arXiv subjects

Joseph Sultana

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph Sultana.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Spatial Dependence of the Growth Factor in Scalar-Tensor Cosmology

Scalar-tensor theories have taken on a key role in attempts to confront the growing open questions in standard cosmology. It is important to understand entirely their dynamics at perturbative level including any possible spatial dependence in their growth of large scale structures. In this work, we investigate the spatial dependence of the growth rate of scalar-tensor theories through the Mészáros equation. We confirm that at subhorizon level this dependence does not play a major role for viable models. However, we establish conditions on which this criterion is met which may be important for developing new models. In our work, we consider three specific models that exhibit spatial dependence of the growth rate at subhorizon modes, which may also be important for early Universe models.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Turnaround Radius for charged particles in the Reissner-Nordström deSitter spacetime

We investigate the turnaround radius of the Reissner-Nordström deSitter Spacetime and how the turnaround radius changes if a test particle carries charge. We also consider the Martínez-Troncoso-Zanelli (MTZ) solution of conformally coupled gravity and investigate how the turnaround radius changes for a scalar test charge. In both scalar and electric interaction cases we find that the Turnaround Radius depends on the particle's energy.

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arXiv2023

Cosmic Growth in $f(T)$ Teleparallel Gravity

Physical evolution of cosmological models can be tested by using expansion data, while growth history of these models is capable of testing dynamics of the inhomogeneous parts of energy density. The growth factor, as well as its growth index, gives a clear indication of the performance of cosmological models in the regime of structure formation of early Universe. In this work, we explore the growth index in several leading $f(T)$ cosmological models, based on a specific class of teleparallel gravity theories. These have become prominent in the literature and lead to other formulations of teleparallel gravity. Here we adopt a generalized approach by obtaining the Mészáros equation without immediately imposing the subhorizon limit, because this assumption could lead to over-simplification. This approach gives avenue to study at which $k$ modes the subhorizon limit starts to apply. We obtain numerical results for the growth factor and growth index for a variety of data set combinations for each $f(T)$ model.

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arXiv2023

Ghost and Laplacian Instabilities in the Teleparallel Horndeski Gravity

Teleparallel geometry offers a platform on which to build up theories of gravity where torsion rather than curvature mediates gravitational interaction. The teleparallel analogue of Horndeski gravity is an approach to teleparallel geometry where scalar-tensor theories are considered in this torsional framework. Being teleparallel gravity of lower order in dynamics, this turns out to be more general than metric Horndeski gravity. In other words, the class of teleparallel Horndeski gravity models is much broader than the standard metric one. In this work, we explore constraints on this wide range of models coming from ghost and Laplacian instabilities. The aim is to limit pathological branches of the theory by fundamental considerations. It is possible to conclude that a very large class of models results physically viable.

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arXiv2022

Constraining f(R) models with cosmic chronometers and the HII galaxy Hubble diagram

We consider several well-known f(R) cosmological models and constrain their parameters, namely the deviation parameter b and the cosmological parameters Ω_m and h. We first obtain analytical approximations for the Hubble rate H(z) and the luminosity distance d_L(z) in terms of these parameters, and then test these against the observational expansion rate derived from cosmic chronometers and the distance modulus in the HII galaxy Hubble diagram, obtained in a model-independent way using Gaussian Processes (GP). We first optimize the models based solely on the cosmic chronometers and then repeat this process with a joint analysis using both the cosmic chronometers and HII galaxies.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Neural Network Reconstruction of Late-Time Cosmology and Null Tests

The prospect of nonparametric reconstructions of cosmological parameters from observational data sets has been a popular topic in the literature for a number of years. This has mainly taken the form of a technique based on Gaussian processes but this approach is exposed to several foundational issues ranging from overfitting to kernel consistency problems. In this work, we explore the possibility of using artificial neural networks (ANN) to reconstruct late-time expansion and large scale structure cosmological parameters. We first show how mock data can be used to design an optimal ANN for both parameters, which we then use with real data to infer their respective redshift profiles. We further consider cosmological null tests with the reconstructed data in order to confirm the validity of the concordance model of cosmology, in which we observe a mild deviation with cosmic growth data.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Spatial Curvature in $f(R)$ Gravity

In this work, we consider four $f(R)$ gravity models -- the Hu-Sawicki, Starobinsky, Exponential and Tsujikawa models -- and use a range of cosmological data, together with Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling techniques, to constrain the associated model parameters. Our main aim is to compare the results we get when $Ω_{k,0}$ is treated as a free parameter with their counterparts in a spatially flat scenario. The bounds we obtain for $Ω_{k,0}$ in the former case are compatible with a flat geometry. It appears, however, that a higher value of the Hubble constant $H_0$ allows for more curvature. Indeed, upon including in our analysis a Gaussian likelihood constructed from the local measurement of $H_0$, we find that the results favor an open universe at a little over $1σ$. This is perhaps not statistically significant, but it underlines the important implications of the Hubble tension for the assumptions commonly made about spatial curvature. We note that the late-time deviation of the Hubble parameter from its $Λ$CDM equivalent is comparable across all four models, especially in the non-flat case. When $Ω_{k,0}=0$, the Hu-Sawicki model admits a smaller mean value for $Ω_{\text{cdm},0}h^2$, which increases the said deviation at redshifts higher than unity. We also study the effect of a change in scale by evaluating the growth rate at two different wavenumbers $k_\dagger$. Any changes are, on the whole, negligible, although a smaller $k_\dagger$ does result in a slightly larger average value for the deviation parameter $b$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Reconstructing teleparallel gravity with cosmic structure growth and expansion rate data

In this work, we use a combined approach of Hubble parameter data together with redshift-space-distortion $(fσ_8)$ data, which together are used to reconstruct the teleparallel gravity (TG) Lagrangian via Gaussian processes (GP). The adopted Hubble data mainly comes from cosmic chronometers, while for the Type Ia supernovae data we use the latest jointly calibrated Pantheon compilation. Moreover, we consider two main GP covariance functions, namely the squared-exponential and Cauchy kernels in order to show consistency (to within 1$σ$ uncertainties). The core results of this work are the numerical reconstructions of the TG Lagrangian from GP reconstructed Hubble and growth data. We take different possible combinations of the datasets and kernels to illustrate any potential differences in this regard. We show that nontrivial cosmology beyond $Λ$CDM falls within the uncertainties of the reconstructions from growth data, which therefore indicates no significant departure from the concordance cosmological model.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Gravitational Wave Propagation and Polarizations in the Teleparallel analog of Horndeski Gravity

Gravitational waves (GWs) have opened a new window on fundamental physics in a number of important ways. The next generation of GW detectors may reveal more information about the polarization structure of GWs. Additionally, there is growing interest in theories of gravity beyond GR. One such theory which remains viable within the context of recent measurements of the speed of propagation of GWs is the teleparallel analogue of Horndeski gravity. In this work, we explore the polarization structure of this newly proposed formulation of Horndeski theory. In curvature-based gravity, Horndeski theory is almost synonymous with extensions to GR since it spans a large portion of these possible extensions. We perform this calculation by taking perturbations about a Minkowski background and consider which mode propagates. The result is that the polarization structure depends on the choice of model parameters in the teleparallel Horndeski Lagrangian with a maximum of seven propagating degrees of freedom. While the curvature-based Horndeski results follows as a particular limit within this setup, we find a much richer structure of both massive and massless cases which produce scalar--vector--tensor propagating degrees of freedom. We also find that the GW polarization that emerges from the teleparallel analogue of Horndeski gravity results in analogous massive and massless modes which take on at most four polarizations in the massless sector and two scalar ones in the massive sector. In none of the cases do we find vector polarizations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Gravitational analog of the canonical acoustic black hole in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theory

In this work, in the context of modified gravity, a curved spacetime analogous to the "canonical acoustic black hole" is constructed. The source is a self-interacting scalar field which is non-minimally coupled to gravity through the Gauss-Bonnet invariant. The scalar-Gauss-Bonnet coupling function is characterized by three positive parameters: $σ$ with units of $(length)$, $μ$ with units of $(length)^{4}$, and a dimensionless parameter $s$, thus defining a three-parameter model for which the line element of canonical acoustic black hole is a solution. The spacetime is equipped with spherical and static symmetry and has a single horizon determined in Schwarzschild coordinates by the region $r=μ^{1/4}$. The solution admits a photon sphere at $r=(3μ)^{1/4}$, and it is shown that in the region $(3μ)^{1/4}\leq r<\infty$ the scalar field satisfies the null, weak, and strong energy conditions. Nonetheless, the model with $s=1$ has major physical relevance since for this case the scalar field is well defined in the entire region $r\geqμ^{1/4}$, while for $s\neq1$ the scalar field blows up on the horizon.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Endowing $\mathbfΛ$ with a dynamic nature: constraints in a spatially curved Universe

In this study, we consider three dark energy models in which $Λ$ is not constant, but has a dynamic nature that depends on the Hubble parameter $H$ and/or its time derivative $\dot{H}$. We analyze the generalized running vacuum model, for which $Λ(H)=A+BH^2+C\dot{H}$, along with the two models obtained by setting $B$ or $C$ equal to zero. A null value for $C$ yields the classical running vacuum model (RVM), while $B=0$ corresponds to what we term the generalized running vacuum sub-case, or GRVS. Our main aim is to investigate whether these models can accommodate non-zero spatial curvature. To this end, we carry out a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis using data for the observables associated with Type-Ia supernovae, cosmic chronometers, the cosmic microwave background and baryon acoustic oscillations, as well as two values for the Hubble constant. Then we include data relating to the growth of large-scale structure (LSS) and repeat the procedure. Our results indicate that taking LSS observations into account helps to tighten constraints and determine a definite sign for the model parameters. In the case of the RVM and GRVS, the addition of growth data results in dynamical vacuum energy being preferred to a cosmological constant at a little over $1σ$. This happens in both the flat and non-flat scenarios -- there are only a few exceptions -- but comes at the cost of an extra parameter which can degrade the performance of the models (as assessed by model selection criteria). Of special relevance is the fact that the inclusion of LSS data appears to increase compatibility with a flat geometry. It also brings the constraints on the Hubble constant closer to the range of values established by \emph{Planck}.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Testing the violation of the equivalence principle in the electromagnetic sector and its consequences in $f(T)$ gravity

A violation of the distance-duality relation is directly linked with a temporal variation of the electromagnetic fine-structure constant. We consider a number of well-studied $f(T)$ gravity models and we revise the theoretical prediction of their corresponding induced violation of the distance-duality relationship. We further extract constraints on the involved model parameters through fine-structure constant variation data, alongside with supernovae data, and Hubble parameter measurements. Moreover, we constrain the evolution of the effective $f(T)$ gravitational constant. Finally, we compare with revised constraints on the phenomenological parametrisations of the violation of the equivalence principle in the electromagnetic sector.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2019

Conformal Weyl gravity and perihelion precession

We investigate the perihelion shift of planetary motion in conformal Weyl gravity using the metric of the static, spherically symmetric solution discovered by Mannheim \& Kazanas (1989). To this end we employ a procedure similar to that used by Weinberg for the Schwarzschild solution, which has also been used recently to study the solar system effects of the cosmological constant $Λ$. We show that besides the general relativistic terms obtained earlier from the Schwarzschild - de Sitter solution, the expression for the perihelion shift includes a negative contribution which arises from the linear term $γr$ in the metric. Using data for perihelion shift observations we obtain constraints on the value of the constant $γ$ similar to that obtained earlier using galactic rotational curves.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Ellis wormhole without a phantom scalar field

In this paper, we present an exact solution for $(3+1)$-dimensional Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theory (EsGB) in electrovacuum. The solution is characterized by only one parameter, $Q$, which in general can be associated with the electromagnetic field and the scalar field. We show that the solution corresponds to a charged wormhole with throat at the region $r = |Q|$, and is also supported by a real scalar field having a positive kinetic term. We show that the solution belongs to the most general class of solutions known as Ellis wormholes but without the need for `exotic matter' or a phantom scalar field.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

The Effects of Spatial Curvature on Cosmic Evolution

As evidenced by a great number of works, it is common practice to assume that the Universe is flat. However, the majority of studies which make use of observational data to constrain the curvature density parameter are premised on the $Λ$CDM cosmology, or extensions thereof. On the other hand, fitting the data to models with a time-varying dark energy equation of state can, in some cases, accommodate a non-flat Universe. Several authors caution that if the assumption of spatial flatness is wrong, it could veer any efforts to construct a dark energy model completely off course, even if the curvature is in reality very small. We thus consider a number of alternative dynamical dark energy models that represent the complete cosmological scenario, and investigate the effects of spatial curvature on the evolution. We find that for a closed Universe, the transition to the epoch of decelerated expansion would be delayed with respect to the flat case. So would the start of the current dark energy-dominated era. This would be accompanied by a larger inflationary acceleration, as well as a larger subsequent deceleration. The opposite behavior is observed if the Universe is open.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

A no-hair theorem for spherically symmetric black holes in $R^2$ gravity

In a recent paper Cañate (CQG, {\bf 35}, 025018 (2018)) proved a no hair theorem to static and spherically symmetric or stationary axisymmetric black holes in general $f(R)$ gravity. The theorem applies for isolated asymptotically flat or asymptotically de Sitter black holes and also in the case when vacuum is replaced by a minimally coupled source having a traceless energy momentum tensor. This theorem excludes the case of pure quadratic gravity, $f(R) = R^2$. In this paper we use the scalar tensor representation of general $f(R)$ theory to show that there are no hairy black hole in pure $R^2$ gravity. The result is limited to spherically symmetric black holes but does not assume asymptotic flatness or de-Sitter asymptotics as in most of the no-hair theorems encountered in the literature. We include an example of a static and spherically symmetric black hole in $R^2$ gravity with a conformally coupled scalar field having a Higgs-type quartic potential.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Gauge Choice in Conformal Gravity

In a recent paper (MNRAS 458, 4122 (2016)) K. Horne examined the effect of a conformally coupled scalar field (referred to as Higgs field) on the Mannheim-Kazanas metric $g_{μν}$, i.e. the static spherically symmetric metric within the context of conformal gravity (CG), and studied its effect on the rotation curves of galaxies. He showed that for a Higgs field of the form $S(r) = S_0 a/(r + a)$, where $a$ is a radial length scale, the equivalent Higgs-frame Mannheim-Kazanas metric $\tilde{g}_{μν} = Ω^2 g_{μν}$, with $Ω= S(r)/S_{0}$, lacks the linear $γr$ term, which has been employed in the fitting of the galactic rotation curves without the need to invoke dark matter. In this brief note we point out that the representation of the Mannheim-Kazanas metric in a gauge where it lacks the linear term has already been presented by others, including Mannheim and Kazanas themselves, without the need to introduce a conformally coupled Higgs field. Furthermore, Horne argues that the absence of the linear term resolves the issue of light bending in the wrong direction, i.e. away from the gravitating mass, if $γr > 0$ in the Mannheim-Kazanas metric, a condition necessary to resolve the galactic dynamics in the absence of dark matter. In this case we also point out that the elimination of the linear term is not even required because the sign of the $γr$ term in the metric can be easily reversed by a simple gauge transformation, and also that the effects of this term are indeed too small to be observed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Thermodynamic Geodesics of a Reissner Nordström Black Hole

Starting from a Geometrothermodynamics metric for the space of thermodynamic equilibrium states in the mass representation, we use numerical techniques to analyse the thermodynamic geodesics of a supermassive Reissner Nordström black hole in isolation. Appropriate constraints are obtained by taking into account the processes of Hawking radiation and Schwinger pair--production. We model the black hole in line with the work of Hiscock and Weems. It can be deduced that the relation which the geodesics establish between the entropy $S$ and electric charge $Q$ of the black hole extremises changes in the black hole's mass. Indeed, the expression for the entropy of an extremal black hole is an exact solution to the geodesic equation. We also find that in certain cases, the geodesics describe the evolution brought about by the constant emission of Hawking radiation and charged-particle pairs.

gr-qc↗