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James M. Nester

Publications and source records attributed to James M. Nester.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2012

A reference for the covariant Hamiltonian boundary term

The Hamiltonian for dynamic geometry generates the evolution of a spatial region along a vector field. It includes a boundary term which determines both the value of the Hamiltonian and the boundary conditions. The value gives the quasi-local quantities: energy-momentum, angular-momentum/center-of-mass. The boundary term depends not only on the dynamical variables but also on their reference values; the latter determine the ground state (having vanishing quasi-local quantities). For our preferred boundary term for Einstein's GR we propose 4D isometric matching and extremizing the energy to determine the reference metric and connection values.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2012

Quasi-local Energy for Spherically Symmetric Spacetimes

We present two complementary approaches for determining the reference for the covariant Hamiltonian boundary term quasi-local energy and test them on spherically symmetric spacetimes. On the one hand, we isometrically match the 2-surface and extremize the energy. This can be done in two ways, which we call programs I (without constraint) and II (with additional constraints). On the other hand, we match the orthonormal 4-frames of the dynamic and the reference spacetimes. Then, if we further specify the observer by requiring the reference displacement to be the timelike Killing vector of the reference, the result is the same as program I, and the energy can be positive, zero, or even negative. If, instead, we require that the Lie derivatives of the two-area along the displacement vector in both the dynamic and reference spacetimes to be the same, the result is the same as program II, and it satisfies the usual criteria: the energies are non-negative and vanish only for Minkowski (or anti-de Sitter) spacetime.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2011

Optimal Choices of Reference for a Quasi-local Energy: Spherically Symmetric Spacetimes

For a given timelike displacement vector the covariant Hamiltonian quasi-local energy expression requires a proper choice of reference spacetime. We propose a program for determining the reference by embedding a neighborhood of the two-sphere boundary in the dynamic spacetime into a Minkowski reference, so that the two sphere is embedded isometrically, and then extremizing the energy to determine the embedding variables. Applying this idea to Schwarzschild spacetime, we found that for each given future timelike displacement vector our program gives a unique energy value. The static observer measures the maximal energy. Applied to the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker spacetime, we find that the maximum energy value is nonnegative; the associated displacement vector is the unit dual mean curvature vector, and the expansion of the two-sphere boundary matches that of its reference image. For these spherically symmetric cases the reference determined by our program is equivalent to isometrically matching the geometry at the two-sphere boundary and taking the displacement vector to be orthogonal to the spacelike constant coordinate time hypersurface, like the timelike Killing vector of the Minkowski reference.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2011

Witten spinors on maximal, conformally flat hypersurfaces

The boundary conditions that exclude zeros of the solutions of the Witten equation (and hence guarantee the existence of a 3-frame satisfying the so-called special orthonormal frame gauge conditions) are investigated. We determine the general form of the conformally invariant boundary conditions for the Witten equation, and find the boundary conditions that characterize the constant and the conformally constant spinor fields among the solutions of the Witten equations on compact domains in extrinsically and intrinsically flat, and on maximal, intrinsically globally conformally flat spacelike hypersurfaces, respectively. We also provide a number of exact solutions of the Witten equation with various boundary conditions (both at infinity and on inner or outer boundaries) that single out nowhere vanishing spinor fields on the flat, non-extreme Reissner--Nordström and Brill--Lindquist data sets. Our examples show that there is an interplay between the boundary conditions, the global topology of the hypersurface and the existence/non-existence of zeros of the solutions of the Witten equation.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2011

Poincaré Gauge Theory With Coupled Even And Odd Parity Dynamic Spin-0 Modes: Dynamic Equations For Isotropic Bianchi Cosmologies

We are investigating the dynamics of a new Poincaré gauge theory of gravity model, which has cross coupling between the spin-0$^+$ and spin-0$^-$ modes. To this end we here consider a very appropriate situation---homogeneous-isotropic cosmologies---which is relatively simple, and yet all the modes have non-trivial dynamics which reveals physically interesting and possibly observable results. More specifically we consider manifestly isotropic Bianchi class A cosmologies; for this case we find an effective Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for the dynamical system. The Lagrange equations for these models lead to a set of first order equations that are compatible with those found for the FLRW models and provide a foundation for further investigations. Typical numerical evolution of these equations shows the expected effects of the cross parity coupling.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2011

Poincaré gauge theory with even and odd parity dynamic connection modes: isotropic Bianchi cosmological models

The Poincaré gauge theory of gravity has a metric compatible connection with independent dynamics that is reflected in the torsion and curvature. The theory allows two good propagating spin-0 modes. Dynamical investigations using a simple expanding cosmological model found that the oscillation of the 0$^+$ mode could account for an accelerating expansion similar to that presently observed. The model has been extended to include a $0^{-}$ mode and more recently cross parity couplings. We investigate the dynamics of this model in a situation which is simple, non-trivial, and yet may give physically interesting results that might be observable. We consider homogeneous cosmologies, more specifically, isotropic Bianchi class A models. We find an effective Lagrangian for our dynamical system, a system of first order equations, and present some typical dynamical evolution.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2010

Poincare gauge theory of gravity: Friedman cosmology with even and odd parity modes. Analytic part

We propose a cosmological model in the framework of the Poincaré gauge theory of gravity (PG). The gravitational Lagrangian is quadratic in curvature and torsion. In our specific model, the Lagrangian contains (i) the curvature scalar $R$ and the curvature pseudo-scalar $X$ linearly and quadratically (including an $RX$ term) and (ii) pieces quadratic in the torsion {\it vector} $\cal V$ and the torsion {\it axial} vector $\cal A$ (including a ${\cal V}{\cal A}$ term). We show generally that in quadratic PG models we have nearly the same number of parity conserving terms (`world') and of parity violating terms (`shadow world'). This offers new perspectives in cosmology for the coupling of gravity to matter and antimatter. Our specific model generalizes the fairly realistic `torsion cosmologies' of Shie-Nester-Yo (2008) and Chen et al.\ (2009). With a Friedman type ansatz for an orthonormal coframe and a Lorentz connection, we derive the two field equations of PG in an explicit form and discuss their general structure in detail. In particular, the second field equation can be reduced to first order ordinary differential equations for the curvature pieces $R(t)$ and $X(t)$. Including these along with certain relations obtained from the first field equation and curvature definitions, we present a first order system of equations suitable for numerical evaluation. This is deferred to the second, numerical part of this paper.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2009

Cosmological dynamics with propagating Lorentz connection modes of spin zero

The Poincare gauge theory of gravity has a Lorentz connection with both torsion and curvature. For this theory two good propagating connection modes, carrying spin-$0^+$ and spin-$0^-$, have been found. The possible effects of the spin-$0^+$ mode in cosmology were investigated in a previous work by our group; there it was found that the $0^+$ mode could account for the presently accelerating universe. Here, we extend the analysis to also include the spin-$0^-$ mode. The resulting cosmological model has three degrees of freedom. We present both the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian form of the dynamic equations for this model, find the late-time normal modes, and present some numerical evolution cases. In the late time asymptotic regime the two dynamic modes decouple, and the acceleration of the Universe oscillates due to the spin-$0^+$ mode.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2009

Optimal Choices of Reference for Quasi-local Energy

We have proposed a program for determining the reference for the quasi-local energy defined in the covariant Hamiltonian formalism. Our program has been tested by applying it to the spherically symmetric spacetimes. With respect to different observers we found that the quasi-local energy can be positive, zero, or even negative. The observer measuring the maximum energy was identified; the associated energy is positive for both the Schwarzschild and the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker spacetimes.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2009

Energy-momentum density in small regions: the classical pseudotensors

The values for the gravitational energy-momentum density, given by the famous classical pseudotensors: Einstein, Papapetrou, Landau-Lifshitz, Bergmann-Thompson, Goldberg, Møller, and Weinberg, in the small region limit are found to lowest non-vanishing order in normal coordinates. All except Møller's have the zeroth order material limit required by the equivalence principle. However for small vacuum regions we find that {\it none} of these classical holonomic pseudotensors satisfies the criterion of being proportional to the Bel-Robinson tensor. Generalizing an earlier work which had identified one case, we found another independent linear combination satisfying this requirement--and hence a one parameter set of linear combinations of the classical pseudotensors with this desirable property.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2009

New positive small vacuum region gravitational energy expressions

We construct an infinite number of new holonomic quasi-local gravitational energy-momentum density pseudotensors with good limits asymptotically and in small regions, both materially and in vacuum. For small vacuum regions they are all a positive multiple of the Bel-Robinson tensor and consequently have positive energy.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2008

Gravitational energy-momentum in small regions according to the tetrad-teleparallel expressions

The gravitational energy-momentum within a small region as determined by two tetrad-teleparallel expressions is evaluated with the aid of an orthonormal frame adapted to Riemann normal coordinates. We find that the gauge current "tensor" does enjoy the highly desired and rare property of being a positive multiple of the Bel-Robinson tensor, whereas Møller's expression does not.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2008

Torsion Cosmology and the Accelerating Universe

Investigations of the dynamic modes of the Poincare gauge theory of gravity found only two good propagating torsion modes; they are effectively a scalar and a pseudoscalar. Cosmology affords a natural situation where one might see observational effects of these modes. Here we consider only the ``scalar torsion'' mode. This mode has certain distinctive and interesting qualities. In particular this type of torsion does not interact directly with any known matter and it allows a critical non-zero value for the affine scalar curvature. Via numerical evolution of the coupled nonlinear equations we show that this mode can contribute an oscillating aspect to the expansion rate of the Universe. From the examination of specific cases of the parameters and initial conditions we show that for suitable ranges of the parameters the dynamic ``scalar torsion'' model can display features similar to those of the presently observed accelerating universe.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2008

On the energy of homogeneous cosmologies

An energy for the homogeneous cosmological models is presented. More specifically, using an appropriate natural prescription, we find the energy within any region with any gravitational source for a large class of gravity theories--namely those with a tetrad description--for all 9 Bianchi types. Our energy is given by the value of the Hamiltonian with homogeneous boundary conditions; this value vanishes for all regions in all Bianchi class A models, and it does not vanish for any class B model. This is so not only for Einstein's general relativity but, moreover, for the whole 3-parameter class of tetrad-teleparallel theories. For the physically favored one parameter subclass, which includes the teleparallel equivalent of Einstein's theory as an important special case, the energy for all class B models is, contrary to expectation, negative.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2007

Quasi-local energy for cosmological models

First we briefly review our covariant Hamiltonian approach to quasi-local energy, noting that the Hamiltonian-boundary-term quasi-local energy expressions depend on the chosen boundary conditions and reference configuration. Then we present the quasi-local energy values resulting from the formalism applied to homogeneous Bianchi cosmologies. Finally we consider the quasi-local energies of the FRW cosmologies. Our results do not agree with certain widely accepted quasi-local criteria.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2006

Dynamic Scalar Torsion and an Oscillating Universe

For the Poincare gauge theory of gravity we consider the dynamical scalar torsion mode in a cosmological context. We explore in particular the possibility of using dynamical torsion to explain the current state of the accelerating Universe. With certain suitable sets of chosen parameters, this model can give a (qualitatively) proper description of the current universe without a cosmological constant, and the universe described is oscillating with a period of the Hubble time.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2006

On source coupling and the teleparallel equivalent to GR

Alternatives to the usual general relativity (GR) Riemannian framework include Riemann-Cartan and teleparallel geometry. The ``teleparallel equivalent of GR" (TEGR, aka GR${}_{||}$) has certain virtues, however there have been allegations of serious source coupling limitations. Now it is quite straightforward to show that the coupled dynamical field equations of Einstein's GR with any source can be accurately represented in terms of any other connection, in particular teleparallel geometry. Using an argument similar to one used long ago to show the "effective equivalence" between GR and the Einstein-Cartan theory, we construct the teleparallel action which is equivalent to a given Riemanian one; thereby finding the ``effectively equivalent" coupling principle for all sources, including spinors. No auxiliary field is required. Can one decide which is the real "physical" geometry? Invoking the minimal coupling principle may give a unique answer.

gr-qc↗