Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 1301.4486

Nonstandard approach to gravity for the dark sector of the Universe

Abstract

We summarize the present state of research on the darkon fuid as a model for the dark sector of the Universe. Nonrelativistic massless particles are introduced as a realization of the Galilei group in an enlarged phase space. The additional degrees of freedom allow for a nonstandard, minimal coupling to gravity respecting Einstein's equivalence principle. Extended to a self-gravitating fluid the Poisson equation for the gravitational potential contains a dynamically generated effective gravitational mass density of either sign. The equations of motion (EOMs) contain no free parameters and are invariant w.r.t. Milne gauge transformations. Fixing the gauge eliminates the unphysical degrees of freedom. The resulting Lagrangian possesses no free particle limit. The particles it describes, darkons, exist only as fluid particles of a self-gravitating fluid. This darkon fluid realizes the zero-mass Galilean algebra extended by dilations with dynamical exponent z = 5/3. We reduce the EOMs to Friedmann-like equations, derive conserved quantities and a unique Hamiltonian dynamics by implementing dilation symmetry. By the Casimir of the Poisson-bracket (PB)-algebra we foliate the phase space and construct a Lagrangian in reduced phase space. We solve the Friedmann-like equations with the transition redshift and the value of the Casimir as integration constants. We obtain a deceleration phase for the early Universe and an acceleration phase for the late Universe in agreement with observations. Steady state equations in the spherically symmetric case may model a galactic halo. Numerical solutions of a nonlinear differential equation for the gravitational potential lead to predictions for the dark matter (DM) part of the rotation curves (RCs) of galaxies in qualitative agreement with observational data. We also present a general covariant generalization of the model.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

P. C. Stichel, W. J. Zakrzewski. 2013-01-18. Nonstandard approach to gravity for the dark sector of the Universe. https://doi.org/10.3390/e15020559

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

An upper bound on the minimum orbital period of black holes

Previous research has focused on establishing lower bounds on the minimum orbital period of black holes. In this work, we explore the complementary question of whether an upper bound exists for the minimum orbital period of black holes. We investigate the minimum orbital periods of three types of black holes: Schwarzschild, Reissner-Nordström and Kerr-Newman black holes. We find that the minimum orbital period of these black holes is bounded by an upper limit $T_{min} \leqslant 6\sqrt{3}πM$, where $M$ is the black hole mass. Our results suggest that this upper bound on the minimum orbital period may be a general property in black hole spacetimes.

gr-qc

Dirac Observables for Gowdy Cosmologies regular at the Big Bang

Gowdy cosmologies are exact, spatially inhomogeneous solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations which describe nonlinear gravitational waves coalescing at the Big Bang singularity. With toroidal spatial sections they provenly have the Asymptotic Velocity Domination property, in that close to the Big Bang dynamical spatial gradients fade out and the dynamics is governed by a Carroll-type gravity theory. Here we construct an infinite set of Dirac observables for Gowdy cosmologies, valid off-shell, strongly, and without gauge fixing. These observables stay regular at the Big Bang and can be matched to much simpler Dirac observables of the Carroll-type gravity theory. Conversely, in an adapted foliation there is a systematic anti-Newtonian expansion (in inverse powers of the reduced Newton constant) of the full Dirac observables whose leading terms are the Carroll ones. In particular, this provides an off-shell generalization of the Asymptotic Velocity Domination property.

gr-qc

Global causality constraints in rotating scalar-tensor spacetimes

Modified gravity is often formulated as an effective field theory (EFT), where higher-order corrections parametrize departures from General Relativity. We argue that such corrections should be constrained by the global causal structure of curved spacetime, in addition to the usual flat-space requirements such as positivity and unitarity. We propose that within the domain of validity of the EFT, the onset of closed timelike curves should not happen in a parametrically more accessible region than in the corresponding GR background. We test this diagnostic in the quadratic k-essence sector of scalar-tensor gravity. For stationary and axisymmetric spacetimes, the invariant test for closed axial orbits is the sign of the azimuthal component of the metric \(g_{φφ}\). We supplement this test by requiring a local time function in the space of Killing vectors. We apply these conditions to quadratic k-essence on Kerr--(A)dS backgrounds, with and without scalar charge. The zero-charge branch is exact Kerr--(A)dS, and we treat the charged branch perturbatively in scalar charge and in Hartle--Thorne slow rotation. Expanding for small spin \(χ=a/(GM)\ll1\), frame dragging begins at \(\mathcal O(χ)\), while the quadrupolar backreaction relevant for circular closed timelike curves enters at second order in both rotation and charge. We find that, in the truncation used here, any occurrence of \(g_{φφ}<0\) also lies outside EFT control. A higher-order calculation or a fully nonlinear treatment is therefore needed. Finally, we discuss how quasinormal modes and black-hole echoes could probe such causal structure.

gr-qc