arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Emilio Elizalde.
A model of a universe without big bang singularity is presented, which displaysanearly inflationary period ending just before a phase transition to a deflationary epoch. The model produces enough heavy particles so as to reheat the universe at temperatures in the MeV regime. After the reheating, it smoothly matches the standard $Λ$CDM scenario.
The following issue is addressed: how the addition of a Gauss-Bonnet term (generically coming from most fundamental theories, as string and M theories), to a viable model, can change the specific properties, and even the physical nature, of the corresponding cosmological solutions? Specifically, brand new original dark energy models are obtained in this way with quite interesting properties, which exhibit, in a unified fashion, the three distinguished possible cosmological phases corresponding to phantom matter, quintessence, and ordinary matter, respectively. A model, in which the equation of state parameter, $w$, is a function of time, is seen to lead either to a singularity of the Big Rip kind or to a bouncing solution which evolves into a de Sitter universe with $w=-1$. Moreover, new Gauss-Bonnet modified gravity models with bouncing behavior in the early stages of the universe evolution are obtained and tested for the validity and stability of the corresponding solutions. They allow for a remarkably natural, unified description of a bouncing behavior at early times and accelerated expansion at present.
The possibility to construct an inflationary scenario for renormalization-group improved potentials corresponding to the Higgs sector of finite gauge models is investigated. Taking into account quantum corrections to the renormalization-group potential which sums all leading logs of perturbation theory is essential for a successful realization of the inflationary scenario, with very reasonable parameter values. The inflationary models thus obtained are seen to be in good agreement with the most recent and accurate observational data. More specifically, the values of the relevant inflationary parameters, $n_s$ and $r$, are close to the corresponding ones in the $R^2$ and Higgs-driven inflation scenarios. It is shown that the model here constructed and Higgs-driven inflation belong to the same class of cosmological attractors.
It is argued that the Universe reheating in bouncing cosmologies could be explained via gravitational particle production, as due to a sudden phase transition in the contracting regime. To this end, it is shown that gravitational production of massive particles conformally coupled with gravity in a matter-ekpyrotic bouncing Universe, where the sudden phase transition occurs in the contracting regime, yields a reheating temperature which is in good agreement with cosmological observations.
Certain off-diagonal vacuum and nonvacuum configurations in Einstein gravity can mimic physical effects of modified gravitational theories of $ f(R,T,R_{μν}T^{μν})$ type. We prove this statement by constructing exact and approximate solutions which encode certain models of covariant Ho\v rava type gravity with dynamical Lorentz symmetry breaking. Off-diagonal generalizations of de Sitter and nonolonomic $Λ$CDM universes are constructed which are generated through nonlinear gravitational polarization of fundamental physical constants and which model interactions with non-constant exotic fluids and effective matter. The problem of possible matter instability for such off-diagonal deformations in (modified) gravity theories is discussed.
Off-diagonal vacuum and nonvacuum configurations in Einstein gravity can mimic physical effects of modified gravitational theories of $f(R,T,R_{μν}T^{μν})$ type. To prove this statement, exact and approximate solutions are constructed in the review, which encode certain models of covariant Hořava type gravity with dynamical Lorentz symmetry breaking. The corresponding FLRW cosmological dynamics with possible nonholonomic deformations and the reconstruction procedure of certain actions closely related with the standard $Λ$CDM universe are studied. Off-diagonal generalizations of de Sitter universes are constructed which are generated through nonlinear gravitational polarization of fundamental physical constants and which model interactions with non-constant exotic fluids and effective matter. The problem of possible matter instability for such off-diagonal deformations in (modified) gravity theories is briefly discussed.
The reconstruction procedure, which has proven quite useful to obtain viable models of the universe evolution, is here employed in order to construct inflation models. It has the advantages that it ensures full consistency with astronomical observations and that it allows to evaluate the stability of the resulting cosmological model quite easily. The reconstruction for two different types of Lagrangian, included in the frame of G-inflation, is carried out in detail and explicit models for each Lagrangian are constructed. As a bonus for having used this reconstruction formalism, the final models are easily adjusted to satisfy the observational constraints---imposed by the most recent data releases of the Planck mission---on the spectral index, the tensor to scalar ratio, and the running of the spectral index. Further, it turns also to be not difficult to make the models stable. Thus, the method here developed provides a general and very efficient tool, a quite natural procedure to construct models consistent with very precise observations. It can also be applied to other models, besides the ones here considered.
A nonlocal gravity model which does not assume the existence of a new dimensional parameter in the action and includes a function $f(\Box^{-1} R)$, with $\Box$ the d'Alembertian operator, is studied. By specifying an exponential form for the function f and including a matter sector with a constant equation of state parameter, all available power-law solutions in the Jordan frame are obtained. New power-law solutions in the Einstein frame are also probed. Furthermore, the relationship between power-law solutions in both frames, established through conformal transformation, is substantially clarified. The correspondence between power-law solutions in these two frames is proven to be a very useful tool in order to obtain new solutions in the Einstein frame.
A new, seemingly useful presentation of zeta functions on complex tori is derived by using contour integration. It is shown to agree with the one obtained by using the Chowla-Selberg series formula, for which an alternative proof is thereby given. In addition, a new proof of the functional determinant on the torus results, which does not use the Kronecker first limit formula nor the functional equation of the non-holomorphic Eisenstein series. As a bonus, several identities involving the Dedekind eta function are obtained as well.
Brane dark energy cosmologies, leading to various possible evolutions of our universe, are investigated. The discussion shows that while all these models can be made arbitrarily close to the standard $Λ$CDM cosmology at present, their future evolutions can be very different, even diverge with time in a number of ways. This includes asymptotic de-Sitter evolution, Little Rip with dissolution of bound structures, and various possible singularities, as the Big Rip, a sudden future singularity (Type II), and Type III and Type IV cases. Specifically, some interesting effects coming from the brane tension are investigated. It is shown, in particular, that the Little Rip occurs faster on the brane model than in usual FRW cosmology. And in the asymptotic de-Sitter regime the influence of the brane tension leads to a deviation of the value of the effective cosmological constant from that corresponding to ordinary dark energy. As a consequence, the value of the inertial force from the accelerating expansion can greatly exceed the corresponding inertial force in ordinary cosmological models.
Spherically symmetric static topological black hole solutions associated with some extended higher order gravitational models in the presence of a Maxwell-field are derived by means of simple Lagrangian method, based on spherically symmetric reduction. Some new topological black hole solutions are presented and the validity of the First Law is investigated, and in these cases an expression for the energy is provided.
Quantum corrections coming from massless fields conformally coupled with gravity are studied, in order to see if they can lead to avoidance of the annoying Big Rip singularity which shows up in a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe filled with dark energy and modeled by a scalar phantom field. The dynamics of the model are discussed for all values of the two parameters, named $α>0$ and $β<0$, corresponding to the regularization process. The new results are compared with the ones obtained in \cite{hae11} previously, where dark energy was modeled by means of a phantom fluid with equation of state $P=ωρ$, with $ω<-1$.
This review paper contains a concise introduction to highest weight representations of infinite dimensional Lie algebras, vertex operator algebras and Hilbert schemes of points, together with their physical applications to elliptic genera of superconformal quantum mechanics and superstring models. The common link of all these concepts and of the many examples considered in the paper is to be found in a very important feature of the theory of infinite dimensional Lie algebras: the modular properties of the characters (generating functions) of certain representations. The characters of the highest weight modules represent the holomorphic parts of the partition functions on the torus for the corresponding conformal field theories. We discuss the role of the unimodular (and modular) groups and the (Selberg-type) Ruelle spectral functions of hyperbolic geometry in the calculation of elliptic genera and associated $q$-series. For mathematicians, elliptic genera are commonly associated to new mathematical invariants for spaces, while for physicists elliptic genera are one-loop string partition function (therefore they are applicable, for instance, to topological Casimir effect calculations). We show that elliptic genera can be conveniently transformed into product expressions which can then inherit the homology properties of appropriate polygraded Lie algebras.
A summary of relevant contributions, ordered in time, to the subject of operator zeta functions and their application to physical issues is provided. The description ends with the seminal contributions of Stephen Hawking and Stuart Dowker and collaborators, considered by many authors as the actual starting point of the introduction of zeta function regularization methods in theoretical physics, in particular, for quantum vacuum fluctuation and Casimir effect calculations. After recalling a number of the strengths of this powerful and elegant method, some of its limitations are discussed. Finally, recent results of the so called operator regularization procedure are presented.
Hořava-Lifshitz gravity is shown to exhibit a peculiar behavior, when scattering amplitudes are considered. At low energies it seems to classicalize i.e. the effective size of the interaction grows as a function of the $s$-parameter, with BHs forming part of the spectrum; but when the probing energy is increased such that higher order operators become important, this behavior changes and the classicalon recedes to a new configuration where ordinary quantum regimes take over. Eventually, the theory behaves as a usual field theory that allows probing arbitrarily small distances. In particular, the classical potential created by a point-like source is finite everywhere exhibiting a Vainshtein alike screening behavior. The transition from one behavior to the other is carefully described in a particular case.
Particle production from vacuum fluctuations during inflation is briefly revisited. The moduli problem occurring with light particles produced at the end of inflation is addressed, namely the fact that some results are in disagreement with nucleosynthesis constrains. A universal solution to this problem is found which leads to reasonable reheating temperatures in all cases. It invokes the assumption that, immediately after inflation, the moduli evolve like non-relativistic matter. The assumption is justified in the context of massive chaotic inflation were, at the end of inflation, the universe evolves as if it was matter-dominated.
The behavior of cosmological evolution is studied in the case when a phantom fluid, that contributes to the universe accelerated expansion, is introduced in an F (R) model. At the early stages of the universe history, the dark fluid is seen to give rise to a deceleration of its expansion. For t close to present time it works as an additional contribution to the effective cosmological constant and, later, it produces the transition to a phantom era, which could actually be taking place right now in some regions of the cosmos, and might have observable consequences. For t close to the Rip time, the universe becomes completely dominated by the dark fluid, whose equation of state is phantom-like at that time. Our model, which is able to reproduce the dark energy period quite precisely, may still be modified in such a way that the epoch dominated by an effective cosmological constant, produced by the F (R) term and by the dark fluid contribution, becomes significantly shorter, what happens when a matter term is included. The dark fluid with phantom behavior gives rise to a super-accelerated phase, as compared with the case where just the viable F (R) term contributes. It is also seen explicitly that an F (R) theory can be constructed from a phantom model in a scalar-tensor theory, in which the scalar field does not behave as phantom (in the latter case the action for F (R) would be complex). Promising F (R) models which can cross the phantom divide in a convenient way are constructed explicitly.
In this paper, the issue how to introduce matter in Hořava-Lifshitz theories of gravity is addressed. This is a key point in order to complete the proper definition of these theories and, what is very important, to study their possible phenomenological implications. As is well known, in Hořava-Lifshitz gravity the breakdown of Lorentz invariance invalidates the usual notion of minimally coupled matter. Two different approaches to bypass this problem are here described. One is based on a Kaluza-Klein reinterpretation of the 3+1 decomposition of the gravity degrees of freedom, what naturally leads to a definition of a U(1) gauge symmetry and, hence, to a new type of minimal coupling. The other approach relies on a midi-superspace formalism and the subsequent parametrization of the matter stress-energy tensor in terms of deep infrared variables. Using the last option, the phase space of the Horava-Lifshitz cosmology in the presence of general matter couplings is studied. It is found, in particular, that the equation of state of the effective matter may be very different from the actual matter one, owing to the non-linear interactions which exists between matter and gravity.