Related papers: Salvaging 1/R gravity models
A role of the scalar-matter direct coupling in the evolution of scalar-tensor gravity was studied. If the coupling functions in the generalized scalar-tensor gravity satisfy a definite equation the scalar-tensor gravity is reduced to…
Recently, in the context of $f(R)$ modified theories of gravity, a new type of model has been proposed where one directly couples the scalar curvature to matter. As any model in $f(R)$ theory, there are certain conditions which have to be…
The classical gravitational theory of a scalar field with a gradient coupling to the Ricci tensor is examined. This is a scalar-vector-tensor gravitational theory, but in the case that the coupling is weak and the scalar evolves like a…
We propose a new formulation of $f(R)$ gravity, dubbed scalarized $f(R)$ gravity, in which the Legendre transform is included as a dynamical term. This leads to a theory with second-order field equations that describes general relativity…
On his way to General Relativity (GR) Einstein gave several arguments as to why a special relativistic theory of gravity based on a massless scalar field could be ruled out merely on grounds of theoretical considerations. We re-investigate…
We review the dynamical equivalence between $f(R)$ gravity in the metric formalism and scalar-tensor gravity, and use this equivalence to deduce the post-Newtonian parameters $\gamma$ and $\beta$ for a $f(R)$ theory, obtaining a result that…
We investigate whether there are any cosmological evidences for a scalar field with a mass and coupling to matter which change accordingly to the properties of the astrophysical system it "lives in", without directly focusing on the…
We consider metric f(R) theories of gravity without mapping them to their scalar-tensor counterpart, but using the Ricci scalar itself as an "extra" degree of freedom. This approach avoids then the introduction of a scalar-field potential…
Degenerate scalar-tensor theories of gravity extend general relativity by a single degree of freedom, despite their equations of motion being higher than second order. In some cases, this is a mere consequence of a disformal field…
We consider the possibility of energy being exchanged between the scalar and matter fields in scalar-tensor theories of gravity. Such an exchange provides a new mechanism which can drive variations in the gravitational 'constant' G. We find…
The construction of the scalar theory based on the concept of gravity as Archimedes' thrust is briefly summarized, emphasizing the two (extreme) possibilities that result from this concept for the gravitational rod contraction: it can…
We investigate the cosmological reconstruction in modified f(R,T) gravity, where R is the Ricci scalar and T the trace of the stress-energy tensor. Special attention is attached to the case in which the function f is given by f (R, T) = f1…
We reconcile seemingly conflicting statements in the literature about the behavior of cosmological solutions in modified theories of gravity where the Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian for gravity is modified by the addition of a function of the…
We continue our investigation of massive gravity in the massless limit of vanishing graviton mass. From gauge invariance we derive the most general coupling between scalar matter and gravity. We get further couplings beside the standard…
The equivalence of inertial and gravitational masses is a defining feature of general relativity. Here, we clarify the status of the equivalence principle for interactions mediated by a universally coupled scalar, motivated partly by recent…
There is a conformal equivalence between power law $f(R)$ theories and scalar field theories in which the scalar degree of freedom evolves under the action of an exponential potential function. In the scalar field representation there is a…
An instability in the presence of matter in theories of gravity which include a 1/R correction in the gravitational action has been found by Dolgov and Kawasaki. In the present paper this instability is discussed for f(R) gravity in…
The scalar-tensor theory of gravitation has been and still is one of the most widely discussed "alternative theories" to General Relativity (GR). Despite nearly half a century of its age, it continues to attract renewed interests of not…
An extension of Horava-Lifshitz gravity was recently proposed in order to address the pathological behavior of the scalar mode all previous versions of the theory exhibit. We show that even in this new extension the strong coupling…
We investigate the scalar perturbations and the possible strong coupling issues of $f(T)$ around a cosmological background, applying the effective field theory (EFT) approach. We revisit the generalized EFT framework of modified…