General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)

Abstract: Neutron stars are one of the most mysterious wonders in the Universe. Their extreme densities hint at new and exotic physics at work within. Gravitational waves could be the key to unlocking their secrets. In particular, a first detection of gravitational waves from rapidly-spinning, deformed neutron stars could yield new insights into the physics of matter at extreme densities and under strong gravity. Once a first detection is made, a critical challenge will be to robustly extract physically interesting information from the detected signals. In this essay, we describe initial research towards answering this challenge, and thereby unleashing the full power of gravitational waves as an engine for the discovery of new physics.

Abstract: We demonstrate that there exists a class of cyclic cosmological models, such that these models can in principle solve the problem of the entropy growth, and are at the same time geodesically complete. We thus show that some recently stated conclusions, according to which cyclic cosmologies solving the problem of entropy growth can not be geodesically complete due to the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin (BGV) theorem, are not justified. We show that such types of geodesically complete models capable of solving the entropy growth problem fall in two main groups: the ones where the total average Hubble parameter is lesser or equal to zero, thus satisfying BGV theorem, and the ones for which BGV theorem is not applicable. We also add a short conceptual discussion on entropy and cyclic cosmology.

Abstract: Vielbeins are necessary when coupling General Relativity (GR) to fermionic matter. This enhances the gauge group of GR to include local Lorentz transformations. In view of a reduced phase space formulation of quantum gravity, in this work we completely gauge fix that Lorentz gauge symmetry by using a so-called triangular gauge. Having solved the Gauss constraints already classically opens access to new Hilbert space representations which are free of the complications that otherwise arise due to a non Abelian gauge symmetry. In that sense, a connection formulation as being pursued in Loop Quantum Gravity is no longer the only practicable option and other less dimension dependent representations e.g. based on triads and even metrics suggest themselves. These formulations make it easier to identify states representing non-degenerate quantum geometries and thus to investigate the hypersurface deformation algebra which implicitly assumes non-degeneracy.

Abstract: In this article, we provide a new model of static charged anisotropic fluid sphere made of a charged perfect fluid in the context of 5D Einstein-Maxwell-Gauss-Bonnet (EMGB) gravity theory. To generate exact solutions of the EMGB field equations, we utilize the well-behaved Tolman-Kuchowicz (TK) {\it ansatz} together with a linear equation of state (EoS) of the form $p_r=\beta \rho-\gamma$, (where $\beta$ and $\gamma$ are constants). Here the exterior space-time is described by the EGB Schwarzschild metric. The Gauss-Bonnet Lagrangian term $\mathcal{L}_{GB}$ is coupled with the Einstein-Hilbert action through the coupling constant $\alpha$. When $\alpha \to 0$, we obtain the general relativity (GR) results. Here we present the solution for the compact star candidate EXO 1785-248 with mass$=(1.3 \pm 0.2)M_{\odot}$; Radius $= 10_{-1}^{+1}$ km. respectively. We analyze the effect of this coupling constant $\alpha$ on the principal characteristics of our model, such as energy density, pressure components, anisotropy factor, sound speed etc. We compare these results with corresponding GR results. Moreover, we studied the hydrostatic equilibrium of the stellar system by using a modified Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equation and the dynamical stability through the critical value of the radial adiabatic index.The mass-radius relationship is also established to determine the compactness factor and surface redshift of our model. In this way, the stellar model obtained here is found to satisfy the elementary physical requirements necessary for a physically viable stellar object.

Abstract: We study the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) metric of general scalar-tensor gravity with two arbitrary coupling functions in the two cases in which the scalar field has or does not have potential. We calculate all ten PPN parameters for a perfect fluid source in the case of a vanishing scalar potential and two PPN parameters $\gamma$ and $\beta$ for a point-like source in the case of a non-vanishing scalar potential, respectively. These PPN parameters are theory-dependent constants in the first case and distance-dependent in the second case. For a strong coupling scalar field with or without mass, or at the large distances limit, the PPN parameters $\gamma$ and $\beta$ tend to one. Our calculations can reduce to the previous results in simpler cases, including massless/massive Brans-Dicke theory.

Abstract: In quadratic gravity, the junction conditions are six and permit the appearance of double layer thin shells. Double layers arise typically in theories with dipoles, i.e., two opposite charges, such as electromagnetic theories, and appear exceptionally in gravitational theories, which are theories with a single charge. We explore this property of the existence of double layers in quadratic gravity to find and study traversable wormholes in which the two domains of the wormhole interior region, where the throat is located, are matched to two vacuum domains of the exterior region via the use of two double layer thin shells. The quadratic gravity we use is essentially given by a $R+\alpha R^2$ Lagrangian, where $R$ is the Ricci scalar of the spacetime and $\alpha$ is a coupling constant, plus a matter Lagrangian. The null energy condition, or NEC for short, is tested for the whole wormhole spacetime. The analysis shows that the NEC is satisfied for the stress-energy tensor of the matter in the whole wormhole interior region, notably at the throat, and is satisfied for some of the stress-energy tensor components of the matter at the double layer thin shell, but is not satisfied for some other components, namely, the double layer stress-energy distribution component, at the thin shell. This seems to mean that the NEC is basically impossible, or at least very hard, to be satisfied when double layer thin shells are present. Single layer thin shells are also admitted within the theory, and we present thin shell traversable wormholes, i.e., wormholes without interior, with a single layer thin shell at the throat for which the corresponding stress-energy tensor satisfies the NEC, that are asymmetric, i.e., with two different vacuum domains of the exterior region joined at the wormhole throat.

Abstract: The entropy of a Schwarzschild black hole, as computed via the semiclassical Euclidean path integral in a stationary phase approximation, is determined not by the on-shell value of the action (which vanishes), but by the Gibbons--Hawking--York boundary term evaluated on a suitable hypersurface, which can be chosen arbitrarily far away from the horizon. For this reason, the black hole singularity seemingly has no influence on the Bekenstein--Hawking area law. In this Essay we estimate how a regular black hole core, deep inside a Euclidean black hole of mass $M$ and generated via a UV regulator length scale $\ell > 0$, affects the black hole entropy. The contributions are suppressed by factors of $\ell/(2GM)$; demanding exact agreement with the area law as well as a self-consistent first law of black hole thermodynamics at all orders, however, demands that these contributions vanish identically via uniformly bounded curvature. This links the limiting curvature hypothesis to black hole thermodynamics.

Abstract: This work investigates several key aspects of a non--commutative theory with mass deformation. We calculate thermodynamic properties of the system and compare our results with recent literature. We examine the \textit{quasinormal} modes of massless scalar perturbations using two approaches: the WKB approximation and the P\"oschl--Teller fitting method. Our results indicate that stronger non--commutative parameters lead to slower damping oscillations of gravitational waves and higher partial absorption cross sections. Furthermore, we study the geodesics of massless and massive particles, highlighting that the non--commutative parameter $\Theta$ significantly impacts the paths of light and event horizons. Also, we calculate the shadows, which show that larger values of $\Theta$ correspond to larger shadow radii. Finally, we explore the deflection angle and time delay in this context.

Abstract: Teleparallel Gravity is a gauge theory where gravity is a manifestation of the torsion of space-time and its success relies on being a possible solution to some problems of General Relativity. In this essay we introduce the construction of the theory by defining its geometrical setup, and how we can build it as a gauge theory of translations locally invariant under the Lorentz group. In this context, we will study the production of primordial gravitational waves and the observational implications when extended models are taken into account, particularly, we will notice how the tensor spectral index changes and produces a direct impact on the power spectrum from vacuum fluctuations and any source of tensor anisotropic stress in comparison to General Relativity.

Abstract: We study metric teleparallel geometries, which can either be defined through a Lorentzian metric and flat, metric-compatible affine connection, or a tetrad and a flat spin connection, which are invariant under the transitive action of a four-dimensional Lie group on their spatial equal-time hypersurfaces. There are three such group actions, and their corresponding spatial hypersurfaces belong to the Bianchi types II, III and IX, respectively. For each of these three symmetry groups, we determine the most general teleparallel geometry, and find that it is parametrized by six functions of time, one of which can be eliminated by the choice of the time coordinate. We further show that these geometries are unique up to global Lorentz transformations, coordinate transformations and changes of the choice of the parameter functions.