Scalar Mode of Gravity

Metin Arik∗ and Tarik Tok†

Department of Physics, Bogazici University,
Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey

(Dated: January 8, 2020)

We consider the scalar mode of gravity as expressed by a conformal factor of the metric and
present a model motivated by the Jordan-Brans-Dicke action. We obtain a Lagrangian density in
Minkowski space which exhibits a massive particle and an expanding space-time.

Einstein’s theory of gravity is perhaps the most ex- where m0 is the present mass of the particle, Φ(t) is the
traordinary achievement of modern physics. General cosmological vacuum expectation value of the Higgs field
relativity[1] not only explained the observed perihelion and Φ0 is its present value with a0 being the present
advance of Mercury and predicted the correct bending of scale size of the universe. One immediate question which
a light ray passing through a nearby point on the surface arises is what principle determines Φ(t). The most nat-
of the Sun but also foreshadowed the expanding universe ural choice for determining this is the Einstein–Hilbert
and gravitational waves. From a modern point of view action[16] which says that the field equation of φ(t) is
Einstein’s equation in vacuum can be derived considering given by the Lagrangian
the Pauli-Fierz field theory[2] for a massless spin-2 gravi-
ton, coupling the canonical energy momentum tensor as
a source of the graviton and iterating to all orders which 1 2 1 k 2
L= Φ̇ − Φ (2)
indeed is a painful derivation as compared to the brilliant 2 2 a20
Einstein argument of covariance and conservation [3, 4].
Although gravitational waves have been detected by an which for a closed universe with k = +1 describes a scalar
apparatus which is most sensitive to the spin-2 nature of particle whose Compton wavelength is the size of the
the graviton, it cannot yet rule out spin-0 gravitational universe, a0 .
waves[5]. More generally the field Φ can also depend on the space
Although vacuum Einstein equations unquestionably variables and for a universe with k = 0 one can write a
describe a spin-2 massless particle as the carrier of the Lagrangian density which is motivated by scale invari-
gravitational force , the FLRW model of cosmology[6–9] ant Jordan-Brans-Dicke theory[14, 15] with Lagrangian
includes a scalar field which is the scale size of the uni- density
verse and is only time dependent due to the idealization
of isotropy and homogeneity. This paper concentrates on 
1 2 1 µν

1 4 p
this scalar mode and investigates how much can be ex- L= ζΨ R + g ∂µ Ψ∂ν Ψ − λΨ − det g (3)
plained by neglecting the tensor mode of general relativ- 2 2 4
ity. Historically, first Einstein and then Nordstrom[10]
where gµν = Φ2 (x)ηµν , Ψ is Jordan scalar field and ζ is
initially considered such theories, but they were later
proportional to the inverse Brans-Dicke parameter. The
abandoned due to the successes of Einstein’s General Rel-
quartic interaction term for the Jordan field can be added
ativity. The importance of the scalar fields in physics
to the model without violating the scale invariance. The
has gained renewed importance due the successes of the
Lagrangian density which is thus motivated by the con-
standard model[11–13] of particle physics which says that
formally flat metric in (1) and the above equation is given
the masses of all the massive elementary particles(the
by
leptons, the quarks and the weak bosons) are given by
a dimensionless coupling times the vacuum expectation
value of the Higgs field. Although this value is time inde- 1 2 1 λ
pendent in the standard model, it is natural to consider L= ζΨ ∂µ Φ∂ µ Φ + Φ2 ∂µ Ψ∂ µ Ψ − Φ4 Ψ4 (4)
2 2 4
that it may well depend on the cosmological time scale t,
so that the trajectory of a particle in cosmic time scales where, now the indices are lowered and raised by the
is given by the geodesic action Minkowski metric. Note that although (3) defines a field
theory in curved space-time with metric gµν , (4) defines
 12 field theory in Minkowski space.
d~r2
Z 
Φ(t)
S= m0 dt2 − a20 2
2
(1) We take the scalar fields to have scalar dimensions of
Φ0 1 + k~4r
1
(mass) 2 so that the parameter ξ and λ are dimensionless.
The Minkowski metric is defined as
∗ metin.arik@boun.edu.tr
† tarik.tok@boun.edu.tr ηµν = (+1, −1, −1, −1)
 2

and we use units where ~ = c = 1.

The Lagrangian density(4) has SO(1,1) symmetry act-
ing on Φ and Ψ as Φ → aΦ , Ψ → a1 Ψ, where a is con- µ3
D= . (13)
stant. Due to this invariance the Lagrangian simplifies (1 + ζ)α02
when new field variables α and γ are defined by
Now, we expand α and γ about α0 and γ0 (t) by
1
Φ = α 2 e−γ (5)
α = α0 (1 + Aeimt + A∗ e−imt ) (14)
1
Ψ = α 2 eγ (6)
γ = γ0 (t) + Eeimt + E ∗ e−imt (15)
so that α has the dimension of mass and γ is dimension-
less. We will show that this Lagrangian leads to sponta- and perform a perturbative calculation neglecting higher
neous symmetry breaking even though Lagrangian den- powers of A, A∗ , E, E ∗ . We find that for consistency the
sity does not contain any dimensional parameters. masses in (14) and (15) have to be the same and given
Under the assumption that the fields depend only on by
time, the Lagrangian density (4) in terms of α and γ
becomes
1
(1 + ζ) 3 1
m=2 1 λ 3 µ. (16)
1+ζ
 2
α̇

λ ζ 2

L= + α2 γ̇ 2 + (ζ − 1)αα̇γ̇ − α4 . (7)
2 4 4 Furthermore, we find that A and E are not indepen-
dent but related by
Since L does not contain the field γ, but only its deriva-
tives, it leads to the conserved momentum
2µ3
 
(1 − ζ)
E= i − A (17)
∂L 1 (1 + ζ)α02 m (1 + ζ)
= (ζ − 1)αα̇ + (ζ + 1)α2 γ̇ = µ3 (8)
∂ γ̇ 2 in lowest order.
where the conserved momentum which has dimension of The part,C +Dt, in (15) which in quantum field theory
(mass)3 has been equated to µ3 . would describe a massless particle, in classical physics
Since the observed space-time is expanding on the cos- corresponds to an expanding universe.
mological scale, we assume that the cosmological expec- We note that the system can be quantized by imposing
tation values of α and γ may also depend on the time the commutation relation
variable t.
The Hamiltonian density becomes [A, A∗ ] = 1 (18)

1 ζ µ6 1 λ so that A and A∗ become the creation and annihilation

H= α̇2 + + α4 . (9) operators of the α-particle. On the other hand, E and
4 (1 + ζ) 2(1 + ζ) α2 4
E ∗ which are not independent of A and A∗ can be inter-
Thus, the effective potential for our dynamical system preted as quantum corrections to γ0 (t) which governs the
is given by expansion of the universe. This expansion is obtained by
taking the average value of γ(t)

µ6 1 λ
Vef f = 2
+ α4 . (10) hγi = C + Dt (19)
2(1 + ζ) α 4
The minimum effective potential is given by which gives

µ 1
α0 =
61 (11) hΦi = α02 e−C−Dt = Φ0 e−Dt (20)
λ(1 + ζ)

and, for α = α0 , γ as given from (8) 1

hΨi = α02 eC+Dt = Ψ0 eDt . (21)

γ0 (t) = C + Dt (12) Th fact that A and A∗ should be regarded as quan-

tized operators whereas C and D should be regarded as
where C is an integration constant and classical constants is indeed straightforward considering

the well-known example, the Klein-Gordon field on a zero
dimensional space with one point
 2
1 dϕ 1 cosmological time, this gives a linearly expanding space.
L= − m2 ϕ2 (22)
2 dt 2 Thus we have been able to obtain a massive field with
ϕ = Aeimt + A∗ e−imt (23)
where, A and A∗ satisfy (18).
If m = 0, we obtain
ϕ = C + Dt. (24)
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3
This solution cannot be quantized to define a number
operator.
Equation (20) together with the metric(1) defines (for
D < 0) a space-time which is exponentially expanding
in the conformal time variable t. When transformed to
mass m and an effectively linearly expanding space(1)
by using the Lagrangian density (4) in Minkowski space.
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Higgs mechanism can be considered as two faces of the
same coin presented in this paper. Metin Arık would
like to thank the Turkish Academy of Sciences for sup-
port and acknowledge discussions with Tolga Yarman on
YARK theory[17] of gravitation which inspired this work.
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