arXiv subjects

F. T. Falciano

Publications and source records attributed to F. T. Falciano.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Amplifying the Cosmological Collider with Ghost Spectators

Ghost inflation is a well-known framework in which cosmological fluctuations can generate enhanced primordial non-Gaussianity, typically of the equilateral type. In its original form, however, it is in tension with current observational constraints. Here we instead consider a setup in which a standard inflaton drives the background evolution, while excitations of a ghost condensate act as spectator fields that interact with the inflaton. This proposal fits naturally within the cosmological collider program: the exchanged particle has a modified dispersion relation, $ω\propto k^2$. We show that this ghost-inspired dynamics weakens the usual Boltzmann suppression, similarly to models with a very small effective sound speed, yielding an enhanced bispectrum signal relative to standard cosmological collider scenarios. At the same time, the horizon-crossing scale remains a free parameter of the theory. As a result, the model shares features of both the de Sitter bootstrap and boostless frameworks. Finally, we derive the differential equations governing cosmological correlators in the ghost-collider setup. Their structure reflects the quadratic momentum dependence of the dispersion relation and distinguishes this scenario from conventional relativistic cases.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Neutron stars in the symmetron model

Screening mechanisms are often deployed by dark energy models in order to conceal the effects of their new degrees of freedom from the scrutiny of terrestrial and solar system experiments. However, extreme properties of nuclear matter may lead to a partial failure of screening mechanisms inside the most massive neutron stars observed in Nature, opening up the possibility of probing these theories with neutron star observations. In this work we explore equilibrium and stability properties of neutron stars in two variants of the symmetron model. We show that around sufficiently compact neutron stars, the symmetron is amplified with respect to its background, cosmological value by several orders of magnitude, and that properties of such unscreened stars are sensitive to corrections to the leading linear coupling between the symmetron and matter.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Entropy bound in Einstein-Born-Infeld black holes

We study the validity of Bekenstein's entropy bound for a charged black hole in the context of nonlinear electrodynamics. Bekenstein's inequalities are commonly understood as universal relations between the entropy, the charge, the momentum, and the energy of a physical system but independent of its dynamics. In particular, we consider the Born-Infeld electrodynamics coupled to gravity as described by General Relativity. Following the steps that lead to these inequalities, we study the absorption of a charged test particle by the black hole and verify that the entropy bound is violated. We find a modified upper bound for the entropy that depends on the maximum field parameter of the Born-Infeld theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Viable Curvaton Models from the $f_{NL}$ Parameter

We show how to build a curvaton inflationary model motivated by scale-dependent non-Gaussianities of cosmological perturbations. In particular, we study the change of sign in the $f_{NL}$ parameter as a function of the curvaton field value at horizon crossing and identify it with the cosmic microwave background pivot scale. We devise a procedure to recover the curvaton model that provides the desired $f_{NL}$ parameter. We then present a concrete example of $f_{NL}$ and construct its parent model. We study the constraints applied to this model based on considerations taken on $f_{NL}$. We show that the hemispherical asymmetry can also be used to constrain the scale-dependence of $f_{NL}$ and the model parameters.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Mean Value of the Quantum Potential and Uncertainty Relations

In this work we determine a lower bound to the mean value of the quantum potential for an arbitrary state. Furthermore, we derive a generalized uncertainty relation that is stronger than the Robertson-Schrödinger inequality and hence also stronger than the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. The mean value is then associated to the nonclassical part of the covariances of the momenta operator. This imposes a minimum bound for the nonclassical correlations of momenta and gives a physical characterization of the classical and semiclassical limits of quantum systems. The results obtained primarily for pure states are then generalized for density matrices describing mixed states.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Entropy bounds and nonlinear electrodynamics

Bekenstein's inequality sets a bound on the entropy of a charged macroscopic body. Such a bound is understood as a universal relation between physical quantities and fundamental constants of nature that should be valid for any physical system. We reanalyze the steps that lead to this entropy bound considering a charged object in conformity to Born-Infeld electrodynamics and show that the bound depends of the underlying theory used to describe the physical system. Our result shows that the nonlinear contribution to the electrostatic self-energy causes a raise in the entropy bound. As an intermediate step to obtain this result, we exhibit a general way to calculate the form of the electric field for a given nonlinear electrodynamics in Schwarzschild spacetime.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Regular Bouncing Solutions, Energy Conditions and the Brans-Dicke Theory

In general, to avoid a singularity in cosmological models involves the introduction of exotic kind of matter fields, for example, a scalar field with negative energy density. In order to have a bouncing solution in classical General Relativity, violation of the energy conditions is required. In this work, we discuss a case of the bouncing solution in the Brans-Dicke theory with radiative fluid that obeys the energy conditions, and with no ghosts.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Stiff Matter Solution in Brans-Dicke Theory and The General Relativity Limit

Generally the Brans-Dicke theory reduces to General Relativity in the limit $ω\rightarrow\infty$ if the scalar field goes as $ϕ\propto1/ω$. However, it is also known that there are examples with $ϕ\propto1/\sqrtω$ that does not tend to GR. We discuss another case: a homogeneous and isotropic universe filled with stiff matter. The power of time dependence of these solutions do not depend on $ω$, and there is no General Relativity limit even though we have $ϕ\propto1/ω$. A perturbative analysis of this exotic case is carried out.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

A quasi-matter bounce equivalent to Starobinsky inflation

In this paper we construct a bounce model that mimics the Starobinsky inflationary model. Our construction relies on Wands' duality, which shows that the Mukhanov-Sasaki equation has a symmetry transformation by changing appropriately its time-dependent mass term. One of the advantages of this constructive method is that one can control every contribution to the primordial power spectrum and check how far we can emulate a given primordial model with a different scenario. In particular, we show that mapping the Starobinsky inflation into a quasi-matter bounce gives the correct relation between the scalar spectral index $n_s-1$ and the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Spacetime Singularities in Generalized Brans-Dicke Theories

We study the formation of classical singularities in Generalized Brans-Dicke theories that are natural extensions to Brans-Dicke where the kinetic term is modified by a new coupling function $ω(φ)$. We discuss the asymptotic limit $ω(φ)\rightarrow\infty$ and show that the system generically does not approach General Relativity. Given the arbitrariness of $ω(φ)$, one can search for coupling functions chosen specifically to avoid classical singularities. However, we prove that this is not the case. Homogeneous and spherically symmetric collapsing objects form singularities for arbitrary coupling functions. On the other hand, expanding cosmological scenarios are completely free of Big Rip type singularities. In an expanding universe, the scalar field behaves at most as stiff matter, which makes these cosmological solutions asymptotically approach General Relativity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Bekenstein Inequalities and Nonlinear Electrodynamics

Bekenstein and Mayo proposed a generalised bound for the entropy, which implies some inequalities between the charge, energy, angular momentum, and the size of the macroscopic system. Dain has shown that Maxwell's electrodynamics satisfies all three inequalities. We investigate the validity of these relations in the context of nonlinear electrodynamics and show that Born-Infeld electrodynamics satisfies all of them. However, contrary to the linear theory, there is no rigidity statement in Born-Infeld. We study the physical meaning and the relationship between these inequalities and, in particular, we analyse the connection between the energy-angular momentum inequality and causality.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Cosmology from a gauge induced gravity

The main goal of the present work is to analyze the cosmological scenario of the induced gravity theory developed in previous works. Such a theory consists on a Yang-Mills theory in a four-dimensional Euclidian spacetime with $SO(m,n)$ such that $m+n=5$ and $m\in\{0,1,2\}$ as its gauge group. This theory undergoes a dynamical gauge symmetry breaking via an Inönü-Wigner contraction in its infrared sector. As a consequence, the $SO(m,n)$ algebra is deformed into a Lorentz algebra with the emergency of the local Lorentz symmetries and the gauge fields being identified with a vierbein and a spin connection. As a result, gravity is described as an effective Einstein-Cartan-like theory with ultraviolet correction terms and a propagating torsion field. We show that the cosmological model associated with this effective theory has three different regimes. In particular, the high curvature regime presents a de Sitter phase which tends towards a $Λ$CDM model. We argue that $SO(m,n)$ induced gravities are promising effective theories to describe the early phase of the universe.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Constraining LTB models with JLA supernovae and BAO

In the present work we constrain three different profiles of a Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi model using supernovae type Ia and baryon acoustic oscillation data. We improve common practice in the literature by carefully calibrating the supernovae in the appropriate inhomogeneous background dynamics. In addition, we address subtle issues in order to propagate the primordial BAO scale to present epoch. The combined analysis of BAO+SNIa offers a stringent test for these models. We use two distinct parameter estimation approaches, namely, the $χ^2$ and the complete likelihood functional. It has been argued that these two approaches are not equivalent and indeed our analysis shows a specific example of their departure.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

Nonlocal Effects in Black Body Radiation

Nonlocal electrodynamics is a formalism developed to include nonlocal effects in the measurement process caused by the non-inertial state of the observers. This theory modifies Maxwell's electrodynamics by eliminating the hypothesis of locality that assumes an accelerated observer simultaneously equivalent to a comoving inertial frame of reference. In this scenario, the transformation between an inertial and accelerated observer is generalized which affects the properties of physical fields. In particular, we analyze how an uniformly accelerated observer perceives a homogeneous and isotropic blackbody radiation. We show that all nonlocal effects are transient and most relevant in the first period of acceleration.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Covariant Bardeen Perturbation Formalism

In a previous work we obtained a set of necessary conditions for the linear approximation in cosmology. Here we discuss the relations of this approach with the so called covariant perturbations. It is often argued in the literature that one of the main advantages of the covariant approach to describe cosmological perturbations is that the Bardeen formalism is coordinate dependent. In this paper we will reformulate the Bardeen approach in a completely covariant manner. For that, we introduce the notion of pure and mixed tensors, which yields an adequate language to treat both perturbative approaches in a common framework. We then stress that in the referred covariant approach one necessarily introduces an additional hyper-surface choice to the problem. Using our mixed and pure tensors approach, we were able to construct a one-to-one map relating the usual gauge dependence of the Bardeen formalism with the hyper-surface dependence inherent to the covariant approach. Finally, through the use of this map, we define full non-linear tensors that at first order correspond to the three known gauge invariant variables $Φ$, $Ψ$ and $Ξ$, which are simultaneously foliation and gauge invariant. We then stress that the use of the proposed mixed tensors allows one to construct simultaneously gauge and hyper-surface invariant variables at any order.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Scalar Field Perturbations with Arbitrary Potentials in Quantum Backgrounds

In this paper it is shown how to obtain, without ever using the background classical equations of motion, a simple second order Hamiltonian involving the Mukhanov-Sasaki variable describing quantum linear scalar perturbations for the case of scalar fields with arbitrary potentials and arbitrary spacelike hyper-surfaces. It is a generalization of previous works, where the scalar field potential was absent and the spacelike hypersurfaces were flat. This was possible due to the implementation of a new method, together with the Faddeev-Jackiw procedure for the constraint reduction. The resulting Hamiltonian can then be used to study the evolution of quantum cosmological perturbations in quantum backgrounds.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Quantum Cosmological Perturbations of Generic Fluids in Quantum Universes

In previous works, it was shown that the Lagrangians and Hamiltonians of cosmological linear scalar, vector and tensor perturbations of homogeneous and isotropic space-times with flat spatial sections containing a perfect fluid can be put in a simple form through the implementation of canonical transformations and redefinitions of the lapse function, without ever using the background classical equations of motion. In this paper, we generalize this result to general fluids, which includes entropy perturbations, and to arbitrary spacelike hyper-surfaces through a new method together with the Faddeev-Jackiw procedure for the constraint reduction. A simple second order Hamiltonian involving the Mukhanov-Sasaki variable is obtained, again without ever using the background equations of motion.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Disformal invariance of Maxwell's field equations

We show that Maxwell's electrodynamics in vacuum is invariant under active transformations of the metric. These metrics are related by disformal mappings induced by derivatives of the gauge vector $A_μ$ such that the gauge symmetry is preserved. Our results generalize the well known conformal invariance of electrodynamics and characterize a new type of internal symmetry of the theory. The group structure associated with these transformations is also investigated in details.

gr-qc↗