Related papers: The cosmological frame principle and cosmic accele…
We present an alternative cosmology based on conformal gravity, as originally introduced by H. Weyl and recently revisited by P. Mannheim and D. Kazanas. Unlike past similar attempts our approach is a purely kinematical application of the…
A set of scaling laws, based on the stochastic motions of the granular components of astronomical systems, is applied to a cosmological model with a positive cosmological constant. It follows that the mass of the dominant particle in the…
We take another look at the equations behind the description of light bending in a Universe with a cosmological constant. We show that even within the impact parameter entering into the photon's differential equation, and which is defined…
Observationally, the universe appears virtually critical. Yet, there is no simple explanation for this state. In this article we advance and explore the premise that the dynamics of the universe always seeks equilibrium conditions.…
The $f(T)$ gravity is one of the extensions of teleparallel equivalent of general relativity, in which more general functions of the torsion scalar $T$ can be described. With the proposed functional form of $f(T) = \alpha T - \beta u^{-n} +…
A ghost-free theory of gravity with two dynamical metrics both coupled to matter is shown to be consistent and viable. Its cosmological implications are studied, and the models, in particular in the context of partially massless gravity,…
Energy conditions can play an important role in defining the cosmological evolution. Specifically acceleration/deceleration of cosmic fluid, as well as the emergence of Big Rip singularities, can be related to the constraints imposed by the…
We advance the viewpoint that only relevant modes of the vacuum fluctuations, namely, with wavelengths conditioned by the size, homogeneity, geometry and topology of the Universe, do contribute into the cosmological constant. A formula is…
We introduce the notion of background independent quantum field theory. The distinguishing feature of this theory is that the dynamics can be formulated without recourse to a background metric structure. We show in a simple model how the…
The concept of deformation of Riemannian geometry is reviewed, with applications to gravitation and cosmology. Starting with an analysis of the cosmological constant problem, it is shown that space-times are deformable in the sense of local…
From the principle that there is no absolute description of a physical state, we advance the approach according to which one should be able to describe the physics from the perspective of a quantum particle. The kinematics seen from this…
It is shown that topological changes in space-time are necessary to make General Relativity compatible with the Newtonian limit and to solve the hierarchy of the fundamental interactions. We detail how topology and topological changes…
Loop quantum gravity and cosmology are reviewed with an emphasis on evaluating the dynamics, rather than constructing it. The three crucial parts of such an analysis are (i) deriving effective equations, (ii) controlling the theory's…
A closed set of equations for the evolution of linear perturbations of homogeneous, isotropic cosmological models can be obtained in various ways. The simplest approach is to assume a macroscopic equation of state, e.g.\ that of a perfect…
A unique feature of gravity is its ability to control the information accessible to any specific observer. We quantify the notion of cosmic information ('CosmIn') for an eternal observer in the universe. Demanding the finiteness of CosmIn…
Gravity stands apart from other fundamental interactions in that it is locally equivalent to an accelerated frame and can be transformed away. Again it is indistinguishable from the geometry of space-time (which is an arena for all other…
When faced with two nigh intractable problems in cosmology -- how to remove the original cosmological constant problem and how to parametrize modified gravity to explain current cosmic acceleration -- we can make progress by counterposing…
We have critically compared different approaches to the cosmological constant problem, which is at the edge of elementary particle physics and cosmology. This problem is deeply connected with the difficulties formulating a theory of quantum…
By exploring the relationship between the propagation of electromagnetic waves in a gravitational field and the light propagation in a refractive medium, it is shown that, in the presence of a positive cosmological constant, the velocity of…
A mechanism for suppressing the cosmological constant is developed, based on an analogy with a superconducting phaseshift in which free fermions coupled perturbatively to a weak gravitational field are in an unstable false vacuum state. The…