What Casimir Energy can suggest about Space Time Foam?

In the context of a model of space-time foam, made by $N$ wormholes we discuss the possibility of having a foam formed by different configurations. An equivalence between Schwarzschild and Schwarzschild-Anti-de Sitter wormholes in terms of Casimir energy is shown. An argument to discriminate which configuration could represent a foamy vacuum coming from Schwarzschild black hole transition frequencies is used. The case of a positive cosmological constant is also discussed. Finally, a discussion involving charged wormholes leads to the conclusion that they cannot be used to represent a ground state of the foamy type.Comment: ReVTeX, 3 pages. Talk given at the Fifth Workshop on Quantum Field Theory under the Influence of External Conditions, Leipzig, September 10-14, 200

The cosmological constant as an eigenvalue of the Hamiltonian constraint in Horava-Lifshits theory

In the framework of Horava-Lifshitz theory, we study the eigenvalues associated with the Wheeler-DeWitt equation representing the vacuum expectation values associated with the cosmological constant. The explicit calculation is performed with the help of a variational procedure with trial wave functionals of the Gaussian type. We analyze both the case with the detailed balanced condition and the case without it. In the case without the detailed balance, we find the existence of an eigenvalue depending on the set of coupling constants (g2,g3) and (g4,g5,g6), respectively, and on the physical scale.Comment: RevTeX,11 Pages, Substantial Improvements. References added. To appear in Phys.Rev.

The cosmological constant as an eigenvalue of f(R)-gravity Hamiltonian constraint

In the framework of ADM formalism, it is possible to find out eigenvalues of the WDW equation with the meaning of vacuum states, i.e. cosmological constants, for f(R) theories of gravity, where f(R) is a generic analytic function of the Ricci curvature scalar R. The explicit calculation is performed for a Schwarzschild metric where one-loop energy is derived by the zeta function regularization method and a renormalized running Lambda constant is obtained.Comment: 16 pages, to appear in Class. Quant. Gra

Space Time Foam: a ground state candidate for Quantum Gravity

A model of space-time foam, made by $N$ wormholes is considered. The Casimir energy leading to such a model is computed by means of the phase shift method which is in agreement with the variational approach used in Refs.[9-14]. The collection of Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m wormholes are separately considered to represent the foam. The Casimir energy shows that the Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m wormholes cannot be used to represent the foam.Comment: 6 pages.RevTeX with package epsf and two eps figures. To be submitted to the proceedings of the 4th Workshop of `Mysteries, Puzzles And Paradoxes In Quantum Mechanics' Gargnano (Italy), 27 August-1 September 200

Casimir energy and black hole pair creation in Schwarzschild-de Sitter spacetime

Following the subtraction procedure for manifolds with boundaries, we calculate by variational methods, the Schwarzschild-de Sitter and the de Sitter space energy difference. By computing the one loop approximation for TT tensors we discover the existence of an unstable mode even for the non-degenerate case. This result seems to be in agreement with the sub-maximal black hole pair creation of Bousso-Hawking. The instability can be eliminated by the boundary reduction method. Implications on a foam-like space are discussed.Comment: 19 pages,RevTeX with package epsf and four eps figures. Added other references. Accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Naked Singularity in a Modified Gravity Theory

The cosmological constant induced by quantum fluctuation of the graviton on a given background is considered as a tool for building a spectrum of different geometries. In particular, we apply the method to the Schwarzschild background with positive and negative mass parameter. In this way, we put on the same level of comparison the related naked singularity (-M) and the positive mass wormhole. We discuss how to extract information in the context of a f(R) theory. We use the Wheeler-De Witt equation as a basic equation to perform such an analysis regarded as a Sturm-Liouville problem . The application of the same procedure used for the ordinary theory, namely f(R)=R, reveals that to this approximation level, it is not possible to classify the Schwarzschild and its naked partner into a geometry spectrum.Comment: 8 Pages. Contribution given to DICE 2008. To appear in the proceeding

New instabilities of de Sitter spacetimes

We construct an instanton describing the pair production of non-Kaluza Klein bubbles of nothing in higher odd dimensional de Sitter spaces. In addition to showing that higher dimensional de Sitter spaces have a nonzero probability to become topologically nontrivial, this process provides direct evidence for the association of entropy with cosmological horizons and that non-Kaluza Klein bubbles of nothing are a necessary ingredient in string theory or any other consistent quantum theory of gravity in higher dimensions.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figur

Vacuum Energy, Variational Methods and the Casimir Energy

Following the subtraction procedure for manifolds with boundaries, we calculate by variational methods, the Schwarzschild and Flat space energy difference. The one loop approximation for TT tensors is considered here. An analogy between the computed energy difference in momentum space and the Casimir effect is illustrated. We find a singular behaviour in the UV-limit, due to the presence of the horizon when $r=2m.$ When $r>2m$ this singular behaviour disappears, which is in agreement with various other models previously presented

Spacetime Foam Model of the Schwarzschild Horizon

We consider a spacetime foam model of the Schwarzschild horizon, where the horizon consists of Planck size black holes. According to our model the entropy of the Schwarzschild black hole is proportional to the area of its event horizon. It is possible to express geometrical arguments to the effect that the constant of proportionality is, in natural units, equal to one quarter.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, improved and extended version with some significant changes. Accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.