Some remarks on the attractor behaviour in ELKO cosmology

Recent results on the dynamical stability of a system involving the interaction of the ELKO spinor field with standard matter in the universe have been reanalysed, and the conclusion is that such system does not exhibit isolated stable points that could alleviate the cosmic coincidence problem. When a constant parameter $\delta$ related to the potential of the ELKO field is introduced in the system however, stable fixed points are found for some specific types of interaction between the ELKO field and matter. Although the parameter $\delta$ is related to an unknown potential, in order to satisfy the stability conditions and also that the fixed points are real, the range of the constant parameter $\delta$ can be constrained for the present time and the coincidence problem can be alleviated for some specific interactions. Such restriction on the ELKO potential opens possibility to apply the ELKO field as a candidate to dark energy in the universe, and so explain the present phase of acceleration of the universe through the decay of the ELKO field into matter.Comment: 17 pages, section III with minor changes and section IV rewritten with a new analysi

Braneworlds scenarios in a gravity model with higher order spatial three-curvature terms

In this work we study a Horava-like five-dimensional model in the context of braneworld theory. To begin with, the equations of motion of such model are obtained and, within the realm of warped geometry, we show that the model is consistent if and only if $\lambda$ takes its relativistic value 1. Furthermore, since the first derivative of the warp factor is discontinuous over the branes, we show that the elimination of problematic terms involving the square of the warp factor second order derivatives are eliminated by imposing detailed balance condition in the bulk. Afterwards, the Israel's junction conditions are computed, allowing the attainment of an effective Lagrangian in the visible brane. In particular, for a (4+1)-dimensional Horava-like model defined in the bulk without cosmological constant, we show that the resultant effective Lagrangian in the brane corresponds to a (3+1)-dimensional Horava-like model with an emergent positive cosmological constant but without detailed balance condition. Now, restoration of detailed balance condition, at this time imposed over the brane, plays an interesting role by fitting accordingly the sign of the arbitrary constant $\beta$ that labels the extra terms in the model, insuring a positive brane tension and a real energy for the graviton within its dispersion relation. To end up with, the brane consistency equations are obtained and, as a result, we show that the detailed balance condition again plays an essential role in eliminating bad behaving terms and that the model admits positive brane tensions in the compactification scheme if, and only if, $\beta$ is negative, what is in accordance with the previous result obtained for the visible brane.Comment: 23 pages, 1 figure, title modifie