LORENTZIAN WORMHOLES IN HIGHER-ORDER GRAVITY THEORIES

We present a method for constructing Minkowski-signature wormholes in higher-derivative gravity theories. This is accomplished by exploiting the dynamical equivalence between standard Einstein gravity (coupled to bosonic matter fields) and a large class of higher curvature gravity theories. Specific solutions of the former are grafted together using the connected sum, and this gives rise to a wormhole whose throat is identified with the boundary layer created by the surgery. We illustrate this procedure by constructing dynamic and static wormholes for pure R2 gravity. © 1990.