Canonical Quantization of the BTZ Black Hole using Noether Symmetries

The well-known BTZ black hole solution of (2+1) Einstein's gravity, in the presence of a cosmological constant, is treated both at the classical and quantum level. Classically, the imposition of the two manifest local Killing fields of the BTZ geometry at the level of the full action results in a mini-superspace constraint action with the radial coordinate playing the role of the independent dynamical variable. The Noether symmetries of this reduced action are then shown to completely determine the classical solution space, without any further need to solve the dynamical equations of motion. At a quantum mechanical level, all the admissible sets of the quantum counterparts of the generators of the above mentioned symmetries are utilized as supplementary conditions acting on the wave-function. These additional restrictions, in conjunction with the Wheeler-DeWitt equation, help to determine (up to constants) the wave-function which is then treated semiclassically, in the sense of Bohm. The ensuing space-times are, either identical to the classical geometry, thus exhibiting a good correlation of the corresponding quantization to the classical theory, or are less symmetric but exhibit no Killing or event horizon and no curvature singularity, thus indicating a softening of the classical conical singularity of the BTZ geometry.Comment: 24 pages, no figures, LaTeX 2e source fil

Towards Canonical Quantum Gravity for G1 Geometries in 2+1 Dimensions with a Lambda--Term

The canonical analysis and subsequent quantization of the (2+1)-dimensional action of pure gravity plus a cosmological constant term is considered, under the assumption of the existence of one spacelike Killing vector field. The proper imposition of the quantum analogues of the two linear (momentum) constraints reduces an initial collection of state vectors, consisting of all smooth functionals of the components (and/or their derivatives) of the spatial metric, to particular scalar smooth functionals. The demand that the midi-superspace metric (inferred from the kinetic part of the quadratic (Hamiltonian) constraint) must define on the space of these states an induced metric whose components are given in terms of the same states, which is made possible through an appropriate re-normalization assumption, severely reduces the possible state vectors to three unique (up to general coordinate transformations) smooth scalar functionals. The quantum analogue of the Hamiltonian constraint produces a Wheeler-DeWitt equation based on this reduced manifold of states, which is completely integrated.Comment: Latex 2e source file, 25 pages, no figures, final version (accepted in CQG

Second release of the CoRe database of binary neutron star merger waveforms

We present the second data release of gravitational waveforms from binaryneutron star merger simulations performed by the Computational Relativity(CoRe) collaboration. The current database consists of 254 different binaryneutron star configurations and a total of 590 individual numerical-relativitysimulations using various grid resolutions. The released waveform data containthe strain and the Weyl curvature multipoles up to $\ell=m=4$. They span asignificant portion of the mass, mass-ratio,spin and eccentricity parameterspace and include targeted configurations to the events GW170817 and GW190425.CoRe simulations are performed with 18 different equations of state, seven ofwhich are finite temperature models, and three of which account fornon-hadronic degrees of freedom. About half of the released data are computedwith high-order hydrodynamics schemes for tens of orbits to merger; the otherhalf is computed with advanced microphysics. We showcase a standard waveformerror analysis and discuss the accuracy of the database in terms offaithfulness. We present ready-to-use fitting formulas for equation ofstate-insensitive relations at merger (e.g. merger frequency), luminosity peak,and post-merger spectrum.<br

Towards Canonical Quantum Gravity for Geometries Admitting Maximally Symmetric Two-dimensional Surfaces

The 3+1 (canonical) decomposition of all geometries admitting two-dimensional space-like surfaces is exhibited. A proposal consisting of a specific re-normalization {\bf Assumption} and an accompanying {\bf Requirement} is put forward, which enables the canonical quantization of these geometries. The resulting Wheeler-deWitt equation is based on a re-normalized manifold parameterized by three smooth scalar functionals. The entire space of solutions to this equation is analytically given, exploiting the freedom left by the imposition of the {\bf Requirement} and contained in the third functional.Comment: 27 pages, no figures, LaTex2e source fil

Conditional Symmetries and the Canonical Quantization of Constrained Minisuperspace Actions: the Schwarzschild case

A conditional symmetry is defined, in the phase-space of a quadratic in velocities constrained action, as a simultaneous conformal symmetry of the supermetric and the superpotential. It is proven that such a symmetry corresponds to a variational (Noether) symmetry.The use of these symmetries as quantum conditions on the wave-function entails a kind of selection rule. As an example, the minisuperspace model ensuing from a reduction of the Einstein - Hilbert action by considering static, spherically symmetric configurations and r as the independent dynamical variable, is canonically quantized. The conditional symmetries of this reduced action are used as supplementary conditions on the wave function. Their integrability conditions dictate, at a first stage, that only one of the three existing symmetries can be consistently imposed. At a second stage one is led to the unique Casimir invariant, which is the product of the remaining two, as the only possible second condition on $\Psi$. The uniqueness of the dynamical evolution implies the need to identify this quadratic integral of motion to the reparametrisation generator. This can be achieved by fixing a suitable parametrization of the r-lapse function, exploiting the freedom to arbitrarily rescale it. In this particular parametrization the measure is chosen to be the determinant of the supermetric. The solutions to the combined Wheeler - DeWitt and linear conditional symmetry equations are found and seen to depend on the product of the two "scale factors"Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX2e source file, no figure

Immunohistochemical evaluation of the mTOR pathway in intra-oral minor salivary gland neoplasms

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of upstream and downstream molecules of the oncogenic mTOR signaling pathway in intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors (SGTs). Materials and Methods: Tissue samples consisted of 39 malignant and 13 benign minor SGTs, and 8 controls of normal minor salivary glands (NMSG). An immunohistochemical analysis for phosphorylated Akt, 4EBP1 and S6 (total and phosphorylated), and eIF4E was performed. Results: Expression of pAkt and 4EBP1 was observed in all SGTs and in most NMSG. p4EBP1 was detected in almost all SGT cases, NMSG being negative. S6 immunoreactivity was observed in 37.5% of NMSG, 92.3% of benign and 100% of malignant SGTs, while pS6 expression was observed in 77% of benign and 95% of malignant SGTs, but not in NMSG. Finally, eIF4E was expressed in 12.5% of NMSG, 69.2% of benign, and 76.9% of malignant tumors. All molecules studied had statistically significantly lower expression in NMSG compared with SGTs. Moreover, malignant neoplasms received higher scores compared with benign tumors for all molecules with the exception of eIF4E. Conclusion: The mTOR signaling pathway is activated in SGTs, especially in malignancies. Therefore, the possible therapeutic role of targeting the mTOR pathway by rapamycin analogs in SGTs needs further investigation. © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley &amp; Sons Lt