arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to John D. Barrow.
In the context of $f\left( R\right) $-gravity with a spatially flat FLRW metric containing an ideal fluid, we use the method of invariant transformations to specify families of models which are integrable. We find three families of $f(R)$ theories for which new analytical solutions are given and closed-form solutions are provided.
We study a model of a cyclic, spatially homogeneous, anisotropic 'mixmaster' universe of Bianchi type IX, containing a radiation field with non-comoving ('tilted' with respect to the tetrad frame of reference) velocities and vorticity. We employ a combination of numerical and approximate analytic methods to investigate the consequences of the second law of thermodynamics on the evolution. We model a smooth cycle-to-cycle evolution of the mixmaster universe, bouncing at a finite minimum, by the device of adding a comoving 'ghost' field with negative energy density. In the absence of a cosmological constant, an increase in entropy, injected at the start of each cycle, causes an increase in the volume maxima, increasing approach to flatness, falling velocities and vorticities, and growing anisotropy at the expansion maxima of successive cycles. We find that the velocities oscillate rapidly as they evolve and change logarithmically in time relative to the expansion volume. When the conservation of momentum and angular momentum constraints are imposed, the spatial components of these velocities fall to smaller values when the entropy density increases, and vice versa. Isotropisation is found to occur when a positive cosmological constant is added because the sequence of oscillations ends and the dynamics expand forever, evolving towards a quasi de Sitter asymptote with constant velocity amplitudes. The case of a single cycle of evolution with a negative cosmological constant added is also studied.
We investigate how a Higgs mechanism could be responsible for the emergence of gravity in extensions of Einstein theory. In this scenario, at high energies, symmetry restoration could "turn off" gravity, with dramatic implications for cosmology and quantum gravity. The sense in which gravity is muted depends on the details of the implementation. In the most extreme case gravity's dynamical degrees of freedom would only be unleashed after the Higgs field acquires a non-trivial vacuum expectation value, with gravity reduced to a topological field theory in the symmetric phase. We might also identify the Higgs and the Brans-Dicke fields in such a way that in the unbroken phase Newton's constant vanishes, decoupling matter and gravity. We discuss the broad implications of these scenarios.
We survey a variety of cosmological problems where the issue of generality has arisen. This is aimed at providing a wider context for many claims and deductions made when philosophers of science choose cosmological problems for investigation. We show how simple counting arguments can be used to characterise parts of the general solution of Einstein's equations when various matter fields are present and with different spatial topologies. Applications are described to the problem of singularities, static cosmological models, cosmic no hair theorems, the late-time isotropisation of cosmological models, and the number of parameters needed to describe a general astronomical universe.
What happens to the most general closed oscillating universes in general relativity? We sketch the development of interest in cyclic universes from the early work of Friedmann and Tolman to modern variations introduced by the presence of a cosmological constant. Then we show what happens in the cyclic evolution of the most general closed anisotropic universes provided by the Mixmaster universe. We show that in the presence of entropy increase its cycles grow in size and age, increasingly approaching flatness. But these cycles also grow increasingly anisotropic at their expansion maxima. If there is a positive cosmological constant, or dark energy, present then these oscillations always end and the last cycle evolves from an anisotropic inflexion point towards a de Sitter future of everlasting expansion.
We analyse the kinematics of cosmological spacetimes with nonzero torsion, in the framework of the classical Einstein-Cartan gravity. After a brief introduction to the basic features of spaces with non-vanishing torsion, we consider a family of observers moving along timelike worldlines and focus on their kinematic behaviour. In so doing, we isolate the irreducible variables monitoring the observers' motion and derive their evolution formulae and associated constraint equations. Our aim is to identify the effects of spacetime torsion, and the changes they introduce into the kinematics of the standard, torsion-free, cosmological models. We employ a fully geometrical approach, imposing no restrictions on the material content, or any a priori couplings between torsion and spin. Also, we do not apply the familiar splitting of the equations, into a purely Riemannian component plus a torsion/spin part, at the start of our study, but only introduce it at the very end. With the general formulae at hand, we use the Einstein-Cartan field equations to incorporate explicitly the spin of the matter. The resulting formulae fully describe the kinematics of dynamical spacetimes within the framework of the Einstein-Cartan gravity, while in the special case of the so-called Weyssenhoff fluid, they recover results previously reported in the literature.
In a homogeneous and isotropic universe with non-zero spatial curvature we consider the effects of gravitational particle production in the dynamics of the universe. We show that the dynamics of the universe in such a background is characterized by a single nonlinear differential equation which is significantly dependent on the rate of particle creation and whose solutions can be dominated by the curvature effects at early times. For different particle creation rates we apply the singularity test in order to find the analytic solutions of the background dynamics. We describe the behavior of the cosmological solutions for both open and closed universes. We also show how the effects of curvature can be produced by the presence of a second perfect fluid with an appropriate equation of state. By combining that results with the analysis of the critical points we find that our consideration can be related with the pre-inflationary era. Specifically we find that for negative spatial curvature small changes of the Milne spacetime leads to a de Sitter universe.
We investigate the behaviour of bouncing Bianchi type IX `Mixmaster' universes in general relativity. This generalises all previous studies of the cyclic behaviour of closed spatially homogeneous universes with and without entropy increase. We determine the behaviour of models containing radiation by analytic and numerical integration and show that increase of radiation entropy leads to increasing cycle size and duration. We introduce a null energy condition violating ghost field to create a smooth, non-singular bounce of finite size at the end of each cycle and compute the evolution through many cycles with and without entropy increase injected at the start of each cycle. In the presence of increasing entropy we find that the cycles grow larger and longer and the dynamics approach flatness, as in the isotropic case. However, successive cycles become increasingly anisotropic at the expansion maxima which is dominated by the general-relativistic effects of anisotropic 3-curvature. However, it becomes positive after expansion drives the dynamics close enough to isotropy for the curvature to become positive and for gravitational collapse to ensue. In the presence of a positive cosmological constant, radiation and a ghost field we show that, for a very wide range of cosmological constant values, the growing oscillations always cease and the dynamics subsequently approach those of the isotropic de Sitter universe at late times. This model is not included in the scope of earlier cosmic no-hair theorems because the 3-curvature can be positive. In the case of negative cosmological constant, radiation and an ultra-stiff field (to create non-singular bounces) we show that a sequence of chaotic oscillations also occurs, with sensitive dependence on initial conditions. In all cases, we follow the oscillatory evolution of the scale factors, the shear, and the 3-curvature from cycle to cycle.
Hot white dwarf stars are the ideal probe for a relationship between the fine-structure constant and strong gravitational fields, providing us with an opportunity for a direct observational test. We study a sample of hot white dwarf stars, combining far-UV spectroscopic observations, atomic physics, atmospheric modelling and fundamental physics, in the search for variation in the fine structure constant. This variation manifests as shifts in the observed wavelengths of absorption lines, such as quadruply ionized iron (FeV) and quadruply ionized nickel (NiV), when compared to laboratory wavelengths. Berengut et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2013, 111, 010801) demonstrated the validity of such an analysis using high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) spectra of G191-B2B. We have made three important improvements by: (a) using three new independent sets of laboratory wavelengths, (b) analysing a sample of objects, and (c) improving the methodology by incorporating robust techniques from previous studies towards quasars (the Many Multiplet method). A successful detection would be the first direct measurement of a gravitational field effect on a bare constant of nature. Here we describe our approach and present preliminary results from nine objects using both FeV and NiV.
Conjectures play a central role in theoretical physics, especially those that assert an upper bound to some dimensionless ratio of physical quantities. In this paper we introduce a new such conjecture bounding the ratio of the magnetic moment to angular momentum in nature. We also discuss the current status of some old bounds on dimensionless and dimensional quantities in arbitrary spatial dimension. Our new conjecture is that the dimensionless Schuster-Wilson-Blackett number, cμ/JG^{(1/2)}, where μ is the magnetic moment and J is the angular momentum, is bounded above by a number of order unity. We verify that such a bound holds for charged rotating black holes in those theories for which exact solutions are available, including the Einstein-Maxwell theory, Kaluza-Klein theory, the Kerr-Sen black hole, and the so-called STU family of charged rotating supergravity black holes. We also discuss the current status of the Maximum Tension Conjecture, the Dyson Luminosity Bound, and Thorne's Hoop Conjecture.
In the context of generalised Brans-Dicke cosmology we use the Killing tensors of the minisuperspace in order to determine the unspecified potential of a scalar-tensor gravity theory. Specifically, based on the existence of contact symmetries of the field equations, we find four types of potentials which provide exactly integrable dynamical systems. We investigate the dynamical properties of these potentials by using a critical point analysis and we find solutions which lead to cosmic acceleration and under specific conditions we can have de-Sitter points as stable late-time attractors.
An algorithm is used to generate new solutions of the scalar field equations in homogeneous and isotropic universes. Solutions can be found for pure scalar fields with various potentials in the absence and presence of spatial curvature and other perfect fluids. A series of generalisations of the Chaplygin gas and bulk viscous cosmological solutions for inflationary universes are found. Furthermore other closed-form solutions which provide inflationary universes are presented. We also show how the Hubble slow-roll parameters can be calculated using the solution algorithm and we compare these inflationary solutions with the observational data provided by the Planck 2015 collaboration in order to constraint and rule out some of these models.
In the cosmological scenario in $f\left( T\right) $ gravity, we find analytical solutions for an isotropic and homogeneous universe containing a dust fluid and radiation and for an empty anisotropic Bianchi I universe. The method that we apply is that of movable singularities of differential equations. For the isotropic universe, the solutions are expressed in terms of a Laurent expansion, while for the anisotropic universe we find a family of exact Kasner-like solutions in vacuum. Finally, we discuss when a nonlinear $f\left( T\right) $-gravity theory provides solutions for the teleparallel equivalence of general relativity and derive conditions for exact solutions of general relativity to solve the field equations of an $f(T)$ theory.
In his 2005 review, Gravity and the Thermodynamics of Horizons, Paddy suggested that a vacuum in thermal equilibrium with a bath of radiation should have a gradually diminishing energy. We work through the consequences of this scenario, and find that a coupling between the vacuum and a bath of black-body radiation at the temperature of the horizon requires the Hubble rate, $H$, to approach the same type of evolution as in the "intermediate inflation" scenario, with $H\propto t^{-1/3}$, rather than as a constant. We show that such behaviour does not conflict with observations when the vacuum energy is described by a slowly-rolling scalar field, and when the fluctuations in the scalar field are treated as in the "warm inflation" scenario. It does, however, change the asymptotic states of the universe. We find that the existence of the radiation introduces a curvature singularity at early times, where the energy densities in both the radiation and the vacuum diverge. Furthermore, we show that the introduction of an additional non-interacting perfect fluid into the space-time reveals that radiation can dominate over dust at late times, in contrast to what occurs in the standard cosmological model. Such a coupling can also lead to a negative vacuum energy becoming positive.
We study the behaviour of Bianchi class A universes containing an ultra-stiff isotropic ghost field and a fluid with anisotropic pressures which is also ultra-stiff on the average. This allows us to investigate whether cyclic universe scenarios, like the ekpyrotic model, do indeed lead to isotropisation on approach to a singularity (or bounce) in the presence of dominant ultra-stiff pressure anisotropies. We specialise to consider the closed Bianchi type IX universe and show that when the anisotropic pressures are stiffer on average than any isotropic ultra-stiff fluid then, if they dominate on approach to the singularity, it will be anisotropic. We include an isotropic ultra-stiff ghost fluid with negative energy density in order to create a cosmological bounce at finite volume in the absence of the anisotropic fluid. When the dominant anisotropic fluid is present it leads to an anisotropic cosmological singularity rather than an isotropic bounce. The inclusion of anisotropic stresses generated by collisionless particles in an anisotropically expanding universe is therefore essential for a full analysis of the consequences of a cosmological bounce or singularity in cyclic universes.
We consider the application of group invariant transformations in order to constrain a flat isotropic and homogeneous cosmological model, containing of a Brans-Dicke scalar field and a perfect fluid with a constant equation of state parameter $w$, where the latter is not interacting with the scalar field in the gravitational action integral. The requirement that the Wheeler-DeWitt equation be invariant under one-parameter point transformations provides us with two families of power-law potentials for the Brans-Dicke field, in which the powers are functions of the Brans-Dicke parameter $ω_{BD}$ and the parameter $w$. The existence of the Lie symmetry in the Wheeler-DeWitt equation is equivalent to the existence of a conserved quantity in field equations and with oscillatory terms in the wavefunction of the universe. This enables us to solve the field equations. For a specific value of the conserved quantity, we find a closed-form solution for the Hubble factor, which is equivalent to a cosmological model in general relativity containing two perfect fluids. This provides us with different models for specific values of the parameters $ω_{BD},$ and $w$. Finally, the results hold for the specific case where the Brans-Dicke parameter $ω_{BD}$ is zero, that is, for the O'Hanlon massive dilaton theory, and consequently for $f\left( R\right) $ gravity in the metric formalism.
We give a general method to find exact cosmological solutions for scalar-field dark energy in the presence of perfect fluids. We use the existence of invariant transformations for the Wheeler De Witt (WdW) equation. We show that the existence of a point transformation under which the WdW equation is invariant is equivalent to the existence of conservation laws for the field equations, which indicates the existence of analytical solutions. We extend previous work by providing exact solutions for the Hubble parameter and the effective dark-energy equation of state parameter for cosmologies containing a combination of perfect fluid and a scalar field whose self-interaction potential is a power of hyperbolic functions. We find solutions explicitly when the perfect fluid is radiation or cold dark matter and determine the effects of non-zero spatial curvature. Using the Planck 2015 data, we determine the evolution of the effective equation of state of the dark energy. Finally, we study the global dynamics using dimensionless variables. We find that if the current cosmological model is Liouville integrable (admits conservation laws) then there is a unique stable point which describes the de-Sitter phase of the universe.
Rubano and Barrow have discussed the emergence of a dark energy, with late-time cosmic acceleration arising from a self-interacting homogeneous scalar field with a potential of hyperbolic power type. Here, we study the evolution of this scalar field potential back in the inflationary era. Using the hyperbolic power potential in the framework of inflation, we find that the main slow-roll parameters, like the scalar spectral index, the running of the spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar fluctuation ratio can be computed analytically. Finally, in order to test the viability of this hyperbolic scalar field model at the early stages of the Universe, we compare the predictions of that model against the latest observational data, namely Planck 2015.