Related papers: Generalized Chern-Pontryagin models
We consider the cosmology of the Ricci-tensor-squared gravity in the Palatini variational approach. The gravitational action of standard general relativity is modified by adding a function f(R^abR_ab) to the Einstein-Hilbert action, and the…
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…
Descent equations play an important role in the theory of characteristic classes and find applications in theoretical physics, e.g. in the Chern-Simons field theory and in the theory of anomalies. The second Chern class (the first…
We discuss a new covariant scalar-tensor system aimed to realise Ho\v{r}ava proposal for a power-counting renormalizable theory of gravity, with the special feature of not propagating scalar degrees of freedom in an appropriate gauge. The…
We consider spatially covariant modified gravity in which the would-be scalar degree of freedom is made non-dynamical and hence there are just two tensorial degrees of freedom, i.e., the same number of dynamical degrees of freedom as in…
In this paper, the hybrid metric-Palatini gravity is an approach to modified gravity in which is added to the usual Einstein-Hilbert action a supplementary term containing a Palatini-type correction of the form $f({\cal R},T)$. Here, ${\cal…
We show that for four-dimensional spacetimes with a non-null hypersurface orthogonal Killing vector and for a Chern-Simons (CS) background (non-dynamical) scalar field, which is constant along the Killing vector, the source-free equations…
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…
In this work, we investigate the construction of spherically symmetric solutions within the framework of modified teleparallel gravity, focusing in particular on $f({\cal T})$ theory, where ${\cal T}$ represents the torsion scalar.…
The space-time geometry in any inertial frame is described by the line-element $ds^2= \eta_{\mu \nu} dx^\mu dx^\nu$. Now, not only the Minkowski metric $\eta_{\mu \nu} $ is invariant under proper Lorentz transformations, the totally…
In this work, I examine spherically symmetric solutions in geometric sigma models with four scalar fields. This class of models turns out to be a subclass of the wider class of scalar-vector-tensor theories of gravity. The purpose of the…
We present a method for parametrizing linear cosmological perturbations of theories of gravity, around homogeneous and isotropic backgrounds. The method is sufficiently general and systematic that it can be applied to theories with any…
The quadratic gravity constraints are reformulated in terms of the Newman-Penrose-like quantities. In such a frame language, the field equations represent a linear algebraic system for the Ricci tensor components. In principle, a procedure…
Within the framework of Einstein-Cartan gravity we consider an action, containing up to quadratic terms of the Ricci scalar and the Holst invariant, coupled non-minimally to a scalar field, including couplings of its derivatives to…
We investigate metric independent, gauge invariant and closed forms in the generalized YM theory. These forms are polynomial on the corresponding fields strength tensors - curvature forms and are analogous to the Pontryagin-Chern densities…
We present a "Chern-Simons-like" action for the "general massive gravity" model propagating two spin-2 modes with independent masses in three spacetime dimensions (3D), and we use it to find a simple Hamiltonian form of this model. The…
We present a new model of gravity which explicitly breaks Lorentz-invariance by the introduction of a unit time-like vector field, thereby giving rise to an extra (scalar) degree of freedom. We discuss its cosmology, exact solutions and the…
The duality between a higher curvature $f(R)$ gravity model and a scalar-tensor theory helps to bring out the role of the additional degree of freedom originating from the higher derivative terms in the gravity action. Such a degree of…
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…
Similar to QCD, general relativity has a $\Theta$ sector due to large diffeomorphisms. We make explicit, for the first time, that the gravitational CP violating $\Theta$ parameter is non-perturbatively related to the cosmological constant.…