arXiv subjects

Andrew J. Tolley

Publications and source records attributed to Andrew J. Tolley.

99 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Mimicking Lambda with a spin-two ghost condensate

We propose a simple higher-derivative braneworld gravity model which contains a stable accelerating branch, in the absence of cosmological constant or potential, that can be used to describe the late time cosmic acceleration. This model has similar qualitative features to that of Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati, such as the recovery of four-dimensional gravity at subhorizon scales, but unlike that case, the graviton zero mode is massless and there are no linearized instabilities. The acceleration rather is driven by bulk gravity in the form of a spin-two ghost condensate. We show that this model can be consistent with cosmological bounds and tests of gravity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

Weaker Gravity at Submillimetre Scales in Braneworld Models

Braneworld models typically predict gravity to grow stronger at short distances. In this paper, we consider braneworlds with two types of additional curvature couplings, a Gauss-Bonnet term in the bulk, and an Einstein-Hilbert (EH) term on the brane. In the regime where these terms are dominant over the bulk EH term, linearized gravity becomes weaker at short distances on the brane. In both models, the weakening of gravity is tied to the presence of ghosts in the graviton mass spectrum. We find that the ordinary coupling of matter to gravity is recovered at low energies/long wavelengths on the brane. We give some implications for cosmology and show its compatibility with observations. We also discuss the stability of compact stars.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2005

Bulk Singularities and the Effective Cosmological Constant for Higher Co-dimension Branes

We study a general configuration of parallel branes having co-dimension >2 situated inside a compact d-dimensional bulk space within the framework of a scalar and flux field coupled to gravity in D dimensions, such as arises in the bosonic part of some D-dimensional supergravities. A general relation is derived which relates the induced curvature of the observable noncompact n dimensions to the asymptotic behaviour of the bulk fields near the brane positions. For compactifications down to n = D-d dimensions we explicitly solve the bulk field equations to obtain the near-brane asymptotics, and by so doing relate the n-dimensional induced curvature to physical near-brane properties. In the special case where the bulk geometry remains nonsingular (or only conically singular) at the brane positions our analysis shows that the resulting n dimensions must be flat. As an application of these results we specialize to n=4 and D=6 and derive a new class of solutions to chiral 6D supergravity for which the noncompact 4 dimensions have de Sitter or anti-de Sitter geometry.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

Gravitational Waves in a Codimension Two Braneworld

We consider the propagation of gravitational waves in six dimensions induced by sources living on 3-branes in the context of a recent exact solution hep-th/0506050. The brane geometries are de Sitter and the bulk is a warped geometry supported by a positive cosmological constant as well as a 2-form flux. We show that at low energies ordinary gravity is reproduced, and explicitly compute the leading corrections from six dimensional effects. After regulating the brane we find a logarithmic dependence on the cutoff scale of brane physics even for modes whose frequency is much less than this energy scale. We discuss the possibility that this dependence can be renormalized into bulk or brane counterterms in line with effective field theory expectations. We discuss the inclusion of Gauss-Bonnet terms that have been used elsewhere to regulate codimension two branes. We find that such terms do not regulate codimension two branes for compact extra dimensions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

String Pair Production in a Time-Dependent Gravitational Field

We study the pair creation of point-particles and strings in a time-dependent, weak gravitational field. We find that, for massive string states, there are surprising and significant differences between the string and point-particle results. Central to our approach is the fact that a weakly curved spacetime can be represented by a coherent state of gravitons, and therefore we employ standard techniques in string perturbation theory. String and point-particle pairs are created through tree-level interactions between the background gravitons. In particular, we focus on the production of excited string states and perform explicit calculations of the production of a set of string states of arbitrary excitation level. The differences between the string and point-particle results may contain important lessons for the pair production of strings in the strong gravitational fields of interest in cosmology and black hole physics.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

String Propagation through a Big Crunch/Big Bang Transition

We consider the propagation of classical and quantum strings on cosmological space-times which interpolate from a collapsing phase to an expanding phase. We begin by considering the classical propagation of strings on space-times with isotropic and anisotropic cosmological singularities. We find that cosmological singularities fall into two classes, in the first class the string evolution is well behaved all the way up to the singularity, whilst in the second class it becomes ill-defined. Then assuming the singularities are regulated by string scale corrections, we consider the implications of the propagation through a `bounce'. It is known that as we evolve through a bounce, quantum strings will become excited giving rise to `particle transmutation'. We reconsider this effect, giving qualitative arguments for the amount of excitation for each class. We find that strings whose physical wavelength at the bounce is less that $\sqrt{α'}$ inevitably emerge in highly excited states, and that in this regime there is an interesting correspondence between strings on anisotropic cosmological space-times and plane waves. We argue that long wavelength modes, such as those describing cosmological perturbations, will also emerge in mildly excited string scale mass states. Finally we discuss the relevance of this to the propagation of cosmological perturbations in models such as the ekpyrotic/cyclic universe.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

Cosmological Perturbations in a Big Crunch/Big Bang Space-time

A prescription is developed for matching general relativistic perturbations across singularities of the type encountered in the ekpyrotic and cyclic scenarios i.e. a collision between orbifold planes. We show that there exists a gauge in which the evolution of perturbations is locally identical to that in a model space-time (compactified Milne mod Z_2) where the matching of modes across the singularity can be treated using a prescription previously introduced by two of us. Using this approach, we show that long wavelength, scale-invariant, growing-mode perturbations in the incoming state pass through the collision and become scale-invariant growing-mode perturbations in the expanding hot big bang phase.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Quantum Fields in a Big Crunch/Big Bang Spacetime

We consider quantum field theory on a spacetime representing the Big Crunch/Big Bang transition postulated in the ekpyrotic or cyclic cosmologies. We show via several independent methods that an essentially unique matching rule holds connecting the incoming state, in which a single extra dimension shrinks to zero, to the outgoing state in which it re-expands at the same rate. For free fields in our construction there is no particle production from the incoming adiabatic vacuum. When interactions are included the total particle production for fixed external momentum is finite at tree level. We discuss a formal correspondence between our construction and quantum field theory on de Sitter spacetime.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Quantization of the massless minimally coupled scalar field and the dS/CFT correspondence

We consider the quantization of the massless minimally coupled scalar field in de Sitter spacetime. The no-boundary Euclidean prescription naturally picks out the de Sitter invariant vacuum state of Kirsten and Garriga. We extend Strominger's dS/CFT correspondence to this case which allows us to interpret the massless field in terms of a Euclidean CFT. The extension is non-trivial and requires careful treatment of the zero mode. Since the graviton is massless, this work may also be considered a step towards a theory of gravity in de Sitter space.

hep-th↗