Critical gravity waves

Abstract

Critical Gravity in D dimensions is discussed from the point of view of its exact solutions. The special features that certain type of solutions of higher-curvature gravity develop when one approaches the critical point of the parameter space are reviewed. In particular, a non-linear realization of the logarithmic modes of linearized Critical Gravity is seen to emerge as a peculiarity of the sector of anti-de Sitter wave solutions. Logarithmic solutions are shown to occur at a second point of the parameter space, at which the effective mass of the anti-de Sitter waves equals the Breitenlohner-Freedman bound. Other type of solutions with anisotropic scale invariance are also discussed and the special features they develop at the critical point are studied as well. This note is the written version of the talk delivered by one of the authors at the 13th Marcel Grossmann Meeting on general relativity, held in Stockholm, Sweden, in July 2012. The proceeding contribution is based on authors' previous works.