Some Late-time Asymptotics of General Scalar-Tensor Cosmologies

dc.creatorBarrow, John D.
dc.creatorShaw, Douglas J.
dc.date2007-12-13
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T11:39:23Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T11:39:23Z
dc.descriptionWe study the asymptotic behaviour of isotropic and homogeneous universes in general scalar-tensor gravity theories containing a p=-rho vacuum fluid stress and other sub-dominant matter stresses. It is shown that in order for there to be approach to a de Sitter spacetime at large 4-volumes the coupling function, omega(phi), which defines the scalar-tensor theory, must diverge faster than |phi_infty-phi|^(-1+epsilon) for all epsilon>0 as phi rightarrow phi_infty <> 0 for large values of the time. Thus, for a given theory, specified by omega(phi), there must exist some phi_infty in (0,infty) such that omega -> infty and omega' / omega^(2+epsilon) -> 0 as phi -> 0 phi_infty in order for cosmological solutions of the theory to approach de Sitter expansion at late times. We also classify the possible asymptotic time variations of the gravitation `constant' G(t) at late times in scalar-tensor theories. We show that (unlike in general relativity) the problem of a profusion of ``Boltzmann brains'' at late cosmological times can be avoided in scalar-tensor theories, including Brans-Dicke theory, in which phi -> infty and omega ~ o(ϕ^(1/2)) at asymptotically late times.
dc.description14 pages
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0712.2190
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0712.2190
dc.identifierClass.Quant.Grav.25:085012,2008
dc.identifierdoi:10.1088/0264-9381/25/8/085012
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/199901
dc.subjectGeneral Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleSome Late-time Asymptotics of General Scalar-Tensor Cosmologies
dc.typetext

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