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An approach that allows studying the relationship between the neutralization of the cosmological constant and instantons for cosmology coupled to antisymmetric fields is proposed. Using suitable variables, the Lagrangian leading to the FRW equations can be written analogously to a Ginzburg-Landau theory and we show how spontaneous symmetry breaking appears. The approach leads to three possible solutions, if we denote $\Lambda_1$ and $\Lambda_2$ as the cosmological constants that come from gravity ($\Lambda_1$) and antisymmetric fields ($\Lambda_2$), then the solutions, a) $ |\Lambda_2|>|\Lambda_1|$ is consistent with a very small but non-zero $\Lambda_1$, b) $|\Lambda_2|<|\Lambda_1|$, then $\Lambda_1$ is observationally ruled out and, c) $|\Lambda_2|=|\Lambda_1|$ is a solution with finite action and instantons restoring the symmetry $\varphi \to -\varphi$. The third solution is also consistent with neutralization of the cosmological constant in four dimensions., Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure

We show a new class of interaction terms with higher derivatives that can be added to every low derivative real scalar, such that the theory is degenerate, and the equation of motion remains of second order. In contrast to previous setups, the necessary constraints that eliminate the ghosts also have a clear physical motivation: they impose and preserve at all times the low derivative dynamics of the real scalar as a background, on top of which, the fluctuations induced by these higher derivative terms are degenerate, and ghost-free. We summarize the setup for these constrained ghost-free real scalars in a two-step prescription. In contrast to some models with first-order derivative interactions with applications for dark energy and inflation, these theories with necessarily constrained second-order derivative self-interactions do not modify the speed of propagation, neither the cone of influence for the field equations, which are prescribed by the low derivative background that is also essential to eliminate the ghost; hence, avoiding the potential superluminality issues of the former., Comment: 15 pages. Expanded discussions, results unchanged

We study the consistency of having Lorentz invariance as a low energy approximation within the quantum field theory framework. A model with a scalar and a fermion field is used to show how a Lorentz invariance violating high momentum scale, a physical cutoff rendering the quantum field theory finite, can be made compatible with a suppression of Lorentz invariance violations at low momenta. The fine tuning required to get this suppression and to have a light scalar particle in the spectrum is determined at one loop., Comment: Revised version; minor changes. The main content of the paper is not altered

We study the thermodynamics of a moving Schwarzschild black hole, identifying the temperature and entropy in a relativistic scenario. Furthermore, we set arguments in a framework relating invariant geometrical quantities under global spacetime transformations and the dispersion relation of the system. We then extended these arguments in order to consider more general dispersion relations, and identify criteria to rule them out., Comment: 10 pages, no figures. Several typos fixed. New reference added. Section IV was refined according to referee's comments. Accepted in PLB

We study a generalization of a Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator for fermionic variables. Next, we consider an ensemble of these oscillators and we identify a particular case of the Myers-Pospelov model which is relevant for effective theories of quantum gravity. Finally, by taking the advantage of this connection, we analyze, for this model, the unitarity at one loop order in the low energy regime where no ghost states can be created on-shell. This energy regime is the relevant one when we consider the Myers-Pospelov model as a true effective theory coming from new space-time structure., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Eur.Phys.Jour. C

We discuss a minimal canonical modification of electrodynamics in order to account for ultraviolet Lorentz violating effects. This modification creates a birefringence that rotates the polarization planes from different directions. Such effects might be detectable in the anisotropic polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation., Comment: RevTeX, 4pp

The connection between the Lorentz invariance violation in the lagrangean context and the quantum theory of noncommutative fields is established for the U(1) gauge field. The modified Maxwell equations coincide with other derivations obtained using different procedures. These modified equations are interpreted as describing macroscopic ones in a polarized and magnetized medium. A tiny magnetic field (seed) emerges as particular static solution that gradually increases once the modified Maxwell equations are solved as a self-consistent equations system., Comment: 4 pages