MG12 - Talk detail |
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Participant |
Dunsby, Peter | |
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Institution |
University of Cape Town - University Av. Rondebosch - Cape Town - Western Cape - South Africa | |
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Session |
Talk |
Abstract |
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MGAT6 |
Towards an understanding of fourth order theories of gravity |
We present a summary of progress made in understanding the cosmology and astrophysics of f(R) gravity using the 1+3 covariant approach. A number of powerful tools describing the background dynamics, the structure growth problem and gravitational lensing in spherically symmetric spacetimes will be presented. To illustrate the power of these tools, we apply them to a number of simple theories, notably f(R) gravity, and determine under what conditions they could be compatible with observational constraints. |