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Some recently discovered nonperturbative strong-field effects in tensor-scalar theories of gravitation are interpreted as a scalar analog of ferromagnetism: "spontaneous scalarization". This phenomenon leads to very significant deviations…
The Bakry-Emery generalized Ricci tensor arises in scalar-tensor gravitation theories in the conformal gauge known as the Jordan frame. Recent results from the mathematics literature show that standard singularity and splitting theorems…
We derive the low-energy effective action of four-dimensional gravity in the Randall-Sundrum scenario in which two 3-branes of opposite tension reside in a five-dimensional spacetime. The dimensional reduction with the Ansatz for the radion…
We report strong cosmological constraints on the Brans-Dicke (BD) theory of gravity using Cosmic Microwave Background data from Planck.We consider two types of models. First, the initial condition of the scalar field is fixed to give the…
Tests of gravity performed in the solar system show a good agreement with general relativity. The latter is however challenged by observations at larger, galactic and cosmic, scales which are presently cured by introducing "dark matter" or…
This talk reviews the constraints imposed by binary-pulsar data on gravity theories, focusing on ``tensor-scalar'' ones which are the best motivated alternatives to general relativity. We recall that binary-pulsar tests are qualitatively…
Although the Gauss-Bonnet term is a topological invariant for general relativity, it couples naturally to a quintessence scalar field, modifying gravity at solar system scales. We determine the solar system constraints due to this term by…
We compute the PPN parameters $\gamma$ and $\beta$ for general scalar-tensor theories in the Einstein frame, which we compare to the existing PPN formulation in the Jordan frame for alternative theories of gravity. This computation is…
A new, field-theory-based framework for discussing and interpreting tests of gravity, notably at the second post-Newtonian (2PN) level, is introduced. Contrary to previous frameworks which attempted at parametrizing any conceivable…
Einstein's theory of gravity, General Relativity, has been precisely tested on Solar System scales, but the long-range nature of gravity is still poorly constrained. The nearby strong gravitational lens, ESO 325-G004, provides a laboratory…
This talk is based on my work in collaboration with Thibault Damour since 1991. Unified theories, like superstrings, predict the existence of scalar partners to the graviton. Such theories of gravity can be very close to general relativity…
Disformal theories of gravity are scalar-tensor theories where the scalar couples derivatively to matter via the Jordan frame metric. These models have recently attracted interest in the cosmological context since they admit accelerating…
In order for a modified gravity model to be a candidate for cosmological dark energy it has to pass stringent local gravity experiments. We find that a Brans-Dicke (BD) theory with well-defined second order corrections that include the…
The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analyzing them are reviewed and updated. Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP) is well supported by experiments such as the Eotvos experiment, tests…
Recently, a strong debate has been pursued about the Newtonian limit (i.e. small velocity and weak field) of fourth order gravity models. According to some authors, the Newtonian limit of $f(R)$-gravity is equivalent to the one of…
Screened modified gravity (SMG) and Brans-Dicke (BD) gravity are typical examples of scalar-tensor theories with and without screening mechanisms, which can suppress the scalar field in dense regions. In this paper, we investigate the tests…
Solar system observations have traditionally allowed for very stringent tests of Einstein's theory of general relativity. We here revisit the possibility of using these observations to constrain gravitational parity violation as…
The post-Newtonian parameter $\gamma$ resulting from a universal scalar/matter coupling is investigated in Brans-Dicke-like Scalar-Tensor theories where the scalar potential is assumed to be negligible. Conversely to previous studies, we…
This talk is based on my work in collaboration with Thibault Damour. We compare the probing power of different classes of gravity experiments: solar-system tests (weak-field regime), binary-pulsar tests (strong-field regime), and future…
The effective four-dimensional, linearised gravity for a brane world model with higher order curvature terms and a bulk scalar field is analysed. Large and small distance gravitational laws are derived. The model has a single brane embedded…