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We consider the Abelian Higgs model in the broken phase as a spectator in cosmological spaces of general $D$ space-time dimensions, and allow for the condensate to be time-dependent. We fix the unitary gauge using Dirac's formalism for constrained systems, and then quantize the gauge-fixed system. Vector and scalar perturbations develop time-dependent masses. We work out their propagators assuming the cosmological background is that of power-law inflation, characterized by a constant principal slow-roll parameter, and that the scalar condensate is in the attractor regime, scaling as the Hubble rate. Our propagators correctly reduce to known results in the Minkowski and de Sitter space limits. We use the vector propagator to compute the equal-time correlators of electric and magnetic fields and find that at super-Hubble separations the former is enhanced, while the latter is suppressed compared to the vacuum fluctuations of the massless vector field. These correlators satisfy the hierarchy governed by Faraday's law., Comment: 58 pages + appendices, 2 figures, 2 tables; published version

The scattering of electrons on impurities with internal degrees of freedom is bound to produce the signatures of the scatterer's own dynamics and results in nontrivial electronic transport properties. Previous studies of polaronic impurities in low-dimensional structures, like molecular junctions and one-dimensional nanowire models, have shown that perturbative treatments cannot account for a complex energy dependence of the scattering cross section in such systems. Here we derive the exact solution of polaronic impurities shaping the electronic transport in bulk (3D) systems. In the model with a short-ranged electron-phonon interaction, we solve for and sum over all elastic and inelastic partial cross sections, abundant in resonant features. The temperature dependence of the charge mobility shows the power-law dependence, $\mu(T)\propto T^{-\nu}$, with $\nu$ being highly sensitive to impurity parameters. The latter may explain nonuniversal power-law exponents observed experimentally, e.g. in high-quality organic molecular semiconductors., Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures

Ultraviolet completion of the standard model plus gravity at and beyond the Planck scale is a daunting problem to which no generally accepted solution exists. Principal obstacles include (a) lack of data at the Planck scale (b) nonrenormalizability of gravity and (c) unitarity problem. Here we make a simple observation that, if one treats all Planck scale operators of equal canonical dimension democratically, one can tame some of the undesirable features of these models. With a reasonable amount of fine tuning one can satisfy slow roll conditions required in viable inflationary models. That remains true even when the number of such operators becomes very large., Comment: 9 pages, 0 figures

Boson stars coupled to Einstein's general relativity possess some features similar to gravastars, such as the anisotropy in principal pressures and relatively large compactness ($\mu_{max} = 0.32$). However, no matter how large the self-interaction is, the ordinary boson star cannot obtain arbitrarily large compression and as such does not represent a good black hole mimicker. When the boson star is nonminimally coupled to gravity, the resulting configurations resemble more the dark energy stars then the ordinary boson stars, with compactness significantly larger then that in ordinary boson stars (if matter is not constrained with the energy conditions). The gravitationally bound system of a boson star and a global monopole represents a good black hole mimicker., Comment: conference paper, 4 pages, 8 figures

We investigate a class of models of topological inflation in which a super-Hubble-sized global monopole seeds inflation. These models are attractive since inflation starts from rather generic initial conditions, but their not so attractive feature is that, unless symmetry is again restored, inflation never ends. In this work we show that, in presence of another nonminimally coupled scalar field, that is both quadratically and quartically coupled to the Ricci scalar, inflation naturally ends, representing an elegant solution to the graceful exit problem of topological inflation. While the monopole core grows during inflation, the growth stops after inflation, such that the monopole eventually enters the Hubble radius, and shrinks to its Minkowski space size, rendering it immaterial for the subsequent Universe's dynamics. Furthermore, we find that our model can produce cosmological perturbations that source CMB temperature fluctuations and seed large scale structure statistically consistent (within one standard deviation) with all available data. In particular, for small and (in our convention) negative nonminimal couplings, the scalar spectral index can be as large as $n_s\simeq 0.955$, which is about one standard deviation lower than the central value quoted by the most recent Planck Collaboration., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures; matches published version

We consider inflation in a universe with a positive cosmological constant and a nonminimally coupled scalar field, in which the field couples both quadratically and quartically to the Ricci scalar. When considered in the Einstein frame and when the nonminimal couplings are negative, the field starts in slow roll and inflation ends with an asymptotic value of the principal slow roll parameter, $\epsilon_E=4/3$. Graceful exit can be achieved by suitably (tightly) coupling the scalar field to matter, such that at late time the total energy density reaches the scaling of matter, $\epsilon_E=\epsilon_m$. Quite generically the model produces a red spectrum of scalar cosmological perturbations and a small amount of gravitational radiation. With a suitable choice of the nonminimal couplings, the spectral slope can be as large as $n_s\simeq 0.955$, which is about one standard deviation away from the central value measured by the Planck satellite. The model can be ruled out by future measurements if any of the following is observed: (a) the spectral index of scalar perturbations is $n_s>0.960$; (b) the amplitude of tensor perturbations is above about $r\sim 10^{-2}$; (c) the running of the spectral index of scalar perturbations is positive., Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures

If the Universe undergoes a phase transition, at which global monopoles are created or destroyed, topology of its spatial sections can change. More specifically, by making use of Myers' theorem, we show that, after a transition in which global monopoles form, spatial sections of a spatially flat Universe become finite and closed. This implies that global monopoles can change topology of Universe's spatial sections (from infinite and open to finite and closed). We emphasize that global monopoles cannot alter topology of the space-time manifold., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure; introduction changed; matches published version

A field-theoretic model for a highly compact object that mimicks a black hole is found for the gravitationally interacting system of a boson star and a global monopole which are nonminimally coupled to gravity. According to the strength of the nonlinear gravitational effects and the gravitational backreaction, three distinct coupling regimes are featured: weak, mild and strong. In the strong coupling regime we show that a repulsive monopole stabilizes an attractive boson star and the resulting configuration exhibits large energy density, large (and negative) principal pressures, large compactness, large effective potential, large local forces, and yet exhibits no event horizon. As such a composite system of a boson star and a global monopole represents a convincing microscopic candidate for a black hole mimicker., Comment: 22 pages, 18 figures; References added; matches published version

We show that even a rather minimal extension of the Einstein - Hilbert action by a nonminimal coupling of the scalar field to the Ricci curvature scalar results in configurations that resemble more the dark energy stars then the ordinary boson stars. Even though many of those configurations are endowed by negative principal pressures, the strong energy condition, as a signal of repulsive gravity, is not significantly violated in these configurations. When imposing restrictions on matter from energy conditions we find that the maximally allowed masses are shifted to the lower values due to the violation of the weak and dominant energy conditions. We also calculate the effective compactness and show that its maximum value is attained in the region of negative pressures, and is greater then that in ordinary boson stars. Moreover, we develop a universality technique which allows to efficiently map small configurations, that are easily solved by numerical methods, to large astrophysical objects., Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures; a paragraph added in Sec.IV B in v2; matches published version

We calculate the quantum corrections to the Newtonian potential induced by a massless, nonminimally coupled scalar field on Minkowski background. We make use of the graviton vacuum polarization calculated in our previous work and solve the equation of motion nonperturbatively. When written as the quantum-corrected gauge invariant Bardeen potentials, our results show that quantum effects generically antiscreen the Newtonian singularity 1/r. This result supports the point of view that gravity on (super-)Planckian scales is an asymptotically safe theory. In addition, we show that, in the presence of quantum fluctuations of a massless, (non)minimally coupled scalar field, dynamical gravitons propagate superluminally. The effect is, however, unbservably small and it is hence of academic interest only., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures; a discussion of the relation to the Barvinsky-Vilkovisky formalism is included in v2; matches published version

Radial stability of the continuous pressure gravastar is studied using the conventional Chandrasekhar method. The equation of state for the static gravastar solutions is derived and Einstein equations for small perturbations around the equilibrium are solved as an eigenvalue problem for radial pulsations. Within the model there exist a set of parameters leading to a stable fundamental mode, thus proving radial stability of the continuous pressure gravastar. It is also shown that the central energy density possesses an extremum in rho_c(R) curve which represents a splitting point between stable and unstable gravastar configurations. As such the rho_c(R) curve for the gravastar mimics the famous M(R) curve for a polytrope. Together with the former axial stability calculations this work completes the stability problem of the continuous pressure gravastar., Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, References corrected, minor changes wrt v1, matches published version

We calculate the one loop graviton vacuum polarization induced by a massless, nonminimally coupled scalar field on Minkowski background. We make use of the Schwinger-Keldysh formalism, which allows us to study time dependent phenomena. As an application we compute the leading quantum correction to the Newtonian potential of a point particle. The novel aspect of the calculation is the use of the Schwinger-Keldysh formalism, within which we calculate the time transients induced by switching on of the graviton-scalar coupling., Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures; detailed calculation of the graviton vacuum polarization moved to the new Appendix; matches published version

Quasi-local variables, i.e. quantities whose values can be derived from physics accessible within an arbitrarily small neighborhood of a spacetime point, are used to construct the equation of state (EoS) for the anisotropic fluid in the spherical symmetry. One parameter families of equilibrium solutions are obtained making it possible to assess stability properties by means of the standard M(R) method. Normal modes of radial pulsation are computed as well and are found to confirm the onset of instability as predicted by the M(R) method. As an example, a stable configuration with outwardly increasing energy density in the core is obtained with a simple quasi-local extension of the polytropic EoS. It is also found that the loss of stability occurs at higher surface compactness when the anisotropy of pressures is present., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, v2: very minor changes, matches published version

The notion of a compact object immune to the horizon problem and comprising an anisotropic inhomogeneous fluid with a specific radial pressure behavior, i.e. the gravastar, is extended by introducing an electrically charged component. Einstein-Maxwell field equations are solved in the asymptotically de Sitter interior where a source of the electric field is coupled to the fluid energy density. Two different solutions which satisfy the dominant energy condition are given: one is the delta-shell model for which the analysis is carried out within Israel's thin shell formalism, the other approach - the continuous profile model - is solved numerically and the interior solutions have been (smoothly) joined with the Reissner-Nordstrom exterior. The effect of electric charge is considered, and the equation of state, the speed of sound and the surface redshift are calculated for both models., Comment: LaTeX, 14 pages, 3 figs, changes wrt v1: discussion of emergent equation of state included and references updated (to appear in CQG)