Orwik

Gravity on a multifractal

Despite their diversity, many of the most prominent candidate theories of quantum gravity share the property to be effectively lower-dimensional at small scales. In particular, dimension two plays a fundamental role in the finiteness of these model... expand abstracts of Nature. Thus motivated, we entertain the idea that spacetime is a multifractal with integer dimension 4 at large scales, while it is two-dimensional in the ultraviolet. Consequences for particle physics, gravity and cosmology are discussed. collapse abstract

Two-point functions in (loop) quantum cosmology

The path-integral formulation of quantum cosmology with a massless scalar field as a sum-over-histories of volume transitions is discussed, with particular but non-exclusive reference to loop quantum cosmology. Exploiting the analogy with the relat... expand abstractivistic particle, we give a complete overview of the possible two-point functions, pointing out the choices involved in their definitions, deriving their vertex expansions and the composition laws they satisfy. We clarify the origin and relations of different quantities previously defined in the literature, in particular the tie between definitions using a group averaging procedure and those in a deparametrized framework. Finally, we draw some conclusions about the physics of a single quantum universe (where there exist superselection rules on positive- and negative-frequency sectors and different choices of inner product are physically equivalent) and multiverse field theories where the role of these sectors and the inner product are reinterpreted. collapse abstract

Inflationary observables in loop quantum cosmology

The full set of cosmological observables coming from linear scalar and tensor perturbations of loop quantum cosmology is computed in the presence of inverse-volume corrections. Background inflationary solutions are found at linear order in the quan... expand abstracttum corrections; depending on the values of quantization parameters, they obey an exact or perturbed power-law expansion in conformal time. The comoving curvature perturbation is shown to be conserved at large scales, just as in the classical case. Its associated Mukhanov equation is obtained and solved. Combined with the results for tensor modes, this yields the scalar and tensor indices, their running, and the tensor-to-scalar ratio, which are all first order in the quantum correction. The latter could be sizable in phenomenological scenarios. Contrary to a pure minisuperspace parametrization, the lattice refinement parametrization is in agreement with both anomaly cancellation and our results on background solutions and linear perturbations. The issue of the choice of parametrization is also discussed in relation with a possible superluminal propagation of perturbative modes, and conclusions for quantum spacetime structure are drawn. collapse abstract

Fractal universe and quantum gravity

We propose a field theory which lives in fractal spacetime and is argued to be Lorentz invariant, power-counting renormalizable, ultraviolet finite, and causal. The system flows from an ultraviolet fixed point, where spacetime has Hausdorff dimensi... expand abstracton 2, to an infrared limit coinciding with a standard four-dimensional field theory. Classically, the fractal world where fields live exchanges energy momentum with the bulk with integer topological dimension. However, the total energy momentum is conserved. We consider the dynamics and the propagator of a scalar field. Implications for quantum gravity, cosmology, and the cosmological constant are discussed. collapse abstract

Cosmological Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer condensate as dark energy

We argue that the occurrence of late-time acceleration can conveniently be described by first-order general relativity covariantly coupled to fermions. Dark energy arises as a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer condensate of fermions which forms in the earl... expand abstracty universe. At late times, the gap and chemical potential evolve to have an equation of state with effective negative pressure, thus naturally leading to acceleration. collapse abstract

Cosmological rolling solutions of nonlocal theories

We find nonperturbative solutions of a nonlocal scalar field equation, with cubic or exponential potential on a cosmological background. The former case corresponds to the lowest level effective tachyon action of cubic string field theory. While th... expand abstracte well known Minkowski solution is wildly oscillating, due to Hubble friction its cosmological counterpart describes smooth rolling towards the local minimum of the potential. collapse abstract

Quantum field theory, gravity and cosmology in a fractal universe

We propose a model for a power-counting renormalizable field theory living in a fractal spacetime. The action is Lorentz covariant and equipped with a Stieltjes measure. The system flows, even in a classical sense, from an ultraviolet regime where ... expand abstractspacetime has Hausdorff dimension 2 to an infrared limit coinciding with a standard $D$-dimensional field theory. We discuss the properties of a scalar field model at classical and quantum level. Classically, the field lives on a fractal which exchanges energy-momentum with the bulk of integer topological dimension D. Although an observer experiences dissipation, the total energy-momentum is conserved. The field spectrum is a continuum of massive modes. The gravitational sector and Einstein equations are discussed in detail, also on cosmological backgrounds. We find ultraviolet cosmological solutions and comment on their implications for the early universe. collapse abstract

Non-local gravity and the diffusion equation

We propose a non-local scalar-tensor model of gravity with pseudo-differential operators inspired by the effective action of p-adic string and string field theory on flat spacetime. An infinite number of derivatives act both on the metric and scala... expand abstractr field sector. The system is localized via the diffusion equation approach and its cosmology is studied. We find several exact dynamical solutions which are stationary in the diffusion flow. In particular, and contrary to standard general relativity, there exist de Sitter and power-law solutions also in an open universe, as well as solutions with sudden future singularities. Also, from the point of view of quantum field theory, spontaneous symmetry breaking can be naturally realized in the class of actions we consider. collapse abstract

String theory as a diffusing system

Recent results on the effective non-local dynamics of the tachyon mode of open string field theory (OSFT) show that approximate solutions can be constructed which obey the diffusion equation. We argue that this structure is inherited from the full ... expand abstracttheory, where it admits a universal formulation. In fact, all known exact OSFT solutions are superpositions of diffusing surface states. In particular, the diffusion equation is a spacetime manifestation of OSFT gauge symmetries. collapse abstract

Detailed balance in Horava-Lifshitz gravity

We study Horava-Lifshitz gravity in the presence of a scalar field. When the detailed balance condition is implemented, a new term in the gravitational sector is added in order to maintain ultraviolet stability. The four-dimensional theory is of a ... expand abstractscalar-tensor type with a positive cosmological constant and gravity is nonminimally coupled with the scalar and its gradient terms. The scalar field has a double-well potential and, if required to play the role of the inflation, can produce a scale-invariant spectrum. The total action is rather complicated and there is no analog of the Einstein frame where Lorentz invariance is recovered in the infrared. For these reasons it may be necessary to abandon detailed balance. We comment on open problems and future directions in anisotropic critical models of gravity. collapse abstract

Erratum: Cosmological Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer condensate as dark energy Phys. Rev. D 81, 043511 (2010)

Flow equations in generalized braneworld scenarios

We discuss the flow equations in the context of general braneworld cosmologies with a modified Friedmann equation, for either an ordinary scalar field or a Dirac-Born-Infeld tachyon as inflaton candidates. The 4D, Randall-Sundrum, and Gauss-Bonnet ... expand abstractcases are compared, using the patch formalism which provides a unified description of these models. The inflationary dynamics is described by a tower of flow parameters that can be evolved in time to select a particular subset of points in the space of cosmological observables. We analyze the stability of the fixed points in all the cosmologies (our results in the 4D case already extending those in the literature). Numerical integration of the flow equations shows that the predictions of the Gauss-Bonnet braneworld differ significantly as compared to the Randall-Sundrum and 4D scenarios, whereas tachyon inflation gives tensor perturbations smaller than those in the presence of a normal scalar field. These results are extended to the realization of a noncommutative space-time preserving maximal symmetry. In this case the tensor-to-scalar signal is unchanged, while blue-tilted spectra are favoured. collapse abstract

Tachyon dark energy models: dynamics and constraints

We explore the dynamics of dark energy models based on a Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) tachyonic action, studying a range of potentials. We numerically investigate the existence of tracking behaviour and determine the present-day value of the equation of... expand abstract state parameter and its running, which are compared with observational bounds. We find that tachyon models have quite similar phenomenology to canonical quintessence models. While some potentials can be selected amongst many possibilities and fine-tuned to give viable scenarios, there is no apparent advantage in choosing a DBI scalar field instead of a Klein-Gordon one. collapse abstract

Inflationary scalar spectrum in loop quantum cosmology

In the context of loop quantum cosmology, we consider an inflationary era driven by a canonical scalar field and occurring in the semiclassical regime, where spacetime is a continuum but quantum gravitational effects are important. The spectral amp... expand abstractlitude and index of scalar perturbations on an unperturbed de Sitter background are computed at lowest order in the slow-roll parameters. The scalar spectrum can be blue-tilted and far from scale invariance, and tuning of the quantization ambiguities is necessary for agreement with observations. The results are extended to a generalized quantization scheme including those proposed in the literature. Quantization of the matter field at sub-horizon scales can provide a consistency check of such schemes. collapse abstract

Dark energy and cosmological solutions in second-order string gravity

We study the cosmological evolution based upon a $D$-dimensional action in low-energy effective string theory in the presence of second-order curvature corrections and a modulus scalar field (dilaton or compactification modulus). A barotropic perfe... expand abstractct fluid coupled to the scalar field is also allowed. Phase space analysis and the stability of asymptotic solutions are performed for a number of models which include ($i$) fixed scalar field, ($ii$) linear dilaton in string frame, and ($iii$) logarithmic modulus in Einstein frame. We confront analytical solutions with observational constraints for deceleration parameter and show that Gauss-Bonnet gravity (with no matter fields) may not explain the current acceleration of the universe. We also study the future evolution of the universe using the GB parametrization and find that big rip singularities can be avoided even in the presence of a phantom fluid because of the balance between the fluid and curvature corrections. A non-minimal coupling between the fluid and the modulus field also opens up the interesting possibility to avoid big rip regardless of the details of the fluid equation of state. collapse abstract

de Sitter thermodynamics and the braneworld

The de Sitter thermodynamics of cosmological models with a modified Friedmann equation is considered, with particular reference to high-energy Randall-Sundrum and Gauss-Bonnet braneworlds. The Friedmann equation can be regarded as the first law of ... expand abstractthermodynamics of an effective gravitational theory in quasi de Sitter spacetime. The associated entropy provides some selection rules for the range of the parameters of the models, and is proposed for describing tunneling processes in the class of high-energy gravities under consideration. collapse abstract

Cosmological tachyon from cubic string field theory

The classical dynamics of the tachyon scalar field of cubic string field theory is considered on a cosmological background. Starting from a nonlocal action with arbitrary tachyon potential, which encodes the bosonic and several supersymmetric cases... expand abstract, we study the equations of motion in the Hamilton-Jacobi formalism and with a generalized Friedmann equation, appliable in braneworld or modified gravity models. The cases of cubic (bosonic) and quartic (supersymmetric) tachyon potential in general relativity are automatically included. We comment the validity of the slow-roll approximation, the stability of the cosmological perturbations, and the relation between this tachyon and the Dirac-Born-Infeld one. collapse abstract

Consistency equations in Randall-Sundrum cosmology: a test for braneworld inflation

In the context of an inflationary Randall-Sundrum Type II braneworld (RS2) we calculate spectral indices and amplitudes of cosmological scalar and tensor perturbations, up to second order in slow-roll parameters. Under very simple assumptions, extr... expand abstractapolating next-order formulae from first-order calculations in the case of a de Sitter brane, we see that the degeneracy between standard and braneworld lowest-order consistency equations is broken, thus giving different signatures of early-universe inflationary expansion. Using the latest results from WMAP for estimates of cosmological observables, it is shown that future data and missions can in principle discriminate between standard and braneworld scenarios. collapse abstract

Degeneracy of consistency equations in braneworld inflation

In a Randall-Sundrum type II inflationary scenario we compute perturbation amplitudes and spectral indices up to next-to-lowest order in the slow-roll parameters, starting from the well-known lowest-order result for a de Sitter brane. Using two dif... expand abstractferent prescriptions for the tensor amplitude, we show that the braneworld consistency equations are not degenerate with respect to the standard relations and we explore their observational consequences. It is then shown that, while the degeneracy between high- and low-energy regimes can come from suitable values of the cosmological observables, exact functional matching between consistency expressions is plausibly discarded. This result is then extended to the Gauss-Bonnet case. collapse abstract

Slow-roll parameters in braneworld cosmologies

We present a general slow-roll formalism within braneworld-motivated cosmologies with non-standard effective Friedmann equations. Full towers of parameters involving either the inflaton potential or the Hubble parameter are constructed and the dyna... expand abstractmics of non-tachyonic and tachyonic fields are considered in detail; exact cosmological solutions and the inflationary attractor condition are provided. We compare scalar-driven and tachyon-driven accelerating eras through slow-roll correspondence and the observational imprint on early-universe structures. collapse abstract

Noncommutative models in patch cosmology

We consider several classes of noncommutative inflationary models within an extended version of patch cosmological braneworlds, starting from a maximally invariant generalization of the action for scalar and tensor perturbations to a noncommutative... expand abstract brane embedded in a commutative bulk. Slow-roll expressions and consistency relations for the cosmological observables are provided, both in the UV and IR region of the spectrum; the inflaton field is assumed to be either an ordinary scalar field or a Born-Infeld tachyon. The effects of noncommutativity are then analyzed in a number of ways and energy regimes. collapse abstract

Cosmology of the Lifshitz universe

We study the ultraviolet complete non-relativistic theory recently proposed by Horava. After introducing a Lifshitz scalar for a general background, we analyze the cosmology of the model in Lorentzian and Euclidean signature. Vacuum solutions are f... expand abstractound and it is argued the existence of non-singular bouncing profiles. We find a general qualitative agreement with both the picture of Causal Dynamical Triangulations and Quantum Einstein Gravity. However, inflation driven by a Lifshitz scalar field on a classical background might not produce a scale-invariant spectrum when the principle of detailed balance is assumed. collapse abstract

Kinks of open superstring field theory

We construct approximate kink solutions of supersymmetric open string field theory at lowest level when non-local operators in the tachyon effective action are fully taken into account. To this purpose we derive two duplication formulae for product... expand abstracts of incomplete gamma functions, which determine the level of approximation of the solutions. The time kink is an instanton of the Euclidean theory with a well-defined tunneling probability. The spatial kink solution represents an unstable D9-brane decaying into a stable D8-brane. We calculate the ratio of the brane tensions, which almost exactly reproduces the expected value. collapse abstract

Loop quantum cosmology and tensor perturbations in the early universe

We study the tensor modes of linear metric perturbations within an effective framework of loop quantum cosmology. After a review of inverse-volume and holonomy corrections in the background equations of motion, we solve the linearized tensor modes ... expand abstractequations and extract their spectrum. Ignoring holonomy corrections, the tensor spectrum is blue tilted in the near-Planckian superinflationary regime and may be observationally disfavoured. However, in this case background dynamics is highly nonperturbative, hence the use of standard perturbative techniques may not be very reliable. On the other hand, in the quasi-classical regime the tensor index receives a small negative quantum correction, slightly enhancing the standard red tilt in slow-roll inflation. We discuss possible interpretations of this correction, which depends on the choice of semiclassical state. collapse abstract

Barbero-Immirzi field in canonical formalism of pure gravity

The Barbero-Immirzi (BI) parameter is promoted to a field and a canonical analysis is performed when it is coupled with a Nieh-Yan topological invariant. It is shown that, in the effective theory, the BI field is a canonical pseudoscalar minimally ... expand abstractcoupled with gravity. This framework is argued to be more natural than the one of the usual Holst action. Potential consequences in relation with inflation and the quantum theory are briefly discussed. collapse abstract