Search

It is shown that like the Bianchi I, V and IX models, a Kantowski–Sachs cosmological model also allows unitary evolution on quantization. It has also been shown that this unitarity is not at the expense of anisotropy. Non-unitarity, if there is any, cannot escape notice here, as the evolution is studied against a properly oriented time parameter fixed by the evolution of the fluid. Furthermore, we have constructed a wave packet by superposing different energy eigenstates, thereby establishing unitarity in a non-trivial way, which is a stronger result than an energy eigenstate trivially giving a time independent probability density. For , we have proved that the Hamiltonian admits a self-adjoint extension under a reasonable assumption, using a standard theorem. This consolidates the fact that the problem of non-unitarity cannot be a generic problem of anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying the Jacobi method of second variation to the Bianchi IX system in Misner variables (), we specialize to the Taub space background () and obtain the governing equations for linearized homogeneous perturbations () thereabout. Employing a canonical transformation, we isolate two decoupled gauge-invariant linearized variables ( and ), together with their conjugate momenta and linearized Hamiltonians. These two linearized Hamiltonians are of time-dependent harmonic oscillator form, and we quantize them to get time-dependent Schrödinger equations. For the case of , we are able to solve for the discrete solutions and the exact quantum squeezed states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct a new vacuum and representation for loop quantum gravity. Because the new vacuum is based on BF theory, it is physical for (2+1)-dimensional gravity, and much closer to the spirit of spin foam quantization in general. To construct this new vacuum and the associated representation of quantum observables, we introduce a modified holonomy–flux algebra that is cylindrically consistent with respect to the notion of refinement by time evolution suggested in Dittrich and Steinhaus (2013 arXiv:1311.7565). This supports the proposal for a construction of the physical vacuum made in Dittrich and Steinhaus (2013 arXiv:1311.7565) and Dittrich (2012 New J. Phys.14 123004), and for (3+1)-dimensional gravity. We expect that the vacuum introduced here will facilitate the extraction of large scale physics and cosmological predictions from loop quantum gravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a Hamiltonian description of point particles in (2+1)-dimensions using connection and frame-field variables for general relativity. The topology of each spatial hypersurface is that of a punctured two-sphere with particles residing at the punctures. We describe this topology with a CW complex (a collection of two cells glued together along the edges), and use this to fix a gauge and reduce the Hamiltonian. The equations of motion for the fields describe a dynamical triangulation where each vertex moves according to the equation of motion for a free relativistic particle. The evolution is continuous except for when triangles collapse (i.e. the edges become parallel) causing discrete, topological changes in the underlying CW complex. We then introduce the loop gravity phase space parameterized by holonomy–flux variables on a graph (a network of one-dimensional links). By embedding a graph within the CW complex, we find a description of this system in terms of loop variables. The resulting equations of motion describe the same dynamical triangulation as the connection and frame-field variables. In this framework, the collapse of a triangle causes a discrete change in the underlying graph, giving a concrete realization of the graph-changing moves that many expect to feature in full loop quantum gravity. The main result is a dynamical model of loop gravity that agrees with general relativity and is well-suited for quantization using existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantize the linearized Einstein–Klein–Gordon system on arbitrary on-shell backgrounds in a manifestly covariant and gauge-invariant manner. For the special case of perturbations in inflation, i.e. on-shell backgrounds of Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker type, we compare our general quantization construction with the standard approach to the quantum theory of perturbations in inflation. We find that not all local quantum observables of the linearized Einstein–Klein–Gordon system can be split into local observables of scalar and tensor type as in the standard approach. However, we argue that this subclass of observables is sufficient for measuring perturbations that vanish at spatial infinity, which is in line with standard assumptions. Finally, we comment on a recent observation that, upon standard quantization, the quantum Bardeen potentials display a non-local behaviour and argue that a similar phenomenon occurs in any local quantum field theory. It is the hope of the author that the present work may constitute a bridge between the generally applicable and thus powerful framework of algebraic quantum field theory in curved spacetimes and the standard treatment of perturbations in inflation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a seminal paper, Kaminski et al for the first time extended the definition of spin foam models to arbitrary boundary graphs. This is a prerequisite in order to make contact to the canonical formulation of loop quantum gravity whose Hilbert space contains all these graphs. This makes it finally possible to investigate the question whether any of the presently considered spin foam models yields a rigging map for any of the presently defined Hamiltonian constraint operators. We postulate a rigging map by summing over all abstract spin foams with arbitrary but given boundary graphs. The states induced on the boundary of these spin foams can then be identified with elements in the gauge invariant Hilbert space of the canonical theory. Of course, such a sum over all spin foams is potentially divergent and requires a regularization. Such a regularization can be obtained by introducing specific cut-offs and a weight for every single foam. Such a weight could be for example derived from a generalized formal group field theory allowing for arbitrary interaction terms. Since such a derivation is, however, technical involved we forgo to present a strict derivation and assume that there exist a weight satisfying certain natural axioms, most importantly a gluing property. These axioms are motivated by the requirement that spin foam amplitudes should define a rigging map (physical inner product) induced by the Hamiltonian constraint. In the analysis of the resulting object we are able to identify an elementary spin foam transfer matrix that allows to generate any finite foam as a finite power of the transfer matrix. It transpires that the sum over spin foams, as written, does not define a projector on the physical Hilbert space. This statement is independent of the concrete spin foam model and Hamiltonian constraint. However, the transfer matrix potentially contains the necessary ingredient in order to construct a proper rigging map in terms of a modified transfer matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a simple but generic model of gravity where Weyl invariance is realized thanks to the presence of a gauge field for dilatations. We quantize the theory by suitably defining renormalization group flows that describe the integration of successive momentum shells, in such a way that Weyl invariance is maintained in the flow. When the gauge fields are massless the theory has, in addition to Weyl invariance, an abelian gauge symmetry. According to the definition of the cutoff, the flow can break or preserve this extended symmetry. We discuss the fixed points of these flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]