Engineering topics

Koivisto, Tomi S.

Publications and source records attributed to Koivisto, Tomi S..

7 records

DOE OSTI2016

Cosmology for quadratic gravity in generalized Weyl geometry

A class of vector-tensor theories arises naturally in the framework of quadratic gravity in spacetimes with linear vector distortion. Requiring the absence of ghosts for the vector field imposes an interesting condition on the allowed connections with vector distortion: the resulting one-parameter family of connections generalises the usual Weyl geometry with polar torsion. The cosmology of this class of theories is studied, focusing on isotropic solutions wherein the vector field is dominated by the temporal component. De Sitter attractors are found and inhomogeneous perturbations around such backgrounds are analysed. In particular, further constraints on the models are imposed by excluding pathologies in the scalar, vector and tensor fluctuations. Various exact background solutions are presented, describing a constant and an evolving dark energy, a bounce and a self-tuning de Sitter phase. However, the latter two scenarios are not viable under a closer scrutiny.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2015

Scalar-fluid theories: cosmological perturbations and large-scale structure

Recently a new Lagrangian framework was introduced to describe interactions between scalar fields and relativistic perfect fluids. This allows two consistent generalizations of coupled quintessence models: non-vanishing pressures and a new type of derivative interaction. The implications of these to the formation of cosmological large-scale structure are uncovered here at the linear order. The full perturbation equations in the two cases are derived in a unified formalism and their Newtonian, quasi-static limit is studied analytically. Requiring the absence of an effective sound speed term in the coupled dark matter fluid restricts the Lagrangian to be a linear function of the matter number density. This leaves new potentially viable classes of both algebraically and derivatively interacting models wherein the coupling may impact the background expansion dynamics and imprint new signatures into the large-scale structure.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Cosmological viability of massive gravity with generalized matter coupling

There is a no-go theorem forbidding flat and closed FLRW solutions in massive gravity on a flat reference metric, while open solutions are unstable. Recently it was shown that this no-go theorem can be overcome if at least some matter couples to a hybrid metric composed of both the dynamical and the fixed reference metric. We show that this is not compatible with the standard description of cosmological sources in terms of effective perfect fluids, and the predictions of the theory become sensitive either to the detailed field-theoretical modelling of the matter content or to the presence of additional dark degrees of freedom. This is a serious practical complication. Furthermore, we demonstrate that viable cosmological background evolution with a perfect fluid appears to require the presence of fields with highly contrived properties. This could be improved if the equivalence principle is broken by coupling only some of the fields to the composite metric, but viable self-accelerating solutions due only to the massive graviton are difficult to obtain.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

Bimetric gravity doubly coupled to matter: theory and cosmological implications

A ghost-free theory of gravity with two dynamical metrics both coupled to matter is shown to be consistent and viable. Its cosmological implications are studied, and the models, in particular in the context of partially massless gravity, are found to explain the cosmic acceleration without resorting to dark energy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

The virial theorem and the dark matter problem in hybrid metric-Palatini gravity

Hybrid metric-Palatini gravity is a recently proposed theory, consisting of the superposition of the metric Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian with an f(R) term constructed à la Palatini. The theory predicts the existence of a long-range scalar field, which passes the Solar System observational constraints, even if the scalar field is very light, and modifies the cosmological and galactic dynamics. Thus, the theory opens new possibilities to approach, in the same theoretical framework, the problems of both dark energy and dark matter. In this work, we consider the generalized virial theorem in the scalar-tensor representation of the hybrid metric-Palatini gravity. More specifically, taking into account the relativistic collisionless Boltzmann equation, we show that the supplementary geometric terms in the gravitational field equations provide an effective contribution to the gravitational potential energy. We show that the total virial mass is proportional to the effective mass associated with the new terms generated by the effective scalar field, and the baryonic mass. In addition to this, we also consider astrophysical applications of the model and show that the model predicts that the mass associated to the scalar field and its effects extend beyond the virial radius of the clusters of galaxies. In the context of the galaxy cluster velocity dispersion profiles predicted by the hybrid metric-Palatini model, the generalized virial theorem can be an efficient tool in observationally testing the viability of this class of generalized gravity models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

Cosmology of hybrid metric-Palatini f(X)-gravity

A new class of modified theories of gravity, consisting of the superposition of the metric Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian with an f(R) term constructed à la Palatini was proposed recently. The dynamically equivalent scalar-tensor representation of the model was also formulated, and it was shown that even if the scalar field is very light, the theory passes the Solar System observational constraints. Therefore the model predicts the existence of a long-range scalar field, modifying the cosmological and galactic dynamics. An explicit model that passes the local tests and leads to cosmic acceleration was also obtained. In the present work, it is shown that the theory can be also formulated in terms of the quantity X≡κ{sup 2}T+R, where T and R are the traces of the stress-energy and Ricci tensors, respectively. The variable X represents the deviation with respect to the field equation trace of general relativity. The cosmological applications of this hybrid metric-Palatini gravitational theory are also explored, and cosmological solutions coming from the scalar-tensor representation of f(X)-gravity are presented. Criteria to obtain cosmic acceleration are discussed and the field equations are analyzed as a dynamical system. Several classes of dynamical cosmological solutions, depending on the functional form of the effective scalar field potential, describing both accelerating and decelerating Universes are explicitly obtained. Furthermore, the cosmological perturbation equations are derived and applied to uncover the nature of the propagating scalar degree of freedom and the signatures these models predict in the large-scale structure.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Constraining entropic cosmology

It has been recently proposed that the interpretation of gravity as an emergent, entropic phenomenon might have nontrivial implications to cosmology. Here several such approaches are investigated and the underlying assumptions that must be made in order to constrain them by the BBN, SneIa, BAO and CMB data are clarified. Present models of inflation or dark energy are ruled out by the data. Constraints are derived on phenomenological parameterizations of modified Friedmann equations and some features of entropic scenarios regarding the growth of perturbations, the no-go theorem for entropic inflation and the possible violation of the Bekenstein bound for the entropy of the Universe are discussed and clarified.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗