Quantum aspects of antisymmetric tensor field with spontaneous Lorentz violation

We study the quantization of a simple model of antisymmetric tensor field with spontaneous Lorentz violation in curved spacetime. We evaluate the 1-loop corrections at first order of metric perturbation, using a general covariant effective action approach. We revisit the issue of quantum equivalence, and find that it holds for non-Lorentz-violating modes but breaks down for Lorentz violating modes.Comment: 20 pages; minor corrections, text improvements, references added; published versio

Probing Low-x QCD With Very High Energy Prompt Muons

We explore the possibility of utilizing the prompt muon fluxes at very high energies in order to discriminate various models/parametrizations of low-x QCD behaviour of hadronic cross-sections relevant at such energies. We find that the pair meter technique for measuring high energy prompt muons can be very efficient in such an endeavor. As a by product, it allows to cleanly probe the change in composition of the primary cosmic rays expected at high energies.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Finite Temperature Effects and Axion Cosmology

We investigate the impact of finite temperature effects on axions in the context of cosmology. The temperature dependence of the decay constant is modeled analogous to pions. For the two interesting cases considered here, we find that the temperature effects do lead to changes relevant for detailed and precise abundance and rate calculations. We also find that the axion decoupling temperature starts showing large deviations for larger values of the axion decay constant.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

One-Loop Effective Action for Nonminimal Natural Inflation Model

Recent and upcoming experimental data as well as the possibility of rich phenomenology has spiked interest in studying the quantum gravitational effects in cosmology at low (inflation-era) energy scales. While Planck scale physics is under development, it is still possible to incorporate quantum gravity effects at relatively low energies using quantum field theory in curved spacetime, which serves as a low-energy limit of planck scale physics. We use the Vilkovisky-DeWitt's covariant effective action formalism to study quantum gravitational corrections to a recently proposed Natural Inflation model with periodic nonminimal coupling. We present the 1-loop effective action for this theory valid in the flat-potential region, considering perturbative corrections upto quadratic order in background scalar fields.Comment: 4 pages; Presented at XXIII DAE-BRNS High Energy Physics Symposiu

Spherically symmetric static solutions, newtonian potential and degrees of freedom of a Nonlocal action

Nonlocal terms in the Einstein Hilbert(EH) action appears as IR corrections in effective theory of quantum gravity. Here we have considered such an action keeping the terms which are quadratic in Ricci Scalar. We obtain the solution for a spherical symmetric. We conduct an analysis for linearised gravity action and find the Newtonian potentials of linearized gravity action and count the degrees of freedom. Finally we reproduce the results for few known examples found in literature.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Inflation and Reheating in f(R,h) theory formulated in the Palatini formalism

A new model for inflation using modified gravity in the Palatini formalism is constructed. Here non-minimal coupling of scalar field h with the curvature R as a general function f(R,h) is considered. Explicit inflation models for some choices of f(R,h) are developed. By writing an equivalent scalar-tensor action for this model and going over to Einstein frame, slow roll parameters are constructed. There exists a large parameter space which satisfies values of n_s and limits on r compatible with Planck 2018 data. Further, we calculate reheating temperature and the number of e-folds at the end of reheating for different values of equation of state parameter for all the constructed models.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figure

On the quantum equivalence of an antisymmetric tensor field with spontaneous Lorentz violation

We present an explicit proof that a minimal model of rank-2 antisymmetric field with spontaneous Lorentz violation and a classically equivalent vector field model are also quantum equivalent, by calculating quantum effective actions of both theories. We comment on the issues encountered while checking quantum equivalence in curved spacetime.Comment: published versio

Anisotropic Bouncing Scenario in F(X)−V(ϕ)F(X)-V(\phi) model

We investigate the cosmology of a class of model with noncanonical scalar field and matter in an anisotropic time dependent background. Writing the Einstein Equations in terms of dimensionless dynamical variables appropriately defined for bouncing solutions, we find all the fixed points. From the bouncing conditions and stability of fixed points, solutions describing non singular bounce are obtained.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1406.399

Local Scale Invariance and Inflation

We study the inflation and the cosmological perturbations generated during the inflation in a local scale invariant model. The local scale invariant model introduces a vector field $S_{\mu}$ in this theory. In this paper, for simplicity, we consider the temporal part of the vector field $S_t$. We show that the temporal part is associated with the slow roll parameter of scalar field. Due to local scale invariance, we have a gauge degree of freedom. In a particular gauge, we show that the local scale invariance provides sufficient number of e-foldings for the inflation. Finally, we estimate the power spectrum of scalar perturbation in terms of the parameters of the theory.Comment: 11 page

Curvature Singularity in f(R) Theories of Gravity

Although $f(R)$ modification of late time cosmology is successful in explaining present cosmic acceleration, it is difficult to satisfy the fifth-force constraint simultaneously. Even when the fifth-force constraint is satisfied, the effective scalar degree of freedom may move to a point (close to its potential minima) in the field space where the Ricci scalar diverges. We elucidate this point further with a specific example of $f(R)$ gravity that incorporates several viable $f(R)$ gravity models in the literature. In particular, we show that the nonlinear evolution of the scalar field in pressureless contracting dust can easily lead to the curvature singularity, making this theory unviable.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, minor changes in the text, a few references adde