Self-accelerating solutions of scalar-tensor gravity
- Departament de Fisica Teorica and IFIC, Universitat de Valencia-CSIC, Carrer Dr Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot (Valencia) (Spain)
Scalar-tensor gravity is the simplest and best understood modification of general relativity, consisting of a real scalar field coupled directly to the Ricci scalar curvature. Models of this type have self-accelerating solutions. In an example inspired by string dilaton couplings, scalar-tensor gravity coupled to ordinary matter exhibits a de Sitter type expansion, even in the presence of a negative cosmological constant whose magnitude exceeds that of the matter density. This unusual behavior does not require phantoms, ghosts or other exotic sources. More generally, we show that any expansion history can be interpreted as arising partly or entirely from scalar-tensor gravity. To distinguish any quintessence or inflation model from its scalar-tensor variants, we use the fact that scalar-tensor models imply deviations of the post-Newtonian parameters of general relativity and time variation of Newton's gravitational coupling G. We emphasize that next-generation probes of modified GR and the time variation of G are an essential complement to dark energy probes based on luminosity-distance measurements.
- OSTI ID:
- 22137814
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2008, Issue 03; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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