Palatini versus metric formulation in higher-curvature gravity

The Palatini formalism for higher-curvature gravity theories

We compare the metric and the Palatini formalism to obtain the Einstein equations in the presence of higher-order curvature corrections that consist of contractions of the Riemann tensor, but not of its derivatives. We find that in general the two formalisms are not equivalent and that the set of solutions of the Palatini equations is a non-trivial subset of the solutions of the metric equation...

Diffeomorphism Symmetry in the Lagrangian Formulation of Gravity

Starting from a knowledge of certain identities in the Lagrangian description, the diffeomorphism transformations of metric and connection are obtained for both the second order (metric) and the first order (Palatini) formulations of gravity. The transformation laws of the connection and the metric are derived independently in the Palatini formulation in contrast to the metric formulation where...

Palatini formulation of modified gravity with a nonminimal curvature-matter coupling

Curvature scalar instability in f(R) gravity

An instability in the presence of matter in theories of gravity which include a 1/R correction in the gravitational action has been found by Dolgov and Kawasaki. In the present paper this instability is discussed for f(R) gravity in general. We focus on the Palatini formalism of the theory and it is shown that no such instability occurs in this version of f(R) gravity. The reasons for the appea...

The nearly Newtonian regime in Non-Linear Theories of Gravity

The present paper reconsiders the Newtonian limit of models of modified gravity including higher order terms in the scalar curvature in the gravitational action. This was studied using the Palatini variational principle in [Meng X and Wang P 2004 Gen. Rel. Grav. 36 1947] and [Domínguez A E and Barraco D E 2004 Phys. Rev. D 70 043505] with contradicting results. Here a different approach is used...