Kinematics in matrix gravity

We develop the kinematics in Matrix Gravity, which is a modified theory of gravity obtained by a non-commutative deformation of General Relativity. In this model the usual interpretation of gravity as Riemannian geometry is replaced by a new kind of geometry, which is equivalent to a collection of Finsler geometries with several Finsler metrics depending both on the position and on the velocity. As a result the Riemannian geodesic flow is replaced by a collection of Finsler flows. This naturally leads to a model in which a particle is described by several mass parameters. If these mass parameters are different then the equivalence principle is violated. In the non-relativistic limit this also leads to corrections to the Newton’s gravitational potential. We find the first and second order corrections to the usual Riemannian geodesic flow and evaluate the anomalous nongeodesic acceleration in a particular case of static spherically symmetric background.     

A Finsler generalisation of Einstein's vacuum field equations

This paper gives a generalisation of Einstein's vacuum field equations for Finsler metrics. The given generalised field equation reproduces the Einstein equations for Riemannian metrics, and also admits non-Riemannian solutions. This is shown in detail by deriving a first order Finsler perturbation, solving the new field equation, of the Schwarzschild metric. This perturbation turns out to be time independent. The effects of the perturbation on the three Classical Tests of General Relativity are derived, and used to give limits on the size of the perturbation parameter involved.     

Canonical connections of Finsler metrics and Finslerian connections on Riemannian metrics

A concept of canonical connection of a Finsler metric is developed. Connections that are compatible with Finsler metrics are compared with the canonical connection itself. They are also compared with the corresponding Cartan connection. A necessary and sufficient condition on metric Finsler connections is given for the metric to be Riemannian. This study unearths different ways in which Finsler geometry could be used to generalize the theory of general relativity.     

Basic principles of the Finsler theory of relativity. I

Physical principles are considered from which may be developed a generalization of relativity theory based on Finsler geometry, which is a metric generalization of Riemannian geometry.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 7, pp. 58–62, 1978.     

A finsler perturbation of the Poincaré metric

One method of gaining some insight into Finsler geomety is that of studying small Finsler perturbations of Riemannian metrics. We consider here the the standard two-dimensional upper half plane Poincaré metric, for which the geodesics are semi-circles and vertical lines. The effect of a simple Finsler perturbation on these geodesics is given by an explicit computation of the perturbed geodesics.     

A Spherical Symmetrical Spacetime Solution in Finsler Gravity

Several physical principles of Finsler gravity are proposed in this paper, and I apply the principles to construct a Finsler gravity action, which satisfy the condition that the action can be reduced to the General Relativity action once the metric is independent from the tangent vector. I also get a spacetime solution in Finsler spacetime with the tangent vector y _φ , moreover the solution indicates that the metric relies on the property of test particle in Finsler spacetime.     

Periodic relativity: basic framework of the theory

An alternative gravity theory is proposed which does not rely on Riemannian geometry and geodesic trajectories. The theory named periodic relativity (PR) does not use the weak field approximation and allows every two body system to deviate differently from the flat Minkowski metric. PR differs from general relativity (GR) in predictions of the proper time intervals of distant objects. PR proposes a definite connection between the proper time interval of an object and gravitational frequency shift of its constituent particles as the object travels through the gravitational field. PR is based on the dynamic weak equivalence principle which equates the gravitational mass with the relativistic mass. PR provides very accurate solutions for the Pioneer anomaly and the rotation curves of galaxies outside the framework of general relativity. PR satisfies Einstein’s field equations with respect to the three major GR tests within the solar system and with respect to the derivation of Friedmann equation in cosmology. This article defines the underlying framework of the theory.     

Gravitational lensing in the Kerr-Randers optical geometry

A new geometric method to determine the deflection of light in the equatorial plane of the Kerr solution is presented, whose optical geometry is a surface with a Finsler metric of Randers type. Applying the Gauss–Bonnet theorem to a suitable osculating Riemannian manifold, adapted from a construction by Naz?m, it is shown explicitly how the two leading terms of the asymptotic deflection angle of gravitational lensing can be found in this way.     

Post-newtonian parameters from alternative theories of gravity

Alternative theories of gravity have been recently studied in connection with their cosmological applications, both in the Palatini and in the metric formalism. The aim of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework (in the Palatini formalism) to test these theories at the solar system level and possibly at the galactic scales. We exactly solve field equations in vacuum and find the corresponding corrections to the standard general relativistic gravitational field. On the other hand, approximate solutions are found in matter cases starting from a Lagrangian which depends on a phenomenological parameter. Both in the vacuum case and in the matter case the deviations from General Relativity are controlled by parameters that provide the Post-Newtonian corrections which prove to be in good agreement with solar system experiments.     

Gravity in non-commutative geometry

We study general relativity in the framework of non-commutative differential geometry. As a prerequisite we develop the basic notions of non-commutative Riemannian geometry, including analogues of Riemannian metric, curvature and scalar curvature. This enables us to introduce a generalized Einstein-Hilbert action for non-commutative Riemannian spaces. As an example we study a space-time which is the product of a four dimensional manifold by a two-point space, using the tools of non-commutative Riemannian geometry, and derive its generalized Einstein-Hilbert action. In the simplest situation, where the Riemannian metric is taken to be the same on the two copies of the manifold, one obtains a model of a scalar field coupled to Einstein gravity. This field is geometrically interpreted as describing the distance between the two points in the internal space.Dedicated to H. ArakiSupported in part by the Swiss National Foundation (SNF)     

Einstein gravity in almost Kähler and Lagrange–Finsler variables and deformation quantization

A geometric procedure is elaborated for transforming (pseudo) Riemannian metrics and connections into canonical geometric objects (metric and nonlinear and linear connections) for effective Lagrange, or Finsler, geometries which, in turn, can be equivalently represented as almost Kähler spaces. This allows us to formulate an approach to quantum gravity following standard methods of deformation quantization. Such constructions are performed not on tangent bundles, as in usual Finsler geometry, but on spacetimes enabled with nonholonomic distributions defining 2+2$2+2$ splitting with associate nonlinear connection structure. We also show how the Einstein equations can be written in terms of Lagrange–Finsler variables and corresponding almost symplectic structures and encoded into the zero-degree cohomology coefficient for a quantum model of Einstein manifolds.     

Growth conditions, Riemannian completeness and Lorentzian causality

The stationary-Randers correspondence (SRC) provides a deep connection between the property of standard stationary spacetimes being globally hyperbolic, and the completeness of certain Finsler metrics of Randers type defined on the fibres. In order to establish further results, we investigate pointwise conformal transformations of certain Riemannian metrics on the fibres and growth conditions on the corresponding conformal factors. In general, a conformal transformation may map a complete Riemannian metric onto a complete or incomplete metric. We prove a theorem for the growth of the conformal factor such that the conformally transformed Riemannian metric is also complete. As an application, we establish novel relations between the completeness of Riemannian metrics, growth conditions on conformal factors and the Cauchy hypersurface condition on the fibres of a standard stationary spacetime. These results also imply new conditions for the completeness of Randers-type metrics by the application of the SRC.     

On a class of Ricci-flat Finsler metrics in Finsler geometry

In this paper, we study a class of Finsler metrics defined by a Riemannian metric and a one-form on a manifold. We completely determine the local structure of Ricci-flat metrics in this class which are also of Douglas type.     

Beyond the speed of light on Finsler spacetimes

As a prototypical massive field theory we study the scalar field on the recently introduced Finsler spacetimes. We show that particle excitations exist that propagate faster than the speed of light recognized as the boundary velocity of observers. This effect appears already in Finsler spacetime geometries with very small departures from Lorentzian metric geometry. It switches on for a sufficiently large ratio of the particle four-momentum and mass, and is the consequence of a modified version of the Coleman–Glashow velocity dispersion relation. The momentum dispersion relation on Finsler spacetimes is shown to be the same as on metric spacetimes, which differs from many quantum gravity models. If similar relations resulted for fermions on Finsler spacetimes, these generalized geometries could explain the potential observation of superluminal neutrinos claimed by the Opera Collaboration.     

The general four-dimensional spherically symmetric Finsler space

Finsler geometries give natural generalisations of Riemannian geometries, and hence possible natural extensions of general relativity. In this latter (gravitational) context, it is of particular interest to find the general spherically symmetric Finsler metric on ⁴. In this paper, we derive this metric. The general solution is given in two alternative forms, the second of which allows easy comparison with Riemannian-like metrics. We also derive the general axially symmetric Finsler metric on ⁴.     

Critical remarks on Finsler modifications of gravity and cosmology by Zhe Chang and Xin Li

I do not agree with the authors of papers arXiv:0806.2184 and arXiv:0901.1023v1 (published in [Zhe Chang, Xin Li, Phys. Lett. B 668 (2008) 453] and [Zhe Chang, Xin Li, Phys. Lett. B 676 (2009) 173], respectively). They consider that “In Finsler manifold, there exists a unique linear connection – the Chern connection … It is torsion freeness and metric compatibility …”. There are well-known results (for example, presented in monographs by H. Rund and R. Miron and M. Anastasiei) that in Finsler geometry there exist an infinite number of linear connections defined by the same metric structure and that the Chern and Berwald connections are not metric compatible. For instance, the Chern's one (being with zero torsion and “weak” compatibility on the base manifold of tangent bundle) is not generally compatible with the metric structure on total space. This results in a number of additional difficulties and sophistication in definition of Finsler spinors and Dirac operators and in additional problems with further generalizations for quantum gravity and noncommutative/string/brane/gauge theories. I conclude that standard physics theories can be generalized naturally by gravitational and matter field equations for the Cartan and/or any other Finsler metric compatible connections. This allows us to construct more realistic models of Finsler spacetimes, anisotropic field interactions and cosmology.     

Static vacuum solutions in non-Riemannian gravity

In the framework of non-Riemannian geometry, we derive exact static vacuum solutions of the field equations obtained from the full equivalent version of the Einstein–Hilbert action when torsion degrees of freedom are taken into account. By imposing spherical symmetry and a suitable choice for the contorsion degrees of freedom, the static geometry provides deviations on the predictions of the observational tests predicted by General Relativity—namely on the advance of planetary perihelia and the bending of light rays—which we infer. The analytical extension is built in two particular domains of the parameter space. In the first domain we obtain a solution exhibiting an event horizon analogous to that of the Schwarzschild geometry. For the second domain, we show that the metric furnishes an exterior event horizon, and two interior horizons which enclose the singularity. For both branches we examine the effects of torsion corrections on the Hawking radiation. In this scenario the model extends Bekenstein’s black hole geometrical thermodynamics, with an extra work term connected to a torsion parameter.     

Deformation quantization of nonholonomic almost Kähler models and Einstein gravity

Nonholonomic distributions and adapted frame structures on (pseudo) Riemannian manifolds of even dimension are employed to build structures equivalent to almost Kähler geometry and which allows to perform a Fedosov-like quantization of gravity. The nonlinear connection formalism that was formally elaborated for Lagrange and Finsler geometry is implemented in classical and quantum Einstein gravity.     

On the possibility of phase transitions in the geometric structure of space-time

It is shown that space-time may be not only in a state which is described by Riemann geometry but also in states which are described by Finsler geometry. Transitions between various metric states of space-time have the meaning of phase transitions in its geometric structure. These transitions together with the evolution of each of the possible metric states make up the general picture of space-time manifold dynamics.