MG15 - Talk detail

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Abstract

We consider the possibility of constraining some nonminimally (NMC) coupled curvature-matter models of gravity by means of Solar System experiments. The action functional involves two functions f^1(R) and f^2(R) of the Ricci curvature R. The function f^1(R) is analogous to f(R) gravity, and the function f^2(R) yields a NMC between the matter Lagrangian density and curvature. First we discuss the application of a perturbative approach due to Chiba et al. [Phys. Rev. D 75, 124014 (2007)] to the NMC gravity model by Bertolami et al. [Phys. Rev. D 81, 104046 (2010)], which constitutes an extension of 1/R^n gravity to the non-minimally coupled case. Such a NMC gravity model is able to predict the observed accelerated expansion of the Universe. Differently from the f(R)=1/R^n gravity case, which is not compatible with Solar System observations, it turns out that this NMC model cannot be constrained by the above perturbative method so that it remains, in this respect, a viable theory of gravity. Then we consider a NMC gravity model which admits Minkowski spacetime as a background, and we assume the functions f^1 and f^2 analytic at R=0. The nonrelativistic limit of the model is not Newtonian, but contains a Yukawa correction. We compute the metric around a static, spherically symmetric body. We look for trajectories (which deviate from geodesics) of a test body around the spherical body. We compute the perihelion precession of planets and we constrain the parameters of the model from radar observations of Mercury.

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