Related papers: Alternative Theories of Gravity
Bouncing non-singular isotropic cosmological solutions are investigated in a simple model of scalar-tensor gravity. New families of such solutions are found and their properties are presented and analyzed using an effective potential as the…
Gravity theories with non-minimally coupled scalar fields are used as characteristic examples in order to demonstrate the challenges, pitfalls and future perspectives of considering alternatives to general relativity. These lecture notes…
Modifications to gravity can provide attractive alternatives to the dark components of the standard model of cosmology. These modifications to general relativity (GR) must be hidden at small scales where theory is well tested, and so one…
This dissertation investigates three main topics, all of which dealing with alternative, higher-order gravity theories in four dimensions. Firstly, we study the variational and conformal structure of those theories. Next, we analyse their…
The universal character of the gravitational interaction provided by the equivalence principle motivates a geometrical description of gravity. The standard formulation of General Relativity \`a la Einstein attributes gravity to the…
In this thesis, we discuss some of the applications of cosmological perturbation theory in the late universe. We begin by reviewing the tools used to understand the standard model of cosmology theoretically and to compute its observational…
We investigate quantum cosmological models in an n-dimensional anisotropic universe in the presence of a massless scalar field. Our basic inspiration comes from Chodos and Detweiler's classical model which predicts an interesting behaviour…
The resolution of the problem of cosmological singularity in the framework of gauge theories of gravitation is discussed. Generalized cosmological Friedmann equations for homogeneous isotropic models filled by interacting scalar fields and…
Extended Theories of Gravity can be considered a new paradigm to cure shortcomings of General Relativity at infrared and ultraviolet scales. They are an approach that, by preserving the undoubtedly positive results of Einstein's Theory, is…
Motivated by the apparent dependence of string $\sigma$--models on the sum of spacetime metric and antisymmetric tensor fields, we reconsider gravity theories constructed from a nonsymmetric metric. We first show that all such "geometrical"…
This is a brief review of modified gravity cosmologies. Generically extensions of gravity action involve higher derivative terms, which can result in ghosts and instabilities. There are three ways to circumvent this: Chern-Simons terms,…
Alternative theories of gravity have been recently studied in connection with their cosmological applications, both in the Palatini and in the metric formalism. The aim of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework (in the Palatini…
Near the singularity, gravity should be modified to an effective theory, in the same sense as with the Euler-Heisenberg electrodynamics. This effective gravity surmounts to higher derivative theory, and as is well known, a much more reacher…
The cosmographic approach, which only relies upon the homogeneity and isotropy of the Universe on large scales, has become an essential tool in dealing with an increasing number of theoretical possibilities for explaining the late-time…
Teleparallel gravity theories employ a tetrad and a Lorentz spin connection as independent variables in their covariant formulation. In order to solve their field equations, it is helpful to search for solutions which exhibit certain…
Conformal symmetries appear in many parts of physics and play a unique role in exploring the Universe. In this work, we consider the possibility of constructing conformal theories of gravity in the Symmetric Teleparallel Gravity framework,…
We present a class of theories of two dimensional gravity which admits homogeneous and isotropic solutions that are nonsingular and asymptotically approach a FRW matter dominated universe at late times. These models are generalizations of…
We review recent progress in the construction of modified gravity models as alternatives to dark energy as well as the development of cosmological tests of gravity. Einstein's theory of General Relativity (GR) has been tested accurately…
We present solutions describing homogeneous and isotropic cosmologies in the massive gravity theory with two dynamical metrics recently proposed in arXiv:1109.3515 and claimed to be ghost free. These solutions can be spatially open, closed,…
We consider cosmological models in scalar tensor theories of gravity that describe an accelerating universe, and we study a family of inverse power law potentials, for which exact solutions of the Einstein equations are known. We also…