
The essential role played by differentiable structures in physics is reviewed
in light of recent mathematical discoveries that topologically trivial
space-time models, especially the simplest one, , possess a rich
multiplicity of such structures, no two of which are diffeomorphic to each
other and thus to the standard one. This means that physics has available to it
a new panoply of structures available for space-time models. These can be
thought of as source of new global, but not properly topological, features.
This paper reviews some background differential topology together with a
discussion of the role which a differentiable structure necessarily plays in
the statement of any physical theory, recalling that diffeomorphisms are at the
heart of the principle of general relativity. Some of the history of the
discovery of exotic, i.e., non-standard, differentiable structures is reviewed.
Some new results suggesting the spatial localization of such exotic structures
are described and speculations are made on the possible opportunities that such
structures present for the further development of physical theories.Comment: 13 pages, LaTe
Localized Exotic Smoothness
Gompf's end-sum techniques are used to establish the existence of an infinity
of non-diffeomorphic manifolds, all having the same trivial
topology, but for which the exotic differentiable structure is confined to a
region which is spatially limited. Thus, the smoothness is standard outside of
a region which is topologically (but not smoothly) ,
where is the compact three ball. The exterior of this region is
diffeomorphic to standard . In a
space-time diagram, the confined exoticness sweeps out a world tube which, it
is conjectured, might act as a source for certain non-standard solutions to the
Einstein equations. It is shown that smooth Lorentz signature metrics can be
globally continued from ones given on appropriately defined regions, including
the exterior (standard) region. Similar constructs are provided for the
topology, of the Kruskal form of the Schwarzschild
solution. This leads to conjectures on the existence of Einstein metrics which
are externally identical to standard black hole ones, but none of which can be
globally diffeomorphic to such standard objects. Certain aspects of the Cauchy
problem are also discussed in terms of \models which are
``half-standard'', say for all but for which cannot be globally
smooth.Comment: 8 pages plus 6 figures, available on request, IASSNS-HEP-94/2
The Origin of Structures in Generalized Gravity
In a class of generalized gravity theories with general couplings between the
scalar field and the scalar curvature in the Lagrangian, we can describe the
quantum generation and the classical evolution of both the scalar and tensor
structures in a simple and unified manner. An accelerated expansion phase based
on the generalized gravity in the early universe drives microscopic quantum
fluctuations inside a causal domain to expand into macroscopic ripples in the
spacetime metric on scales larger than the local horizon. Following their
generation from quantum fluctuations, the ripples in the metric spend a long
period outside the causal domain. During this phase their evolution is
characterized by their conserved amplitudes. The evolution of these
fluctuations may lead to the observed large scale structures of the universe
and anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background radiation.Comment: 5 pages, latex, no figur
Intrinsic Geometry of a Null Hypersurface
We apply Cartan's method of equivalence to construct invariants of a given
null hypersurface in a Lorentzian space-time. This enables us to fully classify
the internal geometry of such surfaces and hence solve the local equivalence
problem for null hypersurface structures in 4-dimensional Lorentzian
space-times
On the geometrization of matter by exotic smoothness
In this paper we discuss the question how matter may emerge from space. For
that purpose we consider the smoothness structure of spacetime as underlying
structure for a geometrical model of matter. For a large class of compact
4-manifolds, the elliptic surfaces, one is able to apply the knot surgery of
Fintushel and Stern to change the smoothness structure. The influence of this
surgery to the Einstein-Hilbert action is discussed. Using the Weierstrass
representation, we are able to show that the knotted torus used in knot surgery
is represented by a spinor fulfilling the Dirac equation and leading to a
mass-less Dirac term in the Einstein-Hilbert action. For sufficient complicated
links and knots, there are "connecting tubes" (graph manifolds, torus bundles)
which introduce an action term of a gauge field. Both terms are genuinely
geometrical and characterized by the mean curvature of the components. We also
discuss the gauge group of the theory to be U(1)xSU(2)xSU(3).Comment: 30 pages, 3 figures, svjour style, complete reworking now using
Fintushel-Stern knot surgery of elliptic surfaces, discussion of Lorentz
metric and global hyperbolicity for exotic 4-manifolds added, final version
for publication in Gen. Rel. Grav, small typos errors fixe
Kinetic Inflation in Stringy and Other Cosmologies
An inflationary epoch driven by the kinetic energy density in a dynamical
Planck mass is studied. In the conformally related Einstein frame it is easiest
to see the demands of successful inflation cannot be satisfied by kinetic
inflation alone. Viewed in the original Jordan-Brans-Dicke frame, the obstacle
is manifest as a kind of graceful exit problem and/or a kind of flatness
problem. These arguments indicate the weakness of only the simplest
formulation. {}From them can be gleaned directions toward successful kinetic
inflation.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX, CITA-94-2
Black holes in the Brans-Dicke-Maxwell theory
The black hole solutions in the higher dimensional Brans-Dicke-Maxwell theory
are investigated. We find that the presence of the nontrivial scalar field
depends on the spacetime dimensions (D). When D=4, the solution corresponds to
the Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m black hole with a constant scalar field. In higher
dimensions (D>4), one finds the charged black hole solutions with the
nontrivial scalar field. The thermal properties of the charged black holes are
discussed and the reason why the nontrivial scalar field exists are explained.
Also the solutions for higher dimensional Brans-Dicke theory are given for
comparison.Comment: Revtex, 5 pages, no figures, contents were rewritten and new
references were adde
Mach's Principle and Model for a Broken Symmetric Theory of Gravity
We investigate spontaneous symmetry breaking in a conformally invariant
gravitational model. In particular, we use a conformally invariant scalar
tensor theory as the vacuum sector of a gravitational model to examine the idea
that gravitational coupling may be the result of a spontaneous symmetry
breaking. In this model matter is taken to be coupled with a metric which is
different but conformally related to the metric appearing explicitly in the
vacuum sector. We show that after the spontaneous symmetry breaking the
resulting theory is consistent with Mach's principle in the sense that inertial
masses of particles have variable configurations in a cosmological context.
Moreover, our analysis allows to construct a mechanism in which the resulting
large vacuum energy density relaxes during evolution of the universe.Comment: 9 pages, no figure
Singularity Free (Homogeneous Isotropic) Universe in Graviton-Dilaton Models
We present a class of graviton-dilaton models in which a homogeneous
isotropic universe, such as our observed one, evolves with no singularity at
any time. Such models may stand on their own as interesting models for
singularity free cosmology, and may be studied further accordingly. They may
also arise from string theory. We discuss critically a few such possibilities.Comment: 11 pages. Latex file. Revised in response to referees' Comments.
Results remain same. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let
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