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Gaetano Lambiase

Publications and source records attributed to Gaetano Lambiase.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Dilaton assisted two-field inflation from no-scale supergravity

We present a two-field inflation model where inflaton field has a non-canonical kinetic term due to the presence of a dilaton field. It is a two-parameter generalization of one-parameter Brans-Dicke gravity in the Einstein frame. We show that in such an inflation model the quartic and quadratic inflaton potentials, which are otherwise ruled out by the present Planck-{\it Keck}/BICEP2 data, yield scalar spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio in accordance with the present data. Such a model yield tensor-to-scalar ratio of the order of $10^{-2}$ which is within the reach of $B-$mode experiments like {\it Keck}/BICEP3, CMBPol and thus can be put to test in the near future. This model yields negligible non-Gaussianity and no isocurvature perturbations upto slow-roll approximation. Finally, we show that such a model can be realised in the realm of no-scale supergravity.

hep-ph↗

Testing theories of Gravity and Supergravity with inflation and observations of the cosmic microwave background

Many extensions of Einstein's theory of gravity have been studied and proposed with various motivations like the quest for a quantum theory of gravity to extensions of anomalies in observations at the solar system, galactic and cosmological scales. These extensions include adding higher powers of Ricci curvature $R$, coupling the Ricci curvature with scalar fields and generalized functions of $R$. In addition when viewed from the perspective of Supergravity (SUGRA) many of these theories may originate from the same SUGRA theory interpreted in different frames. SUGRA therefore serves as a good framework for organizing and generalizing theories of gravity beyond General Relativity. All these theories when applied to inflation (a rapid expansion of early Universe in which primordial gravitational waves might be generated and might still be detectable by the imprint they left or by the ripples that persist today) can have distinct signatures in the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation temperature and polarization anisotropies. In this review we give a detailed discussion on the standard model of cosmology ($Λ$CDM), inflation and cosmological perturbation theory. We survey the theories of gravity beyond Einstein's General Relativity, specially which arise from SUGRA, and study the consequences of these theories in the context of inflation and put bounds on the theories and the parameters therein from the observational experiments like Planck, Keck/BICEP. The possibility of testing these theories in the near future in CMB observations and new data coming from colliders like the LHC, provides an unique opportunity for constructing verifiable models of particle physics and General Relativity.

astro-ph.CO↗

Plateau Inflation in SUGRA-MSSM

We explored a Higgs inflationary scenario in the SUGRA embedding of the MSSM in Einstein frame where the inflaton is contained in the $SU(2)$ Higgs doublet. We include all higher order non-renormalizable terms to the MSSM superpotential and an appropriate Kähler potential which can provide slow-roll inflaton potential in the $D-$flat direction. In this model, a plateau-like inflation potential can be obtained if the imaginary part of the neutral Higgs acts as the inflaton. The inflationary predictions of this model are consistent with the latest CMB observations. The model represents a successful Higgs inflation scenario in the context of Supergravity and it is compatible with Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model.

hep-ph↗

Thermal condensate structure and cosmological energy density of the Universe

The aim of this paper is the study of thermal vacuum condensate for scalar and fermion fields. We analyze the thermal states at the temperature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and we show that the vacuum expectation value of the energy momentum tensor density of photon fields reproduces the energy density and pressure of the CMB. We perform the computations in the formal framework of the thermo field dynamics. We also consider the case of neutrinos and thermal states at the temperature of the neutrino cosmic background. Consistency with the estimated lower bound of the sum of the active neutrino masses is verified. In the boson sector, non trivial contribution to the energy of the universe is given by particles of masses of the order of $10^{-4}eV$ compatible with the ones of the axion-like particles. The fractal self-similar structure of the thermal radiation is also discussed and related to the coherent structure of the thermal vacuum.

astro-ph.CO↗

The emission of Gamma Ray Bursts as a test-bed for modified gravity

The extreme physical conditions of Gamma Ray Bursts can constitute a useful observational laboratory to test theories of gravity where very high curvature regimes are involved. Here we propose a sort of curvature engine capable, in principle, of explaining the huge energy emission of Gamma Ray Bursts. Specifically, we investigate the emission of radiation by charged particles non-minimally coupled to the gravitational background where higher order curvature invariants are present. The coupling gives rise to an additional force inducing a non-geodesics motion of particles. This fact allows a strong emission of radiation by gravitationally accelerated particles. As we will show with some specific model, the energy emission is of the same order of magnitude of that characterizing the Gamma Ray Burst physics. Alternatively, strong curvature regimes can be considered as a natural mechanism for the generation of highly energetic astrophysical events. Possible applications to cosmology are discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

Astrophysical constraints on extended gravity models

We investigate the propagation of gravitational waves in the context of fourth order gravity nonminimally coupled to a massive scalar field. Using the damping of the orbital period of coalescing stellar binary systems, we impose constraints on the free parameters of extended gravity models. In particular, we find that the variation of the orbital period is a function of three mass scales which depend on the free parameters of the model under consideration; we can constrain these mass scales from current observational data.

gr-qc↗

Quantum field theory in curved graphene spacetimes, Lobachevsky geometry, Weyl symmetry, Hawking effect, and all that

The solutions of many issues, of the ongoing efforts to make deformed graphene a tabletop quantum field theory in curved spacetimes, are presented. A detailed explanation of the special features of curved spacetimes, originating from embedding portions of the Lobachevsky plane into $\mathbf{R}^3$, is given, and the special role of coordinates for the physical realizations in graphene, is explicitly shown, in general, and for various examples. The Rindler spacetime is reobtained, with new important differences with respect to earlier results. The de Sitter spacetime naturally emerges, for the first time, paving the way to future applications in cosmology. The role of the BTZ black hole is also briefly addressed. The singular boundary of the pseudospheres, "Hilbert horizon", is seen to be closely related to event horizon of the Rindler, de Sitter, and BTZ kind. This gives new, and stronger, arguments for the Hawking phenomenon to take place. An important geometric parameter, $c$, overlooked in earlier work, takes here its place for physical applications, and it is shown to be related to graphene's lattice spacing, $\ell$. It is shown that all surfaces of constant negative curvature, ${\cal K} = -r^{-2}$, are unified, in the limit $c/r \to 0$, where they are locally applicable to the Beltrami pseudosphere. This, and $c = \ell$, allow us a) to have a phenomenological control on the reaching of the horizon; b) to use spacetimes different than Rindler for the Hawking phenomenon; c) to approach the generic surface of the family. An improved expression for the thermal LDOS is obtained. A non-thermal term for the total LDOS is found. It takes into account: a) the peculiarities of the graphene-based Rindler spacetime; b) the finiteness of a laboratory surface; c) the optimal use of the Minkowski quantum vacuum, through the choice of this Minkowski-static boundary.

hep-th↗

Constraints on Covariant Horava-Lifshitz Gravity from frame-dragging experiment

The effects of Horava-Lifshitz corrections to the gravito-magnetic field are analyzed. Solutions in the weak field, slow motion limit, referring to the motion of a satellite around the Earth are considered. The post-newtonian paradigm is used to evaluate constraints on the Horava-Lifshitz parameter space from current satellite and terrestrial experiments data. In particular, we focus on GRAVITY PROBE B, LAGEOS and the more recent LARES mission, as well as a forthcoming terrestrial project, GINGER.

gr-qc↗

Constraints on NonCommutative Spectral Action from Gravity Probe B and Torsion Balance Experiments

Noncommutative spectral geometry offers a purely geometric explanation for the standard model of strong and electroweak interactions, including a geometric explanation for the origin of the Higgs field. Within this framework, the gravitational, the electroweak and the strong forces are all described as purely gravitational forces on a unified noncommutative space-time. In this study, we infer a constraint on one of the three free parameters of the model, namely the one characterising the coupling constants at unification, by linearising the field equations in the limit of weak gravitational fields generated by a rotating gravitational source, and by making use of recent experimental data. In particular, using data obtained by Gravity Probe B, we set a lower bound on the Weyl term appearing in the noncommutative spectral action, namely $β \gtrsim 10^{-6}$m$^{-1}$. This constraint becomes stronger once we use results from torsion balance experiments, leading to $β \gtrsim 10^{4}$m$^{-1}$. The latter is much stronger than any constraint imposed so far to curvature squared terms.

gr-qc↗

The Hawking-Unruh phenomenon on graphene

We find that, for a very specific shape of a monolayer graphene sample, a general relativistic-like description of a back-ground spacetime for graphene's conductivity electrons is very natural. The corresponding electronic local density of states is of finite temperature. This is a Hawking-Unruh effect that we propose to detect through an experiment with a Scanning Tunneling Microscope.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Leptogenesis by curvature coupling of heavy neutrinos

We introduce a CP violating coupling between the Ricci curvature and the heavy right handed neutrinos. This splits the Majorana masses of the left and the right handed heavy neutrinos. When the heavy neutrinos decay, their decay rates are different into left and right chirality light neutrinos. A time varying non-zero Ricci curvature can give rise to a net lepton asymmetry. The source of a non-zero curvature in a radiation era is the quantum fluctations of primordial fields.

hep-ph↗

Dark energy from Neutrinos and Standard Model Higgs potential

If neutrino mass is a function of the Higgs potential then minimum of the total thermodynamic potential $Ω$ (which is the Higgs potential minus the neutrino pressure) can shift from the standard electro-weak vev $v=246.2$ GeV by a small amount which depends on the neutrino pressure. If the neutrino mass is a very steep function of the Higgs field then the equilibrium thermodynamic potential can act like the dark energy with $ω\simeq -1$. Choosing the neutrino mass as logarithmic function of the Higgs field and a heavy mass scale, we find that the correct magnitude of the cosmological density of the present universe $ρ_λ\simeq (0.002 eV)^4$ is obtained by choosing the heavy mass at the GUT scale.

hep-ph↗

Primordial magnetic fields and gravitational baryogenesis in nonlinear electrodynamics

The amplification of the primordial magnetic fields and the gravitational baryogenesis, a mechanism that allows to generate the baryon asymmetry in the Universe by means of the coupling between the Ricci scalar curvature and the baryon current, are reviewed in the framework of the nonlinear electrodynamics. To study the amplification of the primordial magnetic field strength, we write down the gauge invariant wave equations and then solve them (in the long wavelength approximation) for three different eras of the Universe: de Sitter, the reheating and the radiation dominated era. Constraints on parameters entering the nonlinear electrodynamics are obtained by using the amplitude of the observed galactic magnetic fields and the baryon asymmetry, which are characterized by the dimensionless parameters $r\sim 10^{-37}$ and $η_B\lesssim 9\times 10^{-11}$, respectively.

astro-ph.CO↗

Neutrino mass spectrum from gravitational waves generated by double neutrino spin-flip in supernovae

The supernova (SN) neutronization phase produces mainly electron ($ν_e$) neutrinos, the oscillations of which must take place within a few mean-free-paths of their resonance surface located nearby their neutrinosphere. The state-of-the-art on the SN dynamics suggests that a significant part of these $ν_e$ can convert into right-handed neutrinos in virtue of the interaction of the electrons and the protons flowing with the SN outgoing plasma, whenever the Dirac neutrino magnetic moment be of strength $μ_ν< 10^{-11} μ_{\rm B}$, with $μ_{\rm B}$ being the Bohr magneton. In the supernova envelope, part of these neutrinos can flip back to the left-handed flavors due to the interaction of the neutrino magnetic moment with the magnetic field in the SN expanding plasma (Kuznetsov & Mikheev 2007; Kuznetsov, Mikheev & Okrugin 2008), a region where the field strength is currently accepted to be $B \gtrsim 10^{13}$ ~G. This type of $ν$ oscillations were shown to generate powerful gravitational wave (GW) bursts (Mosquera Cuesta 2000, Mosquera Cuesta 2002, Mosquera Cuesta & Fiuza 2004, Loveridge 2004). If such double spin-flip mechanism does run into action inside the SN core, then the release of both the oscillation-produced $ν_μ$s, $ν_τ$s and the GW pulse generated by the coherent $ν$ spin-flips provides a unique emission offset $ΔT^{emission}_{\rm GW} \leftrightarrow ν= 0$ for measuring the $ν$ travel time to Earth. As massive $ν$s get noticeably delayed on its journey to Earth with respect to the Einstein GW they generated during the reconversion transient, then the accurate measurement of this time-of-flight delay by SNEWS + LIGO, VIRGO, BBO, DECIGO, etc., might readily assess the absolute $ν$ mass spectrum.

astro-ph↗

Gravitational Leptogenesis

We introduce a dimension five CP violating coupling between the Ricci scalar and fermions. This operator splits the energy level between neutrinos and anti-neutrinos and can generate a lepton-asymmetry in the the radiation era if heavy Majorana neutrinos decouple at the GUT scale. This operator can also generate a lepton asymmetry during warm inflation if the light neutrinos have a Majorana mass m_ν\simeq 0.25 eV which is observable in double beta decay experiments.

astro-ph↗

Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry Generated by Loop Quantum Gravity

We show that Loop Quantum Gravity provides new mechanisms through which observed matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe can naturally arise at temperatures less than GUT scale. This is enabled through the introduction of a new length scale ${\cal L}$, much greater than Planck length ($l_P$), to obtain semi-classical weave states in the theory. This scale which depends on the momentum of the particle modifies the dispersion relation for different helicities of fermions and leads to lepton asymmetry.

gr-qc↗

Newtonian limit of String-Dilaton Gravity

We study the weak-field limit of string-dilaton gravity and derive corrections to the Newtonian potential which strength directly depends on the self interaction potential and the nonminimal coupling of the dilaton scalar field. We discuss also possible astrophysical applications of the results, in particular the flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies.

gr-qc↗

Quantization of Scalar Fields in Curved Background and Quantum Algebras

We show that a suitable deformation of the algebra $h_k(1)$ of the creation and annihilation operators for a complex scalar field, initially quantized in Minkowski space--time, induces the canonical quantization of the same field in a generic gravitational background. This discloses the physical meaning of the deformation parameter $q$ which turns out to be related to the gravitational field. The thermal properties are re-obtained in this formalism, and the application to Schwarzschild and Rindler space-times are carried out.

hep-th↗