arXiv subjects

Soumitra SenGupta

Publications and source records attributed to Soumitra SenGupta.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Kaluza-Klein Gravitons in a Higher Curvature Warped Geometry : A New Perspective

Kaluza-Klein (KK) Gravitons are the direct collider imprints of the higher dimensional bulk physics in our four dimensional universe, arising from the compactification of an extra spatial dimension. In this work, we consider a two-brane warped geometry with a 5D $f(\mathcal R) = \mathcal R + \alpha\mathcal R^2$ gravity along with cosmological constant $\Lambda$. The warped spacetime provides an elegant resolution of the gauge-hierarchy problem without introducing any intermediate scale, while the Planck-scale curvature of the underlying $AdS_5$ bulk naturally motivates the inclusion of higher-curvature corrections. For small values of higher-curvature parameter ($\alpha$), we obtain the leading-order back-reacted warp factors perturbatively from the modified gravitational field equations. In the backdrop of a warped braneworld model, we have solved the Schr\"odinger-like equation governing the graviton fluctuations using a Euclidean path integral formalism, yielding the KK graviton spectrum and normalized wavefunctions directly from the corresponding quantum-mechanical propagator. Treating these results as the unperturbed background, we analytically determine the higher curvature corrections to KK graviton spectrum and their couplings to Standard Model (SM) matter fields. We find that there is an appreciable upward shift in the KK graviton masses while leaving the graviton-SM couplings only mildly modified as compared to a model with only Einstein gravity in the bulk. However the net cross-section of processes involving virtual gravitons appears to be suppressed whereas the dilepton and diphoton decay widths of the gravitons are significantly enhanced because of the higher curvature corrections. Overall, these effects lead to observable modifications to both the production and decay signatures of massive KK gravitons and may be probed in some future precision collider experiments.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Tachyonic (In)stability in Randall-Sundrum Braneworld Scenarios

Low-energy effective theories provide a natural description of four-dimensional physics in higher-dimensional geometries, where the imprint of the bulk geometry appears as parameters of the lower-dimensional theory. Inspired by the Damour-Esposito-Far\'ese (DEF) model of spontaneous scalarization in first generation Scalar-Tensor theories of gravity, we investigate the possibility of tachyonic instability and spontaneous scalarization in braneworld scenarios. We consider the two-brane Randall-Sundrum model where the low-energy effective theory on either brane is of scalar-tensor nature with the extra-dimensional radion playing the role of the scalar. We have determined the possibilities for tachyonic (in)stability of the radion field on either brane in three scenarios: the Randall-Sundrum (RS) model with fine-tuning conditions in which the potential of the radion field vanishes identically, the RS model without fine-tunings where the radion potential arises purely from the gravity sector and the RS model with a bulk stabilizing field that generates a radion potential with a minimum. With the bulk stabilizing field, we have found that on-brane matter with $T>0$ changes the VEV of the radion, destroying the resolution of the gauge hierarchy problem, whereas on-brane matter with $T<0$ does not alter the stability and VEV of the radion. We further determined the exact condition of tachyonic (in)stability of radion field with the on-brane dS$_4$ and AdS$_4$ geometries.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Thermal description of braneworld effective theories

Low-energy effective theories provide the natural description of four-dimensional physics in higher-dimensional geometries, where the imprint of the bulk appears as parameters of the lower dimensional theory. Motivated by the recent progress in the first-order thermodynamic formulation of modified gravity theories, we investigate the thermodynamics of effective theories in braneworld scenarios and thereby the attractor mechanism towards general relativity in such theories. We consider the two-brane Randall-Sundrum model where the low-energy theory on either brane is of scalar-tensor nature with the extra-dimensional radion playing the role of the scalar. We study the thermodynamic implications of a non-vanishing gravitational contribution to the radion potential, and further explore the dynamics in the presence of a bulk stabilizing field.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Can spacetime torsion source an extremely red-tilted cosmological GW background?

In the presence of spacetime torsion, any generic $f(R)$ model of gravity is conformally dual to a scalar-tensor theory augmented with a second rank antisymmetric massless degree of freedom. We investigate the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) that may be sourced directly at the second order by such a torsional field, treated perturbatively during an epoch of canonical, single-field, slow-roll inflation. The resulting second-order induced SGWB, which dominates over the primary inflationary GW background at all scales, peaks only at ultra-low frequencies, and is found to be extremely red-tilted with an effective tensor spectral index $\alpha_{\rm T}\sim-6$ on matter-dominated scales. The signal is potentially within the reach of upcoming indirect GW probes on very large scales $k\lesssim10^{-2}\:\textrm{Mpc}^{-1}$, i.e., next-generation CMB experiments like the LiteBIRD. In the near future, observation of such a markedly red-tilted SGWB on CMB scales could hence provide a novel and unique clue in favour of torsional gravity during the inflationary era.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Analyzing the general conditions for modulus stabilization in a warped braneworld

In braneworld scenarios with compact extra dimensions, the modulus field typically remains undetermined without an appropriate stabilization mechanism. A common approach introduces a bulk scalar field that generates an effective potential for the modulus with a stable minimum. In this work, we explore some novel aspects of such stabilization mechanisms. We study how the bulk scalar profile influences the stabilization procedure. Following the approach of Chacko et al. [1], we analyze several representative cases using methods of singular perturbation theory. We identify a consistent relationship between the structure of the bulk potential and the emergence of a stabilized modulus, and outline the general conditions that any bulk potential must satisfy to enable stabilization. In this context, we also examine a potential connection between geometric consistency conditions - specifically, the "brane world sum rules" - and the stabilized value of the modulus. In some scenarios where stabilization occurs, we find that these sum rules can offer additional constraints on the modulus, providing a complementary perspective on its determination. Taken together, these results offer a broader perspective on the mechanisms that govern modulus stabilization in higher-dimensional warped geometries.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Modified gravity as entropic cosmology

The present work reveals a direct correspondence between modified theories of gravity (cosmology) and entropic cosmology based on the thermodynamics of apparent horizon. It turns out that due to the total differentiable property of entropy, the usual thermodynamic law (used for Einstein gravity) needs to be generalized for modified gravity theories having more than one thermodynamic degrees of freedom (d.o.f.). For the modified theories having $n$ number of thermodynamic d.o.f., the corresponding horizon entropy is given by: $S_\mathrm{h} \sim S_\mathrm{BH} +$ terms containing the time derivatives of $S_\mathrm{BH}$ up to $(n-1)$-th order, and moreover, the coefficient(s) of the derivative term(s) are proportional to the modification parameter of the gravity theory (compared to the Einstein gravity; $S_\mathrm{BH}$ is the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy). By identifying the independent thermodynamic variables from the first law of thermodynamics, we show that the equivalent thermodynamic description of modified gravity naturally allows the time derivative of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy in the horizon entropy.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Does the stability of f(R) theories imply the stability of the dual scalar-tensor theory ?

Higher curvature f(R) gravity theories are often plagued with Ostragadsky instability. In this work we show that such instability manifests itself in the corresponding dual scalar tensor theory in the scalar sector Lagrangian. We explicitly demonstrate the correspondence between the instabilities that appear in an $f(R)$ model and its corresponding scalar tensor theory. Considering various forms of f(R) gravity this feature is illustrated for different choices of the parameters of the theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Translating current ALP photon coupling strength bounds to the Randall-Sundrum model

In this article, we look at the current bounds on the coupling strength of axion-like particles (ALPs) with two photons in the context of the Randall-Sundrum (RS) model. We relate the coupling strength to the compactification radius that governs the size of the extra dimension in the RS warped geometry model and show how the current bounds on the ALP can be used to derive appropriate constraints on the size of the extra fifth dimension in the RS model. We show that the resulting constraints fail to resolve the gauge hierarchy problem for light/ultralight ALPs and require a massive ALP of at least $m_{a} \gtrsim 0.1$ [GeV] to be relevant in the context of the hierarchy problem when the gauge field is in the bulk.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Natural validation of the second law of thermodynamics in cosmology

The present work shows that the second law of thermodynamics gets naturally satisfied during the entire cosmic evolution of the universe starting from inflation to the late dark energy era, without imposing any exotic condition. This makes the inter-connection between cosmology and thermodynamics more concrete. Consequently, it also depicts that why the matter fields are not in thermal equilibrium with the apparent horizon during most of the cosmic era of the universe, except for the fluids with $\omega = -1/3$ leading to the transitions of the universe from an accelerating to a decelerating era and vice-versa.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Obviating PBH overproduction for SIGWs generated by Pulsar Timing Arrays in loop corrected EFT of bounce

In order to unravel the present situation of the PBH overproduction problem, our study emphasizes the critical role played by the equation of state (EoS) parameter $w$ within the framework of effective field theory (EFT) of non-singular bounce. Our analysis focuses on a wide range of EoS parameter values that are still optimal for explaining the latest data from the pulsar timing array (PTA). As a result of our study, the most advantageous window, $0.31 \leq w \leq 1/3$, is identified as the location of a substantial PBH abundance, $f_{\rm PBH} \in (10^{-3},1)$ with large mass PBHs, $M_{\rm PBH}\sim {\cal O}(10^{-7}-10^{-3})M_{\odot}$, in the SIGW interpretation of the PTA signal. When confronted with PTA, we find that the overproduction avoiding circumstances are between $1\sigma-2\sigma$, while the EoS parameter lies inside the narrow window, $0.31<w\leq 1/3$. We propose a regularized-renormalized-resummed (RRR) scalar power spectrum that is large enough to produce EoS dependent scalar generated gravitational waves compatible with PTA evidence, while satisfying the perturbativity, causality, and unitarity criteria, within the range of $0.88 \leq c_{s} \leq 1$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

Regularized-Renormalized-Resummed loop corrected power spectrum of non-singular bounce with Primordial Black Hole formation

We present a complete and consistent exposition of the regularization, renormalization, and resummation procedures in the setup of having a contraction and then non-singular bounce followed by inflation with a sharp transition from slow-roll (SR) to ultra-slow roll (USR) phase for generating primordial black holes (PBHs). We consider following an effective field theory (EFT) approach and study the quantum loop corrections to the power spectrum from each phase. We demonstrate the complete removal of quadratic UV divergences after renormalization and softened logarithmic IR divergences after resummation and illustrate the scheme-independent nature of our renormalization approach. We further show that the addition of a contracting and bouncing phase allows us to successfully generate PBHs of solar-mass order, $M_{\rm PBH}\sim {\cal O}(M_{\odot})$, by achieving the minimum e-folds during inflation to be $\Delta N_{\rm Total}\sim {\cal O}(60)$ and in this process successfully evading the strict no-go theorem. We notice that varying the effective sound speed between $0.88\leq c_{s}\leq 1$, allows the peak spectrum amplitude to lie within $10^{-3}\leq A \leq 10^{-2}$, indicating that causality and unitarity remain protected in the theory. We analyse PBHs in the extremely small, $M_{\rm PBH}\sim {\cal O}(10^{-33}-10^{-27})M_{\odot}$, and the large, $M_{\rm PBH}\sim {\cal O}(10^{-6}-10^{-1})M_{\odot}$, mass limits and confront the PBH abundance results with the latest microlensing constraints. We also study the cosmological beta functions across all phases and find their interpretation consistent in the context of bouncing and inflationary scenarios while satisfying the pivot scale normalization requirement. Further, we estimate the spectral distortion effects and shed light on controlling PBH overproduction.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

Moduli Dynamics in Effective Nested Warped Geometry in Four Dimensions and Some Cosmological Implications

We analyze the effective four-dimensional dynamics of the extra-dimensional moduli fields in curved braneworlds having nested warping, with particular emphasis on the doubly warped model which is interesting in the light of current collider constraints on the mass of the Kaluza-Klein graviton. The presence of a non-zero brane cosmological constant ($\Omega$) naturally induces an effective moduli potential in the four-dimensional action, which shows distinct features in dS ($\Omega>0$) and AdS ($\Omega<0$) branches. For the observationally interesting case of dS 4-branes, a metastable minimum in the potential arises along the first modulus, with no minima along the higher moduli. The underlying nested geometry also leads to interesting separable forms of the non-canonical kinetic terms in the Einstein frame, where the brane curvature directly impacts the kinetic properties of only the first modulus. The non-canonicity of the scenario has been illustrated via an explicit computation of the field space curvature. We subsequently explore the ability of curved multiply warped geometries to drive inflation with an in-built exit mechanism, by considering predominant slow roll along each modular direction on a case-by-case basis. We find slow roll on top of the metastable plateau along the first modular direction to be the most viable scenario, with the higher-dimensional moduli parametrically tuning the height of the potential without significant impact on the inflationary observables. On the other hand, while slow roll along the higher moduli can successfully inflate the background and eventually lead to an exit, consistency with observations seemingly requires unphysical hierarchies among the extra-dimensional radii, thus disfavouring such scenarios.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Second law of horizon thermodynamics during cosmic evolution

We examine the second law of thermodynamics in the context of horizon cosmology, in particular, whether the change of total entropy (i.e. the sum of the entropy for the apparent horizon and the entropy for the matter fields) proves to be positive with the cosmic expansion of the universe. The matter fields inside the horizon obey the thermodynamics of an open system as the matter fields has a flux through the apparent horizon, which is either outward or inward depending on the background cosmological dynamics. Regarding the entropy of the apparent horizon, we consider different forms of the horizon entropy like the Tsallis entropy, the Rényi entropy, the Kaniadakis entropy, or even the 4-parameter generalized entropy; and determine the appropriate conditions on the respective entropic parameters coming from the second law of horizon thermodynamics. The constraints on the entropic parameters are found in such a way that it validates the second law of thermodynamics during a wide range of cosmic era of the universe, particularly from inflation to radiation dominated epoch followed by a reheating stage. Importantly, the present work provides a model independent way to constrain the entropic parameters directly from the second law of thermodynamics for the apparent horizon.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Horizon entropy consistent with FLRW equations for general modified theories of gravity and for all EoS of the matter field

The question that continues to hinge the interrelation between cosmology and thermodynamics is broadly described as -- what is the form of horizon entropy that links the Friedmann equations for a "$general$" gravity theory with the underlying thermodynamics of the apparent horizon? The answer to this question was known only for Einstein's gravity and for $(n+1)$ dimensional Gauss-Bonnet gravity theory, but not for a general modified theory of gravity (for instance, the $F(R)$ gravity). In the present work, we take this issue and determine a general form of entropy that connects the Friedmann equations for any gravity theory with the apparent horizon thermodynamics given by $TdS = -dE + WdV$ (the symbols have their usual meaning in the context of entropic cosmology and $W = \left(ρ- p\right)/2$ is the work density of the matter fields represented by $ρ$ and $p$ as the energy density and the pressure, respectively). Using such generalized entropy, we find the respective entropies for several modified theories of gravity (including the $F(R)$ gravity). Further, it turns out that besides the above-mentioned question, the thermodynamic law $TdS = -dE + WdV$ itself has some serious difficulties for certain values of $ω$ (the EoS of matter field). Thus we propose a modified thermodynamic law of apparent horizon, given by $TdS = -dE + ρdV$, that is interestingly free from such difficulties. The modified law proves to be valid for all EoS of the matter field and thus is considered to be more general compared to the previous one which, however, is a limiting case of the modified law for $p = -ρ$. Based on such modified thermodynamics, we further determine a generalized entropy that can provide the Friedmann equations of any general gravity theory for all values of EoS of the matter field. The further implications are discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

f(R) gravity with spacetime torsion

The duality between a higher curvature $f(R)$ gravity model and a scalar-tensor theory helps to bring out the role of the additional degree of freedom originating from the higher derivative terms in the gravity action. Such a degree of freedom which appears as a scalar field has been shown to have multiple implications in Cosmological/Astrophysical scenario. The present work proposes a novel generalization to this correspondence between $f(R)$ gravity and a dual scalar-tensor theory when the affine connection is considered to have an antisymmetric part. It turns out that the $f(R)$ action in presence of spacetime torsion can be recast to a $non-minimally$ coupled scalar-tensor theory with a 2-rank massless antisymmetric tensor field in the Einstein frame, where the scalar field gets coupled with the antisymmetric field through derivative coupling(s).

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Constant Curvature 3-branes in 5-D f(R) Bulk

Braneworld models remain the most promising candidates to address several important questions in low-energy particle phenomenology and cosmology. The role of the moduli field(s) and its stabilization is an integral part of this question. In this work, we show that a 5-dimensional warped braneworld model with higher curvature gravity in bulk admits de-Sitter and anti de-Sitter solutions on the branes. The remarkable feature of having a positive vacuum energy on the visible brane is the presence of a metastable minimum and a global minimum for the modulus potential. While the metastable minimum leads to a consistent cosmological model of a bouncing universe, the concomitant existence of the global minimum provides a vacuum for the modulus to roll down to stability. Further, this model is shown to be consistent with the swampland conjecture to qualify as a viable candidate in the low energy description of string landscape

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

Novel modulus stabilization mechanism in higher dimensional f(R) Gravity

In this work, we obtain a new warped solution for a 5-dimensional $f(R) $ gravity in an anti de-Sitter bulk. The higher curvature term in the gravity action is shown to modify the usual warped metric. The novel feature of this modification leads to a natural geometric stabilization of the modulus/radion field in the underlying effective theory on the visible 3-brane without the need for any external stabilizing field. It is further shown that the stabilized value of the modulus resolves the well-known gauge hierarchy problem without any unnatural fine-tuning of the model parameters. This new solution also opens up the possibilities of new signatures in various scenarios formulated in the backdrop of higher dimensional space-time.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Exploring Axions through the Photon Ring of a Spherically Symmetric Black Hole

In this study, we examine the phenomenon of photon axion conversion occurring in the spacetime surrounding a black hole. Specifically, we focus on the potential existence of a magnetic field around the supermassive black hole M87*, which could facilitate the conversion of photons into axions in close proximity to the photon sphere. While photons traverse through the curved spacetime, they spend time near the photon sphere, where conversion of these photons into axions takes place. Consequently, this process leads to a decrease in the intensity of the black hole's photon ring. To explore the possibilities of detecting these hypothetical axion particles, we propose observing the photon sphere using higher resolution telescopes. By doing so, we can gain valuable insights into the conversion mechanism as well as the nature of the spherically symmetric black hole geometry. Moreover, we also investigate how the photon ring luminosities are affected if the black hole possesses a charge parameter. For instance apart from U(1) electric charge, the presence of extra dimension may induce a {\em tidal charge} with a characteristic signature. It is important to note that the success of the conversion mechanism relies on the axion-photon coupling and mass. As a result, the modified luminosity of the black hole's photon ring offers a valuable means of constraining the axion's mass and coupling parameter within a certain range. Thus our findings contribute to a better understanding of photon axion conversion in the environment of a black hole spacetime and helps us explore the possible existence of extra spatial dimension.

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