The gravity lagrangian according to solar system experiments

We make a systematic study of the cosmological dynamics for a number of f(R) gravity theories in Palatini formalism. We find a number of interesting results: (i) models based on theories of the type (a) f(R)=R-beta R^n and (b) f(R)=R+alpha ln R -beta, unlike the metric formalism, are capable of producing the sequence of radiation-dominated, matter-dominated and de-Sitter periods, and (ii) models based on theories of the type (c) f(R)=R+alpha R^m -beta R^n can produce early as...

In this paper, we show how a power-law correction to the Einstein-Hilbert action provides a viable modified theory of gravity, passing the Solar-System tests, when the exponent is between the values 2 and 3. Then, we implement this paradigm on a cosmological setting outlining how the main phases of the Universe thermal history are properly reproduced. As a result, we find two distinct constraints on the characteristic length scale of the model, i.e., a lower bound from the So...

This thesis is devoted to the study of gravitational theories which can be seen as modifications or generalisations of General Relativity. The motivation for considering such theories, stemming from Cosmology, High Energy Physics and Astrophysics is thoroughly discussed (cosmological problems, dark energy and dark matter problems, the lack of success so far in obtaining a successful formulation for Quantum Gravity). The basic principles which a gravitational theory should fol...

We address the question of how to build a class of $f(R)$ extensions of General Relativity which are compatible with solar system experiments, without making any preliminary assumption on the properties of $f$. The aim is reached by perturbatively solving the modified Einstein equations around a Schwarzschild background and retrieving a posteriori the corresponding $f(R)$. This turns out to be non analytical in $R=0$ and should be intended as the leading correction to the Ein...

We consider some models of f(R) gravity that can be used to describe, in a suitable weak-field limit, the gravitational field of the Sun. Using a perturbative approach, we focus on the impact that the modifications of the gravitational field, due to the non-linearity of the gravity Lagrangian, have on the Solar System dynamics. We compare the theoretical predictions for the precession of the longitude of the pericentre $\varpi$ of a test particle with the corrections to the s...

Modified gravity can be considered as an alternative to dark energy. In a generalized theory of gravity, the universe may accelerate while containing only baryonic and dark matter. We study, in particular, the evolution of matter fluctuations in f(R) models within the Palatini approach, and find that the resulting matter power spectrum is sensitive to a nonlinear dependence on the curvature scalar in the gravitational action. The constraints that arise from comparison to the ...

We make a detailed study of matter density perturbations in both metric and Palatini formalisms in theories whose Lagrangian density is a general function, f(R), of the Ricci scalar. We derive these equations in a number of gauges. We show that for viable models that satisfy cosmological and local gravity constraints (LGC), matter perturbation equations derived under a sub-horizon approximation are valid even for super-Hubble scales provided the oscillating mode (scalaron) do...

We study the field equations of modified theories of gravity in which the lagrangian is a general function of the Ricci scalar and Ricci-squared terms in Palatini formalism. We show that the independent connection can be expressed as the Levi-Civita connection of an auxiliary metric which, in particular cases of interest, is related with the physical metric by means of a disformal transformation. This relation between physical and auxiliary metric boils down to a conformal tr...

We investigate the viability of f(R) theories in the framework of the Palatini approach as solutions to the problem of the observed accelerated expansion of the universe. Two physically motivated popular choices for f(R) are considered: power law, f(R) = \beta R^n, and logarithmic, f(R) = \alpha \ln{R}. Under the Palatini approach, both Lagrangians give rise to cosmological models comprising only standard matter and undergoing a present phase of accelerated expansion. We use ...

Over the past decade, f(R) theories have been extensively studied as one of the simplest modifications to General Relativity. In this article we review various applications of f(R) theories to cosmology and gravity - such as inflation, dark energy, local gravity constraints, cosmological perturbations, and spherically symmetric solutions in weak and strong gravitational backgrounds. We present a number of ways to distinguish those theories from General Relativity observationa...