No Arabic abstract
[Abridged] If gravitation is to be described by a hybrid metric-Palatini $f(mathcal{R})$ gravity theory there are a number of issues that ought to be examined in its context, including the question as to whether its equations allow homogeneous Godel-type solutions, which necessarily leads to violation of causality. Here, to look further into the potentialities and difficulties of $f(mathcal{R})$ theories, we examine whether they admit Godel-type solutions for well-motivated matter source. We first show that under certain conditions on the matter sources the problem of finding out space-time homogeneous solutions in $f(mathcal{R})$ theories reduces to the problem of determining solutions of Einsteins field equations with a cosmological constant. Employing this far-reaching result, we determine a general Godel-type whose matter source is a combination of a scalar with an electromagnetic field plus a perfect fluid. This general Godel-type solution contains special solutions in which the essential parameter $m^2$ can be $m^{2} > 0$, $m=0$, and $m^{2} < 0$, covering thus all classes of homogeneous Godel-type spacetimes. This general solution also contains all previously known solution as special cases. The bare existence of these Godel-type solutions makes apparent that hybrid metric-Palatini gravity does not remedy causal anomaly in the form of closed timelike curves that are permitted in general relativity.
We investigate the efficiency of screening mechanisms in the hybrid metric-Palatini gravity. The value of the field is computed around spherical bodies embedded in a background of constant density. We find a thin shell condition for the field depending on the background field value. In order to quantify how the thin shell effect is relevant, we analyze how it behaves in the neighborhood of different astrophysical objects (planets, moons or stars). We find that the condition is very well satisfied except only for some peculiar objects. Furthermore we establish bounds on the model using data from solar system experiments such as the spectral deviation measured by the Cassini mission and the stability of the Earth-Moon system, which gives the best constraint to date on $f(R)$ theories. These bounds contribute to fix the range of viable hybrid gravity models.
We consider static and cylindrically symmetric interior string type solutions in the scalar-tensor representation of the hybrid metric-Palatini modified theory of gravity. As a first step in our study, we obtain the gravitational field equations and further simplify the analysis by imposing Lorentz invariance along the $t$ and $z$ axes, which reduces the number of unknown metric tensor components to a single function $W^2(r)$. In this case, the general solution of the field equations can be obtained, for an arbitrary form of the scalar field potential, in an exact closed parametric form, with the scalar field $phi$ taken as a parameter. We consider in detail several exact solutions of the field equations, corresponding to a null and constant potential, and to a power-law potential of the form $V(phi)=V_0phi ^{3/4}$, in which the behaviors of the scalar field, of the metric tensor components and of the string tension can be described in a simple mathematical form. We also investigate the string models with exponential and Higgs type scalar field potentials by using numerical methods. In this way we obtain a large class of novel stable string-like solutions in the context of hybrid metric-Palatini gravity, in which the basic parameters, such as the scalar field, metric tensor components, and string tension, depend essentially on the initial values of the scalar field, and of its derivative, on the $r=0$ circular axis.
We consider the possible existence of gravitationally bound stringlike objects in the framework of the generalized hybrid metric-Palatini gravity theory, in which the gravitational action is represented by an arbitrary function of the Ricci and of the Palatini scalars, respectively. The theory admits an equivalent scalar-tensor representation in terms of two independent scalar fields. Assuming cylindrical symmetry, and the boost invariance of the metric, we obtain the gravitational field equations that describe cosmic stringlike structures in the theory. The physical and geometrical properties of the cosmic strings are determined by the two scalar fields, as well by an effective field potential, functionally dependent on both scalar fields. The field equations can be exactly solved for a vanishing, and a constant potential, respectively, with the corresponding string tension taking both negative and positive values. Furthermore, for more general classes of potentials, having an additive and a multiplicative algebraic structure in the two scalar fields, the gravitational field equations are solved numerically. For each potential we investigate the effects of the variations of the potential parameters and of the boundary conditions on the structure of the cosmic string. In this way, we obtain a large class of stable stringlike astrophysical configurations, whose basic parameters (string tension and radius) depend essentially on the effective field potential, and on the boundary conditions.
The rapid advancement of gravitational wave astronomy in recent years has paved the way for the burgeoning development of black hole spectroscopy, which enhances the possibility of testing black holes by their quasinormal modes (QNMs). In this paper, the axial gravitational perturbations and the QNM frequencies of black holes in the hybrid metric-Palatini gravity (HMPG) are investigated. The HMPG theory is characterized by a dynamical scalar degree of freedom and is able to explain the late-time accelerating expansion of the universe without introducing any textit{ad hoc} screening mechanism to preserve the dynamics at the Solar System scale. We obtain the master equation governing the axial gravitational perturbations of the HMPG black holes and calculate the QNM frequencies. Moreover, in the scrutiny of the black holes and their QNMs, we take into account the constraints on the model parameters based on the post-Newtonian analysis, and show how the QNM frequencies of the HMPG black holes would be altered in the observationally consistent range of parameter space.
Using a dynamical system approach we study the cosmological phase space of the generalized hybrid metric-Palatini gravity theory, characterized by the function $fleft(R,mathcal Rright)$, where $R$ is the metric scalar curvature and $mathcal R$ the Palatini scalar curvature of the spacetime. We formulate the propagation equations of the suitable dimensionless variables that describe FLRW universes as an autonomous system. The fixed points are obtained for four different forms of the function $fleft(R,mathcal Rright)$, and the behavior of the cosmic scale factor $a(t)$ is computed. We show that due to the structure of the system, no global attractors can be present and also that two different classes of solutions for the scale factor $a(t)$ exist. Numerical integrations of the dynamical system equations are performed with initial conditions consistent with the observations of the cosmological parameters of the present state of the Universe. In addition, using a redefinition of the dynamic variables, we are able to compute interesting solutions for static universes.