REVIEW 1 major objections 2 minor 88 references
Primordial Black Hole Formation in Rastall Gravity: Shifted Collapse Threshold and Exponential Abundance Sensitivity
T0 review · 1 major / 2 minor · reviewed 2026-05-15 · grok-4.3
Pith's one-line read Rastall gravity shifts the collapse threshold for primordial black holes and makes their abundance exponentially sensitive to the modification parameter.
desk verdict Rastall gravity shifts the PBH collapse threshold enough to change abundance by orders of magnitude within existing bounds, but the perturbation derivation needs explicit verification for consistency with non-conserved Tμν. read the letter →
The pith
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
The reading
What carries the argument
The shifted collapse threshold derived from modified perturbation equations that include the Rastall parameter.
What would settle it
A measurement of primordial black hole abundance or mass spectrum that lies outside the range of variation permitted by the current bounds on the Rastall parameter.
Extended reading notes
Core claim
In Rastall gravity the Rastall parameter alters the growth of cosmological perturbations during radiation domination, shifting the critical collapse threshold for primordial black hole formation and modifying the fluctuation amplitude at horizon crossing under the nearly conformal plasma approximation. Within the small range of the parameter allowed by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure data, the resulting change in primordial black hole abundance can reach several orders of magnitude relative to general relativity.
Load-bearing premise
Standard cosmological perturbation theory and the nearly conformal plasma approximation remain valid for non-zero values of the Rastall parameter.
Editorial extensions
If this is right
- Primordial black hole abundance becomes exponentially sensitive to the Rastall parameter.
- Current cosmological bounds on the parameter still permit order-of-magnitude changes in the primordial black hole dark-matter fraction.
- Primordial black hole observations can constrain Rastall gravity independently of large-scale structure and cosmic microwave background tests.
- The model stays consistent with standard early-universe evolution when the parameter remains small.
Reading between the lines
- Future microlensing or gravitational-wave searches for primordial black holes could detect gravity modifications invisible to cosmic microwave background measurements.
- The exponential sensitivity implies that even minute deviations from general relativity could dominate the dark-matter density through primordial black holes.
- This mechanism offers a way to test non-conservation of energy-momentum at early-universe scales without requiring large deviations in background cosmology.
Signed reviews
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript investigates primordial black hole (PBH) formation in Rastall gravity, where the energy-momentum tensor is not conserved. It analyzes cosmological perturbations in the radiation-dominated era and reports that the Rastall parameter modifies the growth of density fluctuations, shifts the critical collapse threshold, and produces an exponential sensitivity in PBH abundance. Within the narrow range of the parameter allowed by BBN, CMB, and large-scale structure constraints, the PBH production rate can differ by orders of magnitude from the general-relativity case, positioning PBH formation as a sensitive probe of perturbation-level modifications.
Significance. If the central derivation holds, the result would demonstrate that even small, observationally allowed deviations from general relativity can dramatically alter early-universe PBH yields through exponential sensitivity to the collapse threshold. This would establish PBH abundance as a complementary, high-leverage test of Rastall gravity at small scales, distinct from CMB and LSS constraints.
major comments (1)
- [cosmological perturbations during radiation domination] The derivation of the shifted collapse threshold rests on the analysis of radiation-era perturbations. Because Rastall gravity violates ∇_μ T^μν = 0, the linearized continuity and Euler equations acquire additional source terms proportional to the Rastall parameter. The manuscript provides no explicit demonstration that these terms are retained when mapping the parameter to the modified δ_c; if they are omitted, the threshold shift is obtained under an inconsistent truncation, directly undermining the orders-of-magnitude abundance claim.
minor comments (2)
- The abstract states that perturbations are analyzed but supplies no indication of the numerical or analytic methods used to extract the threshold shift or the abundance integral; a short methods paragraph would improve transparency.
- The phrase 'nearly conformal plasma' is introduced without a precise definition or statement of its validity range when the Rastall parameter is non-zero; this should be clarified in the perturbation section.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the careful reading of our manuscript and for highlighting the importance of maintaining full consistency in the perturbation equations under Rastall gravity. We address the single major comment below and have revised the manuscript accordingly to strengthen the presentation of the derivation.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: [cosmological perturbations during radiation domination] The derivation of the shifted collapse threshold rests on the analysis of radiation-era perturbations. Because Rastall gravity violates ∇_μ T^μν = 0, the linearized continuity and Euler equations acquire additional source terms proportional to the Rastall parameter. The manuscript provides no explicit demonstration that these terms are retained when mapping the parameter to the modified δ_c; if they are omitted, the threshold shift is obtained under an inconsistent truncation, directly undermining the orders-of-magnitude abundance claim.
Authors: We agree that consistency requires retaining the additional source terms generated by the non-conservation of the energy-momentum tensor. In our analysis these terms are included from the outset: the linearized continuity equation acquires an extra contribution proportional to the Rastall parameter λ that modifies the relation between the density contrast δ and the velocity divergence, while the Euler equation receives a corresponding geometric source. These modifications are solved numerically for the radiation-era transfer function, yielding the shifted critical threshold δ_c(λ) that enters the Press-Schechter-like abundance integral. To make this explicit we have added a new appendix (Appendix A) that writes the complete set of first-order equations in the Newtonian gauge, isolates the λ-dependent terms, and shows the step-by-step mapping from the modified growth factor to the value of δ_c used in the abundance calculation. No truncation that drops these terms was performed; the exponential sensitivity arises directly from the altered δ_c(λ) within the observationally allowed window. revision: yes
Circularity Check
Derivation of shifted collapse threshold is independent of inputs
full rationale
The paper derives the modified critical threshold δc and resulting PBH abundance from linear perturbation analysis during radiation domination in Rastall gravity, with the Rastall parameter λ bounded by independent external data (BBN, CMB, LSS). No quoted equation reduces the threshold shift or exponential sensitivity to a fit from the same PBH data, a self-citation chain, or a definitional loop. The nearly conformal plasma approximation and perturbation mapping are presented as direct consequences of the modified field equations rather than inputs redefined as outputs.
Assumptions & free parameters
free parameters (1)
- Rastall parameter
assumptions (2)
- domain assumption Standard linear cosmological perturbation theory remains valid in Rastall gravity during radiation domination
- domain assumption Nearly conformal plasma approximation for fluctuation amplitude at horizon crossing
Cite this review
Pith. "Pith review of Primordial Black Hole Formation in Rastall Gravity: Shifted Collapse Threshold and Exponential Abundance Sensitivity." pith.science (2026). https://pith.science/paper/6U5TRIJ7
@misc{pith2026260219826,
author = {Pith},
title = {Pith review of: Primordial Black Hole Formation in Rastall Gravity: Shifted Collapse Threshold and Exponential Abundance Sensitivity},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://pith.science/paper/6U5TRIJ7}},
note = {Machine review of arXiv:2602.19826}
}
read the original abstract
Primordial black holes formed in the early universe are compelling candidates for dark matter. We investigate their production in Rastall gravity, a modification of general relativity that introduces a non-minimal coupling between matter and geometry through the non-conservation of the energy-momentum tensor. Analyzing cosmological perturbations during radiation domination, we demonstrate that the Rastall parameter fundamentally alters the collapse dynamics, modifying the growth of density fluctuations, the critical threshold for black hole formation, and the fluctuation amplitude at horizon crossing if we consider the nearly conformal plasma. Current cosmological constraints from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, the cosmic microwave background, and large-scale structure restrict the Rastall parameter to small values, yet within this allowed range PBH production can be altered by orders of magnitude compared to general relativity. Our results suggest that PBH formation provides a sensitive and independent probe of perturbation-level modifications in Rastall gravity, complementary to large-scale structure and CMB tests.
Figures
Lean theorems connected to this paper
-
IndisputableMonolith/Cost/FunctionalEquation.leanwashburn_uniqueness_aczel unclear?
unclearRelation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.
the Rastall parameter fundamentally alters the collapse dynamics, modifying the growth of density fluctuations, the critical threshold for black hole formation
What do these tags mean?
- matches
- The paper's claim is directly supported by a theorem in the formal canon.
- supports
- The theorem supports part of the paper's argument, but the paper may add assumptions or extra steps.
- extends
- The paper goes beyond the formal theorem; the theorem is a base layer rather than the whole result.
- uses
- The paper appears to rely on the theorem as machinery.
- contradicts
- The paper's claim conflicts with a theorem or certificate in the canon.
- unclear
- Pith found a possible connection, but the passage is too broad, indirect, or ambiguous to say the theorem truly supports the claim.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
Inflating Horizon of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
B. J. Carr, in “Inflating Horizon of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology” (2005)
work page 2005
-
[2]
B. Carr, F. Kuhnel, Ann. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci.70, 355-394 (2020)
work page 2020
-
[3]
B. Carr, S. Clesse, J. Garcia-Bellido, F. Kuhnel, Phys. Dark Univ.44, 101481 (2024)
work page 2024
-
[4]
A. M. Green, B. J. Kavanagh, J. Phys. G48, 043001 (2021)
work page 2021
- [5]
-
[6]
B. Carr, K. Kohri, Y. Sendouda and J. Yokoyama, Rept. Prog. Phys.84, no.11, 116902 (2021)
work page 2021
-
[7]
B. J. Carr, K. Kohri, Y. Sendouda and J. Yokoyama, Phys. Rev. D81, 104019 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[8]
M. Y. Khlopov, Res. Astron. Astrophys.10, 495-528 (2010)
work page 2010
Show all 88 references
-
[9]
Franciolini, et al., Phys
G. Franciolini, et al., Phys. Rev. D109, 083501 (2024)
2024
-
[10]
Bagui, et al., arXiv:2501.09302 (2025)
E. Bagui, et al., arXiv:2501.09302 (2025)
2025
-
[11]
Bird, et al., Phys
S. Bird, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.116, 201301 (2016)
2016
-
[12]
Sasaki, et al., Phys
M. Sasaki, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.117, 061101 (2016)
2016
-
[13]
Clesse, J
S. Clesse, J. Garcia-Bellido, Phys. Dark Univ.15, 142-147 (2017)
2017
-
[14]
Nakamura, et al., Astrophys
T. Nakamura, et al., Astrophys. J.487, L139-L142 (1997)
1997
-
[15]
K. Ioka, T. Nakamura, Phys. Rev. D57, 6394-6403 (1998)
1998
-
[16]
Motohashi, W
H. Motohashi, W. Hu, Phys. Rev. D96, 063502 (2017)
2017
-
[17]
Ballesteros, M
G. Ballesteros, M. Taoso, Phys. Rev. D97, 023501 (2018)
2018
-
[18]
Ozsoy, G
O. Ozsoy, G. Tasinato, Universe9, 203 (2023). 17
2023
-
[19]
S. R. Geller, et al., Phys. Rev. D106, 063505 (2022)
2022
-
[20]
Garcia-Bellido, A
J. Garcia-Bellido, A. D. Linde, D. Wands, Phys. Rev. D54, 6040-6058 (1996)
1996
-
[21]
Kawasaki, T
M. Kawasaki, T. Yanagida, Phys. Rev. D57, 4929-4941 (1998)
1998
-
[22]
Yokoyama, Phys
J. Yokoyama, Phys. Rev. D58, 083510 (1998)
1998
-
[23]
M. R. Gangopadhyay, J. C. Jain, D. Sharma and Yogesh, Eur. Phys. J. C82, no.9, 849 (2022)
2022
-
[24]
Nandi, R
D. Nandi, R. Roy, S. Yadav and A. Sarkar, [arXiv:2504.16059 [astro-ph.CO]]
-
[25]
Correa, M
M. Correa, M. R. Gangopadhyay, N. Jaman, G. J. Mathews, Phys. Lett B,835, 137510 (2022)
2022
-
[26]
Stojkovic and K
D. Stojkovic and K. Freese, Phys. Lett. B606, 251-257 (2005)
2005
-
[27]
Stojkovic, K
D. Stojkovic, K. Freese and G. D. Starkman, Phys. Rev. D72, 045012 (2005)
2005
-
[28]
D. C. Dai and D. Stojkovic, Phys. Dark Univ.46, 101662 (2024)
2024
-
[29]
R. Dong, W. H. Kinney and D. Stojkovic, JCAP10, 034 (2016)
2016
-
[30]
Capozziello, M
S. Capozziello, M. De Laurentis, Phys. Rept.509, 167-321 (2011)
2011
-
[31]
Nojiri, S
S. Nojiri, S. D. Odintsov, V. K. Oikonomou, Phys. Rept.692, 1-104 (2017)
2017
-
[32]
Clifton, et al., Phys
T. Clifton, et al., Phys. Rept.513, 1-189 (2012)
2012
-
[33]
T. P. Sotiriou, V. Faraoni, Rev. Mod. Phys.82, 451-497 (2010)
2010
-
[34]
De Felice, S
A. De Felice, S. Tsujikawa, Living Rev. Rel.13, 3 (2010)
2010
-
[35]
Rastall, Phys
P. Rastall, Phys. Rev. D6, 3357-3359 (1972)
1972
-
[36]
Rastall, Can
P. Rastall, Can. J. Phys.54, 66-75 (1976)
1976
-
[37]
da Rocha, J
R. da Rocha, J. D. Arbanil, M. Malheiro, Eur. Phys. J. Plus138, 1063 (2023)
2023
-
[38]
J. C. Fabris, O. F. Piattella, D. C. Rodrigues, Eur. Phys. J. Plus137, 1035 (2022)
2022
-
[39]
Darabi, et al., Eur
F. Darabi, et al., Eur. Phys. J. C78, 25 (2018)
2018
-
[40]
Moradpour, et al., Eur
H. Moradpour, et al., Eur. Phys. J. C77, 259 (2017)
2017
-
[41]
Visser, Phys
M. Visser, Phys. Lett. B782, 83-86 (2018)
2018
-
[42]
K. A. Bronnikov, et al., Eur. Phys. J. C77, 409 (2017)
2017
-
[43]
L. L. Smalley, Nuovo Cim. B80, 42-54 (1984)
1984
-
[44]
Lindblom, W
L. Lindblom, W. Hiscock, J. Phys. A15, 1827-1833 (1982)
1982
-
[45]
Heydarzade, H
Y. Heydarzade, H. Hadi, B. Malekolkalami, Phys. Dark Univ.21, 46-56 (2018)
2018
-
[46]
Heydarzade, F
Y. Heydarzade, F. Darabi, Phys. Lett. B771, 365-373 (2017). 18
2017
-
[47]
G. P. Li, H. L. Li, X. M. Kuang, Eur. Phys. J. C82, 789 (2022)
2022
-
[48]
Z. Xu, X. Hou, J. Wang, JCAP10, 046 (2022)
2022
-
[49]
Kumar, S
R. Kumar, S. G. Ghosh, Eur. Phys. J. C79, 242 (2019)
2019
-
[50]
M. S. Ma, R. Zhao, Eur. Phys. J. C77, 629 (2017)
2017
-
[51]
M. K. Zangeneh, et al., Eur. Phys. J. C80, 196 (2020)
2020
-
[52]
F. S. N. Lobo, et al., Phys. Rev. D101, 084009 (2020)
2020
-
[53]
C. E. M. Batista, et al., Phys. Rev. D85, 084008 (2012)
2012
-
[54]
C. E. M. Batista, et al., Eur. Phys. J. C73, 2425 (2013)
2013
-
[55]
J. C. Fabris, et al., Int. J. Mod. Phys. Conf. Ser.18, 67-76 (2012)
2012
-
[56]
D. Das, S. Dutta, S. Chakraborty, Eur. Phys. J. C78, 810 (2018)
2018
-
[57]
A. M. Oliveira, et al., Phys. Rev. D92, 044020 (2015)
2015
-
[58]
A. M. M. Abdel-Rahman, Gen. Rel. Grav.29, 1329-1338 (1997)
1997
-
[59]
K. Lin, W. L. Qian, Eur. Phys. J. C80, 561 (2020)
2020
-
[60]
G. S. Khadekar, S. Raut, Int. J. Geom. Meth. Mod. Phys.16, 1950172 (2019)
2019
-
[61]
Salti, Phys
M. Salti, Phys. Dark Univ.30, 100630 (2020)
2020
-
[62]
Salti, et al., Annals Phys.432, 168572 (2021)
M. Salti, et al., Annals Phys.432, 168572 (2021)
2021
-
[63]
J. C. Fabris, R. Kerner, J. Tossa, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D9, 111-126 (2000)
2000
-
[64]
J. C. Fabris, M. H. Daouda, O. F. Piattella, Phys. Lett. B711, 232-237 (2012)
2012
-
[65]
Moradpour, C
H. Moradpour, C. Corda, I. Licata, Int. J. Geom. Meth. Mod. Phys.15, 1850159 (2018)
2018
-
[66]
Licata, H
I. Licata, H. Moradpour, C. Corda, Int. J. Geom. Meth. Mod. Phys.14, 1750169 (2017)
2017
-
[67]
Corda, Int
C. Corda, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D27, 1847017 (2018)
2018
-
[68]
Hansraj, et al., Eur
S. Hansraj, et al., Eur. Phys. J. C79, 666 (2019)
2019
-
[69]
J. P. Campos, PhD Thesis, Universidade Federal do Esp´ ırito Santo (2013)
2013
-
[70]
M. C. Santos, J. C. Fabris, arXiv:2108.03715 (2021)
2021
-
[71]
Sharif, A
M. Sharif, A. Majid, Int. J. Geom. Meth. Mod. Phys.18, 2150149 (2021)
2021
-
[72]
Musco, J
I. Musco, J. C. Miller, Class. Quant. Grav.30, 145009 (2013)
2013
-
[73]
Musco, Phys
I. Musco, Phys. Rev. D100, 123524 (2019)
2019
-
[74]
C. T. Young, I. Musco, J. C. Miller, Phys. Rev. D99, 123527 (2019). 19
2019
-
[75]
Germani, I
C. Germani, I. Musco, Phys. Rev. Lett.122, 141302 (2019)
2019
-
[76]
Kalaja, et al., JCAP10, 031 (2019)
A. Kalaja, et al., JCAP10, 031 (2019)
2019
-
[77]
Nakama, et al., Phys
T. Nakama, et al., Phys. Rev. D94, 103503 (2016)
2016
-
[78]
Harada, C
T. Harada, C. M. Yoo, K. Kohri, Phys. Rev. D88, 084051 (2013)
2013
-
[79]
A. G. Polnarev, I. Musco, Class. Quant. Grav.24, 1405-1432 (2007)
2007
-
[80]
Kopp, et al., Phys
M. Kopp, et al., Phys. Rev. D83, 124045 (2011)
2011
-
[81]
C. T. Byrnes, et al., JCAP08, 041 (2018)
2018
-
[82]
P. S. Cole, et al., JCAP08, 010 (2022)
2022
-
[83]
C. Y. Chen, arXiv:1912.10690 (2019)
1912
-
[84]
Bhattacharya, et al., JCAP02, 037 (2021)
S. Bhattacharya, et al., JCAP02, 037 (2021)
2021
-
[85]
V. K. Oikonomou, arXiv:2206.01150 (2022)
2022
-
[86]
Nojiri, S
S. Nojiri, S. D. Odintsov, arXiv:2106.07647 (2021)
2021
-
[87]
Elizalde, et al., Phys
E. Elizalde, et al., Phys. Dark Univ.37, 101084 (2022)
2022
-
[88]
S. D. Odintsov, V. K. Oikonomou, Phys. Dark Univ.41, 101247 (2023). 20
2023
Reviewed May 15, 2026 · model on record in the stance chip above.
Discussion (0). Continue with ORCID to comment.