Non-Minimal Einstein-Yang-Mills Theory Yields Traversable Wormholes Without Exotic Matter

The possibility of traversable wormholes, tunnels connecting distant points in spacetime, continues to fascinate physicists and fuel speculation about interstellar travel, and a new study by Jureeporn Yuennan of Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, along with Allah Ditta from the University of Management and Technology and Khazar University, and Thammarong Eadkhong and Phongpichit Channuie from Walailak University, explores how these structures might form and remain stable. Researchers investigate wormhole geometries within a modified theory of gravity, incorporating interactions between gravity and magnetic fields, and demonstrate that carefully chosen parameters can create wormholes that avoid the need for unphysical exotic matter. The team’s analysis reveals that these wormholes exhibit attractive gravitational behaviour, deflecting light in a predictable manner, and potentially offering a pathway to configurations that could, in principle, be distinguished through astronomical observations. This work represents a significant step forward in understanding the theoretical possibility of wormholes and their potential role in the universe.

Researchers demonstrate that, with specific parameter choices, these wormholes can remain open and traversable without requiring the presence of exotic matter. The analysis reveals that the geometry and stability of these wormholes are significantly influenced by the strength of the coupling between gravity and the Yang-Mills field, as well as the magnetic charge associated with the field.

Wormhole Stability and Exotic Matter Requirements

The existence of wormholes, theoretical shortcuts through spacetime, has long fascinated physicists, but sustaining these structures presents a significant challenge. A central problem is the need for exotic matter, a substance with negative mass-energy density, to counteract the immense gravitational forces that would otherwise cause a wormhole to collapse. Researchers have explored various modifications to Einstein’s general relativity, hoping to find theories that might allow for wormholes without requiring this exotic matter, including altering the fundamental equations of gravity or adding extra terms to the gravitational action. These modifications aim to alter the gravitational field and potentially provide the necessary support for a stable wormhole.

Describing the geometry of a wormhole requires defining its shape, particularly the throat, and how it connects to distant regions of spacetime, achieved using mathematical tools like shape functions. A crucial aspect of wormhole physics is understanding how different energy conditions, which govern the distribution of energy and momentum, are affected; violations of these conditions are often necessary to sustain a traversable wormhole. Researchers have also investigated thin-shell wormholes, modeling them as surface layers separating different regions of spacetime.

Stable Wormholes Without Exotic Matter Found

Researchers have discovered a novel class of wormhole solutions within a modified theory of gravity that combines Einstein’s general relativity with Yang-Mills fields. These wormholes, unlike those previously theorized, do not necessarily require the presence of exotic matter to remain open and traversable, representing a significant step forward in the physical plausibility of wormholes. The research demonstrates that by incorporating a direct coupling between gravity and the Yang-Mills field, stable wormhole geometries can emerge, allowing for a redistribution of energy-momentum and satisfying the conditions needed to hold the wormhole open without violating fundamental physical principles. The team found that specific combinations of the coupling strength and the magnetic charge of the Yang-Mills field can satisfy the “flare-out” condition, a geometric requirement for a traversable wormhole, and maintain a stable structure. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that incorporating corrections to the wormhole’s mass, modeled using complex quantum contributions, actually reduces the total gravitational mass, potentially playing a crucial role in sustaining these structures. The researchers also examined how light bends around these wormholes, finding that photons are deflected in a positive direction, indicating an attractive gravitational field consistent with the wormhole’s geometry.

Wormholes Stabilized by Yang-Mills and Quantum Effects

While violations of certain energy conditions are observed at the wormhole throat, consistent with traversable wormhole scenarios, the strong energy condition can still be satisfied under specific conditions. The study also confirms that light rays are positively deflected by these wormholes, suggesting an attractive gravitational field. Future research will focus on analyzing particle dynamics and exploring the unique observational signatures, such as distinctive shadows or lensing effects, that could differentiate these wormholes from black holes, potentially utilising data from projects like the Event Horizon Telescope and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time.