Area metric cosmology How to explain the universe without dark energy or ne-tuning

Bj rn Wehinger, Uppsala Universitet o January 22, 2008

Abstract
Using general relativity and Einstein cosmology we have to introduce some kind of dark matter to explain the observed acceleration of our universe. A physical explanation of this dark energy does not exist until now. A cosmology based on area metric avoids this problem. If one take a general area measure instead of a length measure as a basis the cosmological constant becomes unnecessary. The universe can be explained without dark matter or ne-tuning!

1. Introduction
The idea of an area metric cosmology was rst published by Raffaele Punzi, Frederic P. Schuller and Mattias N. R. Wohlfarth on February 12, 2007 [1]. They trade space time as an area metric manifold and show that this is a true generalization of metric geometry in four (and more) dimensions. Based on generalized geometry in quantum string and gauge theory the universe is lled with bosonic and fermionic string radiation for the radiation dominated epoch [3] and lled with non-interacting string dust at large scales for the late universe [1] and [2]. For the radiation dominated epoch the area metric cosmology is equivalent to the standard Einstein cosmology. For the late time universe area metric cosmology predicts a small acceleration. This theory does not require the introduction of a cosmological constant or any other not explainable factor.

2. Theory
Area metric cosmology is a highly theoretical topic and require a good mathematical background. I present this theory in a way that foregoes mathematical proofs and explains you the most important background you have to know.

2.1. Area metric geometry

The basic idea of area metric geometry is to promote area metrics to an own structure by measuring area instead of length. One dene a metric manifold (M, g) and an area spacetime (M, G) with a four dimensional manifold M and a four dimensional covariant tensor eld G, see gure 1.

Figure 1: Area measurement: Metric Cg measures the squared area of the parallelogram spanned by vectors (X, Y ) Remember that a manifold is an abstract mathematical space in which every point has a neighborhood which resembles Euclidean space. A metric is a mathematical function referring two elements a nonnegative value. This value is usually interpreted as the distance of the two elements. The area metric Cg is than dened as: Cg (X, Y, A, B) = g(X, A)g(Y, B) g(X, B)g(Y, A) (1) The assumption that spacetime can be interpreted as an area metric manifold is the central hypothesis of area metric cosmology and leads to area metric gravity.

2.2. Area metric gravity

The area metric geometry formalism allows us to derive a gravity theory different from Einsteins theory. The Einstein-Hilbert action is interpreted as an action for an area manifold. The Einstein-Hilbert action is a mathematical object (an action) that is used to derive Einsteins eld equations of general relativity. In analogy to general relativity theory Raffaele Punzi et al. [1] derive the full equations of motion for area metric gravity: C C Kabcd = Tabcd (2) K = T (3) With gravitational tensor K and the energy-momentum tensor T with cyclic contributions K C , T C and scalar contributions K and T . The question of most interest is of course how Einstein gravity ts into the more general area metric theory. It turns out that area metric with cosmological symmetries are almost metric: G1 = (G )1 . G Inserting this ansatz into the equations of motion one gets precisely Einsteins equation coupled to a massless scalar eld. Any vacuum solution (M, g) of Einsteins gravity is a vacuum solution of area metric gravity. Including matter, however, it is no longer true that all solutions of Einstein gravity are solutions of area metric gravity. But it is compatible for a so called string uid discussed in the following section.

2.3. String uids

Area metric space time is based on area measure instead of length measure. Formulating space time dynamics for massive point particles in general relativity one gets so called worldlines for minimal dynamics. However for area measure based dynamics one obtains string worldsheets for a perfect uid matter instead, as illustrated in gure 2. 2

Figure 2: Formulating dynamics in area metric space time one obtains worldsheets instead of worldlines Using energy-momentum conservation one can derive the equation of motion of the uid [1] 3(F J) F + J2 + 2H(F + N ) = 0 1 + 2 (4)

a With the Hubble function H = a , the scalar eld and three functions F ,J,N describing the local macroscopic properties of the uid. Further calculations lead to

F = , J = , N = 2 + p(1 + 2 ) q

(5)

The equation of motion can be rewritten in independent generalized coordinates using 1 + 2 = 2 : q + ( + q )2 + 3( + q ) + 2H( + p) (6)

With the generalized density the generalized momentum p and the generalized coordinate q . This represents the sum of three components of non-interacting strings. This equation can be solved for different cosmological constraints and leads us directly to area metric cosmology and the explanation of different states of the universe.

3. Area metric cosmology

The equation of motion for string uids can be solved for different cosmological constraints. The solutions can be compared with Einstein cosmology and the Benchmark model. Since equation 6 holds only for non-interacting strings, it cant be used for the matter dominated epoch of the universe. But when matter interaction can be neglected, as in the late epoch and in the radiation dominated epoch, this equation describes our universe very well and without an additional cosmological constant. Combining the equations of motion for area metric gravity (equation 2 and 3) and the equation of motion for non-interactive string uids (equation 6) one can derive a solution for the universe. In analogy to the Friedmann equation [4] one obtains a parameter of state w for the string uid. The equation of state is dened as p x+y w= = , x = H 1 + 4( + q )2 , y = 4. q (7) q 3(x y) 3

y 1 The result for vacuum ( x 0) is w = 3 of an effective radiation uid. So the vacuum cosmology in area metric geometry is equivalent to Einstein cosmology lled with a radiation uid. One obtains w = 1 for the limit x 0 describing a universe with zero acceleration. Since we may obtain any value 3 y of w the string uid should be able to describe any physical universe. Generally area metric cosmology combined with the string uid can be interpreted as Einstein cosmology with a perfect uid. This is illustrated in gure 3. We will now discuss the case of the late universe characterized by a negligible matter interaction.

Figure 3: Comparison of area metric geometry and Einstein gravity

3.1. String dust cosmology - the accelerating universe

In the late epoch the matter on average has spread out so much that the gravitational interactions are no longer important. The universe can be described by string dust which is non interacting matter. The equations of motion for area metric lled with non interactive matter can be solved exactly. Energy conservation on the generalized continuity equation yields p = 0, q = . The area metric cosmology equations become: a2 k 4 = a, = a2 , a + + a a (9) (8)

with curvature k, gravitational constant and two positive integration constants and . Substituting k 4 by the equations can be solved by the scale factor a a(t) = c(t t0 ) =0 c 1 (t t0 )2 = 0 (10)

with integration constants c and t0 . We will now discuss three possibilities: = 0, > 0 and < 0 assuming > 0 ( < 0 is not consistent for a at universe). = 0: This solution requires a positively curved universe k = +1 since k = 4 in this case, c > 0 1 1 and t t0 is also required. For the parameter of state turns out: w > 3 , the late time limit is 3 . This 4

solution describes an open universe with eternal deceleration and initial singularity. The acceleration tends to zero for late times. It would require some ne tuning in order to agree with observations, such as a positive curvature. > 0: The solution holds for c > 0 and is a half ellipsoid. But it is inconsistent since it turns out that the derivative of a diverges. This closed universe is therefore no valid solution. < 0: This leads to k < 4 so negative curved k = 1 and at k = 0 universe are allowed. For 1 4 > positive curvature can also be realized. The time dependence of the scale factor can as well be calculated exactly but the solution depends as well from the sign of the integration constant c: c > 0 describes an open universe with eternal deceleration and initial singularity. If c < 0 the universe is open and eternally accelerating. It has no singularity and its acceleration is tending to zero. We obtain the same parameter of state w 1 as the late time limit for both solutions. All the solutions are shown in 3 gure 4.

Figure 4: Solutions for the string dust lled universe : From top to bottom: < 0 with c < 0, < 0 with c > 0, = 0 and > 0 for the dashed line. From [2].

3.2. Radiation dominated area metric cosmology

Area metric lled with bosonic and fermionic string radiation will now be compared to the radiation dominated Einstein universe. Including the spins of bosonic and fermionic massless strings the uid equation 6 leads to the following characteristics describing a radiation uid [3]: q = 0, + p 22 = 0 (11)
p This equation of state implies a really interesting result. Using the denition w = it turns out that 1 p = 3 equal to w = 1 . This shows immediately the equality of area metric cosmology lled with 3

string radiation to Einstein cosmology lled with a perfect radiation uid! Therefore the area metric cosmology of the early, radiation-dominated universe is completely unchanged with respect to Einstein cosmology.

4. Comparasion with observed data

In principle it is quite easy to determine the expansion history of the universe. One just have to nd a standard light source with known absolute magnitude which is observable over a wide distance range. Type Ia supernovae are good candidates for such measurement, they have a dened brightness. The distance and consequencly the time of emittance can be determined quite precisely by measuring the apparent magnitude. Redshift observations give us information about the velocity the object is moving away from us. The recorded redshift and brightness of each Ia supernova allows a measurement of the total integrated expansion of the universe since the time the light was emitted. The observed expansion shows a late time accelerating, see gure 5.

Figure 5: Observed magnitude for Ia supernovae plotted versus the redshift from [5]. Figure 6 nally shows the expansion (scale factor) of the universe as a function of time. The standard Einstein cosmology ts only by introducing a cosmological constant. Since the universe seems to have no large scale curvature as indicated by the microwave background measurement the amount of dark energy is 0.70 in the standard model [6]. The observed data points dont exclude the new solution for the dust lled universe. Rather ts an open and eternally accelerating universe without initial singularity as well.

Figure 6: Scale factor as a function of time. The data points are the results of measured high redshifted Ia supernovae from [5]. The best t in the standard model contains dark energy. All ts assume Einstein cosmology but the new solution for the string dust lled universe ts as well, compare gure 4.

5. Conclusions
The single hypothesis space time is an area metric manifold turns Einsteins gravity into a consistent alternative theory. Based on a four dimensional area metric the universe can be described without a cosmological constant or ne tuning. For the late time fate one observe a new result from area metric cosmology which cannot be obtained by Einstein cosmology: The late time acceleration tending to zero. The main pillar is that every vacuum solution of Einsteins equation also solves the vacuum equation of area metric gravity. The consequence of area metric cosmology is that motion of minimal mechanical objects are no longer based on worldlines drawn by point particles but on worldsheets drawn by strings.

5.1. Open questions

It is not clear yet if the proved vacuum solution turns into a consistent solution with matter. Including matter it is no longer true that all solutions of Einstein gravity leads to solutions of area metric gravity. To make area metric cosmology experimentally provable one has to derive predictions for the solar system. This is complicated by the fact that spherical symmetric area metric is not of almost metric form. A over all theory should include the matter - matter interaction.

References
[1] Raffaele Punzi, Frederic P. Schuller and Mattias N. R. Wohlfarth, Area metric gravity and accelerating cosmology, J. High Energy Phys., 02 (2007) 030.

[2] Raffaele Punzi, Frederic P. Schuller and Mattias N. R. Wohlfarth, Geometry for the accelrating universe, Physical reew D, 76, 101501(R) (2007). [3] Frederic P. Schuller and Mattias N. R. Wohlfarth, Radiation-dominated area metric cosmology, Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics JCAP12(2007)013 [4] Barbara Ryden, Introduction to Cosmology, Addison Wesley ISBN 0-8053-8912-1 (2003) [5] Saul Perlmutter, Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Universe, Physics Today S-0031-92280304-030-4 [6] WMAP collaboration, D.N. Spergel et al., First year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observations: determination of cosmological parameters, Astrophys. J. Suppl. 148 (2003) 175