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We analyse the $f(R)$ gravity in the so-called Jordan frame, as implemented to the isotropic Universe dynamics. The goal of the present study is to show that, according to recent data analyses of the supernovae Ia Pantheon sample, it is possible to account for an effective redshift dependence of the Hubble constant. This is achieved via the dynamics of a non-minimally coupled scalar field, as it emerges in the $f(R)$ gravity. We face the question both from an analytical and purely numerical point of view, following the same technical paradigm. We arrive to establish that the expected decay of the Hubble constant with the redshift $z$ is ensured by a form of the scalar field potential, which remains essentially constant for $z\lesssim0.3$, independently if this request is made a priori, as in the analytical approach, or obtained a posteriori, when the numerical procedure is addressed. Thus, we demonstrate that an $f(R)$ dark energy model is able to account for an apparent variation of the Hubble constant due to the rescaling of the Einstein constant by the $f(R)$ scalar mode., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters (manuscript version after the proof corrections)

We extend the notion of the Nieh-Yan invariant to generic metric-affine geometries, where both torsion and nonmetricity are taken into account. Notably, we show that the properties of projective invariance and topologicity can be independently accommodated by a suitable choice of the parameters featuring this new Nieh-Yan term. We then consider a special class of modified theories of gravity able to promote the Immirzi parameter to a dynamical scalar field coupled to the Nieh-Yan form, and we discuss in more detail the dynamics of the effective scalar tensor theory stemming from such a revised theoretical framework. We focus, in particular, on cosmological Bianchi I models and we derive classical solutions where the initial singularity is safely removed in favor of a big bounce, which is ultimately driven by the nonminimal coupling with the Immirzi field. These solutions, moreover, turn out to be characterized by finite time singularities, but we show that such critical points do not spoil the geodesic completeness and wave regularity of these spacetimes.

In the context of $f(R)$ generalizations to the Holst action, endowed with a dynamical Immirzi field, we derive an analytic solution describing asymptotically anti--de Sitter black holes with hyperbolic horizon. These exhibit a scalar hair of the second kind, which ultimately depends on the Immirzi field radial behavior. In particular, we show how the Immirzi field modifies the usual entropy law associated to the black hole. We also verify that the Immirzi field boils down to a constant value in the asymptotic region, thus restoring the standard loop quantum gravity picture. We finally prove the violation of the reverse isoperimetric inequality, resulting in the superentropic nature of the black hole, and we discuss in detail the thermodynamic stability of the solution.

We consider special classes of Palatini f(R) theories, featured by additional Loop Quantum Gravity inspired terms, with the aim of identifying a set of modified Ashtekar canonical variables, which still preserve the SU(2) gauge structure of the standard theory. In particular, we allow for affine connection to be endowed with torsion, which turns out to depend on the additional scalar degree affecting Palatini f(R) gravity, and in this respect we successfully construct a novel Gauss constraint. We analyze the role of the additional scalar field, outlining as it acquires a dynamical character by virtue of a non vanishing Immirzi parameter, and we describe some possible effects on the area operator stemming from such a revised theoretical framework. Finally, we compare our results with earlier studies in literature, discussing differences between metric and Palatini approaches. It is worth noting how the Hamiltonian turns out to be different in the two cases. The results can be reconciled when the analysis is performed in the Einstein frame., 27 pages, comments are welcome

We analyze the gravitational waves propagation in metric $f(R)$ theories of gravity. In particular, adopting a gauge invariant formalism we clearly determine the exact propagating degrees of freedom. Then, investigating their effects on test masses via geodesic deviation equation, we show that the additional dynamical degree contained in such extended formulations is actually responsible for two distinguished polarizations, corresponding to a breathing and a longitudinal mode, respectively.

We analyze a modified $f(R)$ theory of gravity in the Palatini formulation, when a Holst term endowed with a dynamical Immirzi field is included. We study the basic features of the model, especially in view of eliminating the torsion field via the Immirzi field and the scalar-tensor degrees of freedom of the $f(R)$ model. The main task of this study is the investigation of the morphology of the gravitational wave polarization when their coupling to a circle of test particles is considered. We first observe that the dynamics of the scalar mode of the $f(R)$ Lagrangian is frozen out, since its first order term identically vanishes. This allows a detailed characterization of the linearized theory, which outlines the emergence of a modified Newtonian potential in the static limit, and when time independence is relaxed a standard gravitational wave plus the scalar wave associated to the Immirzi field. Investigating the effect of the coupling of this scalar-tensor wave on a circle of test particles, we arrive to define two effective gravitational polarizations, corresponding to an equivalent phenomenological wave, whose morphology is anomalous with respect the standard case of general relativity. In fact, the particle circle suffers modifications as it was subjected to modified plus and cross modes, whose specific features depend on the model free parameters and are, in principle, detectable via a data analysis procedure.

We investigate the nature of additional scalar degrees of freedom contained in extended hybrid metric-Palatini gravity, outlining the emergence of two coupled dynamical scalar modes. In particular, we discuss the weak field limit of the theory, both in the static case and from a gravitational waves perspective. In the first case, performing an analysis at the lowest order of the post parameterized Newtonian (PPN) structure of the model, we stress the settling of Yukawa corrections to the Newtonian potential. In this respect, we show that one scalar field can have long range interactions and used in the principle for mimicking dark matter effects. Concerning the gravitational waves propagation, instead, we demonstrate that is possible to have well-defined physical degrees of freedom, provided by suitable constraints on model parameters. Moreover, the study of the geodesic deviation points out the presence of breathing and longitudinal polarizations due to these novel scalar waves, which on peculiar assumptions can give rise to beating phenomena during their propagation., 14 pages, 1 figure. Comments are welcome

We analyze the cosmological implementation of Palatini $f(R)$ theories, constructed with a Nieh-Yan term and solved with respect to the torsion. We consider the relevant case of the quadratic correction to the Hilbert-Palatini action in the Ricci scalar, mimicking the Starobinsky model of the metric formulation. We point out the emergence of peculiar cosmological scenarios, depending on the sign of such correction, able to reproduce bouncing settings and to restore the standard Universe dynamics in the late asymptotic limit. Furthermore, we outline the settling of Little-Rip dynamics, which calls for a deeper investigation in order to be regularized via matter creation. Finally, we also show that in our model the Immirzi field is asymptotically frozen in time, resembling the morphology of Loop Quantum Gravity standard formulation., Comment: 9 pages

We analyse the semi-classical and quantum dynamics of the isotropic Universe in the framework of the Polymer Quantum mechanics, in order to implement a cut-off physics on the initial singularity. We first identify in the Universe cubed scale factor (i.e. the spatial volume) the suitable configuration variable, providing a constant critical energy density, such that the Bounce arises as intrinsic geometric feature. We then investigate the obtained semi-classical Bounce dynamics for the primordial Universe, and we outline its impact on the resolution of cosmological paradoxes, as soon as the semi-classical evolution is extended (in the spirit of the Ehrenfest theorem) to the collapsing pre-Bounce Universe. Finally, we validate the use of the semi-classical effective dynamics by investigating the behaviour of the expectation values of a proper semiclassical states. The present analysis has the merit to enforce the equivalence between the Polymer quantization paradigm in the Minisuperspace and the Loop Quantum Cosmology approach. In fact, our study allows to define a precise correspondence between the Polymer cut-off scale and the discrete geometric structure of LQG., 11 pages, 11 figures, Accepted for publication in Physical Review D

We propose a Nieh-Yan extension of f (R) models in the presence of Immirzi field and the resulting theory is studied in the context of first order formalism. We claim as in our model the ambiguities related to the Palatini vacuum case are solved, allowing us to extend the range of applicability of the method proposed in [4] to a wider class of f (R) theories. In particular we analyze within such a theoretical framework the propagation of gravitational waves in vacuum and outline as a dynamical Immirzi field could be regarded as a propagating torsion field with non-trivial and detectable effects on standard gravitational polarizations.

The Immirzi parameter is promoted to be a scalar field and the Hamiltonian analysis of the corresponding dynamical system is performed in the presence of gravity. We identified some SU(2) connections, generalizing Ashtekar-Barbero variables, and we rewrite the constraints in terms of them, setting the classical formulation suitable for loop quantization. Then, we consider the reduced system obtained when restricting to a flat isotropic cosmological model. By mimicking loop quantization via an effective semiclassical treatment, we outline how quantum effects are able to tame the initial singularity both in synchronous time and when the Immirzi field is taken as a relational time., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures