arXiv subjects

D. Rubiera-Garcia

Publications and source records attributed to D. Rubiera-Garcia.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Modified gravity in three dimensional metric-affine scenarios

We consider metric-affine scenarios where a modified gravitational action is sourced by electrovacuum fields in a three dimensional space-time. Such scenarios are supported by the physics of crystalline structures with microscopic defects and, in particular, those that can be effectively treated as bi-dimensional (like graphene). We first study the case of $f(R)$ theories, finding deviations near the center as compared to the solutions of General Relativity. We then consider Born-Infeld gravity, which has raised a lot of interest in the last few years regarding its applications in astrophysics and cosmology, and show that new features always arise at a finite distance from the center. Several properties of the resulting space-times, in particular in presence of a cosmological constant term, are discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Classical resolution of black hole singularities in arbitrary dimension

A metric-affine approach is employed to study higher-dimensional modified gravity theories involving different powers and contractions of the Ricci tensor. It is shown that the field equations are \emph{always} second-order, as opposed to the standard metric approach, where this is only achieved for Lagrangians of the Lovelock type. We point out that this property might have relevant implications for the AdS/CFT correspondence in black hole scenarios. We illustrate these aspects by considering the case of Born-Infeld gravity in $d$ dimensions, where we work out exact solutions for electrovacuum configurations. Our results put forward that black hole singularities in arbitrary dimensions can be cured in a purely classical geometric scenario governed by second-order field equations.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

The quantum, the geon, and the crystal

Effective geometries arising from a hypothetical discrete structure of space-time can play an important role in the understanding of the gravitational physics beyond General Relativity. To discuss this question, we make use of lessons from crystalline systems within solid state physics, where the presence of defects in the discrete microstructure of the crystal determine the kind of effective geometry needed to properly describe the system in the macroscopic continuum limit. In this work we study metric-affine theories with non-metricity and torsion, which are the gravitational analog of crystalline structures with point defects and dislocations. We consider a crystal-motivated gravitational action and show the presence of topologically non-trivial structures (wormholes) supported by an electromagnetic field. Their existence has important implications for the quantum foam picture and the effective gravitational geometries. We discuss how the dialogue between solid state physics systems and modified gravitational theories can provide useful insights on both sides.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

Crystal clear lessons on the microstructure of space-time and modified gravity

We argue that a microscopic structure for space-time such as that expected in a quantum foam scenario, in which microscopic wormholes and other topological structures should play a relevant role, might lead to an effective metric-affine geometry at larger scales. This idea is supported by the role that microscopic defects play in crystalline structures. With an explicit model we show that wormhole formation is possible in a metric-affine scenario, where the wormhole and the matter fields play a role analogous to that of defects in crystals. We also point out that in metric-affine geometries Einstein's equations with an effective cosmological constant appear as an attractor in the vacuum limit for a vast family of theories of gravity. This illustrates how lessons from solid state physics can be useful in unveiling the properties of the microcosmos and defining new avenues for modified theories of gravity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

Non-Riemannian geometry: towards new avenues for the physics of modified gravity

Less explored than their metric (Riemannian) counterparts, metric-affine (or Palatini) theories bring an unexpected phenomenology for gravitational physics beyond General Relativity. Lessons of crystalline structures, where the presence of defects in their microstructure requires the use of non-Riemannian geometry for the proper description of their properties in the macroscopic continuum level, are discussed. In this analogy, concepts such as wormholes and geons play a fundamental role. Applications of the metric-affine formalism developed by the authors in the last three years are reviewed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Geometric aspects of charged black holes in Palatini theories

Charged black holes in gravity theories in the Palatini formalism present a number of unique properties. Their innermost structure is topologically nontrivial, representing a wormhole supported by a sourceless electric flux. For certain values of their effective mass and charge curvature divergences may be absent, and their event horizon may also disappear yielding a remnant. We give an overview of the mathematical derivation of these solutions and discuss their geodesic structure and other geometric properties.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Melvin Universe in Born-Infeld gravity

We consider a magnetic flux pointing in the $z$ direction of an axially symmetric space-time (Melvin Universe) in a Born-Infeld-type extension of General Relativity (GR) formulated in the Palatini approach. Large magnetic fields could have been produced in the early Universe, and given rise to interesting phenomenology regarding wormholes and black hole remnants. We find a formal analytic solution to this problem that recovers the GR result in the appropriate limits. Our results set the basis for further extensions that could allow the embedding of pairs of black hole remnants in geometries with intense magnetic fields.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Gauss-Bonnet black holes supported by a nonlinear electromagnetic field

We study $D$-dimensional charged static spherically symmetric black hole solutions in Gauss-Bonnet theory coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics defined as arbitrary functions of the field invariant and constrained by several physical conditions. These solutions are characterized in terms of the mass parameter $m$, the electromagnetic energy $\varepsilon$ and the Gauss-Bonnet parameter $l_α^2$. We find that a general feature of these solutions is that the metric behaves in a different way in $D=5$ and $D>5$ space-time dimensions. Moreover, such solutions split into two classes, according to whether they are defined everywhere or show branch singularities, depending on ($m, \varepsilon, l_α^2$). We describe qualitatively the structures comprised within this scenario, which largely extends the results obtained in the literature for several particular families of nonlinear electrodynamics. An explicit new example, illustrative of our results, is introduced. Finally we allow non-vanishing values of the cosmological constant length $l_Λ^2$, and study the existence of new structures, in both asymptotically Anti-de Sitter and de Sitter spaces.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Born-Infeld gravity and its functional extensions

We investigate the dynamics of a family of functional extensions of the (Eddington-inspired) Born-Infeld gravity theory, constructed with the inverse of the metric and the Ricci tensor. We provide a generic formal solution for the connection and an Einstein-like representation for the metric field equations of this family of theories. For particular cases we consider applications to the early-time cosmology and find that non-singular universes with a cosmic bounce are very generic and robust solutions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Dynamical generation of wormholes with charged fluids in quadratic Palatini gravity

The dynamical generation of wormholes within an extension of General Relativity (GR) containing (Planck's scale-suppressed) Ricci-squared terms is considered. The theory is formulated assuming the metric and connection to be independent (Palatini formalism) and is probed using a charged null fluid as a matter source. This has the following effect: starting from Minkowski space, when the flux is active the metric becomes a charged Vaidya-type one, and once the flux is switched off the metric settles down into a static configuration such that far from the Planck scale the geometry is virtually indistinguishable from that of the standard Reissner-Nordström solution of GR. However, the innermost region undergoes significant changes, as the GR singularity is generically replaced by a wormhole structure. Such a structure becomes completely regular for a certain charge-to-mass ratio. Moreover, the nontrivial topology of the wormhole allows to define a charge in terms of lines of force trapped in the topology such that the density of lines flowing across the wormhole throat becomes a universal constant. To the light of our results we comment on the physical significance of curvature divergences in this theory and the topology change issue, which support the view that space-time could have a foam-like microstructure pervaded by wormholes generated by quantum gravitational effects.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Microscopic wormholes and the geometry of entanglement

It has recently been suggested that Einstein-Rosen (ER) bridges can be interpreted as maximally entangled states of two black holes that form a complex Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pair. This relationship has been dubbed as the ER = EPR correlation. In this work, we consider the latter conjecture in the context of quadratic Palatini theory. An important result, which stems from the underlying assumptions about the geometry on which the theory is constructed, is the fact that all the charged solutions of the quadratic Palatini theory possess a wormhole structure. Our results show that spacetime may have a foam-like microstructure with wormholes generated by fluctuations of the quantum vacuum. This involves the spontaneous creation/annihilation of entangled particle-antiparticle pairs, existing in a maximally entangled state connected by a non-traversable wormhole. Since the particles are produced from the vacuum and therefore exist in a singlet state, they are necessarily entangled with one another. This gives further support to the ER=EPR claim.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Brane-world and loop cosmology from a gravity-matter coupling perspective

We show that the effective brane-world and the loop quantum cosmology background expansion histories can be reproduced from a modified gravity perspective in terms of an $f(R)$ gravity action plus a $g(R)$ term non-minimally coupled with the matter Lagrangian. The reconstruction algorithm that we provide depends on a free function of the matter density that must be specified in each case and allows to obtain analytical solutions always. In the simplest cases, the function $f(R)$ is quadratic in the Ricci scalar, $R$, whereas $g(R)$ is linear. Our approach is compared with recent results in the literature. We show that working in the Palatini formalism there is no need to impose any constraint that keeps the equations second-order, which is a key requirement for the successful implementation of the reconstruction algorithm.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Black holes in five-dimensional Palatini $f(R)$ gravity and implications for the AdS/CFT correspondence

We show that theories having second-order field equations in the context of higher-dimensional modified gravity are not restricted to the family of Lovelock Lagrangians, but can also be obtained if no a priori assumption on the relation between the metric and affine structures of space-time is made (Palatini approach). We illustrate this fact by considering the case of Palatini $f(R)$ gravities in five dimensions. Our results provide an alternative avenue to explore new domains of the AdS/CFT correspondence without resorting to {\it ad hoc} quasi-topological constructions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Geonic black holes and remnants in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity

We show that electrically charged solutions within the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld theory of gravity replace the central singularity by a wormhole supported by the electric field. As a result, the total energy associated with the electric field is finite and similar to that found in the Born-Infeld electromagnetic theory. When a certain charge-to-mass ratio is satisfied, in the lowest part of the mass and charge spectrum the event horizon disappears yielding stable remnants. We argue that quantum effects in the matter sector can lower the mass of these remnants from the Planck scale down to the TeV scale.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Semiclassical geons at particle accelerators

We point out that in certain four-dimensional extensions of general relativity constructed within the Palatini formalism stable self-gravitating objects with a discrete mass and charge spectrum may exist. The incorporation of nonlinearities in the electromagnetic field may effectively reduce their mass spectrum by many orders of magnitude. As a consequence, these objects could be within (or near) the reach of current particle accelerators. We provide an exactly solvable model to support this idea.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

BPS solitons in a Dirac-Born-Infeld action

We present several classes of solitons in ($1+1$)-dimensional models where the standard canonical kinetic term is replaced by a Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) one. These are static solutions with finite energy and different properties, namely, they can have compact support, or be kink or lump-like, according to the type of potential chosen, which depend on the DBI parameter $β$. Through a combination of numerical and analytical arguments, by which the equation of motion is seen as that corresponding to \emph{another} canonical model with a new $β$-dependent potential and a $β$-deformed energy density, we construct models in which increasing smoothly the DBI parameter both the compacton radius, the thickness of the kink and the width of the lump get modified until each soliton reaches its standard canonical shape as $β\rightarrow \infty$. In addition we present compacton solutions whose canonical counterparts are not compact.

hep-th↗

arXiv2013

Quadratic Palatini gravity and stable black hole remnants

We present a four-dimensional Planck-scale corrected quadratic extension of General Relativity (GR) where no a priori relation between metric and connection is imposed (Palatini formalism). Static spherically symmetric electrovacuum solutions are obtained in exact analytical form. The macroscopic properties of these solutions are in excellent agreement with GR, though the region around the central singularity is modified. In fact, the singularity is generically replaced by a wormhole supported by the electric field, which provides a non-trivial topology to the space-time. Moreover, for a certain charge-to-mass ratio the geometry is completely regular everywhere. For such regular solutions, the horizon disappears in the microscopic regime below a critical number of charges ($N<17$), yielding a set of massive objects that could be naturally identified as black hole remnants.

hep-th↗

arXiv2013

Planck scale physics and topology change through an exactly solvable model

We consider the collapse of a charged radiation fluid in a Planck-suppressed quadratic extension of General Relativity (GR) formulated à la Palatini. We obtain exact analytical solutions that extend the charged Vaidya-type solution of GR, which allows to explore in detail new physics at the Planck scale. Starting from Minkowski space, we find that the collapsing fluid generates wormholes supported by the electric field. We discuss the relevance of our findings in relation to the quantum foam structure of space-time and the meaning of curvature divergences in this theory.

hep-th↗