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At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

hi-class: Horndeski in the Cosmic Linear Anisotropy Solving System

We present the public version of hi-class (www.hiclass-code.net), an extension of the Boltzmann code CLASS to a broad ensemble of modifications to general relativity. In particular, hi-class can calculate predictions for models based on Horndeski's theory, which is the most general scalar-tensor theory described by second-order equations of motion and encompasses any perfect-fluid dark energy, quintessence, Brans-Dicke, f ( R ) and covariant Galileon models. hi-class has been thoroughly tested and can be readily used to understand the impact of alternative theories of gravity on linear structure formation as well as for cosmological parameter extraction.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Is the effective field theory of dark energy effective?

The effective field theory of cosmic acceleration systematizes possible contributions to the action, accounting for both dark energy and modifications of gravity. Rather than making model dependent assumptions, it includes all terms, subject to the required symmetries, with four (seven) functions of time for the coefficients. These correspond respectively to the Horndeski and general beyond Horndeski class of theories. We address the question of whether this general systematization is actually effective, i.e. useful in revealing the nature of cosmic acceleration when compared with cosmological data. The answer is no and yes: there is no simple time dependence of the free functions —assumed forms in the literature are poor fits, but one can derive some general characteristics in early and late time limits. For example, we prove that the gravitational slip must restore to general relativity in the de Sitter limit of Horndeski theories, and why it doesn't more generally. We also clarify the relation between the tensor and scalar sectors, and its important relation to observations; in a real sense the expansion history H ( z ) or dark energy equation of state w ( z ) is 1/5 or less of the functional information! In addition we discuss the de Sitter, Horndeski, and decoupling limits of the theory utilizing Goldstone techniques.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Auxiliary fields representation for modified gravity models

We consider tensor-multiscalar representations for several types of modified gravity actions. The first example is the theory with the action representing an arbitrary smooth function of the scalar curvature R and {open_square}R, the integrand of the Gauss-Bonnet term and the square of the Weyl tensor. We present a simple procedure leading to an equivalent theory of a space-time metric and four auxiliary scalars and especially discuss the calibration of a cosmological constant and the condition of the existence of de Sitter-like solutions in the case of an empty universe. The condition for obtaining a smaller number of independent scalar fields is derived. The second example is the Eddington-like gravity action. In this case we show, in particular, the equivalence of the theory to general relativity with the cosmological constant term, with or without use of the first-order formalism, and also discuss some possible generalizations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Tidal Clock Effects of the Lunisolar Gravitational Field and the Earth’s Tidal Deformation

State-of-the-art atomic and optical clocks have the great potential to precisely test fundamental physical assumptions and enhance our understanding of nature. Their widespread applications require us to rigorously deduce the relativistic frequency shift in the framework of general relativity. One interesting question for clocks is tidal field effect which contains variously periodic variations. By introducing tidally deformed Earth, the general algorithms for clock and frequency comparisons are derived. We investigate the effects of external gravitational bodies and Earth’s tidal deformation on the ground- and space-based clocks. The orbital elements of satellite and locations of laboratory are introduced for corresponding clocks, in which the secular and long-period terms and short-period terms are subsequently presented. These effects called tidal clock effects produce the non-negligible contributions in the modern clock experiments and can be directly evaluated from our parameterized formulas. In addition, we also demonstrate for tidal clock effects the position and distance dependences, as well as periodicity. These tidal effects and dependences can provide valuable information for the clock comparison experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cosmological matching conditions and galilean genesis in Horndeski's theory

We derive the cosmological matching conditions for the homogeneous and isotropic background and for linear perturbations in Horndeski's most general second-order scalar-tensor theory. In general relativity, the matching is done in such a way that the extrinsic curvature is continuous across the transition hypersurface. This procedure is generalized so as to incorporate the mixing of scalar and gravity kinetic terms in the field equations of Horndeski's theory. Our matching conditions have a wide range of applications including the galilean genesis and the bounce scenarios, in which stable, null energy condition violating solutions play a central role. We demonstrate how our matching conditions are used in the galilean genesis scenario. In doing so, we extend the previous genesis models and provide a unified description of the theory admitting the solution that starts expanding from the Minkowski spacetime.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Non-perturbative and self-consistent models of neutron stars in R-squared gravity

In the present paper we investigate non-perturbatively and self-consistently the structure of neutron stars in R-squared gravity by simultaneously solving the interior and exterior problem. The mass-radius relations are obtained for several equations of state and for wide range of the R-squared gravity parameter a. Even though the deviation from general relativity for nonzero values of a can be large, they are still comparable with the variations due to different modern realistic equations of state. That is why the current observations of the neutron star masses and radii alone can not put constraints on the value of the parameter a. We also compare our results with those obtained within the perturbative method and we discuss the differences between them.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bouncing universes in scalar-tensor gravity models admitting negative potentials

We consider the possibility to produce a bouncing universe in the framework of scalar-tensor gravity models in which the scalar field potential may be negative, and even unbounded from below. We find a set of viable solutions with nonzero measure in the space of initial conditions passing a bounce, even in the presence of a radiation component, and approaching a constant gravitational coupling afterwards. Hence we have a model with a minimal modification of gravity in order to produce a bounce in the early universe with gravity tending dynamically to general relativity (GR) after the bounce.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2010

Characterizing Black Hole Mergers

Binary black hole mergers are a promising source of gravitational waves for interferometric gravitational wave detectors. Recent advances in numerical relativity have revealed the predictions of General Relativity for the strong burst of radiation generated in the final moments of binary coalescence. We explore features in the merger radiation which characterize the final moments of merger and ringdown. Interpreting the waveforms in terms of an rotating implicit radiation source allows a unified phenomenological description of the system from inspiral through ringdown. Common features in the waveforms allow quantitative description of the merger signal which may provide insights for observations large-mass black hole binaries.

Baker, John↗
DOE OSTI2016

Constraints on deviations from ΛCDM within Horndeski gravity

Recent anomalies found in cosmological datasets such as the low multipoles of the Cosmic Microwave Background or the low redshift amplitude and growth of clustering measured by e.g., abundance of galaxy clusters and redshift space distortions in galaxy surveys, have motivated explorations of models beyond standard ΛCDM. Of particular interest are models where general relativity (GR) is modified on large cosmological scales. Here we consider deviations from ΛCDM+GR within the context of Horndeski gravity, which is the most general theory of gravity with second derivatives in the equations of motion. We adopt a parametrization in which the four additional Horndeski functions of time α{sub i}(t) are proportional to the cosmological density of dark energy Ω{sub DE}(t). Constraints on this extended parameter space using a suite of state-of-the art cosmological observations are presented for the first time. Although the theory is able to accommodate the low multipoles of the Cosmic Microwave Background and the low amplitude of fluctuations from redshift space distortions, we find no significant tension with ΛCDM+GR when performing a global fit to recent cosmological data and thus there is no evidence against ΛCDM+GR from an analysis of the value of the Bayesian evidence ratio of the modified gravity models with respect to ΛCDM, despite introducing extra parameters. The posterior distribution of these extra parameters that we derive return strong constraints on any possible deviations from ΛCDM+GR in the context of Horndeski gravity. We illustrate how our results can be applied to a more general frameworks of modified gravity models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Decay b{yields}s{gamma} in the presence of a constant antisymmetric tensor field

A constant antisymmetric 2-tensor can arise in general relativity with spontaneous symmetry breaking or in field theories formulated in a noncommutative space-time. In this work, the one-loop contribution of a nonstandard WW{gamma} vertex on the flavor violating quark transition q{sub i}{yields}q{sub j}{gamma} is studied in the context of the electroweak Yang-Mills sector extended with a Lorentz-violating constant 2-tensor. An exact analytical expression for the on-shell case is presented. It is found that the loop amplitude is gauge independent, electromagnetic gauge invariant, and free of ultraviolet divergences. The dipolar contribution to the b{yields}s{gamma} transition together with the experimental data on the B{yields}X{sub s{gamma}} decay is used to derive the constraint {Lambda}{sub LV}>1.96 TeV on the Lorentz-violating scale.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

PSR J1903+0327: A UNIQUE MILLISECOND PULSAR WITH A MAIN-SEQUENCE COMPANION STAR

PSR J1903+0327 is a millisecond pulsar with a mass of 1.67 M{sub Sun} in a highly eccentric orbit (e = 0.44) around a main-sequence star. This unique system cannot be reconciled with current observations where millisecond pulsars are generally seen to orbit white dwarfs in almost exactly circular orbits. Current theoretical models of binary and stellar formation and evolution cannot explain the high eccentricity of this system either. In this work, we present three new epochs of optical spectroscopy for the companion to PSR J1903+0327, obtained to confirm the association of the main-sequence star with the pulsar. These three new epochs, together with the two previous ones, firmly establish the high eccentricity of the companion's orbit as predicted by pulsar timing. Using all five epochs of optical data, we have provided an independent estimate of the mass ratio, R = 1.56 {+-} 0.15, as well as the systemic radial velocity of the binary, {gamma} = 42.1 {+-} 2.5 km s{sup -1}. We constrain the spectral type of the pulsar companion to lie between F5 V and G0 V (a slightly earlier type than suggested previously) by measuring the equivalent widths of two of the three Ca-triplet lines (8498 A, 8542 A) and the Paschen line at 8598 A (P14); we also broadly constrain the metallicity of the companion. Additionally, we have placed a somewhat better limit on the rotational velocity of the pulsar companion of v{sub rot}sin i {<=} 66 km s{sup -1}, which is still not sufficient to allow a test of general relativity using this system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Static electromagnetic fields and charged black holes in general covariant theory of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity

In this paper, we study electromeganetic static spacetimes in the nonrelativisitc general covariant theory of the Hořava-Lifshitz (HL) gravity, proposed recently by Hořava and Melby-Thompson, and present all the electric static solutions, which represent the generalization of the Reissner-Nordström solution found in Einstein's general relativity (GR). The global/local structures of spacetimes in the HL theory in general are different from those given in GR, because the dispersion relations of test particles now contain high-order momentum terms, so the speeds of these particles are unbounded in the ultraviolet (UV). As a result, the conception of light-cones defined in GR becomes invalid and test particles do not follow geodesics. To study black holes in the HL theory, we adopt the geometrical optical approximations, and define a horizon as a (two-closed) surface that is free of spacetime singularities and on which massless test particles are infinitely redshifted. With such a definition, we show that some of our solutions give rise to (charged) black holes, although the radii of their horizons in general depend on the energies of the test particles.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Three-dimensional Boltzmann-Hydro Code for Core-collapse in Massive Stars. II. The Implementation of Moving-mesh for Neutron Star Kicks

We present a newly developed moving-mesh technique for the multi-dimensional Boltzmann-Hydro code for the simulation of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). What makes this technique different from others is the fact that it treats not only hydrodynamics but also neutrino transfer in the language of the 3 + 1 formalism of general relativity (GR), making use of the shift vector to specify the time evolution of the coordinate system. This means that the transport part of our code is essentially general relativistic, although in this paper it is applied only to the moving curvilinear coordinates in the flat Minknowski spacetime, since the gravity part is still Newtonian. The numerical aspect of the implementation is also described in detail. Employing the axisymmetric two-dimensional version of the code, we conduct two test computations: oscillations and runaways of proto-neutron star (PNS). We show that our new method works fine, tracking the motions of PNS correctly. We believe that this is a major advancement toward the realistic simulation of CCSNe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Absolute Geodetic Rotation Measurement Using Atom Interferometry

We demonstrate a cold-atom interferometer gyroscope which overcomes accuracy and dynamic range limitations of previous atom interferometer gyroscopes. We show how the instrument can be used for precise determination of latitude, azimuth (true north), and Earth's rotation rate. Spurious noise terms related to multiple-path interferences are suppressed by employing a novel time-skewed pulse sequence. Extended versions of this instrument appear capable of meeting the stringent requirements for inertial navigation, geodetic applications of Earth's rotation rate determination, and tests of general relativity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Primordial fluctuations from inflation in dRGT bimetric theory of gravity

We investigate primordial gravitational waves and curvature perturbations in de Rham-Gabadadze-Tolley (dRGT) bimetric gravity. We evaluate the power-spectra in the leading order in slow roll. Taking into account the decay of massive graviton, we find that the action up to the second order reduces to the Einstein theory with a non-minimally coupled scalar field, which is simplified to a minimally coupled model by conformal transformation. We also find that the tensor to scalar ratio for large field inflation with power law potential is larger than the general relativity counterpart for any choice of parameters in dRGT bimetric gravity. In addition, we confirm that the usual consistency relation holds and we have a steeper spectrum for gravitational waves.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

STUDIES OF THE ORIGIN OF HIGH-FREQUENCY QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS OF MASS-ACCRETING BLACK HOLES IN X-RAY BINARIES WITH NEXT-GENERATION X-RAY TELESCOPES

Observations with RXTE ( Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ) revealed the presence of high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (HFQPOs) of the X-ray flux from several accreting stellar-mass black holes. HFQPOs (and their counterparts at lower frequencies) may allow us to study general relativity in the regime of strong gravity. However, the observational evidence today does not yet allow us to distinguish between different HFQPO models. In this paper we use a general-relativistic ray-tracing code to investigate X-ray timing spectroscopy and polarization properties of HFQPOs in the orbiting Hotspot model. We study observational signatures for the particular case of the 166 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the galactic binary GRS 1915+105. We conclude with a discussion of the observability of spectral signatures with a timing-spectroscopy experiment such as the LOFT ( Large Observatory for X-ray Timing ) and polarization signatures with space-borne X-ray polarimeters such as IXPE ( Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer ), PolSTAR ( Polarization Spectroscopic Telescope Array ), PRAXyS ( Polarimetry of Relativistic X-ray Sources ), or XIPE ( X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer ). A mission with high count rate such as LOFT would make it possible to get a QPO phase for each photon, enabling the study of the QPO-phase-resolved spectral shape and the correlation between this and the flux level. Owing to the short periods of the HFQPOs, first-generation X-ray polarimeters would not be able to assign a QPO phase to each photon. The study of QPO-phase-resolved polarization energy spectra would thus require simultaneous observations with a first-generation X-ray polarimeter and a LOFT -type mission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

RELATIVISTIC MEASUREMENTS FROM TIMING THE BINARY PULSAR PSR B1913+16

We present relativistic analyses of 9257 measurements of times-of-arrival from the first binary pulsar, PSR B1913+16, acquired over the last 35 years. The determination of the “Keplerian” orbital elements plus two relativistic terms completely characterizes the binary system, aside from an unknown rotation about the line of sight, leading to a determination of the masses of the pulsar and its companion: 1.438 ± 0.001 M {sub ☉} and 1.390 ± 0.001 M {sub ☉}, respectively. In addition, the complete system characterization allows for the creation of relativistic gravitation test by comparing measured and predicted sizes of various relativistic phenomena. We find that the ratio of the observed orbital period decrease caused by gravitational wave damping (corrected by a kinematic term) to the general relativistic prediction is 0.9983 ± 0.0016, thereby confirms the existence and strength of gravitational radiation as predicted by general relativity. For the first time in this system, we have also successfully measured the two parameters characterizing the Shapiro gravitational propagation delay, and found that their values are consistent with general relativistic predictions. For the first time in any system, we have also measured the relativistic shape correction to the elliptical orbit, δ {sub θ} , although its intrinsic value is obscured by currently unquantified pulsar emission beam aberration. We have also marginally measured the time derivative of the projected semimajor axis, which, when improved in combination with beam aberration modeling from geodetic precession observations, should ultimately constrain the pulsar’s moment of inertia.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗