Cosmological constraints on a classical limit of quantum gravity

We investigate the cosmology of a recently proposed deformation of Einstein gravity, emerging from quantum gravity heuristics. The theory is constructed to have de Sitter space as a vacuum solution, and thus to be relevant to the accelerating universe. However, this solution turns out to be unstable, and the true phase space of cosmological solutions is significantly more complex, displaying two late-time power-law attractors -- one accelerating and the other dramatically decelerating. It is also shown that non-accelerating cosmologies sit on a separatrix between the two basins of attraction of these attractors. Hence it is impossible to pass from a decelerating cosmology to an accelerating one, as required in standard cosmology for consistency with nucleosynthesis and structure formation and compatibility with the data inferred from supernovae Ia. We point out that alternative models of the early universe, such as the one investigated here might provide possible ways to circumvent these requirements.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, REVTeX

Eddington-Born-Infeld action for dark energy and dark matter

We argue that Einstein gravity coupled to a Born-Infeld theory provides an attractive candidate to represent dark matter and dark energy. For cosmological models, the Born-Infeld field has an equation of state which interpolates between matter, w=0 (small times), and a cosmological constant w=-1 (large times). On galactic scales, the Born-Infeld field predicts asymptotically flat rotation curves.Comment: A sign mistake in section on galactic scales is pointed out. This sign invalidates the content of that section. See comment on manuscrip

Quadratic alpha' corrections to T-duality

The quadratic alpha' corrections to the two-dimensional black hole and to its T-dual are calculated. These backgrounds are used to write the covariant form of the quadratic alpha' corrections to the T-duality for general time-dependent backgrounds of dilaton and diagonal metric in the bosonic string theory.Comment: 15 pages, JHEP; typos corrected, references adde

Multiple first-order metamagnetic transitions and quantum oscillations in ultrapure

We present measurements on ultra clean single crystals of the bilayered ruthenate metal Sr3Ru2O7, which has a magnetic-field-tuned quantum critical point. Quantum oscillations of differing frequencies can be seen in the resistivity both below and above its metamagnetic transition. This frequency shift corresponds to a small change in the Fermi surface volume that is qualitatively consistent with the small moment change in the magnetisation across the metamagnetic transition. Very near the metamagnetic field, unusual behaviour is seen. There is a strong enhancement of the resistivity in a narrow field window, with a minimum in the resistivity as a function of temperature below 1 K that becomes more pronounced as the disorder level decreases. The region of anomalous behaviour is bounded at low temperatures by two first-order phase transitions. The implications of the results are discussed. PACS: 68.35.Rh, 71.27.+a, 72.15.-v, 74.70.PqComment: 12 pages 4 figures, submitte

The `s-rule' exclusion principle and vacuum interpolation in worldvolume dynamics

We show how the worldvolume realization of the Hanany-Witten effect for a supersymmetric D5-brane in a D3 background also provides a classical realization of the `s-rule' exclusion principle. Despite the supersymmetry, the force on the D5-brane vanishes only in the D5 `ground state', which is shown to interpolate between 6-dimensional Minkowski space and an $OSp(4^*|4)$-invariant $adS_2\times S^4$ geometry. The M-theory analogue of these results is briefly discussed.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures, LaTeX JHEP styl

Electron Transport through Disordered Domain Walls: Coherent and Incoherent Regimes

We study electron transport through a domain wall in a ferromagnetic nanowire subject to spin-dependent scattering. A scattering matrix formalism is developed to address both coherent and incoherent transport properties. The coherent case corresponds to elastic scattering by static defects, which is dominant at low temperatures, while the incoherent case provides a phenomenological description of the inelastic scattering present in real physical systems at room temperature. It is found that disorder scattering increases the amount of spin-mixing of transmitted electrons, reducing the adiabaticity. This leads, in the incoherent case, to a reduction of conductance through the domain wall as compared to a uniformly magnetized region which is similar to the giant magnetoresistance effect. In the coherent case, a reduction of weak localization, together with a suppression of spin-reversing scattering amplitudes, leads to an enhancement of conductance due to the domain wall in the regime of strong disorder. The total effect of a domain wall on the conductance of a nanowire is studied by incorporating the disordered regions on either side of the wall. It is found that spin-dependent scattering in these regions increases the domain wall magnetoconductance as compared to the effect found by considering only the scattering inside the wall. This increase is most dramatic in the narrow wall limit, but remains significant for wide walls.Comment: 23 pages, 12 figure

Cosmology as Geodesic Motion

For gravity coupled to N scalar fields with arbitrary potential V, it is shown that all flat (homogeneous and isotropic) cosmologies correspond to geodesics in an (N+1)-dimensional `augmented' target space of Lorentzian signature (1,N), timelike if V>0, null if V=0 and spacelike if V<0. Accelerating cosmologies correspond to timelike geodesics that lie within an `acceleration subcone' of the `lightcone'. Non-flat (k=-1,+1) cosmologies are shown to evolve as projections of geodesic motion in a space of dimension (N+2), of signature (1,N+1) for k=-1 and signature (2,N) for k=+1. This formalism is illustrated by cosmological solutions of models with an exponential potential, which are comprehensively analysed; the late-time behviour for other potentials of current interest is deduced by comparison.Comment: 26 pages, 2 figures, journal version with additional reference

Radiation-dominated area metric cosmology

We provide further crucial support for a refined, area metric structure of spacetime. Based on the solution of conceptual issues, such as the consistent coupling of fermions and the covariant identification of radiation fields on area metric backgrounds, we show that the radiation-dominated epoch of area metric cosmology is equivalent to that epoch in standard Einstein cosmology. This ensures, in particular, successful nucleosynthesis. This surprising result complements the previously derived prediction of a small late-time acceleration of an area metric universe.Comment: 23 pages, no figures; references adde

Determinant-Gravity: Cosmological implications

We analyze the action $\int d^4x \sqrt{\det||{\cal B} g_{\mu\nu}+ {\cal C} R_{\mu\nu}}||$ as a possible alternative or addition to the Einstein gravity. Choosing a particular form of ${\cal B}(R)= \sqrt {R}$ we can restore the Einstein gravity and, if ${\cal B}=m^2$, we obtain the cosmological constant term. Taking ${\cal B} = m^2 + {\cal B}_1 R$ and expanding the action in $1/m^2$, we obtain as a leading term the Einstein Lagrangian with a cosmological constant proportional to $m^4$ and a series of higher order operators. In general case of non-vanishing ${\cal B}$ and ${\cal C}$ new cosmological solutions for the Robertson-Walker metric are obtained.Comment: revtex format, 5 pages,8 figures,references adde