Maulik Parikh

Derivation of the Null Energy Condition

We derive the null energy condition, understood as a constraint on the Einstein-frame Ricci tensor, from world sheet string theory. For a closed bosonic string propagating in a curved geometry, the spacetime interpretation of the Virasoro constraint condition is precisely the null energy condition, to leading nontrivial order in the α′ expansion. Thus the deepest origin of the null energy condition lies in world sheet diffeomorphism invariance.

Energy conditions in the Jordan frame

The null energy condition, in its usual form, can appear to be violated by transformations in the conformal frame of the metric. We propose a generalization of the form of the null energy condition to the Jordan frame, in which matter is non-minimally coupled, which reduces to the familiar form in the Einstein frame. Using our version of the null energy condition, we provide a direct proof of the second law of black hole thermodynamics in the Jordan frame.

Rotating Rindler-AdS Space

If the Hamiltonian of a quantum field theory is taken to be a timelike isometry, the vacuum state remains empty for all time. We search for such stationary vacua in anti-de Sitter space. By considering conjugacy classes of the Lorentz group, we find interesting one-parameter families of stationary vacua in three-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. In particular, there exists a family of rotating Rindler vacua, labeled by the rotation parameter β, which are related to the usual Rindler vacuum by nontrivial Bogolubov transformations. Rotating Rindler-AdS space possesses not only an observer-dependent event horizon but even an observer-dependent ergosphere. We also find rotating vacua in global AdS provided a certain region of spacetime is excluded.

The second law in four-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

The topological contribution of a Gauss–Bonnet term in four dimensions to black hole entropy opens up the possibility of a violation of the second law of thermodynamics in black hole mergers. We show, however, that the second law is not violated in the regime where Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet holds as an effective theory and black holes can be treated thermodynamically. For mergers of anti-de Sitter (AdS) black holes, the second law appears to be violated even in Einstein gravity; we argue, however, that the second law holds when gravitational potential energy is taken into account.

Enhanced instability of de Sitter space in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

We show that the addition of a topological Gauss-Bonnet term to the gravitational action can greatly increase the instability of four-dimensional de Sitter space, by favoring the nucleation of black holes. The pair-production rate given by the Euclidean action for the instanton takes the form exp(Delta S) where S is the entropy in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory. The coefficient of the Gauss-Bonnet term in the action sets a stability bound on the curvature of empty de Sitter space. For that coefficient in the low-energy effective action of heterotic string theory, the maximal curvature of de Sitter space is in general much lower than the Planck scale.

The black hole membrane paradigm in f (R) gravity

To an outside observer, a black hole?s event horizon appears to behave exactly like a dynamical fluid membrane. We extend this membrane paradigm to black holes in general f(R) theories of gravity. We derive the stress tensor and various transport coefficients of the fluid and find that the membrane behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid except for the special case of Einstein gravity. Using Euclidean methods, we study the thermodynamics of the membrane. We speculate on what theories of gravity admit horizons with fluid properties.

Vacua and correlators in hyperbolic de Sitter space

A bstractWe study the power- and bi-spectrum of vacuum fluctuations in a hyperbolic section of de Sitter space, comparing two states of physical interest: the Bunch-Davies and hyperbolic vacuum. We introduce a one-parameter family of de Sitter hyperbolic sections and their natural vacua, and identify a limit in which it reduces to the planar section and the corresponding Bunch-Davies vacuum state. Selecting the Bunch-Davies vacuum for a massless scalar field implies a mixed reduced density matrix in a hyperbolic section of de Sitter space. We stress that in the Bunch-Davies state the hyperbolic de Sitter n-point correlation functions have to match the planar de Sitter n-point correlation functions. The expressions for the planar and hyperbolic Bunch-Davies correlation functions only appear different because of the transformation from planar to hyperbolic coordinates. Initial state induced deviations from the standard inflationary predictions are instead obtained by considering the pure hyperbolic vacuum, as we verify explicitly by computing the power- and bi-spectrum. For the bi-spectrum in the hyperbolic vacuum we find that the corrections as compared to the standard Bunch-Davies result are not enhanced in specific momentum configurations and strongly suppressed for momenta large compared to the hyperbolic curvature scale. We close with some final remarks, in particular regarding the implications of these results for more realistic inflationary bubble scenarios.

Smooth initial conditions from weak gravity

CMB measurements reveal an unnaturally smooth early universe. We propose a mechanism to make this smoothness natural by weakening the strength of gravity at early times, and therefore altering which initial conditions have low entropy.

Thermodynamic Origin of the Null Energy Condition

We derive the classical null energy condition, understood as a constraint on the Ricci tensor, from the second law of thermodynamics applied locally to Bekenstein-Hawking entropy associated with patches of null congruences. The derivation provides evidence that the null energy condition, which has usually been regarded as a condition on matter, is fundamentally a property of gravity.

No Open or Flat Bouncing Cosmologies in Einstein Gravity

A bstractWe show that, to first approximation, strings cannot propagate in bouncing open or flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universes. Specifically, the Virasoro constraint translates to the Ricci convergence condition in spacetime at leading order in the alpha-prime expansion. Thus one must go beyond minimally-coupled classical Einstein gravity in order to find bounce solutions that could be consistent with string theory. We map out some remaining possibilities for finding string-compatible cosmological bounces.