Search results for "Theoretical physics"
showing 10 items of 751 documents
Renormalization, running couplings, and decoupling for the Yukawa model in a curved spacetime
2021
The decoupling of heavy fields as required by the Appelquist-Carazzone theorem plays a fundamental role in the construction of any effective field theory. However, it is not a trivial task to implement a renormalization prescription that produces the expected decoupling of massive fields, and it is even more difficult in curved spacetime. Focused on this idea, we consider the renormalization of the one-loop effective action for the Yukawa interaction with a background scalar field in curved space. We compute the beta functions within a generalized DeWitt-Schwinger subtraction procedure and discuss the decoupling in the running of the coupling constants. For the case of a quantized scalar fi…
Composite operators in asymptotic safety
2017
We study the role of composite operators in the Asymptotic Safety program for quantum gravity. By including in the effective average action an explicit dependence on new sources we are able to keep track of operators which do not belong to the exact theory space and/or are normally discarded in a truncation. Typical examples are geometric operators such as volumes, lengths, or geodesic distances. We show that this set-up allows to investigate the scaling properties of various interesting operators via a suitable exact renormalization group equation. We test our framework in several settings, including Quantum Einstein Gravity, the conformally reduced Einstein-Hilbert truncation, and two dim…
Palatini Approach to Modified Gravity: f(R) Theories and Beyond
2011
We review the recent literature on modified theories of gravity in the Palatini approach. After discussing the motivations that lead to consider alternatives to Einstein's theory and to treat the metric and the connection as independent objects, we review several topics that have been recently studied within this framework. In particular, we provide an in-depth analysis of the cosmic speedup problem, laboratory and solar systems tests, the structure of stellar objects, the Cauchy problem, and bouncing cosmologies. We also discuss the importance of going beyond the f(R) models to capture other phenomenological aspects related with dark matter/energy and quantum gravity.
Nonsingular black holes, wormholes, and de Sitter cores from anisotropic fluids
2017
We study Born-Infeld gravity coupled to an anisotropic fluid in a static, spherically symmetric background. The free function characterizing the fluid is selected on the following grounds: i) recovery of the Reissner-Nordstr\"om solution of GR at large distances, ii) fulfillment of classical energy conditions and iii) inclusion of models of nonlinear electrodynamics as particular examples. Four branches of solutions are obtained, depending on the signs of two parameters on the gravity and matter sectors. On each branch, we discuss in detail the modifications on the innermost region of the corresponding solutions, which provides a plethora of configurations, including nonsingular black holes…
On the Possibility of Quantum Gravity Effects at Astrophysical Scales
2007
The nonperturbative renormalization group flow of Quantum Einstein Gravity (QEG) is reviewed. It is argued that at large distances there could be strong renormalization effects, including a scale dependence of Newton's constant, which mimic the presence of dark matter at galactic and cosmological scales.
The Gravity Lagrangian According to Solar System Experiments
2005
In this work we show that the gravity lagrangian f(R) at relatively low curvatures in both metric and Palatini formalisms is a bounded function that can only depart from the linearity within the limits defined by well known functions. We obtain those functions by analysing a set of inequalities that any f(R) theory must satisfy in order to be compatible with laboratory and solar system observational constraints. This result implies that the recently suggested f(R) gravity theories with nonlinear terms that dominate at low curvatures are incompatible with observations and, therefore, cannot represent a valid mechanism to justify the cosmic speed-up.
ON QUANTUM GRAVITY, ASYMPTOTIC SAFETY AND PARAMAGNETIC DOMINANCE
2012
We discuss the conceptual ideas underlying the Asymptotic Safety approach to the nonperturbative renormalization of gravity. By now numerous functional renormalization group studies predict the existence of a suitable nontrivial ultraviolet fixed point. We use an analogy to elementary magnetic systems to uncover the physical mechanism behind the emergence of this fixed point. It is seen to result from the dominance of certain paramagnetic-type interactions over diamagnetic ones. Furthermore, the spacetimes of Quantum Einstein Gravity behave like a polarizable medium with a "paramagnetic" response to external perturbations. Similarities with the vacuum state of Yang-Mills theory are pointed …
On axionic dark matter in Type IIA string theory
2013
We investigate viable scenarios with various axions in the context of supersymmetric field theory and in globally consistent D-brane models. The Peccei-Quinn symmetry is associated with an anomalous U(1) symmetry, which acquires mass at the string scale but remains as a perturbative global symmetry at low energies. The origin of the scalar Higgs-axion potential from F-, D- and soft breaking terms is derived, and two Standard Model examples of global intersecting D6-brane models in Type II orientifolds are presented, which differ in the realisation of the Higgs sector and in the hidden sector, the latter of which is of particluar importance for the soft supersymmetry breaking terms.
Remarks on the renormalization of primordial cosmological perturbations
2011
We briefly review the need to perform renormalization of inflationary perturbations to properly work out the physical power spectra. We also summarize the basis of (momentum-space) renormalization in curved spacetime and address several misconceptions found in recent literature on this subject.
Reconciling tensor and scalar observables in G-inflation
2018
The simple $m^2\phi^2$ potential as an inflationary model is coming under increasing tension with limits on the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ and measurements of the scalar spectral index $n_s$. Cubic Galileon interactions in the context of the Horndeski action can potentially reconcile the observables. However, we show that this cannot be achieved with only a constant Galileon mass scale because the interactions turn off too slowly, leading also to gradient instabilities after inflation ends. Allowing for a more rapid transition can reconcile the observables but moderately breaks the slow-roll approximation leading to a relatively large and negative running of the tilt $\alpha_s$ that can be …