Some Classes of Gravitational Shock Waves from Higher Order Theories of Gravity

TL;DR

This paper investigates gravitational shock wave solutions in various higher order gravity theories, finding that most solutions resemble general relativity, with some theories producing milder or no singularities.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of shock wave solutions in higher order gravities, highlighting cases where solutions differ from or match general relativity, and studies the singularity structure.

Findings

Most higher order gravities yield solutions similar to Einstein-Hilbert gravity.

Certain theories like $F(R_{ u ho}R^{ u ho})$ produce distinct solutions.

Higher order gravities can reduce or eliminate singularities in shock wave solutions.

Abstract

We study the gravitational shock wave generated by a massless high energy particle in the context of higher order gravities of the form $F(R,R_{\mu \nu}R^{\mu \nu},R_{\mu \nu \alpha \beta}R^{\mu \nu \alpha \beta})$. In the case of $F(R)$ gravity, we investigate the gravitational shock wave solutions corresponding to various cosmologically viable gravities, and as we demonstrate the solutions are rescaled versions of the Einstein-Hilbert gravity solution. Interestingly enough, other higher order gravities result to the general relativistic solution, except for some specific gravities of the form $F(R_{\mu \nu}R^{\mu \nu})$ and $F(R,R_{\mu \nu}R^{\mu \nu})$, which we study in detail. In addition, when realistic Gauss-Bonnet gravities of the form $R+F(\mathcal{G})$ are considered, the gravitational shock wave solutions are identical to the general relativistic solution. Finally, the singularity structure of the gravitational shock waves solutions is studied, and it is shown that the effect of higher order gravities makes the singularities milder in comparison to the general relativistic solutions, and in some particular cases the singularities seem to be absent.