Modified Gravity with Nonminimal Curvature-Matter Couplings: A Framework for Gravitationally Induced Particle Creation

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Main Authors: Lobo, Francisco S. N., Harko, Tiberiu, Pinto, Miguel A. S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Lobo, Francisco S. N.
Harko, Tiberiu
Pinto, Miguel A. S.
author_facet Lobo, Francisco S. N.
Harko, Tiberiu
Pinto, Miguel A. S.
contents Modified gravity theories with a nonminimal coupling between curvature and matter offer a compelling alternative to dark energy and dark matter by introducing an explicit interaction between matter and curvature invariants. Two of the main consequences of such an interaction are the emergence of an additional force and the non-conservation of the energy--momentum tensor, which can be interpreted as an energy exchange between matter and geometry. By adopting this interpretation, one can then take advantage of many different approaches in order to investigate the phenomenon of gravitationally induced particle creation. One of these approaches relies on the so-called irreversible thermodynamics of open systems formalism. By considering the scalar--tensor formulation of one of these theories, we derive the corresponding particle creation rate, creation pressure, and entropy production, demonstrating that irreversible particle creation can drive a late-time de Sitter acceleration through a negative creation pressure, providing a natural alternative to the cosmological constant. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the generalized second law of thermodynamics holds: the total entropy, from both the apparent horizon and enclosed matter, increases monotonically and saturates in the de Sitter phase, imposing constraints on the allowed particle production dynamics. Furthermore, we present brief reviews of other theoretical descriptions of matter creation processes. Specifically, we consider approaches based on the Boltzmann equation and quantum-based aspects and discuss the generalization of the Klein--Gordon equation, as well as the problem of its quantization in time-varying gravitational fields.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_24371
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Modified Gravity with Nonminimal Curvature-Matter Couplings: A Framework for Gravitationally Induced Particle Creation
Lobo, Francisco S. N.
Harko, Tiberiu
Pinto, Miguel A. S.
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Physics - Theory
Modified gravity theories with a nonminimal coupling between curvature and matter offer a compelling alternative to dark energy and dark matter by introducing an explicit interaction between matter and curvature invariants. Two of the main consequences of such an interaction are the emergence of an additional force and the non-conservation of the energy--momentum tensor, which can be interpreted as an energy exchange between matter and geometry. By adopting this interpretation, one can then take advantage of many different approaches in order to investigate the phenomenon of gravitationally induced particle creation. One of these approaches relies on the so-called irreversible thermodynamics of open systems formalism. By considering the scalar--tensor formulation of one of these theories, we derive the corresponding particle creation rate, creation pressure, and entropy production, demonstrating that irreversible particle creation can drive a late-time de Sitter acceleration through a negative creation pressure, providing a natural alternative to the cosmological constant. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the generalized second law of thermodynamics holds: the total entropy, from both the apparent horizon and enclosed matter, increases monotonically and saturates in the de Sitter phase, imposing constraints on the allowed particle production dynamics. Furthermore, we present brief reviews of other theoretical descriptions of matter creation processes. Specifically, we consider approaches based on the Boltzmann equation and quantum-based aspects and discuss the generalization of the Klein--Gordon equation, as well as the problem of its quantization in time-varying gravitational fields.
title Modified Gravity with Nonminimal Curvature-Matter Couplings: A Framework for Gravitationally Induced Particle Creation
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24371