Probing Gravity with Spacetime Sirens

A gravitational observatory such as LISA will detect coalescing pairs of massive black holes, accurately measure their luminosity distance and help identify a host galaxy or an electromagnetic counterpart. If dark energy is a manifestation of modified gravity on large scales, gravitational waves from cosmologically-distant spacetime sirens are direct probes of this new physics. For example, a gravitational Hubble diagram based on black hole pair luminosity distances and host galaxy redshifts could reveal a large distance extra-dimensional leakage of gravity. Various additional signatures may be expected in a gravitational signal propagated over cosmological scales.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Reconstructing the Distortion Function for Nonlocal Cosmology

We consider the cosmology of modified gravity models in which Newton's constant is distorted by a function of the inverse d'Alembertian acting on the Ricci scalar. We derive a technique for choosing the distortion function so as to fit an arbitrary expansion history. This technique is applied numerically to the case of LambdaCDM cosmology, and the result agrees well with a simple hyperbolic tangent.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure, dedicated to Stanley Deser on the occasion of his 78th birthday, revised version for publication in JCA

Gravitational Leakage into Extra Dimensions: Probing Dark Energy Using Local Gravity

The braneworld model of Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) is a theory where gravity is modified at large distances by the arrested leakage of gravitons off our four-dimensional universe. Cosmology in this model has been shown to support both "conventional" and exotic explanations of the dark energy responsible for today's cosmic acceleration. We present new results for the gravitational field of a clustered matter source on the background of an accelerating universe in DGP braneworld gravity, and articulate how these results differ from those of general relativity. In particular, we show that orbits nearby a mass source suffer a universal anomalous precession as large as 5 microarcseconds/year, dependent only on the graviton's effective linewidth and the global geometry of the full, five-dimensional universe. Thus, this theory offers a local gravity correction sensitive to factors that dictate cosmological history.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figure, revtex. Reference updated. Footnote change

Generalized Galileons: All scalar models whose curved background extensions maintain second-order field equations and stress tensors

We extend to curved backgrounds all flat-space scalar field models that obey purely second-order equations, while maintaining their second-order dependence on both field and metric. This extension simultaneously restores to second order the, originally higher derivative, stress tensors as well. The process is transparent and uniform for all dimensions

Arbitrary p-form Galileons

We show that scalar, 0-form, Galileon actions --models whose field equations contain only second derivatives-- can be generalized to arbitrary even p-forms. More generally, they need not even depend on a single form, but may involve mixed p combinations, including equal p multiplets, where odd p-fields are also permitted: We construct, for given dimension D, general actions depending on scalars, vectors and higher p-form field strengths, whose field equations are of exactly second derivative order. We also discuss and illustrate their curved-space generalizations, especially the delicate non-minimal couplings required to maintain this order. Concrete examples of pure and mixed actions, field equations and their curved space extensions are presented.Comment: 8 pages, no figure, RevTeX4 format, v2: minor editorial changes reflecting the published version in PRD Rapid Communication

DGP Brane as a Gravity Conductor

We study how the DGP (Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati) brane affects particle dynamics in linearized approximation. We find that once the particle is removed from the brane it is repelled to the bulk. Assuming that the cutoff for gravitational interaction is $M_*\sim 1/\epsilon$, we calculate the classical self energy of a particle as the function of its position. Since the particle wants to go to the region where its self energy is lower, it is repelled from the brane to the bulk where it gains its 5D self energy. Cases when mass of the particle $m8\pi^2M_*$ are qualitatively different, and in later case one has to take into account effects of strong gravity. In both cases the particle is repelled from the brane. For $m<8\pi^2M_*$ we obtain the same result from the 'electrostatic' analog of the theory. In that language mass (charge) in the bulk induces charge distribution on the brane which shields the other side of the brane and provides repulsive force. The DGP brane acts as a conducting plane in electrostatics (keeping in mind that in gravity different charges repel). The repulsive nature of the brane requires a certain localization mechanism. When the particle overcomes the localizing potential it rapidly moves to the bulk. Particles of mass $m>8\pi^2M_*$ form a black hole within $1/M_*$ distance from the brane.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Covariant Galileon

We consider the recently introduced "galileon" field in a dynamical spacetime. When the galileon is assumed to be minimally coupled to the metric, we underline that both field equations of the galileon and the metric involve up to third-order derivatives. We show that a unique nonminimal coupling of the galileon to curvature eliminates all higher derivatives in all field equations, hence yielding second-order equations, without any extra propagating degree of freedom. The resulting theory breaks the generalized "Galilean" invariance of the original model.Comment: 10 pages, no figure, RevTeX4 format; v2 adds footnote 1, Ref. [12], reformats the link in Ref. [14], and corrects very minor typo

Weak gravity in DGP braneworld model

We analyze the weak gravity in the braneworld model proposed by Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati, in which the unperturbed background spacetime is given by five dimensional Minkowski bulk with a brane which has the induced Einstein Hilbert term. This model has a critical length scale $r_c$. Naively, we expect that the four dimensional general relativity (4D GR) is approximately recovered at the scale below $r_c$. However, the simple linear perturbation does not work in this regime. Only recently the mechanism to recover 4D GR was clarified under the restriction to spherically symmetric configurations, and the leading correction to 4D GR was derived. Here, we develop an alternative formulation which can handle more general perturbations. We also generalize the model by adding bulk cosmological constant and the brane tension.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, references adde