1,365 research outputs found
Quantum Geometric Description of Cosmological Models
This is a written version of the review talk given at the meeting on
"Interface of Gravitational and Quantum Realms" at IUCAA, Pune during December
2001. The talk reviewed the recent work of Martin Bojowald on Loop Quantum
Cosmology.Comment: 14 pages, Latex, no figures. To appear in Mod. Phys. Lett.
Quantum Theory of Geometry II: Volume operators
A functional calculus on the space of (generalized) connections was recently
introduced without any reference to a background metric. It is used to continue
the exploration of the quantum Riemannian geometry. Operators corresponding to
volume of three-dimensional regions are regularized rigorously. It is shown
that there are two natural regularization schemes, each of which leads to a
well-defined operator. Both operators can be completely specified by giving
their action on states labelled by graphs. The two final results are closely
related but differ from one another in that one of the operators is sensitive
to the differential structure of graphs at their vertices while the second is
sensitive only to the topological characteristics. (The second operator was
first introduced by Rovelli and Smolin and De Pietri and Rovelli using a
somewhat different framework.) The difference between the two operators can be
attributed directly to the standard quantization ambiguity. Underlying
assumptions and subtleties of regularization procedures are discussed in detail
in both cases because volume operators play an important role in the current
discussions of quantum dynamics.Comment: Latex, 3 figure
Towards the QFT on Curved Spacetime Limit of QGR. I: A General Scheme
In this article and a companion paper we address the question of how one
might obtain the semiclassical limit of ordinary matter quantum fields (QFT)
propagating on curved spacetimes (CST) from full fledged Quantum General
Relativity (QGR), starting from first principles. We stress that we do not
claim to have a satisfactory answer to this question, rather our intention is
to ignite a discussion by displaying the problems that have to be solved when
carrying out such a program. In the present paper we propose a scheme that one
might follow in order to arrive at such a limit. We discuss the technical and
conceptual problems that arise in doing so and how they can be solved in
principle. As to be expected, completely new issues arise due to the fact that
QGR is a background independent theory. For instance, fundamentally the notion
of a photon involves not only the Maxwell quantum field but also the metric
operator - in a sense, there is no photon vacuum state but a "photon vacuum
operator"! While in this first paper we focus on conceptual and abstract
aspects, for instance the definition of (fundamental) n-particle states (e.g.
photons), in the second paper we perform detailed calculations including, among
other things, coherent state expectation values and propagation on random
lattices. These calculations serve as an illustration of how far one can get
with present mathematical techniques. Although they result in detailed
predictions for the size of first quantum corrections such as the gamma-ray
burst effect, these predictions should not be taken too seriously because a)
the calculations are carried out at the kinematical level only and b) while we
can classify the amount of freedom in our constructions, the analysis of the
physical significance of possible choices has just begun.Comment: LaTeX, 47 p., 3 figure
Background Independent Quantum Gravity: A Status Report
The goal of this article is to present an introduction to loop quantum
gravity -a background independent, non-perturbative approach to the problem of
unification of general relativity and quantum physics, based on a quantum
theory of geometry. Our presentation is pedagogical. Thus, in addition to
providing a bird's eye view of the present status of the subject, the article
should also serve as a vehicle to enter the field and explore it in detail. To
aid non-experts, very little is assumed beyond elements of general relativity,
gauge theories and quantum field theory. While the article is essentially
self-contained, the emphasis is on communicating the underlying ideas and the
significance of results rather than on presenting systematic derivations and
detailed proofs. (These can be found in the listed references.) The subject can
be approached in different ways. We have chosen one which is deeply rooted in
well established physics and also has sufficient mathematical precision to
ensure that there are no hidden infinities. In order to keep the article to a
reasonable size, and to avoid overwhelming non-experts, we have had to leave
out several interesting topics, results and viewpoints; this is meant to be an
introduction to the subject rather than an exhaustive review of it.Comment: 125 pages, 5 figures (eps format), the final version published in CQ
From Classical To Quantum Gravity: Introduction to Loop Quantum Gravity
We present an introduction to the canonical quantization of gravity performed
in loop quantum gravity, based on lectures held at the 3rd quantum geometry and
quantum gravity school in Zakopane in 2011. A special feature of this
introduction is the inclusion of new proposals for coupling matter to gravity
that can be used to deparametrize the theory, thus making its dynamics more
tractable. The classical and quantum aspects of these new proposals are
explained alongside the standard quantization of vacuum general relativity in
loop quantum gravity.Comment: 56 pages. Contribution to the Proceedings of the 3rd Quantum Geometry
and Quantum Gravity School in Zakopane (2011). v2: Typos corrected, various
small changes in presentation, version as published in Po
Loop Quantum Cosmology
Quantum gravity is expected to be necessary in order to understand situations
where classical general relativity breaks down. In particular in cosmology one
has to deal with initial singularities, i.e. the fact that the backward
evolution of a classical space-time inevitably comes to an end after a finite
amount of proper time. This presents a breakdown of the classical picture and
requires an extended theory for a meaningful description. Since small length
scales and high curvatures are involved, quantum effects must play a role. Not
only the singularity itself but also the surrounding space-time is then
modified. One particular realization is loop quantum cosmology, an application
of loop quantum gravity to homogeneous systems, which removes classical
singularities. Its implications can be studied at different levels. Main
effects are introduced into effective classical equations which allow to avoid
interpretational problems of quantum theory. They give rise to new kinds of
early universe phenomenology with applications to inflation and cyclic models.
To resolve classical singularities and to understand the structure of geometry
around them, the quantum description is necessary. Classical evolution is then
replaced by a difference equation for a wave function which allows to extend
space-time beyond classical singularities. One main question is how these
homogeneous scenarios are related to full loop quantum gravity, which can be
dealt with at the level of distributional symmetric states. Finally, the new
structure of space-time arising in loop quantum gravity and its application to
cosmology sheds new light on more general issues such as time.Comment: 104 pages, 10 figures; online version, containing 6 movies, available
at http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/lrr-2005-11
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