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Olmo, G. J., & Rubiera-Garcia, D. (2015). Brane-world and loop cosmology from a gravity-matter coupling perspective. Phys. Lett. B, 740, 73–79.
Abstract: We show that the effective brane-world and the loop quantum cosmology background expansion histories can be reproduced from a modified gravity perspective in terms of an f (R) gravity action plus a g(R) term non-minimally coupled with the matter Lagrangian. The reconstruction algorithm that we provide depends on a free function of the matter density that must be specified in each case and allows to obtain analytical solutions always. In the simplest cases, the function f (R) is quadratic in the Ricci scalar, R, whereas g(R) is linear. Our approach is compared with recent results in the literature. We show that working in the Palatini formalism there is no need to impose any constraint that keeps the equations second order, which is a key requirement for the successful implementation of the reconstruction algorithm.
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Olmo, G. J., Rubiera-Garcia, D., & Saez-Chillon Gomez, D. (2022). New light rings from multiple critical curves as observational signatures of black hole mimickers. Phys. Lett. B, 829, 137045–5pp.
Abstract: We argue that the appearance of additional light rings in a shadow observation – beyond the infinite sequence of exponentially demagnified self-similar rings foreseen in the Kerr solution – would make a compelling case for the existence of black hole mimickers having multiple critical curves. We support this claim by discussing three different scenarios of spherically symmetric wormhole geometries having two such critical curves, and explicitly work out the optical appearance of one such object when surrounded by an optically and geometrically thin accretion disk.
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Olmo, G. J. (2011). Palatini approach to modified gravity: f(R) theories and beyond. Int. J. Mod. Phys. D, 20(4), 413–462.
Abstract: 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 speed-up problem, laboratory and solar system 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.
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Olmo, G. J., & Rubiera-Garcia, D. (2013). Importance of torsion and invariant volumes in Palatini theories of gravity. Phys. Rev. D, 88(8), 084030–11pp.
Abstract: We study the field equations of extensions of general relativity formulated within a metric-affine formalism setting torsion to zero (Palatini approach). We find that different (second-order) dynamical equations arise depending on whether torsion is set to zero (i) a priori or (ii) a posteriori, i.e., before or after considering variations of the action. Considering a generic family of Ricci-squared theories, we show that in both cases the connection can be decomposed as the sum of a Levi-Civita connection and terms depending on a vector field. However, while in case (i) this vector field is related to the symmetric part of the connection, in (ii) it comes from the torsion part and, therefore, it vanishes once torsion is completely removed. Moreover, the vanishing of this torsion-related vector field immediately implies the vanishing of the antisymmetric part of the Ricci tensor, which therefore plays no role in the dynamics. Related to this, we find that the Levi-Civita part of the connection is due to the existence of an invariant volume associated with an auxiliary metric h(mu v), which is algebraically related with the physical metric g(mu v).
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Olmo, G. J., Sanchis-Alepuz, H., & Tripathi, S. (2012). Stellar structure equations in extended Palatini gravity. Phys. Rev. D, 86(10), 104039–8pp.
Abstract: We consider static spherically symmetric stellar configurations in Palatini theories of gravity in which the Lagrangian is an unspecified function of the form f(R, R μnu R μnu). We obtain the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkov equations corresponding to this class of theories and show that they recover those of f(R) theories and general relativity in the appropriate limits. We show that the exterior vacuum solutions are of Schwarzschild-de Sitter type and comment on the possible expected modifications, as compared to general relativity, of the interior solutions.
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Olmo, G. J., Rubiera-Garcia, D., & Sanchez-Puente, A. (2018). Accelerated observers and the notion of singular spacetime. Class. Quantum Gravity, 35(5), 055010–18pp.
Abstract: Geodesic completeness is typically regarded as a basic criterion to determine whether a given spacetime is regular or singular. However, the principle of general covariance does not privilege any family of observers over the others and, therefore, observers with arbitrary motions should be able to provide a complete physical description of the world. This suggests that in a regular spacetime, all physically acceptable observers should have complete paths. In this work we explore this idea by studying the motion of accelerated observers in spherically symmetric spacetimes and illustrate it by considering two geodesically complete black hole spacetimes recently described in the literature. We show that for bound and locally unbound accelerations, the paths of accelerated test particles are complete, providing further support to the regularity of such spacetimes.
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Olmo, G. J., Rubiera-Garcia, D., & Sanchez-Puente, A. (2015). Geodesic completeness in a wormhole spacetime with horizons. Phys. Rev. D, 92(4), 044047–16pp.
Abstract: The geometry of a spacetime containing a wormhole generated by a spherically symmetric electric field is investigated in detail. These solutions arise in high-energy extensions of general relativity formulated within the Palatini approach and coupled to Maxwell electrodynamics. Even though curvature divergences generically arise at the wormhole throat, we find that these spacetimes are geodesically complete. This provides an explicit example where curvature divergences do not imply spacetime singularities.
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Olmo, G. J., Rubiera-Garcia, D., & Sanchez-Puente, A. (2016). Classical resolution of black hole singularities via wormholes. Eur. Phys. J. C, 76(3), 143–6pp.
Abstract: In certain extensions of General Relativity, wormholes generated by spherically symmetric electric fields can resolve black hole singularities without necessarily removing curvature divergences. This is shown by studying geodesic completeness, the behavior of time-like congruences going through the divergent region, and by means of scattering of waves off the wormhole. This provides an example of the logical independence between curvature divergences and space-time singularities, concepts very often identified with each other in the literature.
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Olmo, G. J., Rubiera-Garcia, D., & Sanchez-Puente, A. (2016). Impact of curvature divergences on physical observers in a wormhole space-time with horizons. Class. Quantum Gravity, 33(11), 115007–12pp.
Abstract: The impact of curvature divergences on physical observers in a black hole space-time, which, nonetheless, is geodesically complete is investigated. This space-time is an exact solution of certain extensions of general relativity coupled to Maxwell's electrodynamics and, roughly speaking, consists of two Reissner-Nordstrom (or Schwarzschild or Minkowski) geometries connected by a spherical wormhole near the center. We find that, despite the existence of infinite tidal forces, causal contact is never lost among the elements making up the observer. This suggests that curvature divergences may not be as pathological as traditionally thought.
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Olmo, G. J. (2011). Palatini actions and quantum gravity phenomenology. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 10(10), 018–15pp.
Abstract: We show that an invariant an universal length scale can be consistently introduced in a generally covariant theory through the gravitational sector using the Palatini approach. The resulting theory is able to capture different aspects of quantum gravity phenomenology in a single framework. In particular, it is found that in this theory field excitations propagating with different energy-densities perceive different background metrics, which is a fundamental characteristic of the DSR and Rainbow Gravity approaches. We illustrate these properties with a particular gravitational model and explicitly show how the soccer ball problem is avoided in this framework. The isotropic and anisotropic cosmologies of this model also avoid the big bang singularity by means of a big bounce.
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