Related papers: Higher order derivative coupling to gravity and it…
Higher order derivative theories, generally suffer from instabilities, known as Ostrogradsky instabilities. This issue can be resolved by removing any existing degeneracy present in such theories. We consider a model involving at most…
We consider the O(3) or CP(1) nonlinear sigma model as an effective field theory in a derivative expansion, with the most general Lagrangian that obeys O(3), parity and Lorentz symmetry. We work out the complete list of possible operators…
Higher derivative scalar interactions can give rise to interesting cosmological scenarios. We present a complete classification of such operators that can yield sizeable effects without introducing ghosts and, at the same time, define an…
We review the effective field theory of modified gravity in which the Lagrangian involves three dimensional geometric quantities appearing in the 3+1 decomposition of space-time. On the flat isotropic cosmological background we expand a…
Recent progress seems to suggest that one must modify General Relativity (GR) to stably violate the null energy condition and avoid the cosmological singularity. However, with the higher-order derivative operators of scalar field (a…
Ostrogradsky instability generally appears in nondegenerate higher-order derivative theories and this issue can be resolved by removing any existing degeneracy present in such theories. We consider an action involving terms that are at most…
We study extended theories of gravity where nonminimal derivative couplings of the form $R^{kl}\phi_{, k}\phi_{, l}$ are present in the Lagrangian. We show how and why the other couplings of similar structure may be ruled out and then…
As an alternative to the covariant Ostrogradski method, we show that higher-derivative relativistic Lagrangian field theories can be reduced to second differential-order by writing them directly as covariant two-derivative theories…
We present a framework for discussing the cosmology of dark energy and dark matter based on two scalar degrees of freedom. An effective field theory of cosmological perturbations is employed. A unitary gauge choice renders the dark energy…
We discuss the extent to which it is necessary to include higher-derivative operators in the effective field theory of general scalar-tensor theories. We explore the circumstances under which it is correct to restrict to second-order…
In this article we introduce a new operator representing the three-dimensional scalar curvature in loop quantum gravity. Our construction does not apply to the entire kinematical Hilbert space of loop quantum gravity; instead, the operator…
We carry out the extension of the Ostrogradski method to relativistic field theories. Higher-derivative Lagrangians reduce to second differential-order with one explicit independent field for each degree of freedom. We consider a…
In this paper we consider the most general least-order derivative theory of gravity in which not only curvature but also torsion is explicitly present in the Lagrangian, and where all independent fields have their own coupling constant: we…
We discuss spacetime instability for effective field theories of quantum gravity. The effective action of gravity introduces infinite higher derivative curvature terms $R^{2}, { R }_{ \mu \nu }{ R }^{ \mu \nu }, R_{\mu\nu\kappa\lambda}…
We construct the consistent ghost-free covariant scalar-vector-tensor gravity theories with second order equations of motion with derivative interactions. We impose locality, unitarity, Lorentz invariance and pseudo-Riemannian geometry as…
The hierarchy of conformally coupled scalars with the increasing scaling dimensions $\Delta_{k}=k-d/2$, $k=1,2,3,... $ connected with the $k$-th Euler density in the corresponding space-time dimensions $d\geq 2k$ is proposed. The…
The Hamiltonian analysis for $f(T)$ gravity implies the existence of at least one scalar-type degree of freedom (DoF). However, this scalar DoF of $f(T)$ gravity does not manifest in linear perturbations around a cosmological background,…
The Horndeski Lagrangian brings together all possible interactions between gravity and a scalar field that yield second-order field equations in four-dimensional spacetime. As originally proposed, it only addresses phenomenology without…
We consider the lagrangian $L=F(R)$ in classical (=non-quantized) two-dimensional fourth-order gravity and give new relations to Einstein's theory with a non-minimally coupled scalar field. We distinguish between scale-invariant lagrangians…
This contribution reviews scalar-tensor theories whose Lagrangian contains second-order derivatives of a scalar field but nevertheless propagate only one scalar mode (in addition to the usual two tensor modes), and are thus not plagued with…