Related papers: Warp Drive: A New Approach
We study the behavior of a general gravitational action, including quadratic terms in the curvature, supplemented by a compact scalar field in 4+1 dimensions. The generalized Einstein equation for this system admits solutions which are…
Looking at current proposals of so-called `warp drive spacetimes', they appear to employ General Relativity only at an elementary level. A number of strong restrictions are imposed such as flow-orthogonality of the spacetime foliation,…
We will look for an implementation of new symmetries in the space-time structure and their cosmological implications. This search will allow us to find a unified vision for electrodynamics and gravitation. We will attempt to develop a…
We present a model where a non-conventional scalar field may act like dark energy leading to cosmic acceleration. The latter is driven by an appropriate field configuration, which result in an effective cosmological constant. The potential…
The expectation value of the stress-energy tensor of a free conformally invariant scalar field is computed in a two-dimensional reduction of the Alcubierre ``warp drive'' spacetime. The stress-energy is found to diverge if the apparent…
We carry out a simple analysis of (n+3)-dimensional gravity in the context of recent work on 'large' supplementary dimensions and deduce a formula for the expected compactification radius for the n additional dimensions in the universe, as…
Explaining the effects of dark matter using modified gravitational dynamics (MOND) has for decades been both an intriguing and controversial possibility. By insisting that the gravitational interaction that accounts for the Newtonian force…
The $q$-theory approach to the cosmological constant problem is reconsidered. The new observation is that the effective classical $q$-theory gets modified due to the backreaction of quantum-mechanical particle production by spacetime…
The acceleration of the expansion of the universe represents one of the major challenges to our current understanding of fundamental physics. In principle, to explain this phenomenon, at least two different routes may be followed: either…
This article reviews the arguments why extra dimensions provide a unique opportunity for progress on the cosmological constant problem, and updates the status of -- and the objections to (with replies) -- the specific proposal using…
According to a model of quantum cosmology the maximum number of degrees of freedom allowed in our three dimensions was determined by the size of seven extra dimensions in an initial excited state before inflation. The size of the extra…
There is an effect in the modified dynamics (MOND) that is conducive to formation of warps. Because of the nonlinearity of the theory the internal dynamics of a galaxy is affected by a perturber over and above possible tidal effects. For…
Recent research has proposed that advanced propulsion mechanisms such as warp drives are more physically feasible than previously thought, using positive energy sources potentially sourced by known classical physics. Motivated by this, we…
Warp drives in Einstein's general theory of relativity provide a unique mechanism for manned interstellar travel. It is well-known that the classical superluminal soliton spacetimes require negative energy densities, likely sourced by…
After recalling why dynamical adjustment mechanisms represent a particularly attractive possibility for solving the cosmological constant problem, we briefly discuss their intrinsic difficulties as summarized in Weinberg's no-go theorem. We…
The Stringy Uncertainty relations, and corrections thereof, were explicitly derived recently from the New Relativity Principle that treats all dimensions and signatures on the same footing and which is based on the postulate that the Planck…
After a short history of the $\Lambda$-term it is explained why the (effective) cosmological constant is expected to obtain contributions from short-distance physics, corresponding to an energy at least as large as the Fermi scale. The…
We show that scalar field fluctuations alone can drive cosmic acceleration, provided the universe is spatially closed and the Compton wavelength of the field exceeds the radius of curvature. This mechanism may open new perspectives on…
We present a case that current observations may already indicate new gravitational physics on cosmological scales. The excess of power seen in the Lyman-alpha forest and small-scale CMB experiments, the anomalously large bulk flows seen…
Large extra dimensions lower the Planck scale to values soon accessible. Not only is the Planck scale the energy scale at which effects of modified gravity become important. The Planck length also acts as a minimal length in nature,…