arXiv subjects

Andrew DeBenedictis

Publications and source records attributed to Andrew DeBenedictis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

The nonlinearity of helical springs: An energy-based approach

A general expression for the elastic potential energy of a helical spring is derived using the basic concepts of elasticity theory and geometry. Both the translational and the rotational displacement of the spring's moving ends are considered. The resulting expression is employed to derive the general relation between force and spring height, and corrections to Hooke's law are discussed. The results can be used to estimate the magnitude of non-linear effects in realistic situations, to predict how springs unwind under load, and to determine the spring constant when spring ends are allowed to rotate freely. This energy-based approach is suitable for inclusion in advanced mechanics courses. The results are validated via measurements on steel springs using a simple experimental setup appropriate for use in physics laboratories at all levels.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2025

An analysis of Born-Infeld boson compact objects

In this paper we study gravitationally bound compact objects sourced by a string theory inspired Born-Infeld scalar field. Unlike many of their canonical scalar field counterparts, these ``boson stars'' do not have to extend out to infinity and may generate compact bodies. We analyze in detail both the junction conditions at the surface as well as the boundary conditions at the center which are required in order to have a smooth structure throughout the object and into the exterior vacuum region. These junction conditions, although involved, turn out to be relatively easy to satisfy. Analysis reveals that these compact objects have a richer structure than the canonical boson stars and some of these properties turn out to be physically peculiar: There are several branches of solutions depending on how the junction conditions are realized. Further analysis illustrates that in practice the junction conditions tend to require interior geometries reminiscent of ``bag of gold'' spacetimes, and also hide the star behind an event horizon in its exterior. The surface compactness of such objects, defined here as the ratio $2M/r$, can be made arbitrarily close to unity indicating the absence of a Buchdahl bound. Some comments on the stability of these objects is provided to find possible stable and unstable regimes. However, we argue that even in the possibly stable regime the event horizon in the vacuum region shielding the object is potentially unstable, and would cut off the star from the rest of the universe.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Some singular spacetimes and their possible alternatives

This is a brief review article of a seminar given at the International Conference on Gravitation, Astrophysics and Cosmology 2024 (ICGAC-2024), Mathura, India. We begin with a historical survey of some singular solutions in the theory of gravitation, as well as a very brief discussion of how black holes could physically form. Some possible scenarios which could perhaps eliminate these singularities are then reviewed and discussed. Due to the vastness of the field the coverage is not exhaustive, but instead the concentration is on a small subset of topics such as possible quantum gravity effects, non-commutative geometry, and gravastars. A simple singularity theorem is also presented in the appendix. Although parts of the manuscript assume some familiarity with relativistic gravitation or differential geometry, the aim is for the broad picture to be accessible to non-specialists of other physical sciences and mathematics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Einstein warped-product manifolds and the screened Poisson equation

We study a particular type of Einstein warped-product manifold where the warping function must satisfy the homogeneous version of the screened Poisson equation. Under these assumptions, we show that the dimension of the manifold, the (constant negative) Ricci curvature and the screened parameter are related through a quadratic equation.

math.DG↗

arXiv2023

On a Class of Exact Arbitrarily Differentiable de Sitter Cores with Kerr Exteriors: Possible gravastar or regular black hole mimickers

Within the paradigm of non-perturbative Einstein gravity we study continuous curvature manifolds which possess de Sitter interiors and Kerr exteriors. These manifolds could represent the spacetime of rotating gravastars or other similar black hole mimickers. The scheme presented here allows for a $C^{n}$ metric transition from the exactly de Sitter interior to the exactly Kerr exterior, with $n$ arbitrarily large. Generic properties that such models must possess are discussed, such as the changing of the topology of the ergosphere from $S^{2}$ to $S^{1}\times S^{1}$. It is shown how in the outer layers of the transition region (the ``atmosphere'' as it is often called in astrophysics) the dominant/weak and strong energy conditions can be respected. However, much like in the case of its static spherically symmetric gravastar counterpart, there must be some assumptions imposed in the atmosphere for the energy conditions to hold. These assumptions turn out to not be severe. The class of manifolds presented here are expected to possess all the salient features of the fully generic case. Strictly speaking, a number of the results are also applicable to the locally anti-de Sitter core scenario, although we focus on the case of a positive cosmological constant.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

A family of special case of sequential warped product manifolds with semi-Riemannian Einstein metrics

We derive the general formulas for a special configuration of the sequential warped product semi-Riemannian manifold to be Einstein, where the base-manifold is the product of two manifolds both equipped with a conformal metrics. Subsequently we study the case in which these two manifolds are conformal to a $n_1$-dimensional and $n_2$-dimensional pseudo-Euclidean space, respectively. For the latter case, we prove the existence of a family of solutions that are invariant under the action of a $(n_1-1)$-dimensional group of transformations to the case of positive constant Ricci curvature ($λ>0$).

math.DG↗

arXiv2022

On spherically symmetric vacuum solutions and horizons in covariant $f(T)$ gravity theory

In this paper we study properties that the vacuum must possess in the minimal extension to the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity (TEGR) where the action is supplemented with a quadratic torsion term. No assumption is made about the weakness of the quadratic term although in the weak-field regime the validity of our previously derived perturbative solution is confirmed. Regarding the exact nature of the vacuum, it is found that if the center of symmetry is to be regular, the mathematical conditions on the tetrad at the isotropy point mimic those of general relativity. With respect to horizons it is found that, under very mild assumptions, a smooth horizon cannot exist unless the quadratic torsion coupling, $α$, vanishes, which is the TEGR limit (with the Schwarzschild tetrad as its solution). This analysis is then supplemented with computational work utilizing asymptotically Schwarzschild boundary data. It is verified that in no case studied does a smooth horizon form. For $α> 0$ naked singularities occur which break down the equations of motion before a horizon can form. For $α< 0$ there is a limited range of $α$ where a vacuum horizon might exist but, if present, the horizon is singular. Therefore physically acceptable black hole horizons are problematic in the studied theory at least within the realm of vacuum static spherical symmetry. These results also imply that static spherical matter distributions generally must have extra restrictions on their spatial extent and stress-energy bounds so as to render the vacuum solution invalid in the singular region and make the solutions finite.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

A topological approach for emerging D-branes and its implications for gravity

We introduce a new geometric/topological approach to the emerging braneworld scenario in the context of D-branes using partially negative dimensional product (PNDP) manifolds. The working hypothesis is based on the fact that the orientability of PNDP manifolds can be arbitrary, and starting from this, we propose that gravitational interaction can derive naturally from the non-orientability. According to this hypothesis, we show that topological defects can emerge from non-orientability and they can be identified as gravitational interaction at macroscopic level. In other words, the orientability of fundamental PNDPs can be related to the appearance of curvature at low energy scales.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2020

Non-commutative black holes of various genera in the connection formalism

We consider black hole interiors of arbitrary genus number within the paradigm of non-commutative geometry. The study is performed in two ways: One way is a simple smearing of a matter distribution within the black hole. The resulting structure is often known in the literature as a "model inspired by non-commutative geometry". The second method involves a more fundamental approach, in which the Hamiltonian formalism is utilized and a non-trivial Poisson bracket is introduced between the configuration degrees of freedom, as well as between the canonical momentum degrees of freedom. This is done in terms of connection variables instead of the more common ADM variables. Connection variables are utilized here since non-commutative effects are usually inspired from the quantum theory, and it is the connection variables that are used in some of the more promising modern theories of quantum gravity. We find that in the first study, the singularity of the black holes can easily be removed. In the second study, we find that introducing a non-trivial bracket between the connections (the configuration variables) may delay the singularity, but not necessarily eliminate it. However, by introducing a non-trivial bracket between the densitized triads (the canonical momentum variables) the singularity can generally be removed. In some cases, new horizons also appear due to the non-commutativity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

The Spherically Symmetric Vacuum in Covariant $F(T) = T + \fracα{2}T^{2} + \mathcal{O}(T^γ)$ Gravity Theory

Recently, a fully covariant version of the theory of $F(T)$ torsion gravity has been introduced (arXiv:1510.08432v2 [gr-qc]). In covariant $F(T)$ gravity the Schwarzschild solution is not a vacuum solution for $F(T)\neq T$ and therefore determining the spherically symmetric vacuum is an important open problem. Within the covariant framework we perturbatively solve the spherically symmetric vacuum gravitational equations around the Schwarzschild solution for the scenario with $F(T)=T + (α/2)\, T^{2}$, representing the dominant terms in theories governed by Lagrangians analytic in the torsion scalar. From this we compute the perihelion shift correction to solar system planetary orbits as well as perturbative gravitational effects near neutron stars. This allows us to set an upper bound on the magnitude of the coupling constant, $α$, which governs deviations from General Relativity. We find the bound on this nonlinear torsion coupling constant by specifically considering the uncertainty in the perihelion shift of Mercury. We also analyze a bound from a similar comparison with the periastron orbit of the binary pulsar PSR J0045-7319 as an independent check for consistency. Setting bounds on the dominant nonlinear coupling is important in determining if other effects in the solar system or greater universe could be attributable to nonlinear torsion.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Energy condition respecting warp drives: The role of spin in Einstein-Cartan theory

In this paper we study the so called "warp drive" spacetimes within the $U_{4}$ Riemann-Cartan manifolds of Einstein-Cartan theory. Specifically, the role that spin may play with respect to energy condition violation is considered. It turns out that with the addition of spin, the torsion terms in Einstein-Cartan gravity do allow for energy condition respecting warp drives. Limits are derived which minimize the amount of spin required in order to have a weak/null-energy condition respecting system. This is done both for the traditional Alcubierre warp drive as well as for the modified warp drive of Van Den Broeck which minimizes the amount of matter required for the drive. The ship itself is in a region of effectively vacuum and hence the torsion, which in Einstein-Cartan theory is localized in matter, does not affect the geodesic nature of the ship's trajectory. We also comment on the amount of spin and matter required in order for these conditions to hold.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Regular solutions in $f(T)$-Yang-Mills theory

We consider extended covariant teleparallel $(f(T))$ gravity whose action is analytic in the torsion scalar and which is sourced by an $su(2)$ valued Yang-Mills field. Specifically, we search for regular solutions to the coupled $f(T)$ Yang-Mills system. For $f(T)=T$ we, not surprisingly, recover the Bartnik-McKinnon solitons of Einstein Yang-Mills theory. However, interesting effects are discovered with the addition of terms in the action which are nonlinear in the torsion scalar, which we specifically study up to cubic order. With the addition of the nonlinear terms the number of regular solutions becomes finite. As well, beyond critical values of the coupling constants we find that there exist \emph{no} regular solutions. These behaviors are asymmetric with respect to the sign of the nonlinear coupling constants and the elimination of regular solutions turns out to be extremely sensitive to the presence of the cubic coupling. It may be possible, therefore, that with sufficiently high powers of torsion in the action, there may be no regular Yang-Mills static solutions.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Classical Defocussing of world lines from Higher Dimensions

A five-dimensional gravity theory, motivated by the brane-world picture, with Kaluza scalar in the 5 - dimensional metric as $g_{55}(r); r=\sqrt{x^2+y^2+z^2}$, is considered near the possible singularity (small distance scales where gravity is strong) and is shown to give rise to a positive contribution to the Raychaudhuri equation. This inhibits the focusing of world lines and contributes to non - focusing of the worldlines in the 5-dimensional space. It is also shown that the results extend to time dependent cases such as those relevant for black hole interiors and cosmology.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Loop Quantum Corrected Einstein Yang-Mills Black Holes

In this paper we study the homogeneous interiors of black holes possessing SU(2) Yang-Mills fields subject to corrections inspired by loop quantum gravity. The systems studied possess both magnetic and induced electric Yang-Mills fields. We consider the system of equations both with and without Wilson loop corrections to the Yang-Mills potential. The structure of the Yang-Mills Hamiltonian along with the restriction to homogeneity allows for an anomaly free effective quantization. In particular we study the bounce which replaces the classical singularity and the behavior of the Yang-Mills fields in the quantum corrected interior, which possesses topology $R\times S^{2}$. Beyond the bounce the magnitude of the Yang-Mills electric field asymptotically grows monotonically. This results in an ever expanding $R$ sector even though the two-sphere volume is asymptotically constant. The results are similar with and without Wilson loop corrections on the Yang-Mills potential.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Hamiltonian consistency of the gravitational constraint algebra under deformations

The importance of the first-class constraint algebra of general relativity is not limited just by its self-contained description of the gauge nature of spacetime, but it also provides conditions to properly evolve the geometry by selecting a gauge only once throughout the whole evolution of a gravitational system. This must be a property of all background independent theories. In this paper we consider gravitational theories which arise from deformations of the fundamental canonical variables of general relativity where the proposed deformations are inspired by modifications of gravity. These variable deformations result in new theories when the deformation is not a canonical transformation. The new theory must preserve the first-class structure of the algebra, which is a non-trivial restriction for generic deformations. In this vein we present a general deformation scheme along with consistency conditions, so that the algebra of constraints is still satisfied in the resulting theory. This is illustrated both in metric theory as well as in tetrad theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Junction Conditions for F(T) Gravity from a Variational Principle

We derive a general set of acceptable junction conditions for $F(T)$ gravity via the variational principle. The analysis is valid for both the traditional form of $F(T)$ gravity theory as well as the more recently introduced Lorentz covariant theory of Krššák and Saridakis. We find that the general junction conditions derived, when applied to simple cases such as highly symmetric static or time dependent geometries (such as spherical symmetry) imply both the Synge junction conditions as well as the Israel-Sen-Lanczos-Darmois junction conditions of General Relativity. In more complicated scenarios the junction conditions derived do not generally imply the well-known junction conditions of General Relativity. However, the junctions conditions of de la Cruz-Dombriz, Dunsby, and Sáez-Gómez make up an interesting subset of this more general case.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Deformation and chaining of flexible shells in a nematic solvent

A micrometer-scale elastic shell immersed in a nematic liquid crystal may be deformed by the host if the cost of deformation is comparable to the cost of elastic deformation of the nematic. Moreover, such inclusions interact and form chains due to quadrupolar distortions induced in the host. A continuum theory model using finite elements is developed for this system, using mesh regularization and dynamic refinement to ensure quality of the numerical representation even for large deformations. From this model, we determine the influence of the shell elasticity, nematic elasticity and anchoring condition on the shape of the shell and hence extract parameter values from an experimental realization. Extending the model to multi-body interactions, we predict the alignment angle of the chain with respect to the host nematic as a function of aspect ratio, which is found to be in excellent agreement with experiments and greatly improves upon previous theoretical predictions.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2016

Arrested coalescence of viscoelastic droplets: Triplet shape and restructuring

The stability of shapes formed by three viscoelastic droplets during their arrested coalescence has been investigated using micromanipulation experiments. Addition of a third droplet to arrested droplet doublets is shown to be controlled by the balance between interfacial pressures driving coalescence and internal elasticity that resists total consolidation. The free fluid available within the droplets controls the transmission of stress during droplet combination and allows connections to occur via formation of a neck between the droplets. The anisotropy of three-droplet systems adds complexity to the symmetric case of two-droplet aggregates because of the multiplicity of orientations possible for the third droplet. When elasticity dominates, the initial orientation of the third droplet is preserved in the triplet's final shape. When elasticity is dominated by the interfacial driving force, the final shape can deviate strongly from the initial positioning of droplets. Movement of the third droplet to a more compact packing occurs, driven by liquid meniscus expansion that minimizes the surface energy of the triplet. A range of compositions and orientations are examined and the resulting domains of restructuring and stability are mapped based on the final triplet structure. A geometric and a physical model are used to explain the mechanism driving meniscus-induced restructuring and are related to the impact of these phenomena on multiple droplet emulsions.

cond-mat.soft↗