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We introduce a technique for restoring general coordinate invariance into theories where it is explicitly broken. This is the analog for gravity of the Callan-Coleman-Wess-Zumino formalism for gauge theories. We use this to elucidate the…
We investigate the formation, gravitational clustering and interactions of solitons in a self-interacting, non-relativistic scalar field in an expanding universe. Rapid formation of large number of solitons is driven by attractive…
In our current best cosmological model, the vast majority of matter in the Universe is dark, consisting of yet undetected, non-baryonic particles that do not interact electro-magnetically. So far, the only significant evidence for dark…
We exhibit large classes of local actions for the vacuum Einstein equations. In presence of fermions, or more generally of matter which couple to the connection, these actions lead to inequivalent equations revealing an arbitrary number of…
The observed cosmological constant may originate as the minimum value $U_{min}$ of a scalar field potential, where the scalar field is frozen due to a large mass. If this vacuum is metastable, it may decay to a true vacuum either at present…
We reconsider the virial theorem in the presence of a positive cosmological constant Lambda. Assuming steady state, we derive an inequality of the form rho >= A (Lambda / 4 pi GN) for the mean density rho of the astrophysical object. With a…
In a dense cloud of massive fermions interacting by exchange of a light scalar field, the effective mass of the fermion can become negligibly small. As the cloud expands, the effective mass and the total energy density eventually increase…
We present new spherically symmetric solutions of the Einstein-Klein-Gordon equations in a quasi-stationary approximation that describe self-gravitating scalar field configurations around a black hole, including angular momentum number…
Gravitational lensing is a powerful tool to detect compact matter on very different mass scales. Of particular importance is the fact that lensing is sensitive to both luminous and dark matter alike. Depending on the mass scale, all lensing…
We study the spherical gravitational collapse of a compact object under the approximation that the radial pressure is identically zero, and the tangential pressure is related to the density by a linear equation of state. It turns out that…
A satisfactory theory of quantum gravity will very likely require modification of our classical perception of space-time, perhaps by giving it a 'foamy' structure at scales of order the Planck length. This is expected to modify the…
Recently proposed ``table-top tests of quantum gravity'' involve creating, separating and recombining superpositions of masses at non-relativistic speeds. The general expectation is that these generate superpositions of gravitational fields…
Quantum fluctuations for a massless scalar field in the background metric of spherical impulsive gravitational waves through Minkowski and de Sitter spaces are investigated. It is shown that there exist finite fluctuations for de Sitter…
This work shows that the gravitational field is rather an unusual field and cannot be quantized due to the absence of a fermion charge carrier. When its existence is assumed quite strange results are obtained for its mass. And this means…
One of the great challenges for 21st century physics is to quantize gravity and generate a theory that will unify gravity with the other three fundamental forces of nature. This paper takes the (heretical) point of view that gravity may be…
We propose a phenomenological model where the gravitational interaction between dark matter and baryons is suppressed on small, subgalactic scales. We describe the gravitational force by adding a Yukawa contribution to the standard…
If torsion exists, it generates gravitational four-fermion interaction (GFFI). This interaction gets dominating on the Planck scale. If one confines to the regular, axial-axial part of this interaction, the results do not comply with the…
We report on work in progress in quantum field theory about possible interactions between coherent matter, i.e. matter described by a macroscopic wave function or a classical field, and a certain class of vacuum fluctuations, called…
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…
Within Einstein's theory of gravity, any compact object heavier than a few solar masses must be a black hole. Any observation showing otherwise would imply either new physics beyond General Relativity or new exotic matter fields beyond the…