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Saurya Das

Publications and source records attributed to Saurya Das.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2019

Probing the Nature of Black Holes: Deep in the mHz Gravitational-Wave Sky

Black holes are unique among astrophysical sources: they are the simplest macroscopic objects in the Universe, and they are extraordinary in terms of their ability to convert energy into electromagnetic and gravitational radiation. Our capacity to probe their nature is limited by the sensitivity of our detectors. The LIGO/Virgo interferometers are the gravitational-wave equivalent of Galileo's telescope. The first few detections represent the beginning of a long journey of exploration. At the current pace of technological progress, it is reasonable to expect that the gravitational-wave detectors available in the 2035-2050s will be formidable tools to explore these fascinating objects in the cosmos, and space-based detectors with peak sensitivities in the mHz band represent one class of such tools. These detectors have a staggering discovery potential, and they will address fundamental open questions in physics and astronomy. Are astrophysical black holes adequately described by general relativity? Do we have empirical evidence for event horizons? Can black holes provide a glimpse into quantum gravity, or reveal a classical breakdown of Einstein's gravity? How and when did black holes form, and how do they grow? Are there new long-range interactions or fields in our universe, potentially related to dark matter and dark energy or a more fundamental description of gravitation? Precision tests of black hole spacetimes with mHz-band gravitational-wave detectors will probe general relativity and fundamental physics in previously inaccessible regimes, and allow us to address some of these fundamental issues in our current understanding of nature.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2019

Constraints and Horizons for de Sitter with Extra Dimensions

In order for spacetimes with static extra dimensions to have 4-dimensional de Sitter expansion they must have at least positive curvature, warping sourced by the 4-d expansion, or violate the null energy condition everywhere in the extra dimensions. We show how this constraint arises from the null Raychaudhuri equation, and that it is independent of the matter content, the Einstein equations, and is true point-by-point in the extra dimensions (not integrated), setting it apart from other no-go theorems in the literature. We present two previously known examples -- a Freund-Rubin compactification with bulk cosmological constant, and a Randall-Sundrum model where the mismatch between the brane and bulk cosmological constants sources non-trivial warping -- which evade the constraint, and discuss the implications for flux compactifications. We also show that any spacetime with static compact extra dimensions and 4-dimensional de Sitter expansion has an apparent horizon and antitrapped region in the extra dimensions, which may have interesting implications for the dynamics of bulk fields in cosmology.

hep-th↗
arXiv2019

Dark Matter as a Non-Relativistic Bose-Einstein Condensate with Massive Gravitons

We confront a non-relativistic Bose--Einstein Condensate (BEC) model of light bosons interacting gravitationally either through a Newtonian or a Yukawa potential with the observed rotational curves of $12$ dwarf galaxies. The baryonic component is modelled as an axisymmetric exponential disk and its characteristics are derived from the surface luminosity profile of the galaxies. The purely baryonic fit is unsatisfactory, hence a dark matter component is clearly needed. The rotational curves of five galaxies could be explained with high confidence level by the BEC model. For these galaxies, we derive: (i) upper limits for the allowed graviton mass; and (ii) constraints on a velocity-type and a density-type quantity characterizing the BEC, both being expressed in terms of the BEC particle mass, scattering length and chemical potential. The upper limit for the graviton mass is of the order of $10^{-26}$ $\text{eV/c}^2$, three orders of magnitude stronger than the limit derived from recent gravitational wave detections.

astro-ph.CO↗
arXiv2019

Lorentz invariant mass and length scales

We show that the standard Lorentz transformations admit an invariant mass (length) scale, such as the Planck scale. In other words, the frame independence of such scale is built-in within those transformations, and one does not need to invoke the principle of relativity for their invariance. This automatically ensures the frame-independence of the spectrum of geometrical operators in quantum gravity. Furthermore, we show that the above predicts a small but measurable difference between the inertial and gravitational mass of any object, regardless of its size or whether it is elementary or composite.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

On the quantum origin of a small positive cosmological constant

We show that Dark Matter consisting of ultralight bosons in a Bose-Einstein condensate induces, via its quantum potential, a small positive cosmological constant which matches the observed value. This explains its origin and why the densities of Dark Matter and Dark Energy are approximately equal.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Relativistic Generalized Uncertainty Principle

The Generalized Uncertainty Principle and the related minimum length are normally considered in non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics. Extending it to relativistic theories is important for having a Lorentz invariant minimum length and for testing the modified Heisenberg principle at high energies.In this paper, we formulate a relativistic Generalized Uncertainty Principle. We then use this to write the modified Klein-Gordon, Schrödinger and Dirac equations, and compute quantum gravity corrections to the relativistic hydrogen atom, particle in a box, and the linear harmonic oscillator.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Bose-Einstein condensate in cosmology

Applying the seminal work of Bose in 1924 on what was later known as Bose-Einstein statistics, Einstein predicted in 1925 that at sufficiently low temperatures, a macroscopic fraction of constituents of a gas of bosons will drop down to the lowest available energy state, forming a `giant molecule' or a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), described by a `macroscopic wavefunction'. In this article we show that when the BEC of ultralight bosons extends over cosmological length scales, it can potentially explain the origins of both dark matter and dark energy. We speculate on the nature of these bosons.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Potential tests of the Generalized Uncertainty Principle in the advanced LIGO experiment

The generalized uncertainty principle and a minimum measurable length arise in various theories of gravity and predict Planck-scale modifications of the canonical position-momentum commutation relation. Postulating a similar modified commutator between the canonical variables of the electromagnetic field in quantum optics, we compute Planck-scale corrections to the radiation pressure noise and shot noise of Michelson-Morley interferometers, with particular attention to gravity wave detectors such as LIGO. We show that advanced LIGO is potentially sensitive enough to observe Planck-scale effects and thereby indirectly a minimal length. We also propose estimates for the bounds on quantum gravity parameters from current and future advanced LIGO experiments.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Generalized ladder operators for the perturbed harmonic oscillator

In this paper, we construct corrections to the raising and lowering (i.e. ladder) operators for a quantum harmonic oscillator subjected to a polynomial type perturbation of any degree and to any order in perturbation theory. We apply our formalism to a couple of examples, namely q and p 4 perturbations, and obtain the explicit form of those operators. We also compute the expectation values of position and momentum for the above perturbations. This construction is essential for defining coherent and squeezed states for the perturbed oscillator. Furthermore, this is the first time that corrections to ladder operators for a harmonic oscillator with a generic perturbation and to an arbitrary order of perturbation theory have been constructed.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2018

Renormalizing gravity: a new insight into an old problem

It is well-known that perturbative quantum gravity is non-renormalizable. The metric or vierbein has generally been used as the variable to quantize in perturbative quantum gravity. In this essay, we show that one can use the spin connection instead, in which case it is possible to obtain a ghost-free renormalizable theory of quantum gravity. Furthermore in this approach, gravitational analogs of particle physics phenomena can be studied. In particular, we study the gravitational Higgs mechanism using spin connection as a gauge field, and show that this provides a mechanism for the effective reduction in the dimensionality of spacetime.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Towards the Raychaudhuri Equation Beyond General Relativity

In General Relativity, gravity is universally attractive, a feature embodied by the Raychaudhuri equation which requires that the expansion of a congruence of geodesics is always non-increasing, as long as matter obeys the strong or weak energy conditions. This behavior of geodesics is an important ingredient in general proofs of singularity theorems, which show that many spacetimes are singular in the sense of being geodesically incomplete and suggest that General Relativity is itself incomplete. It is possible that alternative theories of gravity, which reduce to General Relativity in some limit, can resolve these singularities, so it is of interest to consider how the behavior of geodesics is modified in these frameworks. We compute the leading corrections to the Raychaudhuri equation for the expansion due to models in string theory, braneworld gravity, $f(R)$ theories, and Loop Quantum Cosmology, for cosmological and black hole backgrounds, and show that while in most cases geodesic convergence is reinforced, in a few cases terms representing repulsion arise, weakening geodesic convergence and thereby the conclusions of the singularity theorems.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Dimensional reduction via a novel Higgs mechanism

Many theories of quantum gravity live in higher dimensions, and their reduction to four dimensions via mechanisms such as Kaluza-Klein compactification or brane world models have associated problems. We propose a novel mechanism of dimensional reduction via spontaneous symmetry breaking of a higher dimensional local Lorentz group to one in lower dimensions. Working in the gauge theory formulation of gravity, we couple a scalar field to spin connections, include a potential for the field, and show that for a suitable choice of scalar vacuum, the local Lorentz symmetry of the action gets spontaneously reduced to one in a lower dimension. Thus effectively the dimension of spacetime gets reduced by one. This provides a viable mechanism for the dimensional reduction, and may have applications in theories of quantum gravity.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Bilocal fields and gravity

We study a classical bilocal field theory perturbatively up to second order. The chosen theory is the simplest which incorporates action-at-a-distance, while keeping non-local effects short-ranged. We show that the new degrees of freedom introduced by bilocality can be interpreted as gravitational degrees of freedom in the following sense: solutions of the bilocal system at linear and second order contain as a subset, gravitational perturbations (spacetime fluctuations) also to that order. In other words, gravity can be thought to originate in a bilocal field theory. We examine potential implications.

hep-th↗
arXiv2017

Relativistic particle in a box: Klein-Gordon vs Dirac Equations

The problem of a particle in a box is probably the simplest problem in quantum mechanics which allows for significant insight into the nature of quantum systems and thus is a cornerstone in the teaching of quantum mechanics. In relativistic quantum mechanics this problem allows also to highlight the implications of special relativity for quantum physics, namely the effect that spin has on the quantized energy spectra. To illustrate this point, we solve the problem of a spin zero relativistic particle in a one- and three-dimensional box using the Klein-Gordon equation in the Feshbach-Villars formalism. We compare the solutions and the energy spectra obtained with the corresponding ones from the Dirac equation for a spin one-half relativistic particle. We note the similarities and differences, in particular the spin effects in the relativistic energy spectrum. As expected, the non-relativistic limit is the same for both kinds of particles, since, for a particle in a box, the spin contribution to the energy is a relativistic effect.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2017

Gravitation as a source of decoherence

It is believed that classical behavior emerges in a quantum system due to decoherence. It has also been proposed that gravity can be a source of this decoherence. We examine this in detail by studying a number of quantum systems, including ultra-relativistic and non-relativistic particles, at low and high temperatures in an expanding Universe, and show that this proposal is valid for a large class of quantum systems.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Amplified transduction of Planck-scale effects using quantum optics

The unification of quantum mechanics and gravity remains as one of the primary challenges of present-day physics. Quantum-gravity-inspired phenomenological models offer a window to explore potential aspects of quantum gravity including qualitatively new behaviour that can be experimentally tested. One such phenomenological model is the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP), which predicts a modified Heisenberg uncertainty relation and a deformed canonical commutator. It was recently shown that optomechanical systems offer significant promise to put stringent experimental bounds on such models. In this paper, we introduce a scheme to increase the sensitivity of these experiments with an extended sequence of pulsed optomechanical interactions. We also analyze the effects of optical phase noise and optical loss and present a strategy to mitigate such deleterious effects.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Planck scale Corrections to the Harmonic Oscillator, Coherent and Squeezed States

The Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) is a modification of Heisenberg's Principle predicted by several theories of Quantum Gravity. It consists of a modified commutator between position and momentum. In this work we compute potentially observable effects that GUP implies for the harmonic oscillator, coherent and squeezed states in Quantum Mechanics. In particular, we rigorously analyze the GUP-perturbed harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian, defining new operators that act as ladder operators on the perturbed states. We use these operators to define the new coherent and squeezed states. We comment on potential applications.

gr-qc↗