Related papers: Bounces, turnarounds and singularities in bimetric…
We present a model of the gravitational field based on two symmetric tensors. Gravity is affected by the new field, but outside matter the predictions of the model coincide exactly with general relativity, so all classical tests are…
We point out that spacetime singularities play a useful role in gravitational theories by eliminating unphysical solutions. In particular, we argue that any modification of general relativity which is completely nonsingular cannot have a…
We discuss the dynamical system approach applied to Higher Order Theories of Gravity. We show that once the theory of gravity has been specified, the cosmological equations can be written as a first-order autonomous system and we give…
We investigate cosmological models with a linear inhomogeneous time-dependent equation of state for the dark energy, coupled with dark matter, leading to a bounce cosmology. Equivalent descriptions in terms of the equation-of-state…
We consider a modified gravity model with a massive graviton, but which nevertheless only propagates two gravitational degrees of freedom and which is free of ghosts. We show that non-singular bouncing cosmological background solutions can…
We show that if one starts with a Universe with some matter and a cosmological constant, then quantum mechanics naturally induces an attractive gravitational potential and an effective Newton's coupling. Thus gravity is an emergent…
After a brief introduction, basic ideas of the quantum Riemannian geometry underlying loop quantum gravity are summarized. To illustrate physical ramifications of quantum geometry, the framework is then applied to homogeneous isotropic…
In recent years, Loop Quantum Gravity has emerged as a solid candidate for a nonperturbative quantum theory of General Relativity. It is a background independent theory based on a description of the gravitational field in terms of…
A bouncing Universe avoids the big-bang singularity. Using the time-like and null Raychaudhhuri equations, we explore whether the bounce near the big-bang, within a broad spectrum of modified theories of gravity, allows for cosmologically…
We study the quantum cosmology of a flat Friedmann-Lema\^{i}tre-Robertson-Walker universe filled with a (free) massless scalar field and a perfect fluid that represents radiation or a cosmological constant whose value is not fixed by the…
We discuss the way non-perturbative quantization of cosmological spacetimes in loop quantum cosmology provides insights on the physics of Planck scale and the resolution of big bang singularity. In recent years, rigorous examination of…
The two-dimensional theory of gravity describing a graviton-dilaton system is considered. The graviton-dilaton coupling can be fixed such that the quantum theory remains free of the conformal anomaly for any conformal dimension of the…
We discuss the effects of a (possibly) negative $(1+z)^6$ type contribution to the Friedmann equation. No definite answer can be given as to the presence and magnitude of a particular mechanism, because any test using the general relation…
In this paper we investigate how to realize various quite well known cosmological bouncing models in the context of the recently developed unimodular $F(R)$ gravity. Particularly, we shall study the matter bounce scenario, the singular…
This is a brief review of modified gravity cosmologies. Generically extensions of gravity action involve higher derivative terms, which can result in ghosts and instabilities. There are three ways to circumvent this: Chern-Simons terms,…
We present a class of theories of two dimensional gravity which admits homogeneous and isotropic solutions that are nonsingular and asymptotically approach a FRW matter dominated universe at late times. These models are generalizations of…
Whereas the nature of dark components in the Universe remains unknown, alternative models of gravity have been developed to offer a geometric explanation to the origin of such components. In this work we use the Minimal Geometric…
We consider the ADM formalism as a tool to build bouncing cosmologies. In this approach, the foliation of the spacetime has to be fixed in order to go beyond General Relativity modifying the gravitational sector. Once a preferred slicing,…
Singularities in general relativity such as the big bang and big crunch, and exotic singularities such as the big rip are the boundaries of the classical spacetimes. These events are marked by a divergence in the curvature invariants and…
We introduce the "wedge diagram," an intuitive way to illustrate how cosmological models with a classical (non-singular) bounce generically resolve fundamental problems in cosmology. These include the well-known horizon, flatness, and…