Rastall Gravity Theories and Cosmological Models
Summary
Rastall gravity proposes a modification to Einstein’s general theory of relativity by admitting a departure from the conventional conservation of the energy–momentum tensor, allowing matter and geometry to couple non-minimally. In this framework the divergence of the stress–energy tensor is proportional to the gradient of the Ricci scalar, controlled by a dimensionless Rastall parameter. Such a construct offers an alternative means to account for cosmic acceleration without introducing an explicit dark energy component, and admits novel solutions for black holes, compact stars and cosmological evolution. Applications include emergent universe scenarios, inflationary expansions driven by vacuum–geometry coupling, and astrophysical tests via neutron stars and pulsar timing. This theory has been assessed for consistency with standard thermodynamic laws and confronted with observational constraints on mass–radius relations, sound speeds and horizon entropy in homogeneous and isotropic universes.
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Rastall Gravity Theories and Cosmological Models publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in rastall gravity theories and cosmological models across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Rastall parameter: Dimensionless constant quantifying the degree of non-conservation of the energy–momentum tensor in Rastall gravity.
Energy–momentum tensor: Tensor describing the density and flux of energy and momentum in spacetime.
Non-minimal coupling: Direct interaction between matter fields and curvature beyond the minimal substitution in general relativity.
FLRW metric: Homogeneous and isotropic spacetime model used in standard cosmology to describe large-scale expansion.
Compactness: Ratio of mass to radius for an astrophysical object, often expressed as 2GM/Rc².
Emergent scenario: Cosmological model in which the universe originates from a finite, non-singular past state rather than a Big Bang singularity.
References
- Impact of Rastall Gravity on Mass, Radius, and Sound Speed of the Pulsar PSR J0740+6620. The Astrophysical Journal (2022).
- A generalization to the Rastall theory and cosmic eras. European Physical Journal C (2017).
- Thermodynamics of flat FLRW universe in Rastall theory. Physics Letters B (2016).
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