Asymptotics of Relativistic Spin Networks

The stationary phase technique is used to calculate asymptotic formulae for SO(4) Relativistic Spin Networks. For the tetrahedral spin network this gives the square of the Ponzano-Regge asymptotic formula for the SU(2) 6j symbol. For the 4-simplex (10j-symbol) the asymptotic formula is compared with numerical calculations of the Spin Network evaluation. Finally we discuss the asymptotics of the SO(3,1) 10j-symbol.Comment: 31 pages, latex. v3: minor clarification

Two-dimensional state sum models and spin structures

The state sum models in two dimensions introduced by Fukuma, Hosono and Kawai are generalised by allowing algebraic data from a non-symmetric Frobenius algebra. Without any further data, this leads to a state sum model on the sphere. When the data is augmented with a crossing map, the partition function is defined for any oriented surface with a spin structure. An algebraic condition that is necessary for the state sum model to be sensitive to spin structure is determined. Some examples of state sum models that distinguish topologically-inequivalent spin structures are calculated.Comment: 43 pages. Mathematica script in ancillary file. v2: nomenclature of models and their properties changed, some proofs simplified, more detailed explanations. v3: extended introduction, presentational improvements; final versio

Personal propulsion unit Patent

Lightweight propulsion unit for movement of personnel and equipment across lunar surfac

An algebraic interpretation of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation

We make a direct connection between the construction of three dimensional topological state sums from tensor categories and three dimensional quantum gravity by noting that the discrete version of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation is exactly the pentagon for the associator of the tensor category, the Biedenharn-Elliott identity. A crucial role is played by an asymptotic formula relating 6j-symbols to rotation matrices given by Edmonds.Comment: 10 pages, amstex, uses epsf.tex. New version has improved presentatio

Holonomy observables in Ponzano-Regge type state sum models

We study observables on group elements in the Ponzano-Regge model. We show that these observables have a natural interpretation in terms of Feynman diagrams on a sphere and contrast them to the well studied observables on the spin labels. We elucidate this interpretation by showing how they arise from the no-gravity limit of the Turaev-Viro model and Chern-Simons theory.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figure

Asymptotics of 10j symbols

The Riemannian 10j symbols are spin networks that assign an amplitude to each 4-simplex in the Barrett-Crane model of Riemannian quantum gravity. This amplitude is a function of the areas of the 10 faces of the 4-simplex, and Barrett and Williams have shown that one contribution to its asymptotics comes from the Regge action for all non-degenerate 4-simplices with the specified face areas. However, we show numerically that the dominant contribution comes from degenerate 4-simplices. As a consequence, one can compute the asymptotics of the Riemannian 10j symbols by evaluating a `degenerate spin network', where the rotation group SO(4) is replaced by the Euclidean group of isometries of R^3. We conjecture formulas for the asymptotics of a large class of Riemannian and Lorentzian spin networks in terms of these degenerate spin networks, and check these formulas in some special cases. Among other things, this conjecture implies that the Lorentzian 10j symbols are asymptotic to 1/16 times the Riemannian ones.Comment: 25 pages LaTeX with 8 encapsulated Postscript figures. v2 has various clarifications and better page breaks. v3 is the final version, to appear in Classical and Quantum Gravity, and has a few minor corrections and additional reference

Area Regge Calculus and Discontinuous Metrics

Taking the triangle areas as independent variables in the theory of Regge calculus can lead to ambiguities in the edge lengths, which can be interpreted as discontinuities in the metric. We construct solutions to area Regge calculus using a triangulated lattice and find that on a spacelike hypersurface no such discontinuity can arise. On a null hypersurface however, we can have such a situation and the resulting metric can be interpreted as a so-called refractive wave.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figur

Lorentzian spin foam amplitudes: graphical calculus and asymptotics

The amplitude for the 4-simplex in a spin foam model for quantum gravity is defined using a graphical calculus for the unitary representations of the Lorentz group. The asymptotics of this amplitude are studied in the limit when the representation parameters are large, for various cases of boundary data. It is shown that for boundary data corresponding to a Lorentzian simplex, the asymptotic formula has two terms, with phase plus or minus the Lorentzian signature Regge action for the 4-simplex geometry, multiplied by an Immirzi parameter. Other cases of boundary data are also considered, including a surprising contribution from Euclidean signature metrics.Comment: 30 pages. v2: references now appear. v3: presentation greatly improved (particularly diagrammatic calculus). Definition of "Regge state" now the same as in previous work; signs change in final formula as a result. v4: two references adde

Observables in 3-dimensional quantum gravity and topological invariants

In this paper we report some results on the expectation values of a set of observables introduced for 3-dimensional Riemannian quantum gravity with positive cosmological constant, that is, observables in the Turaev-Viro model. Instead of giving a formal description of the observables, we just formulate the paper by examples. This means that we just show how an idea works with particular cases and give a way to compute 'expectation values' in general by a topological procedure.Comment: 24 pages, 47 figure

Kleinian Geometry and the N=2 Superstring

This paper is devoted to the exploration of some of the geometrical issues raised by the $N=2$ superstring. We begin by reviewing the reasons that $\beta$-functions for the $N=2$ superstring require it to live in a four-dimensional self-dual spacetime of signature $(--++)$, together with some of the arguments as to why the only degree of freedom in the theory is that described by the gravitational field. We then move on to describe at length the geometry of flat space, and how a real version of twistor theory is relevant to it. We then describe some of the more complicated spacetimes that satisfy the $\beta$-function equations. Finally we speculate on the deeper significance of some of these spacetimes.Comment: 30 pages, AMS-Te