SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

Bao-Min Gu

Publications and source records attributed to Bao-Min Gu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Massive scalar fields in eccentric regime: Detectability and constraints from LISA observations of extreme mass-ratio inspirals

Extreme mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are among the prime sources for future space-borne gravitational wave (GW) observatories and provide a useful setting for testing the presence of fundamental fields and possible deviations from general relativity (GR) in both strong and weak gravity regimes. In this work, we study the effect of a massive scalar field on eccentric equatorial EMRI dynamics around Kerr black holes. Considering that the inspiralling stellar-mass object carries a scalar charge and emits scalar radiation together with tensor GWs, we compute the relevant relativistic fluxes within the adiabatic treatment of the inspiral. With the solution of the scalar perturbation equation in the frequency domain, the resulting fluxes are presented through the Chebyshev interpolants in order to have the efficient inspiral evolution across the parameter space considered. We quantify the impact of scalar field mass and scalar charge on the orbital evolution and GW signal through phase shifts and waveform mismatches relative to both GR and the massless-scalar scenario. We find that massive scalar radiation can generate significant GW dephasing that increases with orbital eccentricity; however, the scalar flux is suppressed as the scalar field mass is becoming larger. Using a Fisher information matrix (FIM) analysis, we estimate the ability of Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) to measure or constrain the scalar charge and scalar field mass. Our results indicate that eccentric EMRIs can place meaningful constraints on massive scalar fields and provide a promising as well as important avenue for testing scalar-tensor extensions of gravity in the region of a strong gravitational field.

gr-qc

Self-resonance preheating in deformed attractor models: oscillon formation and evolution

It is well known that, in potentials that are quadratic near the minimum but shallower away, such as small $\alpha$ ($\ll M_P^2$) attractors, the inflaton condensate fragments into localized compact objects known as oscillons during self-resonance preheating. In this work we investigate the self-resonance in deformed $\alpha$-attractor T-model with a Gaussian feature near the minimum, distant from inflation's end. Linear analysis reveals altered resonance bands and deformed Floquet charts dependent on feature parameters. In fully nonlinear lattice simulations, we find that the gradient energy transfer is largely independent of the potential feature parameter $h$. In contrast, after resonance terminates, the subsequent evolution of gradient energy becomes strongly dependent on $h$. Statistical analysis reveals that models with the potential feature produce larger number of smaller oscillons, with a reduced energy stored in these objects, increasingly suppressed as the magnitude of $h$ grows. By tracking the total energy and the gradient energy contained in oscillons, we find that in models with nonzero $h$ oscillons are systematically shorter-lived, with this effect strengthening for larger $h$. The gravitational wave emission is dominated by the resonance stage and is strongly suppressed once oscillons form. Potential features leave the low-frequency spectrum largely unchanged but significantly modify the high-frequency tail. Although a complete reheating description requires external couplings and higher-resolution simulations, clear qualitative differences of cosmic expansion history already emerge within our simulated time window. These results highlight the important role of potential features in shaping reheating dynamics and their cosmological implications, and provide a deeper understanding of preheating dynamics and the properties of oscillons.

astro-ph.CO

Constraint on massive vector field with extreme-mass-ratio inspirals around a slowly rotating black hole

We study the influence of a massive vector (Proca) field on the energy fluxes from extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) around a slowly rotating Kerr black hole. The secondary compact object, carrying a Proca hair, emits additional dipolar radiation that alters total energy flux relative to general relativity (GR). These modifications induce a secular drift in the orbital evolution of circular geodesic orbits, leading to measurable dephasing in the resulting EMRIs waveforms. By evaluating waveform mismatches between the Einstein-Proca framework and its GR counterpart, we show that the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) can distinguish the signatures of a light Proca field when black hole rotation is included. Furthermore, using a Fisher information matrix analysis, we forecast LISA's capability to place stringent constraints on the Proca mass with EMRIs signal from slowly rotating Kerr black holes. For representative EMRIs configurations, we find that LISA can detect or constrain Proca masses down to $\mu_v\sim 10^{-20}$eV, with typical fractional uncertainties at the level of tens percent, depending on the black-hole spin.

gr-qc

Confronting Inflation and Reheating with Observations: Improved Predictions

Using the latest observational data, we constrain the inflationary dynamics and the subsequent reheating epoch. Predictions for both phases can be significantly improved by employing numerically computed results compared to the slow-roll approximations. These results enable a more accurate reassessment of the observational viability of inflationary models, provide tighter constraints on the reheating history, and help lift the degeneracies in the predictions of inflation and reheating dynamics. Given current observational bounds, this enables a more accurate understanding of the early universe physics.

gr-qc

Braneworld sum rules and positive tension branes in a massive gravity

By taking advantage of the braneworld sum rules, we explore the feasibility of constructing a flat 3-brane scenario consisting solely of positive tension branes in a 5D extension of the Lorentz-violating massive gravity. It is found that the theory supports three distinct brane configurations, one of which is exactly what we expected, consisting solely of two positive tension branes. The cosmological problem of Randall-Sundrum-1 model and the gauge hierarchy problem can be solved in this model simultaneously. Furthermore, the analysis of linear perturbations reveals that the tensor, vector and scalar modes are all massive and share the same mass spectrum, except that the ground state of vector mode is absent. Moreover, the tensor and vector modes are robust, but the scalar mode is ghost-like. Interestingly, even though the Kaluza-Klein gravitons have an extremely small mass splitting scale, an estimation of the effective gravitational potential and production of these gravitons on the brane indicates that the phenomenology of the present model is equivalent to that of the 6D ADD model.

hep-th

Quantum Gravity Induced Entanglement of Masses With Extra Dimensions

It is believed that gravity can be considered as a quantum coherent mediator. In this study, we propose a plan to test the existence of extra dimensions using the Quantum Gravity Induced Entanglement of Masses (QGEM) experiment. This experiment involves two freely falling test masses passing through a Stern-Gerlach-like device. We investigate the entanglement witness between these masses within the framework of the Randall-Sundrum II model (RS-II). Our findings indicate that the system reaches entanglement more rapidly in the presence of extra dimensions, particularly when the radius of the extra dimension is large.

gr-qc

Primordial black holes from an inflationary potential valley

Primordial black holes (PBHs) could be formed if large perturbations are generated on small scales in inflation. We study a toy inflation model with a local minimum. The curvature perturbations are enhanced when the inflaton passes through the local minimum, with more efficient amplification rate than that of quasi-inflection point inflation, leading to the production of PBHs on small scales. The PBHs could comprise the total dark matter in the mass window $10^{16}$--$10^{20}$g.

astro-ph.CO

A braneworld model in a massive gravity

A Randall-Sundrum-like braneworld scenario is constructed in a 5D extension of the Lorentz-violating massive gravity. The gauge hierarchy problem is solved in current model. The linear perturbations are calculated, and it is found that the tensor and vector perturbations are robust and free from the ghost and tachyonic instabilities, however, the scalar perturbation is a ghost filed. After Kaluza-Klein reduction, all the tensor, vector and scalar modes are massive and possess the mass splitting of order of TeV in their respective mass spectra. The massive ground states of tensor and scalar modes propagate only along the brane, however, the vector ground state is absent in the mass spectrum. By introducing the Goldberger-Wise mechanism to stabilize the extra dimension, the 4D effective theory on the brane includes a nearly massless graviton plus three towers of very massive spin-2, spin-1 and ghost spin-0 particles.

hep-th

Inflation with shallow dip and primordial black holes

Primordial black holes may arise through ultra slow-roll inflation. In this work we study a toy model of ultra slow-roll inflation with a shallow dip. The ultra slow-roll stage enhances the curvature perturbations and thus the primordial scalar power spectrum. We analyze the features of the power spectrum numerically and analytically, and then give a rough estimate of the lower and upper bound of the enhancement. These large perturbations also produce second order gravitational waves, which are in the scope of future observations.

astro-ph.CO

Fundamental energy scale of the thick brane in mimetic gravity

In this paper, thick branes generated by the mimetic scalar field with Lagrange multiplier formulation are investigated. We give three typical thick brane background solutions with different asymptotic behaviors and show that all the solutions are stable under tensor perturbations. The effective potentials of the tensor perturbations exhibit as volcano potential, Poöschl-Teller potential, and harmonic oscillator potential for the three background solutions, respectively. All the tensor zero modes (massless gravitons) of the three cases can be localized on the brane. We also calculate the corrections to the Newtonian potential. On a large scale, the corrections to the Newtonian potential can be ignored. While on a small scale, the correction from the volcano-like potential is more pronounced than the other two cases. Combining the specific corrections to the Newtonian potential of these three cases and the latest results of short-range gravity experiments, we get the constraint on the scale parameter as $k\gtrsim 10^{-4}$eV, and constraint on the corresponding five-dimensional fundamental scale as $M_\ast \gtrsim10^5$TeV.

hep-th

Motion of Spinning Particles around Electrically Charged Black Hole in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld Gravity

A test particle possessing spin angular momentum moves along a non-geodesic path due to an additional spin-curvature force. We study the spinning test particle moving in the vicinity of the electrically charged black hole formation in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity. Through the numerical analysis of its effective potential and orbits, it is found that the orbital eccentricity reduces as the deviation parameter $κ$ increases. By comparing the orbits for the observed stars around Sagittarius A*, we conclude that the observed orbits with too large radii can not give a stringent constraint with acceptable magnitude. To dig out the potential observation effects of the relations between the orbits and parameter $κ$, we mainly focus on the orbits in the vicinity of black hole in this paper. The parameters of inner most stable circular orbit (ISCO) decrease monotonously with $κ$ when the spin angular momentum is small, however they change non-monotonously with $κ$ when the spin is large enough. Moreover, the spin dependences of ISCO parameters have similar behavior to that of Reissner-Nordström (RN) black hole. We analyze the causality of the circular orbits by using the superluminal constraint condition as well. As a result, two new parameter regions may emerge in case of large $κ$, where the particle has two stable circular orbits with one subluminal and the other superluminal.

gr-qc

On the correspondence between energy conservation and energy-momentum tensor conservation in cosmology

The correspondence between the thermodynamic energy equation satisfied by a closed co-moving volume and the conservation equation satisfied by the energy-momentum tensor of the matter inside the co-moving volume is extended to a more general system with an arbitrary cosmological horizon and a heat source. The energy of the system consisting of a cosmological horizon and its internal matter could be conserved by defining a surface energy on the horizons. Therefore, energy conservation and energy-momentum tensor conservation can always be consistent for such a system. On the other hand, from the perspective of classical thermodynamics, one can define an effective pressure at the cosmological horizon to guarantee that the thermodynamic energy equation inside the horizon is consistent with the energy-momentum tensor conservation equation of the matter inside the horizon. These systems can satisfy the generalized second law of thermodynamics under appropriate conditions. The definitions of the surface energy and the effective pressure are extended to the gravity theory with non-minimal coupling between geometry and matter, in which geometry could be regarded as a heat source.

gr-qc

De Sitter braneworld and gravitational waves

We study the braneworld theory constructed by multi scalar fields. The model contains a smooth and infinitely large extra dimension, allowing the background fields propagating in it. We give a de Sitter solution for the four-dimensional cosmology as a good approximation to the early universe inflation. We show that the graviton has a localizable massless mode, and a series of continuous massive modes, separated by a mass gap. There could be a normalizable massive mode, depending on the background solution. The gravitational waves of massless mode evolve the same as the four dimensional theory, while that of the massive modes evolve greatly different from the massless mode.

gr-qc

Theoretical and observational constraints on regularized 4$D$ Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

Regularized Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet (EGB) theory of gravity in four dimensions is a new attempt to include nontrivial contributions of Gauss-Bonnet term. In this paper, we make a detailed analysis on possible constraints of the model parameters of the theory from recent cosmological observations, and some theoretical constraints as well. Our results show that the theory with vanishing bare cosmological constant, $Λ_0$, is ruled out by the current observational value of $w_{de}$, and the observations of GW170817 and GRB 170817A as well. For nonvanishing bare cosmological constant, instead, our results show that the current observation of the speed of GWs measured by GW170817 and GRB 170817A would place a constraints on $\tildeα$, a dimensionless parameter of the theory, as $-7.78\times10^{-16}\le \tildeα \leq 3.33\times10^{-15}$.

gr-qc

Born-Infeld Black Holes in 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity

A novel four-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity was formulated by D. Glavan and C. Lin [Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 081301 (2020)], which is intended to bypass the Lovelock's theorem and to yield a non-trivial contribution to the four-dimensional gravitational dynamics. However, the validity and consistency of this theory has been called into question recently. We study a static and spherically symmetric black hole charged by a Born-Infeld electric field in the novel four-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity. It is found that the black hole solution still suffers the singularity problem, since particles incident from infinity can reach the singularity. It is also demonstrated that the Born-Infeld charged black hole may be superior to the Maxwell charged black hole to be a charged extension of the Schwarzschild-AdS-like black hole in this new gravitational theory. Some basic thermodynamics of the black hole solution is also analyzed. Besides, we regain the black hole solution in the regularized four-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity proposed by H. Lü and Y. Pang [arXiv:2003.11552].

gr-qc

Linear Stability of $f(R,ϕ,X)$ Thick Branes: Tensor Perturbations

We explore thick branes in $f(R,ϕ,X)$ gravity. We obtain the linear tensor perturbation equation of $f(R,ϕ,X)$ branes and show that the branes are stable against the tensor perturbations under the condition of $\frac{\partial f(R,ϕ,X)}{\partial R}>0$. In order to obtain thick brane solutions of the fourth-order field equations in this theory, we employ the reconstruction technique. We get exact solutions of the specific $f(R,ϕ,X)$ thick brane generated by a non-canonical scalar field. It is shown that the zero mode of the graviton for the thick brane is localized under certain conditions. This implies that the four-dimensional Newtonian potential is recovered on the brane. The effects of the Kaluza-Klein modes of the graviton for the $f(R,ϕ,X)$ thick brane are also discussed.

hep-th

Reheating and Entropy Perturbations in Fibre Inflation

We study reheating in some one and two field realizations of {\it Fibre Inflation}. We find that reheating begins with a phase of preheating in which long wavelength fluctuation modes are excited. In two field models there is a danger that the parametric amplification of infrared fluctuations in the second scalar field - associated with an entropy mode - might induce an instability of the curvature fluctuations. We show that, at least in the models we consider, the entropy mode has a sufficiently large mass to prevent this instability. Hence, from the point of view of reheating the models we consider are well-behaved.

hep-th

Stable Palatini $f(\mathcal{R})$ braneworld

We consider the static domain wall braneworld scenario constructed from the Palatini formalism $f(\mathcal{R})$ theory. We check the self-consistency under scalar perturbations. By using the scalar-tensor formalism we avoid dealing with the higher-order equations. We develop the techniques to deal with the coupled system. We show that under some conditions, the scalar perturbation simply oscillates with time, which guarantees the stability. We also discuss the localization condition of the scalar mode by analyzing the effective potential and the fifth dimensional profile of the scalar mode. We apply these results to an explicit example, and show that only some of the solutions allow for stable scalar perturbations. These stable solutions also give nonlocalizable massless mode. This is important for reproducing a viable four-dimensional gravity.

hep-th