Search

In this paper we construct a non-perturbative action of the higher spin symmetry algebra on the gravitational phase space. We introduce a symmetry algebroid $\mathcal{T}$ which allows us to include radiation in an algebraic framework. We show that $\mathcal{T}$ admits a non-linear realization on the asymptotic phase space generated by a Noether charge defined non-perturbatively for all spins. Besides, this Noether charge is conserved in the absence of radiation. Moreover, at non radiative cuts, the algebroid can be restricted to the wedge symmetry algebra studied in ArXiv:2409.12178. The key ingredient for our construction is to consider field and time dependent symmetry parameters constrained to evolve according to equations of motion dual to (a truncation of) the asymptotic Einstein's equations. This result then guarantees that the underlying symmetry algebra is also represented canonically., Comment: 63 pages

In this paper, we study gravitational symmetry algebras that live on 2-dimensional cuts $S$ of asymptotic infinity. We define a notion of wedge algebra $\mathcal{W}(S)$ which depends on the topology of $S$. For the cylinder $S=\mathbb{C}^*$ we recover the celebrated $Lw_{1+\infty}$ algebra. For the 2-sphere $S^2$, the wedge algebra reduces to a central extension of the anti-self-dual projection of the Poincar\'e algebra. We then extend $\mathcal{W}(S)$ outside of the wedge space and build a new Lie algebra $\mathcal{W}_\sigma(S)$, which can be viewed as a deformation of the wedge algebra by a spin two field $\sigma$ playing the role of the shear at a cut of $\mathscr{I}$. This algebra represents the gravitational symmetry algebra in the presence of a non trivial shear and is characterized by a covariantized version of the wedge condition. Finally, we construct a dressing map that provides a Lie algebra isomorphism between the covariant and regular wedge algebras., Comment: 42 pages

In this work, we demonstrate that quantizing gravity on a null hypersurface leads to the emergence of a CFT associated with each null ray. This result stems from the ultralocal nature of null physics and is derived through a canonical analysis of the Raychaudhuri equation, interpreted as a constraint generating null time reparametrizations. The CFT exhibits a non-zero central charge, providing a mechanism for the quantum emergence of time in gravitational systems and an associated choice of vacuum state. Our analysis reveals that the central charge quantifies the degrees of freedom along each null ray. Throughout our investigation, the area element of a cut plays a crucial role, necessitating its treatment as a quantum operator due to its dynamic nature in phase space or because of quantum backreaction. Furthermore, we show that the total central charge diverges in a perturbative analysis due to the infinite number of null generators. This divergence is resolved if there is a discrete spectrum for the area form operator. We introduce the concept of `embadons' to denote these localized geometric units of area, the fundamental building blocks of geometry at a mesoscopic quantum gravity scale., Comment: V1

In this paper, we present a comprehensive toolbox for studying Carrollian stretched horizons, encompassing their geometry, dynamics, symplectic geometry, symmetries, and corresponding Noether charges. We introduce a precise definition of ruled stretched Carrollian structures (sCarrollian structures) on any surface, generalizing the conventional Carrollian structures of null surfaces, along with the notions of sCarrollian connection and sCarrollian stress tensor. Our approach unifies the sCarrollian (intrinsic) and stretched horizon (embedding) perspectives, providing a universal framework for any causal surface, whether timelike or null. We express the Einstein equations in sCarrollian variables and discuss the phase space symplectic structure of the sCarrollian geometry. Through Noether's theorem, we derive the Einstein equation and canonical charge and compute the evolution of the canonical charge along the transverse (radial) direction. The latter can be interpreted as a spin-2 symmetry charge. Our framework establishes a novel link between gravity on stretched horizons and Carrollian fluid dynamics and unifies various causal surfaces studied in the literature, including non-expanding and isolated horizons. We expect this work to provide insights into the hydrodynamical description of black holes and the quantization of null surfaces., Comment: 101 pages, 1 figure; v2 includes added references for conclusions and corrects the citation on page 37

We propose a solution to a classic problem in gravitational physics consisting of defining the spin associated with asymptotically-flat spacetimes. We advocate that the correct asymptotic symmetry algebra to approach this problem is the generalized-BMS algebra $\textsf{gbms}$ instead of the BMS algebra used hitherto in the literature for which a notion of spin is generically unavailable. We approach the problem of defining the spin charges from the perspective of coadjoint orbits of $\textsf{gbms}$ and construct the complete set of Casimir invariants that determine $\textsf{gbms}$ coadjoint orbits, using the notion of vorticity for $\textsf{gbms}$. This allows us to introduce spin charges for $\textsf{gbms}$ as the generators of area-preserving diffeomorphisms forming its isotropy subalgebra. To elucidate the parallelism between our analysis and the Poincar\'e case, we clarify several features of the Poincar\'e embedding in $\textsf{gbms}$ and reveal the presence of condensate fields associated with the symmetry breaking from $\textsf{gbms}$ to Poincar\'e. We also introduce the notion of a rest frame available only for this extended algebra. This allows us to construct, from the spin generator, the gravitational analog of the Pauli--Luba\'nski pseudo-vector. Finally, we obtain the $\textsf{gbms}$ moment map, which we use to construct the gravitational spin charges and gravitational Casimirs from their dual algebra counterparts., Comment: 71 pages + Appendices

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive study of asymptotically flat spacetime in even dimensions $d\geq 4$. We analyze the most general boundary condition and asymptotic symmetry compatible with Penrose's definition of asymptotic null infinity $\mathscr{I}$ through conformal compactification. Following Penrose's prescription and using a minimal version of the Bondi-Sachs gauge, we show that $\mathscr{I}$ is naturally equipped with a Carrollian stress tensor whose radial derivative defines the asymptotic Weyl tensor. This analysis describes asymptotic infinity as a stretched horizon in the conformally compactified spacetime. We establish that charge aspects conservation can be written as Carrollian Bianchi identities for the asymptotic Weyl tensor. We then provide a covariant renormalization for the asymptotic symplectic potential, which results in a finite symplectic flux and asymptotic charges. The renormalization scheme works even in the presence of logarithmic anomalies., Comment: v3: published version; a few updates wrt v2 based on referees' feedback. v2: submitted version; major updates wrt v1 (see that version for details)

We construct an explicit realization of the action of the $Lw_{1+\infty}$ loop algebra on fields at null infinity. This action is directly derived by Penrose transform of the geometrical action of $Lw_{1+\infty}$ symmetries in twistor space, ensuring that it forms a representation of the algebra. Finally, we show that this action coincides with the canonical action of $Lw_{1+\infty}$ Noether charges on the asymptotic phase space., Comment: 25 pages, 2 figures

We initiate a study of gravity focusing on generic null hypersurfaces, non-perturbatively in the Newton coupling. We present an off-shell account of the extended phase space of the theory, which includes the expected spin-2 data as well as spin-0, spin-1 and arbitrary matter degrees of freedom. We construct the charges and the corresponding kinematic Poisson brackets, employing a Beltrami parameterization of the spin-2 modes. We explicitly show that the constraint algebra closes, the details of which depend on the non-perturbative mixing between spin-0 and spin-2 modes. Finally we show that the spin zero sector encodes a notion of a clock, called dressing time, which is dynamical and conjugate to the constraint. It is well-known that the null Raychaudhuri equation describes how the geometric data of a null hypersurface evolve in null time in response to gravitational radiation and external matter. Our analysis leads to three complementary viewpoints on this equation. First, it can be understood as a Carrollian stress tensor conservation equation. Second, we construct spin-$0$, spin-$2$ and matter stress tensors that act as generators of null time reparametrizations for each sector. This leads to the perspective that the null Raychaudhuri equation can be understood as imposing that the sum of CFT-like stress tensors vanishes. Third, we solve the Raychaudhuri constraint non-perturbatively. The solution relates the dressing time to the spin-$2$ and matter boost charge operators. Finally we establish that the corner charge corresponding to the boost operator in the dressing time frame is monotonic. These results show that the notion of an observer can be thought of as emerging from the gravitational degrees of freedom themselves. We briefly mention that the construction offers new insights into focusing conjectures., Comment: V3, Refs added, minor modifications, boost charge discussion improved in Section 5.3

Similar to gravity, an infinite tower of symmetries generated by higher-spin charges has been identified in Yang-Mills theory by studying collinear limits or celestial operator products of gluons. This work aims to recover this loop symmetry in terms of charge aspects constructed on the gluonic Fock space. We propose an explicit construction for these higher spin charge aspects as operators which are polynomial in the gluonic annihilation and creation operators. The core of the paper consists of a proof that the charges we propose form a closed loop algebra to quadratic order. This closure involves using the commutator of the cubic order expansion of the charges with the linear (soft) charge. Quite remarkably, this shows that this infinite-dimensional symmetry constrains the non-linear structure of Yang-Mills theory. We provide a similar all spin proof in gravity for the so-called global quadratic (hard) charges which form the loop wedge subalgebra of $w_{1+\infty}$., Comment: 44 pages

In this essay, we present a new understanding of the cosmological constant problem, built upon the realization that the vacuum energy density can be expressed in terms of a phase space volume. We introduce a UV-IR regularization which implies a relationship between the vacuum energy and entropy. Combining this insight with the holographic bound on entropy then yields a bound on the cosmological constant consistent with observations. It follows that the universe is large, and the cosmological constant is naturally small, because the universe is filled with a large number of degrees of freedom., Comment: 9 pages. Essay written for the Gravity Research Foundation 2023 Awards for Essays on Gravitation

By virtue of the Noether theorems, the vast gauge redundancy of general relativity provides us with a rich algebra of boundary charges that generate physical symmetries. These charges are located at codimension-2 entangling surfaces called corners. The presence of non-trivial corner symmetries associated with any entangling cut provides stringent constraints on the theory's mathematical structure and a guide through quantization. This report reviews new and recent results for non-perturbative quantum gravity, which are natural consequences of this structure. First, we establish that the corner symmetry derived from the gauge principle encodes quantum entanglement across internal boundaries. We also explain how the quantum representation of the corner symmetry algebra provides us with a notion of quantum geometry. We then focus our discussion on the first-order formulation of gravity and show how many results obtained in the continuum connect naturally with previous results in loop quantum gravity. In particular, we show that it is possible to get, purely from quantization and without discretization, an area operator with discrete spectrum, which is covariant under local Lorentz symmetry. We emphasize that while loop gravity correctly captures some of the gravitational quantum numbers, it does not capture all of them, which points towards important directions for future developments. Finally, we discuss the understanding of the gravitational dynamics along null surfaces as a conservation of symmetry charges associated with a Carrollian fluid., Comment: 29 pages. Revised version taking into account comments by the referees. This is a preprint of a chapter to appear in the "Handbook of Quantum Gravity", edited by Cosimo Bambi, Leonardo Modesto and Ilya Shapiro, 2023, Springer

Celestial holography provides a reformulation of scattering amplitudes in four dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes in terms of conformal correlators of operators on the two dimensional celestial sphere in a basis of boost eigenstates. A basis of {massless particle} states has previously been identified in terms of conformal primary wavefunctions labeled by a boost weight $\Delta = 1 + i\lambda$ with $\lambda \in \mathbb{R}$. Here we show that a {\it discrete} orthogonal and complete basis exists for $\Delta \in \mathbb{Z}$. This new basis consists of a tower of discrete memory and Goldstone observables, which are conjugate to each other and allow to reconstruct gravitational signals belonging to the Schwartz space. We show how generalized dressed states involving the whole tower of Goldstone operators can be constructed and evaluate the higher spin Goldstone 2-point functions. Finally, we recast the tower of higher spin charges providing a representation of the $w_{1+\infty}$ loop algebra (in the same helicity sector) in terms of the new discrete basis., Comment: 36+19 pages, 1 figure; v2: presentation improved, proof of all spin dressing operator unitarity added

Gravitational subsystems with boundaries carry the action of an infinite-dimensional symmetry algebra, with potentially profound implications for the quantum theory of gravity. We initiate an investigation into the quantization of this corner symmetry algebra for the phase space of gravity localized to a region bounded by a 2-dimensional sphere. Starting with the observation that the algebra $\mathfrak{sdiff}(S^2)$ of area-preserving diffeomorphisms of the 2-sphere admits a deformation to the finite-dimensional algebra $\mathfrak{su}(N)$, we derive novel finite-$N$ deformations for two important subalgebras of the gravitational corner symmetry algebra. Specifically, we find that the area-preserving hydrodynamical algebra $\mathfrak{sdiff}(S^2)\oplus_{\mathcal{L}}\mathbb{R}^{S^2}$ arises as the large-$N$ limit of $\mathfrak{sl}(N,\mathbb C)\oplus\mathbb{R}$ and that the full area-preserving corner symmetry algebra $\mathfrak{sdiff}(S^2)\oplus_{\mathcal{L}}\mathfrak{sl}(2,\mathbb{R})^{S^2}$ is the large-$N$ limit of the pseudo-unitary group $\mathfrak{su}(N,N)$. We find matching conditions for the Casimir elements of the deformed and continuum algebras and show how these determine the value of the deformation parameter $N$ as well as the representation of the deformed algebra associated with a quantization of the local gravitational phase space. Additionally, we present a number of novel results related to the various algebras appearing, including a detailed analysis of the asymptotic expansion of the $\mathfrak{su}(N)$ structure constants, as well as an explicit computation of the full $\mathfrak{diff}(S^2)$ structure constants in the spherical harmonic basis. A consequence of our work is the definition of an area operator which is compatible with the deformation of the area-preserving corner symmetry at finite $N$., Comment: v3: 57 pages + Appendices + References = 99 pages; Typos fixed; Published in JHEP

We demonstrate that reality conditions for the Ashtekar connection imply a non-trivial measure for the inner product of gravitational states in the polarization where the Ashtekar connection is diagonal, and we express the measure as the determinant of a certain first-order differential operator. This result opens the possibility to perform a non-perturbative analysis of the quantum gravity scalar product. In this polarization, the Chern-Simons-Kodama state, which solves the constraints of quantum gravity for a certain factor ordering, and which has de Sitter space as a semiclassical limit, is perturbatively non-normalizable with respect to the naive ve inner product. Our work reopens the question of whether this state might be normalizable when the correct non-perturbative inner product and choice of integration contour are taken into account. As a first step, we perform a semi-classical treatment of the measure by evaluating it on the round three-sphere, viewed as a closed spatial slice of de Sitter. The result is a simple, albeit divergent, infinite product that might serve as a regulator for a more complete treatment of the problem. Additionally, our results suggest deep connections between the problem of computing the norm of the CSK state in quantum gravity and computing the Chern-Simons partition function for a complex group., Comment: Journal version

The failure to calculate the vacuum energy is a central problem in theoretical physics. Presumably the problem arises from the insistent use of effective field theory reasoning in a context that is well beyond its intended scope. If one follows this path, one is led inevitably to statistical or anthropic reasoning for observations. It appears that a more palatable resolution of the vacuum energy problem requires some form of UV/IR feedback. In this paper we take the point of view that such feedback can be thought of as arising by defining a notion of quantum space-time. We reformulate the regularized computation of vacuum energy in such a way that it can be interpreted in terms of a sum over elementary phase space volumes, that we identify with a ground state degeneracy. This observation yields a precise notion of UV/IR feedback, while leaving a scale unfixed. Here we argue that holography can be thought to provide a key piece of information: we show that equating this microscopic ground state degeneracy with macroscopic gravitational entropy yields a prediction for the vacuum energy that can easily be consistent with observations. Essentially, the smallness of the vacuum energy is tied to the large size of the Universe. We discuss how within this scenario notions of effective field theory can go so wrong., Comment: 6 pages

The membrane paradigm displays underlying connections between a timelike stretched horizon and a null boundary (such as a black hole horizon) and bridges the gravitational dynamics of the horizon with fluid dynamics. In this work, we revisit the membrane viewpoint of a finite distance null boundary and present a unified geometrical treatment to the stretched horizon and the null boundary based on the rigging technique of hypersurfaces. This allows us to provide a unified geometrical description of null and timelike hypersurfaces, which resolves the singularity of the null limit appearing in the conventional stretched horizon description. We also extend the Carrollian fluid picture and the geometrical Carrollian description of the null horizon, which have been recently argued to be the correct fluid picture of the null boundary, to the stretched horizon. To this end, we draw a dictionary between gravitational degrees of freedom on the stretched horizon and the Carrollian fluid quantities and show that Einstein's equations projected onto the horizon are the Carrollian hydrodynamic conservation laws. Lastly, we report that the gravitational pre-symplectic potential of the stretched horizon can be expressed in terms of conjugate variables of Carrollian fluids and also derive the Carrollian conservation laws and the corresponding Noether charges from symmetries., Comment: 49 pages, 1 figure

In this work, we revisit Carrollian hydrodynamics, a type of non-Lorentzian hydrodynamics which has recently gained increasing attentions due to its underlying connection with dynamics of spacetime near null boundaries, and we aim at exploring symmetries associated with conservation laws of Carrollian fluids. With an elaborate construction of Carroll geometries, we generalize the Randers-Papapetrou metric by incorporating the fluid velocity field and the sub-leading components of the metric into our considerations and we argue that these two additional fields are compulsory phase space variables in the derivation of Carrollian hydrodynamics from symmetries. We then present a new notion of symmetry, called the near-Carrollian diffeomorphism, and demonstrate that this symmetry consistently yields a complete set of Carrollian hydrodynamic equations. Furthermore, due to the presence of the new phase space fields, our results thus generalize those already presented in the previous literatures. Lastly, the Noether charges associated with the near-Carrollian diffeomorphism and their time evolutions are also discussed., Comment: 25 pages+appendices, 1 figure

We discuss the possible appearance of several rather exotic phenomena in quantum gravity, including UV/IR mixing, novel modifications of infrared phenomenology that extend effective field theory approaches, and the relaxation of the usual notions of locality. We discuss the relevance of such concepts in quantum gravity for quantum information science, cosmology and general quantum gravity phenomenology., Comment: Contribution to Snowmass 2021

In this paper we extract from a large-$r$ expansion of the vacuum Einstein's equations a dynamical system governing the time evolution of an infinity of higher-spin charges. Upon integration, we evaluate the canonical action of these charges on the gravity phase space. The truncation of this action to quadratic order and the associated charge conservation laws yield an infinite tower of soft theorems. We show that the canonical action of the higher spin charges on gravitons in a conformal primary basis, as well as conformally soft gravitons reproduces the higher spin celestial symmetries derived from the operator product expansion. Finally, we give direct evidence that these charges form a canonical representation of a $w_{1+\infty}$ loop algebra on the gravitational phase space., Comment: 30 pages + appendices; v2 Added a section on the exact match between the linearized Einstein's equations and the charge recursion relation. Included details on the relation between the tower of sub-leading components of the $\Psi_0$ Weyl scalar, the Newman-Penrose charges and the higher-spin charges and identified these Weyl scalar components in the associated celestial diamonds

We identify in Einstein gravity an asymptotic spin-$2$ charge aspect whose conservation equation gives rise, after quantization, to the sub-subleading soft theorem. Our treatment reveals that this spin-$2$ charge generates a non-local spacetime symmetry represented at null infinity by pseudo-vector fields. Moreover, we demonstrate that the non-linear nature of Einstein's equations is reflected in the Ward identity through collinear corrections to the sub-subleading soft theorem. Our analysis also provides a unified treatment of the universal soft theorems as conservation equations for the spin-0,-1,-2 canonical generators, while highlighting the important role played by the dual mass., Comment: 36 pages; v2 minor revision

This paper shows that the generalization of the Barnich-Troessaert bracket recently proposed to represent the extended corner algebra can be obtained as the canonical bracket for an extended gravitational Lagrangian. This extension effectively allows one to reabsorb the symplectic flux into the dressing of the Lagrangian by an embedding field. It also implies that the canonical Poisson bracket of charges forms a representation of the extended corner symmetry algebra., Comment: 13 pages

Famously, Klein and Einstein were embroiled in an epistolary dispute over whether General Relativity has any physically meaningful conserved quantities. In this paper, we explore the consequences of Noether's second theorem for this debate, and connect it to Einstein's search for a `substantive' version of general covariance as well as his quest to extend the Principle of Relativity. We will argue that Noether's second theorem provides a clear way to distinguish between theories in which gauge or diffeomorphism symmetry is doing real work in defining charges, as opposed to cases in which this symmetry stems from Kretchmannization. Finally, we comment on the relationship between this Noetherian form of substantive general covariance and the notion of `background independence'., Comment: Forthcoming in The Philosophy and Physics of Noether's Theorems: A Centenary Volume, Cambridge University Press 2021, edited by James Read and Nicholas Teh

We show that we can derive the asymptotic Einstein's equations that arises at order $1/r$ in asymptotically flat gravity purely from symmetry considerations. This is achieved by studying the transformation properties of functionals of the metric and the stress-energy tensor under the action of the Weyl BMS group, a recently introduced asymptotic symmetry group that includes arbitrary diffeomorphisms and local conformal transformations of the metric on the 2-sphere. Our derivation, which encompasses the inclusion of matter sources, leads to the identification of covariant observables that provide a definition of conserved charges parametrizing the non-radiative corner phase space. These observables, related to the Weyl scalars, reveal a duality symmetry and a spin-2 generator which allow us to recast the asymptotic evolution equations in a simple and elegant form as conservation equations for a null fluid living at null infinity. Finally we identify non-linear gravitational impulse waves that describe transitions among gravitational vacua and are non-perturbative solutions of the asymptotic Einstein's equations. This provides a new picture of quantization of the asymptotic phase space, where gravitational vacua are representations of the asymptotic symmetry group and impulsive waves are encoded in their couplings., Comment: 35+23 pages; minor revision to improve the comparison with previous literature

We develop the covariant phase space formalism allowing for non-vanishing flux, anomalies and field dependence in the vector field generators. We construct a charge bracket that generalizes the one introduced by Barnich and Troessaert and includes contributions from the Lagrangian and its anomaly. This bracket is uniquely determined by the choice of Lagrangian representative of the theory. We then extend the notion of corner symmetry algebra to include the surface translation symmetries and prove that the charge bracket provides a canonical representation of the extended corner symmetry algebra. This representation property is shown to be equivalent to the projection of the gravitational equations of motion on the corner, providing us with an encoding of the bulk dynamics in a locally holographic manner., Comment: 27 pages + Appendix, 2 figures; v3 published version

We propose an extension of the BMS group, which we refer to as Weyl BMS or BMSW for short, that includes, besides super-translations, local Weyl rescalings and arbitrary diffeomorphisms of the 2d sphere metric. After generalizing the Barnich-Troessaert bracket, we show that the Noether charges of the BMSW group provide a centerless representation of the BMSW Lie algebra at every cross section of null infinity. This result is tantamount to proving that the flux-balance laws for the Noether charges imply the validity of the asymptotic Einstein's equations at null infinity. The extension requires a holographic renormalization procedure, which we construct without any dependence on background fields. The renormalized phase space of null infinity reveals new pairs of conjugate variables. Finally, we show that BMSW group elements label the gravitational vacua., Comment: 53 pages + appendix, 1 figure; v3 minor revision to match published version

Quantum gravity effects are traditionally tied to short distances and high energies. In this essay we argue that, perhaps surprisingly, quantum gravity may have important consequences for the phenomenology of the infrared. We center our discussion around a conception of quantum gravity involving a notion of quantum spacetime that arises in metastring theory. This theory allows for an evolution of a cosmological Universe in which string-dual degrees of freedom decouple as the Universe ages. Importantly such an implementation of quantum gravity allows for the inclusion of a fundamental length scale without introducing the fundamental breaking of Lorentz symmetry. The mechanism seems to have potential for an entirely novel source for dark matter/energy. The simplest observational consequences of this scenario may very well be residual infrared modifications that emerge through the evolution of the Universe., Comment: 10 pages;This paper has been awarded the Second Prize in the 2021 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation (typos corrected)

We study the quantization of the corner symmetry algebra of 3d gravity, that is the algebra of observables associated with 1d spatial boundaries. In the continuum field theory, at the classical level, this symmetry algebra is given by the central extension of the Poincar\'e loop algebra. At the quantum level, we construct a discrete current algebra based on a quantum symmetry group given by the Drinfeld double $\mathcal{D}\mathrm{SU}(2)$. Those discrete currents depend on an integer $N$, a discreteness parameter, understood as the number of quanta of geometry on the 1d boundary: low $N$ is the deep quantum regime, while large $N$ should lead back to a continuum picture. We show that this algebra satisfies two fundamental properties. First, it is compatible with the quantum space-time picture given by the Ponzano-Regge state-sum model, which provides discrete path integral amplitudes for 3d quantum gravity. The integer $N$ then counts the flux lines attached to the boundary. Second, we analyse the refinement, coarse-graining and fusion processes as $N$ changes, and we show that the $N\rightarrow\infty$ limit is a classical limit where we recover the Poincar\'e current algebra. Identifying such a discrete current algebra on quantum boundaries is an important step towards understanding how conformal field theories arise on spatial boundaries in quantized space-times such as in loop quantum gravity., Comment: 42 pages, v2: re-organized content, accepted for publication in Journal of Mathematical Physics

The phase space of general relativity in a finite subregion is characterized by edge modes localized at the codimension-2 boundary, transforming under an infinite-dimensional group of symmetries. The quantization of this symmetry algebra is conjectured to be an important aspect of quantum gravity. As a step towards quantization, we derive a complete classification of the positive-area coadjoint orbits of this group for boundaries that are topologically a 2-sphere. This classification parallels Wigner's famous classification of representations of the Poincar\'e group since both groups have the structure of a semidirect product. We find that the total area is a Casimir of the algebra, analogous to mass in the Poincar\'e group. A further infinite family of Casimirs can be constructed from the curvature of the normal bundle of the boundary surface. These arise as invariants of the little group, which is the group of area-preserving diffeomorphisms, and are the analogues of spin. Additionally, we show that the symmetry group of hydrodynamics appears as a reduction of the corner symmetries of general relativity. Coadjoint orbits of both groups are classified by the same set of invariants, and, in the case of the hydrodynamical group, the invariants are interpreted as the generalized enstrophies of the fluid., Comment: 44 pages + 10 pages bonus content, 1 figure

We introduce a new family of coherent states for loop quantum gravity, inspired by the twisted geometry parametrization. We compute their peakedness properties and compare them with the heat-kernel coherent states. They show similar features for the area and the holonomy operators, but improved peakedness in the direction of the flux. At the gauge-invariant level, the new family is built from tensor products of coherent intertwiners. To study the peakedness of the holonomy operator, we introduce a new shift operator based on the harmonic oscillator representation associated with the twisted geometry parametrization. The new shift operator captures the components of the holonomy relevant to disentangle its action into a simple positive shift of the spins., Comment: 21 pages + Appendices. Various color figures. v2: minor corrections, matches published version

In the tetrad formulation of gravity, the so-called simplicity constraints play a central role. They appear in the Hamiltonian analysis of the theory, and in the Lagrangian path integral when constructing the gravity partition function from topological BF theory. We develop here a systematic analysis of the corner symplectic structure encoding the symmetry algebra of gravity, and perform a thorough analysis of the simplicity constraints. Starting from a precursor phase space with Poincar\'e and Heisenberg symmetry, we obtain the corner phase space of BF theory by imposing kinematical constraints. This amounts to fixing the Heisenberg frame with a choice of position and spin operators. The simplicity constraints then further reduce the Poincar\'e symmetry of the BF phase space to a Lorentz subalgebra. This picture provides a particle-like description of (quantum) geometry: The internal normal plays the role of the four-momentum, the Barbero-Immirzi parameter that of the mass, the flux that of a relativistic position, and the frame that of a spin harmonic oscillator. Moreover, we show that the corner area element corresponds to the Poincar\'e spin Casimir. We achieve this central result by properly splitting, in the continuum, the corner simplicity constraints into first and second class parts. We construct the complete set of Dirac observables, which includes the generators of the local $\mathfrak{sl}(2,\mathbb{C})$ subalgebra of Poincar\'e, and the components of the tangential corner metric satisfying an $\mathfrak{sl}(2,\mathbb{R})$ algebra. We then present a preliminary analysis of the covariant and continuous irreducible representations of the infinite-dimensional corner algebra. Moreover, as an alternative path to quantization, we also introduce a regularization of the corner algebra and interpret this discrete setting in terms of an extended notion of twisted geometries., Comment: 71 pages, 1 figure

In this second paper of the series we continue to spell out a new program for quantum gravity, grounded in the notion of corner symmetry algebra and its representations. Here we focus on tetrad gravity and its corner symplectic potential. We start by performing a detailed decomposition of the various geometrical quantities appearing in BF theory and tetrad gravity. This provides a new decomposition of the symplectic potential of BF theory and the simplicity constraints. We then show that the dynamical variables of the tetrad gravity corner phase space are the internal normal to the spacetime foliation, which is conjugated to the boost generator, and the corner coframe field. This allows us to derive several key results. First, we construct the corner Lorentz charges. In addition to sphere diffeomorphisms, common to all formulations of gravity, these charges add a local $\mathfrak{sl}(2,\mathbb{C})$ component to the corner symmetry algebra of tetrad gravity. Second, we also reveal that the corner metric satisfies a local $\mathfrak{sl}(2,\mathbb{R})$ algebra, whose Casimir corresponds to the corner area element. Due to the space-like nature of the corner metric, this Casimir belongs to the unitary discrete series, and its spectrum is therefore quantized. This result, which reconciles discreteness of the area spectrum with Lorentz invariance, is proven in the continuum and without resorting to a bulk connection. Third, we show that the corner phase space explains why the simplicity constraints become non-commutative on the corner. This fact requires a reconciliation between the bulk and corner symplectic structures, already in the classical continuum theory. Understanding this leads inevitably to the introduction of edge modes., Comment: 70 pages

This is the first paper in a series devoted to understanding the classical and quantum nature of edge modes and symmetries in gravitational systems. The goal of this analysis is to: i) achieve a clear understanding of how different formulations of gravity provide non-trivial representations of different sectors of the corner symmetry algebra, and ii) set the foundations of a new proposal for states of quantum geometry as representation states of this corner symmetry algebra. In this first paper we explain how different formulations of gravity, in both metric and tetrad variables, share the same bulk symplectic structure but differ at the corner, and in turn lead to inequivalent representations of the corner symmetry algebra. This provides an organizing criterion for formulations of gravity depending on how big the physical symmetry group that is non-trivially represented at the corner is. This principle can be used as a "treasure map" revealing new clues and routes in the quest for quantum gravity. Building up on these results, we perform a detailed analysis of the corner symplectic potential and symmetries of Einstein-Cartan-Holst gravity in [1], use this to provide a new look at the simplicity constraints in [2], and tackle the quantization in [3]., Comment: 53 pages, 2 figures. v3: Clarification about the uniqueness of the corner symplectic potential in Section 2.1, 2.6 and Appendix A and its link with boundary conditions

It is well-known that quantum groups are relevant to describe the quantum regime of 3d gravity. They encode a deformation of the gauge symmetries parametrized by the value of the cosmological constant. They appear as a form of regularization either through the quantization of the Chern-Simons formulation or the state sum approach of Turaev-Viro. Such deformations are perplexing from a continuum and classical picture since the action is defined in terms of undeformed gauge invariance. We present here a novel way to derive from first principle and from the classical action such quantum group deformation. The argument relies on two main steps. First we perform a canonical transformation, which deformed the gauge invariance and the boundary symmetries, and makes them depend on the cosmological constant. Second we implement a discretization procedure relying on a truncation of the degrees of freedom from the continuum., Comment: 49 pages, 3 figures

When formulated in terms of connection and coframes, and in the time gauge, the phase space of general relativity consists of a pair of conjugate fields: the flux 2-form and the Ashtekar connection. On this phase-space, one has to impose the Gauss constraints, the vector, and scalar Hamiltonian constraints. These are respectively generating local SU(2) gauge transformations, spatial diffeomorphisms, and time diffeomorphisms. We write the Gauss and space diffeomorphism constraints as conservation laws for a set of boundary charges, representing spin and momenta, respectively. We prove that these kinematical charges generate a local Poincar\'e ISU(2) symmetry algebra. This gives strong support to the recent proposal of Poincar\'e charge networks as a new realm for discretized general relativity [Classical Quantum Gravity 36, 195014 (2019)]., Comment: version 2, 14 pages, some typos fixed; published version

We revisit the canonical framework for general relativity in its connection-vierbein formulation, recasting the Gauss law, the Bianchi identity and the space diffeomorphism bulk constraints as conservation laws for boundary surface charges, respectively electric, magnetic and momentum charges. Partitioning the space manifold into 3D regions glued together through their interfaces, we focus on a single domain and its punctured 2D boundary. The punctures carry a ladder of Kac-Moody edge modes, whose 0-modes represent the electric and momentum charges while the higher modes describe the stringy vibration modes of the 1D-boundary around each puncture. In particular, this allows to identify missing observables in the discretization scheme used in loop quantum gravity and leads to an enhanced theory upgrading spin networks to tube networks carrying Virasoro representations. In the limit where the tubes are contracted to 1D links and the string modes neglected, we do not just recover loop quantum gravity but obtain a more general structure: Poincar\'e charge networks, which carry a representation of the 3D diffeomorphism boundary charges on top of the $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ fluxes and gauge transformations., Comment: 43 pages + 11 pages (appendix & bibliography)

We present a systematic procedure to renormalize the symplectic potential of the electromagnetic field at null infinity in Minkowski space. We work in $D\geq6$ spacetime dimensions as a toy model of General Relativity in $D\geq4$ dimensions. Total variation counterterms as well as corner counterterms are both subtracted from the symplectic potential to make it finite. These counterterms affect respectively the action functional and the Hamiltonian symmetry generators. The counterterms are local and universal. We analyze the asymptotic equations of motion and identify the free data associated with the renormalized canonical structure along a null characteristic. This allows the construction of the asymptotic renormalized charges whose Ward identity gives the QED soft theorem, supporting the physical viability of the renormalization procedure. We touch upon how to extend our analysis to the presence of logarithmic anomalies and upon how our procedure compares to holographic renormalization., Comment: 33 pages + appendices; improvements in the discussion and in the treatment of logarithms

We introduce and develop the theory of metaparticles. At the classical level, this is a world-line theory with the usual reparameterization invariance and two additional features. The theory is motivated by string theory on compact targets, and can be thought of, at least at the non-interacting level, as a theory of particles at a given string level, or as a particle model for Born geometries. The first additional feature of the model is the presence of an additional local symmetry, which from the string point of view corresponds to the completion of worldsheet diffeomorphism invariance. From the particle world-line point of view, this symmetry is associated with an additional local constraint. The second feature is the presence of a non-trivial symplectic form on the metaparticle phase space, also motivated by string theory [1, 2]. Because of its interpretation as a particle model on Born geometry, the space-time on which the metaparticle propagates is ambiguous, with different choices related by what in string theory we would call T-duality. In this paper, we define the model, and explore some of its principle classical and quantum properties, including causality and unitarity., Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure; published in Phys. Rev. D. (March 26, 2019) volume 99, eid 066011

We develop a new perspective on the discretization of the phase space structure of gravity in 2+1 dimensions as a piecewise-flat geometry in 2 spatial dimensions. Starting from a subdivision of the continuum geometric and phase space structure into elementary cells, we obtain the loop gravity phase space coupled to a collection of effective particles carrying mass and spin, which measure the curvature and torsion of the geometry. We show that the new degrees of freedom associated to the particle-like elements can be understood as edge modes, which appear in the decomposition of the continuum theory into subsystems and do not cancel out in the gluing of cells along codimension 2 defects. These new particle-like edge modes are gravitationally dressed in an explicit way. This provides a detailed explanation of the relations and differences between the loop gravity phase space and the one deduced from the continuum theory., Comment: 44 pages, 7 figures; corrected minor typos and updated references

In the context of canonical quantum gravity in 3+1 dimensions, we introduce a new notion of bubble network that represents discrete 3d space geometries. These are natural extensions of twisted geometries, which represent the geometrical data underlying loop quantum geometry and are defined as networks of SU(2) holonomies. In addition to the SU(2) representations encoding the geometrical flux, the bubble network links carry a compatible SL(2,R) representation encoding the discretized frame field which composes the flux. In contrast with twisted geometries, this extra data allows to reconstruct the frame compatible with the flux unambiguously. At the classical level this data represents a network of 3d geometrical cells glued together. The SL(2,R) data contains information about the discretized 2d metrics of the interfaces between 3d cells and SL(2,R) local transformations are understood as the group of area-preserving diffeomorphisms. We further show that the natural gluing condition with respect to this extended group structure ensures that the intrinsic 2d geometry of a boundary surface is the same from the viewpoint of the two cells sharing it. At the quantum level this gluing corresponds to a maximal entanglement along the network edges. We emphasize that the nature of this extension of twisted geometries is compatible with the general analysis of gauge theories that predicts edge mode degrees of freedom at the interface of subsystems., Comment: 15 pages, v2: extended discussion on the role of the twist angle and the relation between bubble networks, twisted geometries and Regge triangulations

In recent years soft factorization theorems in scattering amplitudes have been reinterpreted as conservation laws of asymptotic charges. In gauge, gravity, and higher spin theories the asymptotic charges can be understood as canonical generators of large gauge symmetries. Such a symmetry interpretation has been so far missing for scalar soft theorems. We remedy this situation by treating the massless scalar field in terms of a dual two-form gauge field. We show that the asymptotic charges associated to the scalar soft theorem can be understood as generators of large gauge transformations of the dual two-form field. The dual picture introduces two new puzzles: the charges have very unexpected Poisson brackets with the fields, and the monopole term does not always have a dual gauge transformation interpretation. We find analogs of these two properties in the Kramers-Wannier duality on a finite lattice, indicating that the free scalar theory has new edge modes at infinity that canonically commute with all the bulk degrees of freedom., Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures

It has been known for a while that the effective geometrical description of compactified strings on $d$-dimensional target spaces implies a generalization of geometry with a doubling of the sets of tangent space directions. This generalized geometry involves an $O(d,d)$ pairing $\eta$ and an $O(2d)$ generalized metric $\mathcal{H}$. More recently it has been shown that in order to include T-duality as an effective symmetry, the generalized geometry also needs to carry a phase space structure or more generally a para-Hermitian structure encoded into a skew-symmetric pairing $\omega$. The consistency of string dynamics requires this geometry to satisfy a set of compatibility relations that form what we call a Born geometry. In this work we prove an analogue of the fundamental theorem of Riemannian geometry for Born geometry. We show that there exists a unique connection which preserves the Born structure $(\eta,\omega,\mathcal{H})$ and which is torsionless in a generalized sense. This resolves a fundamental ambiguity that is present in the double field theory formulation of effective string dynamics., Comment: 47 pages

We provide a full realization of the electromagnetic duality at the boundary by extending the phase space of Maxwell's theory through the introduction of edge modes and their conjugate momenta. We show how such extension, which follows from a boundary action, is necessary in order to have well defined canonical generators of the boundary magnetic symmetries. In this way, both electric and magnetic soft modes are encoded in a boundary gauge field and its conjugate dual. This implementation of the electromagnetic duality has striking consequences. In particular, we show first how the electric charge quantization follows straightforwardly from the topological properties of the $U(1)$-bundle of the boundary dual potential. Moreover, having a well defined canonical action of the electric and magnetic symmetry generators on the phase space, we can compute their algebra and reveal the presence of a central charge between them. We conclude with possible implications of these results in the quantum theory., Comment: 9 pages, improved presentation; published version

The loop quantization of 3d gravity consists in defining the Hilbert space of states satisfying the Gau{\ss} constraint and the flatness constraint. The Gau{\ss} constraint is enforced at the kinematical level by introducing spin networks which form a basis for the Hilbert space of gauge invariant functionals. The flatness constraint is implemented at the dynamical level via the Ponzano-Regge state-sum model. We propose in this work a dual loop quantization scheme where the role of the constraints is exchanged. The flatness constraint is imposed first via the introduction of a new basis labeled by group variables, while the Gau{\ss} constraint is implemented dynamically using a projector which is related to the Dijkgraaf-Witten model. We discuss how this alternative quantization program is related to 3d teleparallel gravity., Comment: 33 pages

We give a full analysis of the conservation along null surfaces of generalized energy and super-momenta, for gravitational systems enclosed by a finite boundary. In particular we interpret the conservation equations in a canonical manner, revealing a notion of symplectic potential and a boundary current intrinsic to null surfaces. This generalizes similar analyses done at asymptotic infinity or on horizons., Comment: 26 pages + appendices, comments welcome

We explore several consequences of the recently discovered intrinsic non-commutativity of the zero-mode sector of closed string theory. In particular, we illuminate the relation between T-duality and this intrinsic non-commutativity and also note that there is a simple closed string product, equivalent to the splitting-joining interaction of the pants diagram, that respects this non-commutativity and is covariant with respect to T-duality. We emphasize the central role played by the symplectic form $\omega$ on the space of zero modes. Furthermore, we begin an exploration of new non-commutative string backgrounds. In particular, we show that a constant non-geometric background field leads to a non-commutative space-time. We also comment on the non-associativity that consequently arises in the presence of non-trivial flux. In this formulation, the $H$-flux as well as the `non-geometric' $Q$-, $R$- and $F$-fluxes are simply the various components of the flux of an almost symplectic form., Comment: 18 pages