116 research outputs found
Multimetric extension of the PPN formalism: experimental consistency of repulsive gravity
Recently we discussed a multimetric gravity theory containing several copies
of standard model matter each of which couples to its own metric tensor. This
construction contained dark matter sectors interacting repulsively with the
visible matter sector, and was shown to lead to cosmological late-time
acceleration. In order to test the theory with high-precision experiments
within the solar system we here construct a simple extension of the
parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism for multimetric gravitational
backgrounds. We show that a simplified version of this extended formalism
allows the computation of a subset of the PPN parameters from the linearized
field equations. Applying the simplified formalism we find that the PPN
parameters of our theory do not agree with the observed values, but we are able
to improve the theory so that it becomes consistent with experiments of
post-Newtonian gravity and still features its promising cosmological
properties.Comment: 19 pages, no figures, journal versio
Instabilities in the nonsymmetric theory of gravitation
We consider the linearized nonsymmetric theory of gravitation (NGT) within
the background of an expanding universe and near a Schwarzschild metric. We
show that the theory always develops instabilities unless the linearized
nonsymmetric lagrangian reduces to a particular simple form. This theory
contains a gauge invariant kinetic term, a mass term for the antisymmetric
metric-field and a coupling with the Ricci curvature scalar. This form cannot
be obtained within NGT. Next we discuss NGT beyond linearized level and
conjecture that the instabilities are not a relic of the linearization, but are
a general feature of the full theory. Finally we show that one cannot add
ad-hoc constraints to remove the instabilities as is possible with the
instabilities found in NGT by Clayton.Comment: 29 page
Problems and hopes in nonsymmetric gravity
We consider the linearized nonsymmetric theory of gravitation (NGT) within
the background of an expanding universe and near a Schwarzschild mass. We show
that the theory always develops instabilities unless the linearized
nonsymmetric lagrangian reduces to a particular simple form. This form contains
a gauge invariant kinetic term, a mass term for the antisymmetric metric-field
and a coupling with the Ricci curvature scalar. This form cannot be obtained
within NGT. Based on the linearized lagrangian we know to be stable, we
consider the generation and evolution of quantum fluctuations of the
antisymmetric gravitational field (B-field) from inflation up to the present
day. We find that a B-field with a mass m ~ 0.03(H_I/10^(13)GeV)^4 eV is an
excellent dark matter candidate.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. Based on two talks by the authors at the 2nd
International Conference on Quantum Theories and Renormalization Group in
Gravity and Cosmology (IRGAC) 2006, Barcelon
Unusual Features of Varying Speed of Light Cosmologies
We contrast features of simple varying speed of light (VSL) cosmologies with
inflationary universe models. We present new features of VSL cosmologies and
show that they face problems explaining the cosmological isotropy problem. We
also find that if c falls fast enough to solve the flatness and horizon
problems then the quantum wavelengths of massive particle states and the radii
of primordial black holes can grow to exceed the scale of the particle horizon.
This may provide VSL cosmologies with a self-reproduction property. The
constraint of entropy increase is also discussed. The new problems described in
the this letter provide a set of bench tests for more sophisticated VSL
theories to pass.Comment: expanded version, 12 page
Gravitational solution to the Pioneer 10/11 anomaly
A fully relativistic modified gravitational theory including a fifth force
skew symmetric field is fitted to the Pioneer 10/11 anomalous acceleration. The
theory allows for a variation with distance scales of the gravitational
constant G, the fifth force skew symmetric field coupling strength omega and
the mass of the skew symmetric field mu=1/lambda. A fit to the available
anomalous acceleration data for the Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft is obtained for a
phenomenological representation of the "running" constants and values of the
associated parameters are shown to exist that are consistent with fifth force
experimental bounds. The fit to the acceleration data is consistent with all
current satellite, laser ranging and observations for the inner planets.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables. typo's were corrected at Equations (4)
and (12) and a third table including our predictions for the anomalous
perihelion advance of the planets was adde
Qualitative Analysis of Universes with Varying Alpha
Assuming a Friedmann universe which evolves with a power-law scale factor,
, we analyse the phase space of the system of equations that describes
a time-varying fine structure 'constant', , in the
Bekenstein-Sandvik-Barrow-Magueijo generalisation of general relativity. We
have classified all the possible behaviours of in ever-expanding
universes with different and find new exact solutions for . We
find the attractors points in the phase space for all . In general, will be a non-decreasing function of time that increases logarithmically in
time during a period when the expansion is dust dominated (), but
becomes constant when . This includes the case of negative-curvature
domination (). also tends rapidly to a constant when the
expansion scale factor increases exponentially. A general set of conditions is
established for to become asymptotically constant at late times in an
expanding universe.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure
Time Delay Predictions in a Modified Gravity Theory
The time delay effect for planets and spacecraft is obtained from a fully
relativistic modified gravity theory including a fifth force skew symmetric
field by fitting to the Pioneer 10/11 anomalous acceleration data. A possible
detection of the predicted time delay corrections to general relativity for the
outer planets and future spacecraft missions is considered. The time delay
correction to GR predicted by the modified gravity is consistent with the
observational limit of the Doppler tracking measurement reported by the Cassini
spacecraft on its way to Saturn, and the correction increases to a value that
could be measured for a spacecraft approaching Neptune and Pluto.Comment: 5 pages, LaTex file, no figures. Corrections to Table
On the recently determined anomalous perihelion precession of Saturn
The astronomer E.V. Pitjeva, by analyzing with the EPM2008 ephemerides a
large number of planetary observations including also two years (2004-2006) of
normal points from the Cassini spacecraft, phenomenologically estimated a
statistically significant non-zero correction to the usual
Newtonian/Einsteinian secular precession of the longitude of the perihelion of
Saturn, i.e. \Delta\dot\varpi_Sat = -0.006 +/- 0.002 arcsec/cy; the formal,
statistical error is 0.0007 arcsec/cy. It can be explained neither by any of
the standard classical and general relativistic dynamical effects
mismodelled/unmodelled in the force models of the EPM2008 ephemerides nor by
several exotic modifications of gravity recently put forth to accommodate
certain cosmological/astrophysical observations without resorting to dark
energy/dark matter. Both independent analyses by other teams of astronomers and
further processing of larger data sets from Cassini will be helpful in
clarifying the nature and the true existence of the anomalous precession of the
perihelion of Saturn.Comment: LaTex2e, 14 pages, no figures, 2 tables. Accepted by The Astronomical
Journal (AJ
Spontaneous Lorentz Violation and the Long-Range Gravitational Preferred-Frame Effect
Lorentz-violating operators involving Standard Model fields are tightly
constrained by experimental data. However, bounds are more model-independent
for Lorentz violation appearing in purely gravitational couplings. The
spontaneous breaking of Lorentz invariance by the vacuum expectation value of a
vector field selects a universal rest frame. This affects the propagation of
the graviton, leading to a modification of Newton's law of gravity. We compute
the size of the long-range preferred-frame effect in terms of the coefficients
of the two-derivative operators in the low-energy effective theory that
involves only the graviton and the Goldstone bosons.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, revtex4. v4: Replaced to match version to
appear in Phys. Lett. B (minor corrections of form
Is it e or is it c? Experimental Tests of Varying Alpha
Is the recent evidence for a time-varying fine structure 'constant'
to be interpreted as a varying , , , or a combination thereof? We
consider the simplest varying electric charge and varying speed of light
theories (VSL) and prove that for the same type of dark matter they predict
opposite senses of variation in over cosmological times. We also show
that unlike varying theories, VSL theories do not predict violations of the
weak equivalence principle (WEP). Varying theories which explain
astronomical inferences of varying predict WEP violations only an
order of magnitude smaller than existing E\"otv\"os experiment limits but could
be decisively tested by STEP. We finally exhibit a set of atomic-clock and
related experiments for which {\it all} (hyperbolic) varying theories
predict non-null results. They provide independent tests of the recent
astronomical evidence
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