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While wormholes are just as good a prediction of Einstein's theory as black holes, they are subject to severe restrictions from quantum field theory. To allow for the possibility of interstellar travel, a macroscopic wormhole would need to maintain sufficiently low radial tidal forces. It is proposed in this paper that the assumption of zero tidal forces, i.e., the limiting case, is sufficient for overcoming the restrictions from quantum field theory. The feasibility of this approach is subsequently discussed by (a) introducing the additional conditions needed to ensure that the radial tidal forces can indeed be sufficiently low and (b) by viewing traversable wormholes as emergent phenomena, thereby increasing the likelihood of their existence., Comment: 14 pages, no figures

This paper discusses the feasibility of thin-shell wormholes in spacetimes of embedding class one admitting a one-parameter group of conformal motions. It is shown that the surface energy density $\sigma$ is positive, while the surface pressure $\mathcal{P}$ is negative, resulting in $\sigma +\mathcal{P}<0$, thereby signaling a violation of the null energy condition, a necessary condition for holding a wormhole open. For a Morris-Thorne wormhole, matter that violates the null energy condition is referred to as "exotic." For the thin-shell wormholes in this paper, however, the violation has a physical explanation since it is a direct consequence of the embedding theory in conjunction with the assumption of conformal symmetry. These properties avoid the need to hypothesize the existence of the highly problematical exotic matter., Comment: 10 pages, no figures

In physical science, the concept of \emph{emergence} is often used to describe phenomena that occur at macroscopic scales but not at microscopic scales. The latter is usually referred to as a \emph{fundamental property} and the former as an \emph{emergent property}. In this paper, noncommutative geometry, often viewed as an offshoot of string theory, is the primary fundamental theory that gives rise to macroscopic wormholes and their properties, thereby becoming an emergent phenomenon. As a consequence of these considerations, we will reexamine the boundary conditions that characterize a Morris-Thorne wormhole, resulting in a modification of the wormhole structure., Comment: 10 pages, no figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2312.08392

Holding a Morris-Thorne wormhole open requires a violation of the null energy condition, calling for the need for so-called exotic matter near the throat. Many researchers consider exotic matter to be completely unphysical in classical general relativity. It has been shown, however, that the existence of an extra macroscopic dimension can resolve this issue: the throat could be lined with ordinary matter, while the extra dimension is then responsible for the unavoidable energy violation. The purpose of this paper is to show that the extra dimension can be microscopic, a result that is consistent with string theory., Comment: 7 pages, no figures

While wormholes may be just as good a prediction of Einstein's theory as black holes, they are subject to severe restrictions from quantum field theory. In particular, a wormhole can only be held open by violating the null energy condition, calling for the existence of "exotic matter," a condition that many researchers consider completely unphysical, enough to rule out macroscopic traversable wormholes. An equally serious problem is the enormous radial tension at the throat of a typical Morris-Thorne wormhole unless the wormhole has an extremely large throat size. It has been proposed that noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, may be the proper tool for addressing these issues. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: (1) to refine previous arguments to make a stronger and more detailed case for this proposal and (2) to obtain a complete wormhole solution from the given conditions., Comment: 9 pages, no figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2312.05266

It has been claimed that wormholes are just as good a prediction of Einstein's theory as black holes, but they are subject to severe restrictions from quantum field theory. The purpose of this paper is to show that the claim can be substantiated in spite of these restrictions., Comment: 18 pages, no figures

Noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, replaces point-like particles by smeared objects. These local effects have led to wormhole solutions in a semiclassical setting, but it has also been claimed that the noncommutative effects can be implemented by modifying only the energy momentum tensor in the Einstein field equations, while leaving the Einstein tensor unchanged. The implication is that noncommutative-geometry wormholes could be macroscopic. This result can be readily explained by considering the noncommutative-geometry background to be a fundamental property and the macroscopic wormhole spacetime to be emergent, according to an earlier version of this paper. However, it is shown in the present version that such wormholes could not be sufficiently massive to exist on a macroscopic scale. A major objective in this paper is to invoke $f(Q)$ gravity to provide the extra degrees of freedom to overcome these obstacles., Comment: 10 pages, no figures

This paper extends several previous studies of wormholes supported by two non-interacting fluids beginning with a combined model of ordinary matter and phantom dark energy with an anisotropic matter distribution. After noting that such wormholes could only exist on very large scales, the two-fluid model is extended to neutron stars, previously treated only for the isotropic case. The model is completed by incorporating certain generic features proposed by the author in an earlier study., Comment: 8 pages, no figures

This paper discusses traversable wormholes in a dark-energy setting by starting with a model due to Sung-Won Kim. This model, based on the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker model, is combined with a generalized Kaluza-Klein model. It is well known that phantom dark energy can in principle support traversable wormholes due to the violation of the null energy condition (NEC), a necessary condition for holding a wormhole open. Since the phantom divide constitutes a serious barrier, we retain the dark-energy assumption $a''(t)>0$ but stay below the phantom divide. To show that the violation of the NEC can only come from the fifth dimension requires a careful analysis of the scale factor $a(t)$. While needed in the overall model, certain 1-forms lack this scale factor since the extra dimension, often assumed to be compactified, would not be affected by the cosmological expansion. The result is a viable wormhole model of the Sung-Won Kim type. Our main conclusion involves Morris-Thorne wormholes: due to the Kaluza-Klein gravity, we obtain a complete wormhole solution without crossing the phantom divide., Comment: 11 pages, no figures

While wormholes are as good a prediction of Einstein's theory as black holes, they are subject to severe restrictions from quantum field theory. In particular, holding a wormhole open requires a violation of the null energy condition, calling for the existence of exotic matter. The Casimir effect has shown that this physical requirement can be met on a small scale, thereby solving a key conceptual problem. The Casimir effect does not, however, guarantee that the small-scale violation is sufficient for supporting a macroscopic wormhole. The purpose of this paper is to connect the Casimir effect to noncommutative geometry, which also aims to accommodate small-scale effects, the difference being that these can now be viewed as intrinsic properties of spacetime. As a result, the noncommutative effects can be implemented by modifying only the energy momentum tensor in the Einstein field equations, while leaving the Einstein tensor unchanged. The wormhole can therefore be macroscopic in spite of the small Casimir effect., Comment: 6 pages, no figures

Modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) is a hypothesized modification of Newton's law of universal gravitation to account for the flat rotation curves in the outer regions of galaxies, thereby eliminating the need for dark matter. Although a highly successful model, it is not a self-contained physical theory since it is based entirely on observations. It is proposed in this paper that noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, can account for the flat rotation curves and thereby provide a justification for MOND. This paper extends an earlier heuristic argument by the author., Comment: 5 pages, no figures

The idea of an oscillating Universe has remained a topic of interest even after the discovery of dark energy. This paper confirms this idea by means of another well-established theory in general relativity, the embedding of curved spacetimes in higher-dimensional flat spacetimes: an $n$-dimensional Riemannian space is said to be of embedding class $m$ if $m+n$ is the lowest dimension $d$ of the flat space in which the given space can be embedded; here $d=\frac{1}{2}n(n-1)$. So a four-dimensional Riemannian space is of class two since it can be embedded in a six-dimensional flat space. A line element of class two can be reduced to a line element of class one by a suitable coordinate transformation. The extra dimension can be either spacelike or timelike, leading to accelerating and decelerating expansions, respectively. Accordingly, it is proposed in this paper that the free parameter occurring in the transformation be a periodic function of time. The result is a mathematical model that can be interpreted as a periodic change in the signature of the embedding space. This signature change may be the best model for an oscillating Universe and complements various models proposed in the literature., Comment: 10 pages, no figures

A Morris-Thorne wormhole can only be sustained by violating the null energy condition, thereby requiring the existence of "exotic matter," a requirement that many researchers consider unphysical. Using a mostly qualitative approach, it is proposed in this note that the basic problems can be overcome by purely relativistic considerations. The implication is that a Morris-Thorne wormhole is likely to be a compact stellar object., Comment: 6 pages, no figures

It has been known for a long time that Morris-Thorne wormholes can only be held open by violating the null energy condition, which can be expressed in the form $\tau-\rho c^2>0$, where $\tau$ is the radial tension. Matter that violates this condition is usually referred to as "exotic." For any wormhole having a moderately-sized throat, the radial tension is equal to that at the center of a massive neutron star. Attributing this outcome to exotic matter seems reasonable enough, but it ignores the fact that exotic matter was introduced for a completely different reason. Moreover, its problematical nature suggests that the amount of exotic matter be held to a minimum, but this would make the high radial tension harder to explain. If the amount is infinitely small, this explanation breaks down entirely. By invoking $f(R)$ modified gravity, the need for exotic matter at the throat could actually be eliminated, but the negation of the above condition, i.e., $\tau <\rho c^2$, shows that we have not necessarily eliminated the high radial tension. This survey discusses various ways to account for the high radial tension and, in some cases, the possible origin of exotic matter. We conclude with some comments on a possible multiply-connected Universe., Comment: 14 pages, no figures

Embedding theorems, which have a long history in the general theory of relativity, are used in this paper to account for two of the most troubling aspects of Morris-Thorne wormholes, (1) the origin of exotic matter and the amount needed to sustain a wormhole, and (2) the enormous radial tension that is characteristic of wormholes with moderately-sized throats. Attributing the latter to exotic matter ignores the fact that exotic matter was introduced for a completely different reason and is usually present in only small quantities., Comment: 8 pages, no figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2202.00051

The embedding of a curved spacetime in a higher-dimensional flat spacetime has continued to be a topic of interest in the general theory of relativity, as exemplified by the induced-matter theory. This paper deals with spacetimes of embedding class one, i.e., spacetimes that can be embedded in a five-dimensional flat spacetime. Einstein's theory allows the fifth dimension to be either spacelike or timelike. By assuming the latter, this paper addresses two fundamental issues concerning Morris-Thorne wormholes, the origin of exotic matter and the frequently inexplicable enormous radial tension at the throat., Comment: 8 pages, no figures

The existence of charged black holes has suggested that wormholes may also be charged. The purpose of this paper is to construct a general model of a charged wormhole that proves to be a natural extension of the original Morris-Thorne wormhole. This goal is achieved by means of the classical embedding theory that has played a major role in the general theory of relativity., Comment: 6 pages, no figures

The idea of constructing a time machine is not new and even received a boost thanks to the realization that a traversable wormhole could be converted to a time machine. This also implied that one could only travel back to the time of the conversion. This paper addresses these issues, as well as the concomitant causality violations, by starting with a physically acceptable model, a spacetime that is anti-de Sitter due to an extra time-like dimension, thereby allowing the existence of closed time-like curves. By assuming that the extra dimension is independent of the radial coordinate, the wormhole retains its basic geometric properties regardless of its location and can therefore serve as a shortcut for any closed time-like curve, which, in turn, can extend indefinitely into the past. The same independence of the radial coordinate suggests that the wormhole could connect a region in the present to a local region that (1) lies in the past and (2) does not contain any closed time-like curves. Previous studies have suggested that if such a region is sufficiently localized, it may be possible to avoid a causality violation., Comment: 6 pages, no figures

An $n$-dimensional Riemannian space is said to be of embedding class $m$ if $n+m$ is the lowest dimension of the flat space in which the given space can be embedded. A spherically symmetric spacetime of class two can be reduced to class one by a suitable transformation of coordinates. Applied to wormholes, given a well-defined shape function $b=b(r)$, the resulting wormhole has an event horizon and is therefore nontraversable. On a macroscopic scale, $b(r)$ can be replaced by $m(r)$, the effective mass of a spherical star of radius $r$ with $m(0)=0$, to yield a valid solution. Spacetimes of embedding class one have been used successfully for modeling compact stellar objects. On a microscopic scale, one can invoke noncommutative geometry to obtain a charged nontraversable wormhole, i.e., an Einstein-Rosen bridge, and hence a model for a charged particle., Comment: 8 pages, no figures

This paper discusses noncommutative-geometry wormholes in the context of a cosmological model due to Sung-Won Kim. An ansatz suggested by the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) model leads to the assumption that the matter content can be divided into two parts, a cosmological part depending only on time and a wormhole part depending only on space. These assumptions are sufficient for deriving a complete zero-tidal force wormhole solution. The wormhole is evolving due to the scale factor in the FLRW model; it is restricted, however, to the curvature parameters $k=0$ and $k=-1$. Unlike previous models, the noncommutative-geometry background affects both the wormhole part and the cosmological part of the solution., Comment: 10 pages, no figures

It is well known that phantom energy, which is characterized by the equation of state $p=\omega\rho$, $\omega <-1$, can support Morris-Thorne wormholes since it leads to a violation of the null energy condition. The purpose of this note is to show that the converse is also true in the following sense: for a typical shape function, the equation of state of exotic matter in the vicinity of the throat is given by $p_r=\omega\rho$, $\omega <-1$, where $p_r$ is the radial pressure. Some implications thereof are also considered., Comment: 6 pages, no figures

The strategy adopted in the original Morris-Thorne wormhole was to retain complete control over the geometry at the expense of certain engineering considerations. The purpose of this paper is to obtain several complete wormhole solutions by assuming a noncommutative-geometry background with a concomitant isotropic-pressure condition. This condition allows us to consider a cosmological setting with a perfect-fluid equation of state. An extended form of the equation generalizes the first solution and subsequently leads to the generalized Chaplygin-gas model and hence to a third solution. The solutions obtained extend several previous results. This paper also reiterates the need for a noncommutative-geometry background to account for the enormous radial tension that is characteristic of Morris-Thorne wormholes., Comment: 10 pages, no figures

Noncommutative geometry, as conceptualized by Nicolini, Smailagic, and Spallucci, may be viewed as a slight modification of Einstein's theory. The same can be said for $f(R)$ modified gravity for an appropriate choice of the function $f(R)$. Since such an $f(R)$ could be determined from the noncommutative-geometry background, these gravitational theories make very similar predictions in the discussion of (a) dark matter and (b) traversable wormholes; they can therefore be taken as equally viable models., Comment: 9 pages, no figures

Two critical issues in the study of Morris-Thorne wormholes concerns the stability of such structures, as well as their compatibility with quantum field theory. This note discusses an important subset characterized by zero tidal forces. It is shown that such wormholes (1) are in stable equilibrium using a criterion based on the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equation and (2) are not in direct conflict with quantum field theory., Comment: 6 pages, no figures

A fundamental property of Morris-Thorne wormholes is the so-called flare-out condition that automatically results in a violation of the null energy condition (NEC) in classical general relativity. By contrast, in $f(R)$ modified gravity, the material threading the wormhole may actually satisfy the NEC, while, at the same time, the effective stress-energy tensor arising from the modified theory violates the NEC, thereby sustaining the wormhole. It is shown in this paper that noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, can be viewed as a special case of $f(R)$ gravity and can therefore sustain a wormhole without the use of exotic matter. It also provides a motivation for the choice of $f(R)$ in the modified gravitational theory., Comment: 6 pages, no figures

It has recently been proposed that vacuum energy is zero in spite of the quantum-field fluctuations that occur everywhere, even at absolute zero. The implication is that dark energy must have a different origin, unrelated to vacuum energy. It is proposed in this paper that noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, may provide such an origin due to its ability to account for the accelerated expansion., Comment: 6 pages, i figure

The Brouwer fixed-point theorem in topology states that for any continuous mapping $f$ on a compact convex set into itself admits a fixed point, i.e., a point $x_0$ such that $f(x_0)=x_0$. Under certain conditions, this fixed point corresponds to the throat of a traversable wormhole, i.e., $b(r_0)=r_0$ for the shape function $b=b(r)$. The possible existence of wormholes can therefore be deduced from purely mathematical considerations without going beyond the existing physical requirements., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure

It is well known that a Morris-Thorne wormhole can only be held open by violating the null energy condition, physically realizable by the use of "exotic matter." Unfortunately, even a small or moderately-sized wormhole would have a radial tension equal to that of the interior of a massive neutron star. So outside a neutron-star setting, such an outcome is problematical at best, calling for more than an appeal to exotic matter whose introduction had a completely different objective and with possibly different outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to account for the enormous radial tension in three ways: (1) directly invoking noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, (2) appealing to noncommutative geometry in conjunction with $f(R)$ modified gravity, and (3) determining the possible effect of a small extra dimension., Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure

Noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, replaces point-like objects by smeared objects. The resulting uncertainty may cause a black hole to be observationally indistinguishable from a traversable wormhole, while the latter, in turn, may become observationally indistinguishable from a gravastar. The same noncommutative-geometry background allows the theoretical construction of thin-shell wormholes from gravastars and may even serve as a model for dark energy., Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure; accepted by MPLA

This paper extends an earlier study by the author [Phys. Rev. D, vol. 98, 064041 (2018), arXiv:1809.01993] in several significant ways. To begin with, the extra spatial dimension is assumed to be time dependent, while the redshift and shape functions, as well as the extra dimension, are functions of both $r$ and $l$, the respective radial and extra coordinates. The main goal is to determine the conditions that allow the throat of the wormhole to be threaded with ordinary matter (by respecting the null energy condition) and that the same conditions lead to a violation of the null energy condition in the fifth dimension, which can therefore be credited with helping to sustain the wormhole. The dependence of the metric coefficients on $l$ and time $t$ may either help or hinder the ability to use ordinary matter, while an unrestricted dependence on the fifth dimension could lead to a curvature singularity at the throat. Finally, the extra dimension may be extremely small or even curled up., Comment: 14 pages, no figures. Published under the title: Exploration of traversable wormholes sustained by an extra spatial dimension

It is well known that traversable wormholes are valid solutions of the Einstein field equations, but these structures can only be maintained by violating the null energy condition. In this paper, we have obtained such wormhole solutions in an isothermal galactic halo, as well as in a void. We have shown that the null energy condition is violated, with the help of a suitable redshift function obtained from flat galactic rotation curves., Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures. Accepted in Mod.Phys.Lett.A

This paper discusses the theoretical construction of thin-shell wormholes from Kiselev black holes. We assume a barotropic equation of state for the exotic matter on the shell. While most of these wormholes are unstable to linearized radial perturbations, a limit argument is used to show that under certain conditions, stable solutions can be found., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures

It is shown in this note that a noncommutative-geometry background determines the modified-gravity function $f(R)$ for modeling dark matter., Comment: 7 pages, no figures

This paper generalizes an earlier result by the author based on well-established embedding theorems that connect the classical theory of relativity to higher-dimensional spacetimes. In particular, an $n$-dimensional Riemannian space is said to be of embedding class $m$ if $m+n$ is the lowest dimension of the flat space in which the given space can be embedded. To study traversable wormholes, we concentrate on spacetimes that can be reduced to embedding class one by a suitable transformation. It is subsequently shown that the extra degrees of freedom from the embedding theory provide the basis for a complete wormhole solution in the sense of obtaining both the redshift and shape functions., Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure

This paper explores the effect of an extra spatial dimension on a Morris-Thorne wormhole. After proposing a suitable model, it is shown that under certain conditions, the throat of the wormhole can be threaded with ordinary matter, while the unavoidable violation of the null energy condition can be attributed to the existence of the extra dimension., Comment: 10 pages, no figures

A long-standing topic of interest in the general theory of relativity is the embedding of curved spacetimes in higher-dimensional flat spacetimes. The main purpose this paper is to show that the embedding theory can account for the accelerated expansion of the Universe and thereby serve as a model for dark energy. This result is consistent with earlier findings based on noncommutative geometry. A secondary objective is to show that the embedding theory also implies that it is possible, at least in principle, for the accelerated expansion to reverse to become a deceleration., Comment: 8 pages, i figure

Embedding theorems have continued to be a topic of interest in the general theory of relativity since these help connect the classical theory to higher-dimensional manifolds. This paper deals with spacetimes of embedding class one, i.e., spacetimes that can be embedded in a five-dimensional flat spacetime. These ideas are applied to two diverse models, a complete solution for a charged wormhole admitting a one-parameter group of conformal motions and a new model to explain the flat rotation curves in spiral galaxies without the need for dark matter., Comment: 11 pages, no figures

This paper discusses the possible existence of traversable wormholes in f(R) modified gravity while assuming a noncommutative-geometry background, as well as zero tidal forces. The first part of the paper aims for an overview via several shape functions by determining the corresponding wormhole solutions and their properties. The solutions are made complete by deriving the modified-gravity functions F(r) and f(R), where F=df/dR. It is subsequently shown that the violation of the null energy condition can be attributed to the combined effects of f(R) gravity and noncommutative geometry. The second part of the paper reverses the strategy by starting with a special form of f(R) and determining the wormhole solution and the concomitant F(r). The approach in this paper differs in significant ways from that of Jamil et al., Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure

This paper introduces a new type of thin-shell wormhole constructed from a special class of compact stellar objects rather than black holes. The construction and concomitant investigation of the stability to linearized radial perturbations commences with an extended version of a regular Hayward black hole. Given the equation of state $\mathcal{P}=\omega\sigma$, $\omega <0$, for the exotic matter on the thin shell, it is shown that whenever the value of the Hayward parameter is below its critical value, no stable solutions can exist. If the Hayward parameter is allowed to exceed its critical value, stable solutions can be found for moderately sized thin shells. Not only are the underlying structures ordinary compact objects, rather than black holes, the results are consistent with the properties of neutron stars, as well as other compact stellar objects., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures

This paper presents a new wormhole solution by assuming that a homogeneously distributed fluid with equation of state $p=\omega\rho$ can be adapted to an anisotropic spacetime such as a wormhole and that this spacetime admits a one-parameter group of conformal motions. The pressure $p$ in the equation of state becomes the lateral pressure $p_t$ instead of the radial pressure $p_r$, as assumed in previous studies. Given that $p_t=\omega\rho$, $p_r$ is then determined from the Einstein field equations. A wormhole solution can be obtained only if $\omega <-1$ or $0<\omega <1$. Since the former case corresponds to phantom dark energy, which has been the subject of earlier studies, we concentrate mainly on the latter. This case implies that given the above conditions, dark matter can support traversable wormholes., Comment: 7 pages, no figures

The starting point in this note is $f(R)$ modified gravity in a cosmological setting. We assume a spatially flat Universe to describe late-time cosmology and the perfect-fluid equation of state $p=\omega\rho$ to model the hypothesized dark energy. Given that on a cosmological scale, $f(R)$ modified gravity must remain close to Einstein gravity to be consistent with observation, it was concluded that either (1) Einstein's cosmological constant is the only acceptable model for the accelerated expansion or (2) that the equation of state for dark energy is far more complicated than the perfect-fluid model and may even exclude a constant $\omega$., Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure

This paper discusses a generalized model for compact stars, assumed to be anisotropic in nature due to the spherical symmetry and high density. After embedding the four-dimensional spacetime in a five-dimensional flat spacetime, which may be treated as an alternative to Karmarkar's condition of embedding class 1 spacetime, the Einstein field equations were solved by employing a class of physically acceptable metric functions proposed by Lake \cite{Lake2003}. The physical properties determined include the anisotropic factor showing that the anisotropy is zero at the center and maximal at the surface. Other boundary conditions yielded the values of various parameters needed for rendering the numerous plots and also led to the EOS parameters. It was further determined that the usual energy conditions are satisfied and that the compact structures are stable, based on several criteria, starting with the TOV equation. The calculation of the effective gravitational mass shows that the models satisfy the Buchdahl condition. Finally, the values of the numerous constants and physical parameters were determined specifically for the strange star LMCX-4. It is shown that the present generalized model can justify most off the compact stars including white dwarfs and ultra dense compact stars for a suitable tuning of the parametric values of $n$., Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures and 3 tables

When Morris and Thorne first proposed that wormholes might be actual physical structures suitable for interstellar travel, they needed to pay close attention to certain traversability conditions such as low tidal forces, which placed severe constraints on the wormhole geometry. Even more problematical was the need for "exotic matter" resulting from the unavoidable violation of the null energy condition required to hold a wormhole open. The purpose of this paper is to overcome these problems by starting with the charged wormhole model of Kim and Lee and assuming a noncommutative-geometry background: the violation of the null energy condition can be attributed to the latter, while the electric charge allows the reduction of the tidal forces to acceptable levels without invoking the trivial zero-tidal-force assumption., Comment: 8 pages, no figures

The purpose of this paper is to seek a connection between noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, and certain aspects of dark matter and dark energy. The former case is based on a simple mathematical argument showing that the main manifestation of dark matter in connection with flat rotation curves in galaxies and clusters of galaxies is also a consequence of noncommutative geometry. The latter case requires an examination of the local effect of noncommutative geometry and the subsequent extension to the global phenomenon of an accelerating Universe., Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, special issue on string theory

This paper discusses the effect that conformal symmetry can have on a charged wormhole. The analysis yields a physical interpretation of the conformal factor in terms of the electric charge. The rate of change of the conformal factor determines much of the outcome, which ranges from having no solution to wormholes having either one or two throats., Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure

It has been argued that wormholes are as good a prediction of Einstein's theory as black holes but the theoretical construction requires a reverse strategy, specifying the desired geometric properties of the wormhole and leaving open the determination of the stress-energy tensor. We begin by confirming an earlier result by the author showing that a complete wormhole solution can be obtained by adopting the equation of state $p=\omega\rho$ and assuming that the wormhole admits a one-parameter group of conformal motions. The main purpose of this paper is to use the assumption of conformal symmetry to show that the wormhole is stable to linearized radial perturbations whenever $-1.5<\omega <-1$., Comment: 8 pages, no figures

Based on an exact solution of the Einstein field equations, it is proposed in this note that the dark-matter hypothesis could have led to the prediction of flat galactic rotation curves long before the discovery thereof by assuming that on large scales the matter in the Universe, including dark matter, is a perfect fluid., Comment: 4 pages, no figures

In this paper we seek a relationship between the assumption of conformal symmetry and the exotic matter needed to hold a wormhole open. By starting with a Morris-Thorne wormhole having a constant energy density, it is shown that the conformal factor provides the extra degree of freedom sufficient to account for the exotic matter. The same holds for Morris-Thorne wormholes in a noncommutative-geometry setting. Applied to thin shells, there would exist a radius that results in a wormhole with positive surface density and negative surface pressure and which violates the null energy condition on the thin shell., Comment: 9 pages, no figures

Hawking's proposal that the Universe has no temporal boundary and hence no beginning depends on the notion of imaginary time and is usually referred to as the "no-boundary proposal." This paper discusses a simple alternative approach by means of the five-dimensional Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker model., Comment: 5 pages, no figures