Related papers: Collective scalarization or tachyonization: when a…
In k-essence theories within general relativity, where the matter Lagrangian depends on a real scalar field $\phi$ and its kinetic term $X$, static and spherically symmetric compact objects with a positive-definite energy density cannot…
We investigate neutron stars in scalar-tensor theories. We examine their secular stability against spherically symmetric perturbations by use of a turning point method. For some choices of the coupling function contained in the theories,…
Large-scale collective behavior in suspensions of many particles can be understood from the balance of statistical forces emerging beyond the direct microscopic particle interactions. Here we review some aspects of the collective forces…
The compactness phenomenon is one of the featured aspects of structuralism in mathematics. In simple and broad words, a compactness property holds in a structure if a related property is satisfied by sufficiently many substructures of that…
Gravity theories with non-minimally coupled scalar fields are used as characteristic examples in order to demonstrate the challenges, pitfalls and future perspectives of considering alternatives to general relativity. These lecture notes…
We compute families of spherically symmetric neutron-star models in two-derivative scalar-tensor theories of gravity with a massive scalar field. The numerical approach we present allows us to compute the resulting spacetimes out to…
Scalar-tensor theories are the best motivated alternatives to general relativity and provide a mathematically consistent framework to test the various observable predictions. They can involve three functions of the scalar field: (i) a…
Using only general properties of the tachyon potential we show that inflation may be generic when many branes and anti-branes become coincident. Inflation may occur because of: (1) the assistance of the many diagonal tachyon fields; (2)…
Gravitational wave observations can provide unprecedented insight into the fundamental nature of gravity and allow for novel tests of modifications to General Relativity. One proposed modification suggests that gravity may undergo a phase…
The universe is not isotropic or spatially homogeneous on local scales. The averaging of local inhomogeneities in general relativity can lead to significant dynamical effects on the evolution of the universe and on the interpretation of…
We use scalar-field Lagrangians with a non-canonical kinetic term to obtain unified dark matter models where both the dark matter and the dark energy, the latter mimicking a cosmological constant, are described by the scalar field itself.…
We perform a full investigation on dynamics of a new dark energy model in which the four-derivative of a non-canonical scalar field (tachyon) is non-minimally coupled to the vector torsion. Our analysis is done in the framework of…
We briefly discuss explicit compact object solutions in higher-order scalar-tensor theories. We start by so-called stealth solutions, whose metric are General Relativity (GR) solutions, but accompanied by a non-trivial scalar field, in both…
The asymptotic decay of passive scalar fields is solved analytically for the Kraichnan model, where the velocity has a short correlation time. At long times, two universality classes are found, both characterized by a distribution of the…
The question of the averaging of inhomogeneous spacetimes in cosmology is important for the correct interpretation of cosmological data. In this paper we suggest a conceptually simpler approach to averaging in cosmology based on the…
Perturbative gravity about global de Sitter space is subject to linearization-stability constraints. Such constraints imply that quantum states of matter fields couple consistently to gravity {\it only} if the matter state has vanishing de…
We show that the non-minimal coupling of tachyon field to the scalar curvature, as proposed by Piao et al, with the chosen coupling parameter does not produce the effective potential where the tachyon field can roll down from T=0 to large…
We derive new constraints on massive gravity from unitarity and analyticity of scattering amplitudes. Our results apply to a general effective theory defined by Einstein gravity plus the leading soft diffeomorphism-breaking corrections. We…
A scalar field non-minimally coupled to certain geometric [or matter] invariants which are sourced by [electro]vacuum black holes (BHs) may spontaneously grow around the latter, due to a tachyonic instability. This process is expected to…
We study the non-Gaussianities generated by light axions, or compact scalar fields, during inflation. To correctly calculate their impact on primordial statistics, we will argue that it is necessary to account for the periodicity, or gauge…