BIMETRIC GRAVITY THEORY, VARYING SPEED OF LIGHT AND THE DIMMING OF SUPERNOVAE

Abstract

In the bimetric scalar–tensor gravitational theory there are two frames associated with the two metrics ĝμν and gμν, which are linked by the gradients of a scalar field ϕ. The choice of a comoving frame for the metric ĝμν or gμν has fundamental physical consequences for local observers in either metric spacetimes, while maintaining diffeomorphism invariance. If the metric gμν is chosen to be associated with comoving coordinates, then the speed of light varies in the frame with the metric ĝμν. Observers in this frame see the dimming of supernovae because of the increase of luminosity distance versus red shift, due to an increasing speed of light in the past universe. Moreover, in this frame the scalar field ϕ describes a dark energy component in the Friedmann equation for the cosmic scale without acceleration. If we choose ĝμν to be associated with comoving coordinates, then an observer in the gμν metric frame will observe the universe to be accelerating and the supernovae will appear to be farther away. The theory predicts that the gravitational constant G can vary in spacetime, while the fine-structure constant α = e2/ℏc does not vary. The problem of cosmological horizons as viewed in the two frames is discussed.