arXiv subjects

James E. Lidsey

Publications and source records attributed to James E. Lidsey.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

Measuring spacetime: from big bang to black holes

Nerd abstract: Observational constraints on spacetime are reviewed, focusing on how the underlying physics (dark matter, dark energy, gravity) can be tested rather than assumed. Popular abstract: Space is not a boring static stage on which events unfold over time, but a dynamic entity with curvature, fluctuations and a rich life of its own which is a booming area of study. Spectacular new measurements of the cosmic microwave background, gravitational lensing, type Ia supernovae, large-scale structure, spectra of the Lyman alpha forest, stellar dynamics and x-ray binaries are probing the properties of spacetime over 22 orders of magnitude in scale. Current measurements are consistent with an infinite flat everlasting Universe containing about 30% cold dark matter, 65% dark energy and at least two distinct populations of black holes.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Inflation and Braneworlds: Degeneracies and Consistencies

Scalar and tensor perturbations arising in an inflationary braneworld scenario driven by a single scalar field are considered, where the bulk on either side of the brane corresponds to Anti-de Sitter spaces with different cosmological constants. A consistency relation between the two spectra is derived and found to have an identical form to that arising in standard single-field inflation based on conventional Einstein gravity. The dS/CFT correspondence may provide further insight into the origin of this degeneracy. Possible ways of lifting such a degeneracy are discussed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

The Inflaton Field as Self-Interacting Dark Matter in the Braneworld Scenario

A unified model is developed within the context of the braneworld paradigm, where a single scalar field can act as both the inflaton field in the very early universe and also as strong, self-interacting dark matter in the post-inflationary universe. Reheating proceeds due to the overproduction and subsequent evaporation of primordial black holes. Observational constraints, most notably from gravitational waves, are satisfied if the probability of PBH formation is sufficiently high.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Braneworld Cosmology in (Anti)--de Sitter Einstein--Gauss--Bonnet--Maxwell Gravity

Braneworld cosmology for a domain wall embedded in the charged (Anti)-de Sitter-Schwarzschildblack hole of the five--dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet-Maxwell theory is considered. The effective Friedmann equation for the brane is derived by introducing the necessary surface counterterms required for a well-defined variational principlein the Gauss--Bonnet theory and for the finiteness of the bulk space. The asymptotic dynamics of the brane cosmology is determined and it is found that solutions with vanishingly small spatial volume are unphysical. The finiteness of the bulk action is related to the vanishing of the effective cosmological constant on the brane. An analogy between the Friedmann equation and a generalized Cardy--Verlinde formula is drawn.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

The Ermakov-Pinney Equation in Scalar Field Cosmologies

It is shown that the dynamics of cosmologies sourced by a mixture of perfect fluids and self-interacting scalar fields are described by the non-linear, Ermakov-Pinney equation. The general solution of this equation can be expressed in terms of particular solutions to a related, linear differential equation. This characteristic is employed to derive exact cosmologies in the inflationary and quintessential scenarios. The relevance of the Ermakov-Pinney equation to the braneworld scenario is discussed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Inflation with a constant ratio of scalar and tensor perturbation amplitudes

The single scalar field inflationary models that lead to scalar and tensor perturbation spectra with amplitudes varying in direct proportion to one another are reconstructed by solving the Stewart-Lyth inverse problem to next-to-leading order in the slow-roll approximation. The potentials asymptote at high energies to an exponential form, corresponding to power law inflation, but diverge from this model at low energies, indicating that power law inflation is a repellor in this case. This feature implies that a fine-tuning of initial conditions is required if such models are to reproduce the observations. The required initial conditions might be set through the eternal inflation mechanism. If this is the case, it will imply that the spectral indices must be nearly constant, making the underlying model observationally indistinguishable from power law inflation.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Embeddings in Non-Vacuum Spacetimes

A scheme is discussed for embedding n-dimensional, Riemannian manifolds in an (n+1)-dimensional Einstein space. Criteria for embedding a given manifold in a spacetime that represents a solution to Einstein's equations sourced by a massless scalar field are also discussed. The embedding procedures are illustrated with a number of examples.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2001

Dilatonic Domain Walls and Curved Intersecting Branes

Curved, intersecting brane configurations satisfying the type IIA supergravity equations of motion are found. In eleven dimensions, the models are interpreted in terms of orthogonally intersecting M5--branes, where the world--volumes are curved due to the effects of one or more massless scalar fields. Duality symmetries are employed to generate further type II and heterotic solutions. Some cosmological implications are discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

Inflation, braneworlds and quintessence

Inflationary cosmology is developed in the second Randall-Sundrum braneworld scenario, where the accelerated expansion arises through potentials that are too steep to drive inflation in conventional cosmology. A relationship between the scalar and tensor perturbation spectra is derived that is independent of both the inflaton potential and the brane tension. It is found that a single field with an inverse power law potential can act as both the inflaton and the quintessence field for suitable values of the brane tension.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Inflation on a single brane - exact solutions

Algorithms are developed for generating a class of exact braneworld cosmologies, where a self-interacting scalar field is confined to a positive-tension brane embedded in a bulk containing a negative cosmological constant. It is assumed that the five-dimensional Planck scale exceeds the brane tension but is smaller than the four-dimensional Planck mass. It is shown that the field equations can be expressed as a first-order system. A number of solutions to the equations of motion are found. The potential resulting in the perfect fluid model is identified.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Supersymmetric Quantization of Anisotropic Scalar-Tensor Cosmologies

In this paper we show that the spatially homogeneous Bianchi type I and Kantowski-Sachs cosmologies derived from the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity admit a supersymmetric extension at the quantum level. Global symmetries in the effective one-dimensional actions characterize both classical and quantum solutions. A wide family of exact wavefunctions satisfying the supersymmetric constraints are found. A connection with quantum wormholes is briefly discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Supergravity Brane Cosmologies

Solitonic brane cosmologies are found where the world-volume is curved due to the evolution of the dilaton field on the brane. In many cases, these may be related to the solitonic Dp- and M5-branes of string and M-theory. An eleven-dimensional interpretation of the D8-brane cosmology of the massive type IIA theory is discussed in terms of compactification on a torus bundle. Braneworlds are also found in Horava-Witten theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau three-fold. The possibility of dilaton-driven inflation on the brane is discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Cyclical Behaviour in Early Universe Cosmologies

We study early universe cosmologies derived from a scalar-tensor action containing cosmological constant terms and massless fields. The governing equations can be written as a dynamical system which contains no past or future asymptotic equilibrium states (i.e. no sources nor sinks). This leads to dynamics with very interesting mathematical behaviour such as the existence of heteroclinic cycles. The corresponding cosmologies have novel characteristics, including cyclical and bouncing behaviour possibly indicating chaos. We discuss the connection between these early universe cosmologies and those derived from the low-energy string effective action.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Superstring Cosmology

Aspects of superstring cosmology are reviewed with an emphasis on the cosmological implications of duality symmetries in the theory. The string effective actions are summarized and toroidal compactification to four dimensions reviewed. Global symmetries that arise in the compactification are discussed and the duality relationships between the string effective actions are then highlighted. Higher-dimensional Kasner cosmologies are presented and interpreted in both string and Einstein frames, and then given in dimensionally reduced forms. String cosmologies containing both non-trivial Neveu-Schwarz/Neveu-Schwarz and Ramond-Ramond fields are derived by employing the global symmetries of the effective actions. Anisotropic and inhomogeneous cosmologies in four-dimensions are also developed. The review concludes with a detailed analysis of the pre-big bang inflationary scenario. The generation of primordial spectra of cosmological perturbations in such a scenario is discussed. Possible future directions offered in the Horava-Witten theory are outlined.

hep-th↗

arXiv1999

Generalized Compactification and Assisted Dynamics of Multi--Scalar Field Cosmologies

Cosmological models arising from a generalized compactification of Einstein gravity are derived. It is shown that a redefinition of the moduli fields reduces the system to a set of massless fields and a single field with a single exponential potential, independent of the background spacetime. This solution is the unique late--time attractor for an arbitrary spacetime dimensionality. We find that if the number of dimensions is greater than or equal to seven, the scalar fields dominate a relativistic fluid and therefore constitute a potential `moduli' problem.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Separable Brane Cosmologies in Heterotic M-Theory

It is shown that any anisotropic and inhomogeneous cosmological solution to the lowest-order, four-dimensional, dilaton-graviton string equations of motion may be employed as a seed to derive a curved, three-brane cosmological solution to five-dimensional heterotic M-theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau three-fold. This correspondence formally relates a weakly coupled string cosmology directly with a strongly coupled one. The asymptotic behaviour of a wide class of spatially homogeneous braneworlds is deduced. Similar solutions may be derived in toroidally compactified massive type IIA supergravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1999

Qualitative Analysis of Isotropic Curvature String Cosmologies

A complete qualitative study of the dynamics of string cosmologies is presented for the class of isotopic curvature universes. These models are of Bianchi types I, V and IX and reduce to the general class of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universes in the limit of vanishing shear isotropy. A non-trivial two-form potential and cosmological constant terms are included in the system. In general, the two-form potential and spatial curvature terms are only dynamically important at intermediate stages of the evolution. In many of the models, the cosmological constant is important asymptotically and anisotropy becomes dynamically negligible. There also exist bouncing cosmologies.

hep-th↗

arXiv1999

Dynamics of M-Theory Cosmology

A complete global analysis of spatially-flat, four-dimensional cosmologies derived from the type IIA string and M-theory effective actions is presented. A non--trivial Ramond-Ramond sector is included. The governing equations are written as a dynamical system. Asymptotically, the form fields are dynamically negligible, but play a crucial role in determining the possible intermediate behaviour of the solutions (i.e. the nature of the equilibrium points). The only past-attracting solution (source in the system) may be interpreted in the eleven-dimensional setting in terms of flat space. This source is unstable to the introduction of spatial curvature.

hep-th↗