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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

An apologia for islands

Entanglement islands have played a key role in the recent derivation of the Page curve and other progress on the black hole information problem. Arising from the inclusion of connected wormhole saddles in a gravitational replica trick, islands signal that degrees of freedom in the black hole interior are not microscopically independent of the exterior Hawking radiation. Islands were originally discovered in the context of AdS/CFT coupled to an external, nongravitating reservoir, where the coupling gives graviton excitations an anomalous boundary scaling dimension (or “mass”). It has been claimed in the literature that this mass is crucial for the existence of islands and even the Page curve itself. In this paper, however, we explain how entanglement islands can also appear in setups with massless gravitons and no external reservoir, giving a number of examples including the entanglement wedges of boundary CFT regions, of radiation at null infinity in asymptotically flat spacetimes, and of radiation inside a semiclassical but gravitating spacetime. In each case, the Page curve is physically observable and can be determined with sufficiently careful experiments on many copies of the black hole. We give general arguments for the existence of gauge-invariant operators in gravity which are compactly supported to all orders in perturbation theory (whenever no isometries of the background spacetime exist) and refine a recently-proposed explicit construction of such operators. When applied to islands, these results — together with entanglement wedge reconstruction — guarantee that semiclassical operators in the island can be approximated by nonperturbative operators on the Hawking radiation.

AdS-CFT Correspondence↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simulating a numerical UV completion of quartic Galileons

The Galileon theory is a prototypical effective field theory that incorporates the Vainshtein screening mechanism—a feature that arises in some extensions of general relativity, such as massive gravity. The Vainshtein effect requires that the theory contain higher order derivative interactions, which results in Galileons, and theories like them, failing to be technically well posed. While this is not a fundamental issue when the theory is correctly treated as an effective field theory, it nevertheless poses significant practical problems when numerically simulating this model. These problems can be tamed using a number of different approaches: introducing an active low-pass filter and/or constructing a UV completion at the level of the equations of motion, which controls the high momentum modes. These methods have been tested on cubic Galileon interactions, and have been shown to reproduce the correct low-energy behavior. Here we show how the numerical UV-completion method can be applied to quartic Galileon interactions, and present the first simulations of the quartic Galileon model using this technique. We demonstrate that our approach can probe physics in the regime of the effective field theory in which the quartic term dominates, while successfully reproducing the known results for cubic interactions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
NASA NTRS1989

Gravitational consequences of modern field theories

Some gravitational consequences of certain extensions of Einstein's general theory of relativity are discussed. These theories are not alternative theories of gravity in the usual sense. It is assumed that general relativity is the appropriate description of all gravitational phenomena which were observed to date.

Horowitz, Gary T.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The High Throughput X-ray Spectroscopy (HTXS) Mission

The HTXS mission concept combines large effective area (approximately 15,000 sq cm at 1 keV), high spectral resolution (E/Delta(E) approximately 300-3000), and broad energy bandpass (0.25-40 keV and possibly up to 100 keV) by using replicated optics together with a complement of spectroscopic instrumentation including reflection gratings readout by charge-coupled device detectors (CCDs), quantum micro-calorimeters, and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) or comparable high energy detectors. An essential feature of this concept involves minimization of cost (approximately $350M for development and approximately $500-600M including launches) and risk by building six identical modest satellites to achieve the large area. Current mission and technology studies are targeted towards a new start in the 2002 timeframe, with first launch around 2005-2006. The HTXS mission represents a major advance, providing as much as a factor of 100 increase in sensitivity over currently planned high resolution X ray spectroscopy missions. HTXS will mark the start of a new era when high quality X ray spectra will be obtained for all classes of X ray sources, over a wide range of luminosity and distance. With its increased capabilities, HTXS will address many fundamental astrophysics questions such as the origin and distribution of the elements from carbon to zinc, the formation and evolution of clusters of galaxies, the validity of general relativity in the strong gravity limit, the evolution of supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei, the details of supernova explosions and their aftermath, and the mechanisms involved in the heating of stellar coronae and driving of stellar winds.

White, N. E.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy in the 2020s and 2030s

The 100 years since the publication of Albert Einstein’s theory of General Relativity saw significant development of the understanding of the theory, the identification of potential astrophysical sources of sufficiently strong gravitational waves, and development of key technologies for gravitational-wave detectors. In 2015, the first gravitational wave signals were detected by the two US Advanced LIGO instruments. In 2017, Advanced LIGO and the European Advanced Virgo detectors pinpointed a binary neutron star coalescence that was also seen across the electromagnetic spectrum. The field of gravitational wave astronomy is just starting, and this Roadmap of future developments surveys the potential for growth in bandwidth and sensitivity of future gravitational-wave detectors and discusses the science results anticipated to come from upcoming instruments.

Compact astrophysical objects↗
NASA NTRS2006

General Theory of Relativity: Will It Survive the Next Decade?

The nature of gravity is fundamental to our understanding of our own solar system, the galaxy and the structure and evolution of the Universe. Einstein's general theory of relativity is the standard model that is used for almost ninety years to describe gravitational phenomena on these various scales. We review the foundations of general relativity, discuss the recent progress in the tests of relativistic gravity, and present motivations for high-accuracy gravitational experiments in space. We also summarize the science objectives and technology needs for the laboratory experiments in space with laboratory being the entire solar system. We discuss the advances in our understanding of fundamental physics anticipated in the near future and evaluate discovery potential for the recently proposed gravitational experiments.

dark matter↗
DOE OSTI2025

Diagonal Approximation for Holographic Rényi Entropies

Recently, Dong et al., [A modified cosmic brane proposal for holographic Renyi entropy, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2024) 120] proposed a modified cosmic brane prescription for computing the Rényi entropy 𝑆𝛼 of a holographic system in the presence of multiple extremal surfaces. This prescription was found by assuming a diagonal approximation, where the Rényi entropy is computed after first measuring the areas of all extremal surfaces. We derive this diagonal approximation for the case of two extremal surfaces and show that it accurately computes Rényi entropies up to 𝑂⁡(log⁡𝐺) corrections. For 𝛼 <1, this allows us to derive the modified cosmic brane prescription, which differs from the original cosmic brane prescription at leading order in 𝐺. For 𝛼 >1, it leads to the original cosmic brane prescription without needing to assume that replica symmetry is unbroken in the bulk.

FOS: Physical sciences↗
NASA NTRS2010

When Black Holes Collide

Among the fascinating phenomena predicted by General Relativity, Einstein's theory of gravity, black holes and gravitational waves, are particularly important in astronomy. Though once viewed as a mathematical oddity, black holes are now recognized as the central engines of many of astronomy's most energetic cataclysms. Gravitational waves, though weakly interacting with ordinary matter, may be observed with new gravitational wave telescopes, opening a new window to the universe. These observations promise a direct view of the strong gravitational dynamics involving dense, often dark objects, such as black holes. The most powerful of these events may be merger of two colliding black holes. Though dark, these mergers may briefly release more energy that all the stars in the visible universe, in gravitational waves. General relativity makes precise predictions for the gravitational-wave signatures of these events, predictions which we can now calculate with the aid of supercomputer simulations. These results provide a foundation for interpreting expect observations in the emerging field of gravitational wave astronomy.

Baker, John↗
DOE OSTI2024

Generalized symmetry in dynamical gravity

We explore generalized symmetry in the context of nonlinear dynamical gravity. Our basic strategy is to transcribe known results from Yang-Mills theory directly to gravity via the tetrad formalism, which recasts general relativity as a gauge theory of the local Lorentz group. By analogy, we deduce that gravity exhibits a one-form symmetry implemented by an operator U α labeled by a center element α of the Lorentz group and associated with a certain area measured in Planck units. The corresponding charged line operator W ρ is the holonomy in a spin representation ρ, which is the gravitational analog of a Wilson loop. The topological linking of U α and W ρ has an elegant physical interpretation from classical gravitation: the former materializes an exotic chiral cosmic string defect whose quantized conical deficit angle is measured by the latter. We verify this claim explicitly in an AdS-Schwarzschild black hole background. Notably, our conclusions imply that the standard model exhibits a new symmetry of nature at scales below the lightest neutrino mass. More generally, the absence of global symmetries in quantum gravity suggests that the gravitational one-form symmetry is either gauged or explicitly broken. The latter mandates the existence of fermions. Finally, we comment on generalizations to magnetic higher-form or higher-group gravitational symmetries.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Boosted Dark Matter Search with the ICARUS Detector at the Gran Sasso Underground National Laboratory

The quest to discover dark matter is one of the most pressing topics in modern physics. Evidence of gravitational anomalies is present at different cosmological scales, spanning the stability and rotation of galaxies to the overall density profile of the entire observable Universe. Due to the discrepancy between the mass measured and the gravitational influence on the mass, if General Relativity is to correctly describe gravity at different scales, extra electromagnetically invisible matter termed dark matter must exist. In recent decades, many experiments have been performed to detect dark matter with masses that span many orders of magnitude, from Mass Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs) with masses several orders of magnitude that of our sun to very light particles on the order of $\sim\mu$eV. However, experiments have only been able to constrain the possible parameter space of dark matter models and, in general, probe dark matter models with single constituent dark matter like Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). In the Boosted Dark Matter (BDM) paradigm, there are four particles in the dark sector: $\chi_0$, $\chi_1$, $\chi_2$, and the dark photon $X$. WIMP-like properties are ascribed to $\chi_0$ to describe the physics of the gravitational anomalies, while relativistic components are assigned to $\chi_1$ and $\chi_2$. The inelastic boosted dark matter (iBDM) channel $\chi_1 e^-\rightarrow \chi_2 e^-\rightarrow \chi_1 Xe^-\rightarrow \chi_1 (e^+ e^- ) e^-$, where $\chi_2$ is an excited state of $\chi_1$, has a unique signature that is distinguishable from neutrino interactions, making neutrino experiments a viable search environment for BDM. Using data collected by the ICARUS collaboration with ICARUS T-600 Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) during its operation at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (LNGS), the first-ever LArTPC dark matter search using the ICARUS detector is presented. With a total detector exposure of 0.13 kton$\cdot$year, a total of 4 iBDM candidate events were identified by several stages of data scanning. All were rejected due to defined selection criteria and a wire-by-wire $dE/dx$ evaluation, giving a null result. Exclusion plots at 90\%C.L. for the dark photon ($m_X$, $\epsilon$) parameter space for fixed ($m_0,m_1,m_2$) DM mass sets are presented, setting new limits on the dark photon visible decay parameter space.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Birefringence tests of gravity with multimessenger binaries

Extensions to General Relativity (GR) allow the polarization of gravitational waves (GW) from astrophysical sources to suffer from amplitude and velocity birefringence, which respectively induce changes in the ellipticity and orientation of the polarization tensor. Here, we introduce a multi-messenger approach to test this polarization behavior of GWs during their cosmological propagation using binary sources, for which the initial polarization is determined by the inclination and orientation angles of the orbital angular momentum vector with respect to the line of sight. In particular, we use spatially resolved radio imaging of the jet from a binary neutron star (BNS) merger to constrain the orientation angle and hence the emitted polarization orientation of the GW signal at the site of the merger, and compare to that observed on Earth by GW detectors. For GW170817, using past measurements of the inclination angle, we constrain the deviation from GR due to amplitude birefringence to κ A = $-0.12^{+0.60}_ {-0.61}$, while the velocity birefringence parameter κ V remains unconstrained. The inability to constrain κ V is due to the low amplitude of GW170817 in the Virgo detector, and measurements of the polarization orientation require information from a combination of multiple detectors with different alignments. For this reason, we also mock future BNS mergers with resolved afterglow proper motion and project that κ V could be constrained to a precision of 5 rad (corresponding to an angular shift of the GW polarization of δ φV ≈ 0.2 rad for a BNS at 100 Mpc) by a future network of third-generation ground-based GW detectors such as Cosmic Explorer and the radio High Sensitivity Array. Crucially, this velocity birefringence effect cannot be constrained with dark binary mergers as it requires polarization information at the emission time, which can be provided only by electromagnetic emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1977

Very massive neutron stars in Ni's theory of gravity

It is shown that in Ni's theory of gravity, which is identical to general relativity in the post-Newtonian limit, neutron stars of arbitrarily large mass are possible. This result is independent, within reasonable bounds, of the equation of state of matter at supernuclear densities.

Mikkelsen, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Optical design for the Laser Astrometric Test of Relativity

This paper discusses the Laser Astrometric Test of Relativity (LATOR) mission. LATOR is a Michelson-Morley-type experiment designed to test the pure tensor metric nature of gravitation the fundamental postulate of Einstein's theory of general relativity. With its focus on gravity's action on light propagation it complements other tests which rely on the gravitational dynamics of bodies.

Laser Astrometric Test of Relativity (LATOR)↗
NASA NTRS1989

The gravity probe B relativity gyroscope program

The idea of testing general relativity through observations on Earth orbiting gyroscopes was suggested in 1959 to 1960. The direction, it was noted, of spin of a suitably oriented gyroscope should change with respect to the line of sight to a guide star for two reasons: a geodetic effect from the motion of the gyroscope through the curved space-time around the Earth, and a frame-dragging effect from the Earth's rotation. NASA began supporting laboratory research on the experiment, now called Gravity Probe B, in 1964. Technologies for it were progressively established, and an error analysis demonstrated the potential of measuring frame-dragging to 1 to 2 percent and the geodetic effect to 1 part in 10(exp 4). Later analyses, discussed herein, suggest possibilities for further improving those precisions each by a further factor of 10. In 1984, after technical and scientific reviews by the Space Science Board and other bodies, and completion by NASA Marshall Center of a Phase B Study, the NASA Administrator approved the start of a program known as STORE (Shuttle Test Of the Relativity Experiment). The purpose of STORE is to verify the final Gravity Probe B science payload, perform on the Shuttle a 7-day experiment rehearsal (including sophisticated gyro tests in low gravity), and then return the payload to Earth for refurbishment and integration into the Science Mission spacecraft. The payload comprises four gyroscopes, a telescope, and a drag-free proof mass, all mounted in a quartz block assembly within an evacuated magnetically shielded probe, which in turn is inserted into a 10-ft long, 6-ft diameter liquid helium dewar, operating at 1.8 K and maintaining low temperature for 2 years. STORE is manifested on Shuttle OV-105, for launch MSSN 69 in February 1993. The Science Mission is set tentatively for June 1995.

Everitt, C. W. Francis↗
NASA NTRS1989

A lattice approach to spinorial quantum gravity

A new lattice regularization of quantum general relativity based on Ashtekar's reformulation of Hamiltonian general relativity is presented. In this form, quantum states of the gravitational field are represented within the physical Hilbert space of a Kogut-Susskind lattice gauge theory. The gauge field of the theory is a complexified SU(2) connection which is the gravitational connection for left-handed spinor fields. The physical states of the gravitational field are those which are annihilated by additional constraints which correspond to the four constraints of general relativity. Lattice versions of these constraints are constructed. Those corresponding to the three-dimensional diffeomorphism generators move states associated with Wilson loops around on the lattice. The lattice Hamiltonian constraint has a simple form, and a correspondingly simple interpretation: it is an operator which cuts and joins Wilson loops at points of intersection.

Renteln, Paul↗