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In this paper we explore generalizations of metric structures of the gravitational wave type to geometries containing an independent connection. The aim is simply to establish a new category of connections compatible, according to some criteria, to the known metric structures for gravitational waves and, additionally, provide some properties that can be useful for the search of solutions of this kind in different theories.

A bstract Theories formulated in the arena of teleparallel geometries are generically plagued by ghost-like instabilities or other pathologies that are ultimately caused by the breaking of some symmetries. In this work, we construct a class of ghost-free theories based on a symmetry under Transverse Diffeomorphisms that is naturally realised in symmetric teleparallelism. We explicitly show their equivalence to a family of theories with an extra scalar field plus a global degree of freedom and how Horndeski theories and healthy couplings to matter fields can be readily accommodated.

We undertake the construction of quadratic parity-violating terms involving the curvature in the four-dimensional metric-affine gravity. We demonstrate that there are only 12 linearly independent scalars, plus an additional one that can be removed by using the Pontryagin invariant. Several convenient bases for this sector are provided in both components and differential form notation. We also particularize our general findings to some constrained geometries like Weyl–Cartan and metric-compatible connections.

In this work, we revise the concept of foliation and related aspects that are crucial when formulating the Hamiltonian evolution for various theories beyond General Relativity. In particular, we show the relation between the kinematic characteristics of timelike congruences (observers) and the existence of foliations orthogonal to them. We then explore how local Lorentz transformations acting on observers affect the existence of transversal foliations, provide examples, and discuss the implications of these results for the 3+1 formulation of tetrad modified theories of gravity.

In this work, we revise the concept of foliation and related aspects that are crucial when formulating the Hamiltonian evolution for various theories beyond General Relativity. In particular, we show the relation between the kinematic characteristics of timelike congruences (observers) and the existence of foliations orthogonal to them. We then explore how local Lorentz transformations acting on observers affect the existence of transversal foliations, provide examples, and discuss the implications of these results for the \\(3+1\\) formulation of tetrad modified theories of gravity.

In this review we consider the quadratic Metric-Affine Gauge gravity Lagrangian, which contains all the algebraic invariants up to quadratic order in torsion, nonmetricity and curvature. The goal will be to collect the known exact solutions for this theory that describe the propagation of a gravitational wave and some useful properties. We concentrate on solutions whose connections are different from the Levi-Civita one and provide also the extension of already known axial torsion solutions to more general Lagrangians. At the end, we will briefly discuss colliding waves and Riemannian solutions.

In this paper we explore generalizations of metric structures of the gravitational wave type to geometries containing an independent connection. The aim is simply to establish a new category of connections compatible, according to some criteria, to the known metric structures for gravitational waves and, additionally, provide some properties that can be useful for the search of solutions of this kind in different theories.

In this paper we prove that the \\(k\\)-th order metric-affine Lovelock Lagrangian is not a total derivative in the critical dimension \\(n=2k\\) in the presence of non-trivial non-metricity. We use a bottom-up approach, starting with the study of the simplest cases, Einstein-Palatini in two dimensions and Gauss-Bonnet-Palatini in four dimensions, and focus then on the critical Lovelock Lagrangian of arbitrary order. The two-dimensional Einstein-Palatini case is solved completely and the most general solution is provided. For the Gauss-Bonnet case, we first give a particular configuration that violates at least one of the equations of motion and then show explicitly that the theory is not a pure boundary term. Finally, we make a similar analysis for the \\(k\\)-th order critical Lovelock Lagrangian, proving that the equation of the coframe is identically satisfied, while the one of the connection only holds for some configurations. In addition to this, we provide some families of non-trivial solutions.

This thesis covers several developments performed in metric-affine gravity. This alternative framework extends General Relativity by considering a more general connection than the one induced by the metric (i.e., arbitrary torsion and nonmetricity participate in the dynamics). We start by revising some mathematical aspects of the metric-affine framework, the way Lovelock and other invariants are extended to it and the construction of a gauge formalism. Then we focus on metric-affine pp-wave geometries and explore solutions of this type for the quadratic metric-affine Lagrangian (with even-parity invariants). Finally, in the last part of the manuscript, we analyze from a more field-theoretical point of view the viability of different extensions of General Relativity by guaranteeing the stability of their degrees of freedom.

We derive the exact gravitational wave solutions in a general class of quadratic metric-affine gauge gravity models. The Lagrangian includes all possible linear and quadratic invariants constructed from the torsion, nonmetricity and the curvature. The ansatz for the gravitational wave configuration and the properties of the wave solutions are patterned following the corresponding ansatz and the properties of the plane-fronted electromagnetic wave.