Related papers: Modified Korteweg-de Vries Equation as a System wi…
We analyze the unitarity properties of higher derivative quantum field theories which are free of ghosts and ultraviolet singularities. We point out that in spite of the absence of ghosts most of these theories are not unitary. This result…
A quantum Smoluchowski equation is put forward that consistently describes thermal quantum states. In particular, it notably does not induce a violation of the second law of thermodynamics. This so modified kinetic equation is applied to…
We perform a thorough study of the theoretical consistency of recently proposed, viable, quadratic modifications of gravity that are functions of the the Gauss-Bonnet invariant, regarding the stability of their perturbations around vacuum,…
The dynamics of a quantum system coupled to a classical environment and subject to constraints that drive it out of equilibrium is described. The evolution of the system is governed by the quantum-classical Liouville equation. Rather than…
One of the greatest problems of standard cosmology is the Big Bang singularity. Previously it has been shown that non-local ghostfree higher-derivative modifications of Einstein gravity in the ultra-violet regime can admit non-singular…
We construct a fully covariant theory of massive gravity which does not require the introduction of an external reference metric, and overcomes the usual problems of massive gravity theories (fatal ghosts instabilities, acausality and/or…
We consider the generalized Korteweg-de Vries equation \partial_t u + \partial_x (\partial_x^2 u + f(u))=0, \quad (t,x)\in [0,T)\times \mathbb{R}, (1) with general $C^3$ nonlinearity $f$. Under an explicit condition on $f$ and $c>0$, there…
The objective of this thesis is to present a viable extension of general relativity free from cosmological singularities. A viable cosmology, in this sense, is one that is free from ghosts, tachyons or exotic matter, while staying true to…
Numerous claims in the literature suggest that gravity induced on a higher co-dimensional surface violates unitarity in the weak coupling regime. However, it remained unclear, why a conserved source localized on this surface and giving rise…
We present the manifestly covariant quantization of quadratic gravity or higher-derivative gravity in the de Donder gauge condition (or harmonic gauge condition) for general coordinate invariance on the basis of the BRST transformation. We…
We discuss the cosmological consequences of a model based on a non-local infrared modification of Einstein equations. We find that the model generates a dynamical dark energy that can account for the presently observed value of $\Omega_{\rm…
We study cosmological applications of extended vector-tensor theories, whose Lagrangians contain up to two derivatives with respect to metric and vector field. We derive background equations under the assumption of homogeneous and isotropic…
We consider the generalized Korteweg-de Vries (gKdV) equation $\partial_t u+\partial_x^3u+\mu\partial_x(u^{k+1})=0$, where $k>4$ is an integer number and $\mu=\pm1$. We give an alternative proof of the Kenig, Ponce, and Vega result in…
In this paper we discuss classical and quantum aspects of cosmological models in Brans-Dicke theory. First, we review cosmological bounce solution in Brans-Dicke theory that obeys energy conditions (without ghost) for a universe filled with…
In this paper we study the most general covariant action of gravity up to terms that are quadratic in curvature. In particular this includes non-local, infinite derivative theories of gravity which are ghost-free and exhibit asymptotic…
In order to explore some general features of modified theories of gravity which involve higher derivatives and spontaneous Lorentz and/or diffeomorphism symmetry breaking, we study the recently proposed new version of covariant…
We show that general infrared modifications of the Einstein-Hilbert action obtained by addition of curvature invariants are not viable. These modifications contain either ghosts or light gravity scalars. A very specific fine-tuning might…
Generic massive gravity models in the unitary gauge correspond to a self-gravitating medium with six degrees of freedom. It is widely believed that massive gravity models with six degrees of freedom have an unavoidable ghost-like…
We propose a natural solution to the cosmological constant problem consistent with the standard cosmology and successful over a broad range of energies. This solution is based on the existence of a new field, the devaluton, with its…
The quantum theory of a free particle on a portion of two-dimensional Euclidean space bounded by a circle and subject to non-local boundary conditions gives rise to bulk and surface states. Starting from this well known property, a…