119287029
ASPECTS OF QUANTUM GRAVITY IN COSMOLOGY
We review some aspects of quantum gravity in the context of cosmology. In particular, we focus on models with a phenomenology accessible to current and near-future observations, as the early Universe might be our only chance to peep through the quantum gravity realm.
53531318
PARTICLE PRODUCTION AND TRANSPLANCKIAN PROBLEM ON THE NONCOMMUTATIVE PLANE
We consider the coherent state approach to noncommutativity and we derive from it an effective quantum scalar field theory. We show how the noncommutativity can be taken into account by a suitable modification of the Klein–Gordon product, and of the equal-time commutation relations. We prove that, in curved space, the Bogoliubov coefficients are unchanged, hence the number density of the produced particle is the same as for the commutative case. What changes though is the associated energy density, and this offers a simple solution to the transplanckian problem.
119303785
Black holes with non-minimal derivative coupling
We study the gravitational field equations in the presence of a coupling between the derivative of a massless scalar field and the Einstein tensor. This configuration is motivated by Galileon gravity as it preserves shift invariance in the scalar sector. We analytically obtain solutions with static and spherically symmetric geometry, which also include black holes with a single regular horizon. We examine the thermodynamical properties of these solutions, and we reveal the non-perturbative nature of the Galileon coupling constant. We also find a phase transition, similar to the one described by Hawking and Page, which occurs at a critical temperature determined by both the black hole mass and by the strength of the coupling.
118633927
The entropy of an acoustic black hole in Bose-Einstein condensates: transverse modes as a cure for divergences
We consider the entropy associated to the phonons generated via the Hawking mechanism in a sonic hole in a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC). In a previous paper, we looked at the (1+1)-dimensional case both in the hydrodynamic limit and in the case when high-frequency dispersion is taken in account. Here, we extend the analysis, based on the 't Hooft brick wall model, by including transverse excitations. We show that they can cure the infrared divergence that appears in the (1+1)-dimensional case, by acting as an effective mass for the phonons. In the hydrodynamic limit, where high-frequency dispersion is neglected, the ultraviolet divergence remains. On the contrary, in the dispersive case the entropy not only is finite, but it is completely fixed by the geometric parameters of the system.
16113420
Self-T-dual brane cosmology and the cosmological constant problem
We consider a codimension-one brane embedded in a gravity-dilaton bulk action, whose symmetries are compatible with T-duality along the space-like directions parallel to the brane, and the bulk time-like direction. The equations of motions in the string frame allow for a smooth background obtained by the union of two symmetric patches of AdS space. The Poincare invariance of the solution appears to hold independently of the value of the brane vacuum energy, through a self-tuning property of the dilaton ground state. Moreover, the effective cosmology displays a bounce, at which the scale factor does not shrink to zero. Finally, by exploiting the T-duality symmetry, we show how to construct an ever-expanding Universe, along the lines of the Pre-Big-Bang scenario.
118790490
Observational signatures of pre-inflationary and lower-dimensional effective gravity
Several alternative ways to quantize gravitational interactions seem to indicate that gravity at short distances is effectively two-dimensional. If this were true, and the energy scale at which the dimensional transition occurs is of the order of the inflationary one, it is reasonable to investigate eventual signatures in the primordial perturbation spectra. In this paper we look at this possibility by assuming that the inflationary era was preceded by an effectively two-dimensional evolution of the Universe. We model the transition with a mode matching and we show that, in this case, no observational signatures are expected in the tensor and scalar power spectra nor in their ratio. We also show that assuming modified dispersion relations before the matching between two sets of four-dimensional modes leads to similar results.
8554040
BRST symmetries for the tangent gauge group
For any principal bundle P, one can consider the subspace of the space of connections on its tangent bundle TP given by the tangent bundle TA of the space of connections A on P. The tangent gauge group acts freely on TA. Appropriate BRST operators are introduced for quantum field theories that include as fields elements of TA, as well as tangent vectors to the space of curvatures. As the simplest application, the BRST symmetry of the so-called BF-Yang–Mills theory is described and the relevant gauge fixing conditions are analyzed. A brief account on the topological BF theories is also included and the relevant Batalin–Vilkovisky operator is described.
117730967
Generalized Wess-Zumino terms and global anomalies in string sigma models
119943646
Relation between representations of KN and virasoro algebras
Abstract Some aspects of conformal field theory over Riemann surfaces are examined. We study, in particular, on simple systems (b−c systems) the relation between representations of the Virasoro and the KN algebras. KN algebra representations decompose into an infinite sum of the Virasoro algebra representations. We argue that the KN algebra representations are the right tool in order to classify conformal field theories over higher genus Riemann surfaces.
120477826
Spin structures, spinors and the Dirac operator: real versus complex manifolds
Abstract We describe the relation between spin-structures, spinors and the Dirac operator on a (real) manifold and the analogous definitions in complex holomorphic terms. This may be useful for physicists interested in the algebraic geometric approach to superstrings.
117021213
Studying the neutron orbital structure by coherent hard exclusive processes off 3He
Hard exclusive processes, such as Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS), allow to access generalized parton distributions (GPDs). By means of an Impulse Approximation (IA) calculation, it is shown here how, in the low momentum transfer region, the sum of the GPDs H and E is dominated by the neutron contribution. Thanks to this property, 3He could open a new way to access the neutron structure information. In this work, a simple and efficient extraction procedure of the neutron GPDs, able to take into account the nuclear effects included in IA analysis, is proposed.