arXiv subjects

Gabriele Gionti

Publications and source records attributed to Gabriele Gionti.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Black Holes, Gravitational Waves and Space-Time Singularities Lemaitre Conference 2024

This editorial introduces the topical collection arising from the Lemaitre Conference 2024 - the second in a series of meetings dedicated to the scientific legacy of Georges Lemaitre - held at the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo, 17-20 June 2024, fifty-seven years after Lemaitre's death and on the eve of the centenary of his foundational 1927 paper on the expanding universe. The nineteen contributions collected here address the most pressing open problems at the interface of cosmology, gravitation, and quantum theory: the Hubble tension and the future of $Λ$CDM in light of recent DESI data; inflationary cosmology and dark-energy model-building in string theory and supergravity, together with the Swampland constraints that bound them; the observer-dependence of the quantum-cosmological wave function; the removal, or consistent crossing, of spacetime singularities - from the canonical quantization of Lemaitre's own 1933 dust model to string-theoretic pre-Big-Bang bounces and many-body constructions of singularity-free black-hole cores; primordial black holes and their gravitational-wave signatures; the search for a background-independent formulation of quantum gravity and a first-principles account of horizon thermodynamics; and the foundational status of the quantum-to-classical transition in gravitational contexts. A proposal for lunar-based cosmological observations, and a historical reconstruction of the genesis of Lemaitre's primeval-atom hypothesis, complete the collection. A recurring unifying thread was the legacy of Lemaitre himself - who first distinguished coordinate from physical singularities and coined the term "horizon" - whose pioneering vision continues to guide research at the frontier of cosmology and fundamental physics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Spherically Symmetric Geometrodynamics in Jordan and Einstein frames

Spherically symmetric geometrodynamics is studied for scalar-tensor theory and Einstein General Relativity minimally coupled to a scalar field. We discussed the importance of boundary terms and derived the equations of motion in the Hamiltonian canonical formalism both in the Jordan and Einstein frames. These two frames are connected through an Hamiltonian canonical transformation on the reduced phase space obtained gauge-fixing the lapse and the radial shift functions. We discussed the effects of the singularity of the Hamiltonian canonical transformation connecting Jordan and Einstein frames for two static solutions (Fisher, Janis, Newman and Winicour solution in the Einstein frame and Bocharova-Bronnikov-Melnikov-Bekenstein black hole solution in the Jordan frame).

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Aspects of Geometrodynamics in the Jordan and Einstein Frames

We will summarize recent results on the Hamiltonian equivalence between the Jordan and Einstein frames based on the analysis of Brans-Dicke theory for both cases ω\neq -\frac{3}{2} and ω=-\frac{3}{2}. We will introduce and perform ADM analysis for spherically symmetric solutions of gravity. We will discuss with particular care the problem of the boundary terms to be introduced in the general case of spherical symmetry. These two frames are connected through a Hamiltonian canonical transformation on the reduced phase space obtained by gauge fixing the lapse and the radial shift functions. We introduce and discuss two static solutions (Fisher, Janis, Newman and Winicour solution in the Einstein frame and Bocharova-Bronnikov-Melnikov-Bekenstein black hole solution in the Jordan frame)

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Jordan and Einstein frames Hamiltonian analysis for FLRW Brans-Dicke theory

We analyze Hamiltonian equivalence between Jordan and Einstein frames considering a mini-superspace model of flat Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) Universe in Brans-Dicke theory. Hamiltonian equations of motion are derived in the Jordan, Einstein, and in the anti-gravity (or anti-Newtonian) frames. We show that applying the Weyl (conformal) transformations to the equations of motion in the Einstein frame we did not get the equations of motion in the Jordan frame. Vice-versa, we re-obtain the equations of motion in the Jordan frame applying the anti-gravity inverse transformation to the equation of motion in the anti-gravity frame.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Canonical Analysis of Brans-Dicke Theory Addresses Hamiltonian Inequivalence between Jordan and Einstein Frames

Jordan and Einstein frame are studied under the light of Hamiltonian formalism. Dirac's constraint theory for Hamiltonian systems is applied to Brans-Dicke theory in the Jordan Frame. In both Jordan and Einstein frame, Brans-Dicke theory has four secondary first class constraints and their constraint algebra is closed. We show, contrary to what is generally believed, the Weyl (conformal) transformation, between the two frames, is not a canonical transformation, in the sense of Hamiltonian formalism. This addresses quantum mechanical inequivalence as well. A canonical transformation is shown.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Some Aspects of the Canonical Analysis of Reuter-Weyer RG Improved Einstein-Hilbert Action

A canonical analysis of RG improved action of the Einstein-Hilbert functional is performed. The gravitational and cosmological constants as function of the space-time coordinates are treated as external non-geometrical fields. Dirac's constraint analysis is performed, in the general case, up to secondary constraints. The constraints are second class and, in general, the problem appears to be technically complicated. This fact suggests studying the Dirac's constraint analysis of the related Brans-Dicke theory. It exhibits a Dirac's constraint algebra similar to Einstein's geometrodynamics except that the Poisson Brackets between Hamiltonian-Hamiltonian constraints is not only linear combination of the momentum constraints but also of a term note reducible to linear combination of the constraint and proportional to the extrinsic curvature. This shows that Branse-Dicke geometrodynamics is inequivalent to Einstein General Relativity geometrodynamics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Scattering of uncharged particles in the field of two extremely charged black holes

We investigate the motion of uncharged particles scattered by a binary system consisting of extremely charged black holes in equilibrium as described by the Majumdar-Papapetrou solution. We focus on unbound orbits confined to the plane containing both black holes. We consider the two complementary situations of particles approaching the system along a direction parallel to the axis where the black holes are displaced and orthogonal to it. We numerically compute the scattering angle as a function of the particle's conserved energy parameter, which provides a gauge-invariant information of the scattering process. We also study the precession of a test gyroscope along such orbits and evaluate the accumulated precession angle after a full scattering, which is another gauge-invariant quantity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Duality transformation and conformal equivalent scalar-tensor theories

We deal with the duality symmetry of the Dilaton field in cosmology and specifically with the so-called Gasperini-Veneziano duality transformation. In particular, we determine two conformal equivalent theories to the Dilaton field, and we show that under conformal transformations Gasperini-Veneziano duality symmetry does not survive. Moreover, we show that those theories share a common conservation law, of Noetherian kind, while the symmetry vector which generates the conservation law is an isometry only for the Dilaton field. Finally, we show that the Lagrangian of the Dilaton field is equivalent with that of the two-dimensional \textquotedblright hyperbolic oscillator\textquotedblright\ in a Lorentzian space whose $O(d,d)$ invariance is transformed to the Gasperini-Veneziano duality invariance in the original coordinates.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Bouncing and emergent cosmologies from ADM RG flows

The Asymptotically Safe Gravity provides a framework for the description of gravity from the trans-Planckian regime to cosmological scales. According to this scenario, the cosmological constant and Newton's coupling are functions of the energy scale whose evolution is dictated by the renormalization group equations. The formulation of the renormalization group equations on foliated spacetimes, based on the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) formalism, furnishes a natural way to construct the RG energy scale from the spectrum of the laplacian operator on the spatial slices. Combining this idea with a Renormalization Group improvement procedure, in this work we study quantum gravitational corrections to the Einstein-Hilbert action on Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) backgrounds. The resulting quantum-corrected Friedmann equations can give rise to both bouncing cosmologies and emergent universe solutions. Our bouncing models do not require the presence of exotic matter and emergent universe solutions can be constructed for any allowed topology of the spatial slices.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

O(d,d) duality transformations in F(R) theories of gravity

The argument of Hodge duality symmetry is introduced starting from the electromagnetic field. Introducing bosonic string theory, O(d,d) duality symmetry can be implemented when there exist d-symmetries, which allows one to write Hodge-dual fields. A tree-level effective gravitational action of bosonic string theory coupled with the dilaton field is considered. This theory inherits the Busher's duality of its parent string theory. The dilaton field can be recast into the Weyl's mode of the metric tensor in the Jordan frame. This maps the effective one-loop bosonic string theory of gravity into a Lagrangian of a f(R) function. Constraining this f(R)-Lagrangian on a FLRW metric and using Noether symmetries approach for extended theory of gravity, it is possible to show that the Lagrangian exibits a Gasperini-Veneziano duality symmetry.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Some Considerations on Discrete Quantum Gravity

Recent results in Local Regge Calculus are confronted with Spin Foam Formalism. Introducing Barrett-Crane Quantization in Local Regge Calculus makes it possible to associate a unique Spin $j_{h}$ with an hinge $h$, fulfilling one of the requirements of Spin Foam definition. It is shown that inter-twiner terms of Spin Foam can follow from the closure constraint in Local Regge Calculus. Dedicated to Beppe Marmo for his 65th Birthday

gr-qc↗

arXiv2005

Discrete Gravity as a Local Theory of the Poincaré Group in the First Order Formalism

A discrete theory of gravity locally invariant under the Poincaré group is considered as in a companion paper. We define a first order theory, in the sense of Palatini, on the metric-dual Voronoi complex of a simplicial complex. We follow the same spirit of the continuum theory of General Relativity in the Cartan formalism. The field equations are carefully derived taking in account the constraints of the theory. They look very similar to first order Einstein equations in the Cartan formalism. It is shown that in the limit of {\it small deficit angles} these equations have Regge Calculus, locally, as the only solution. A quantum measure is easly defined which does not suffer the ambiguities of Regge Calculus, and a coupling with fermionic matter is easily introduced

gr-qc↗

arXiv1998

Discrete Approaches Towards the Definition of a Quantum Theory of Gravity

We study the elongated phase of 4-D Dynamical Triangulations. In the case of the sphere topology by using the Walkup's theorem we show that the dominating configurations are stacked spheres. These stacked spheres can be mapped into tree-like graphs (branched polymers). By using Baby-Universes arguments and an antsatz on the universality class between the stacked spheres and a model coming from the theory of random surfaces we argument that this elongated phase is a trivial phase. The numerical evidence for a first order phase transition and the triviality of the elongated phase suggest that a new approach to simplicial quantum gravity might be useful. Along this line following the work of various authors we study a first order version of Regge calculus formulated as a local theory of the Poincare` group. This first order formalism has the effects of smoothing out some pathological configurations, like "spikes", which prevent the theory from having a smooth continuum limit. These confingurations are in fact in the region of large deficit angles where the first order formalism and the secon order formalism are not equivalent on lattice. We derive the first order field equations in the approximation of "small deficit angles" and prove that (second order) Regge calculus is a solution. Successively we derive the general first order field equations by taking into account the constraints of the theory. An invariant measure for the path-integral of this theory is defined. The coupling with matter, in particular fermions, is also discussed in analogy to the continuum theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1997

The Geometry of the Elongated Phase in 4-D Simplicial Quantum Gravity

We discuss the elongated phase of 4D simplicial quantum gravity by exploiting recent analytical results. In particular using Walkup's theorem we prove that the dominating configurations in the elongated phase are tree-like structures called "stacked spheres". Such configurations can be mapped into branched polymers and baby universes arguments are used in order to analyse the critical behaviour of theory in the weak coupling regime.

hep-lat↗

arXiv1995

Spin-3/2 Potentials in Backgrounds with Boundary

This paper studies the two-spinor form of the Rarita-Schwinger potentials subject to local boundary conditions compatible with local supersymmetry. The massless Rarita-Schwinger field equations are studied in four-real-dimensional Riemannian backgrounds with boundary. Gauge transformations on the potentials are shown to be compatible with the field equations providing the background is Ricci-flat, in agreement with previous results in the literature. However, the preservation of boundary conditions under such gauge transformations leads to a restriction of the gauge freedom. The recent construction by Penrose of secondary potentials which supplement the Rarita-Schwinger potentials is then applied. The equations for the secondary potentials, jointly with the boundary conditions, imply that the background four-geometry is further restricted to be totally flat. The analysis of other gauge transformations confirms that, in the massless case, the only admissible class of Riemannian backgrounds with boundary is totally flat.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1995

Lagrangian Theory of Constrained Systems: Cosmological Application

Previous work in the literature has studied the Hamiltonian structure of an R-squared model of gravity with torsion in a closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe. Within the framework of Dirac's theory, torsion is found to lead to a second-class primary constraint linear in the momenta and a second-class secondary constraint quadratic in the momenta. This paper studies in detail the same problem at a Lagrangian level, i.e. working on the tangent bundle rather than on phase space. The corresponding analysis is motivated by a more general program, aiming to obtain a manifestly covariant, multisymplectic framework for the analysis of relativistic theories of gravitation regarded as constrained systems. After an application of the Gotay-Nester Lagrangian analysis, the paper deals with the generalized method, which has the advantage of being applicable to any system of differential equations in implicit form. Multiplication of the second-order Lagrange equations by a vector with zero eigenvalue for the Hessian matrix yields the so-called first-generation constraints. Remarkably, in the cosmological model here considered, if Lagrange equations are studied using second-order formalism, a second-generation constraint is found which is absent in first-order formalism. This happens since first- and second-order formalisms are inequivalent. There are, however, no {\it a priori} reasons for arguing that one of the two is incorrect. First- and second-generation constraints are used to derive physical predictions for the cosmological model.

gr-qc↗