Loop quantization from a lattice gauge theory perspective

We present an interpretation of loop quantization in the framework of lattice gauge theory. Within this context the lack of appropriate notions of effective theories and renormalization group flow exhibit loop quantization as an incomplete framework. This interpretation includes a construction of embedded spin foam models which does not rely on the choice of any auxiliary structure (e.g. triangulation) and has the following straightforward consequences: (1) The values of the coupling constants need to be those of an UV-attractive fixed point (2) The kinematics of canonical loop quantization and embedded spin foam models are compatible (3) The weights assigned to embedded spin foams are independent of the 2-polyhedron used to regularize the path integral, $|J|_x = |J|_{x'}$ (4) An area spectrum with edge contributions proportional to $l_{\rm PL}^2 (j+1 / 2)$ is not compatible with embedded spin foam models and/or canonical loop quantizationComment: 11 pages, no figures; completely rewritte

Gauge from holography and holographic gravitational observables

In a spacetime divided into two regions $U_1$ and $U_2$ by a hypersurface $\Sigma$, a perturbation of the field in $U_1$ is coupled to perturbations in $U_2$ by means of the holographic imprint that it leaves on $\Sigma$. The linearized gluing field equation constrains perturbations on the two sides of a dividing hypersurface, and this linear operator may have a nontrivial null space. A nontrivial perturbation of the field leaving a holographic imprint on a dividing hypersurface which does not affect perturbations on the other side should be considered physically irrelevant. This consideration, together with a locality requirement, leads to the notion of gauge equivalence in Lagrangian field theory over confined spacetime domains. Physical observables in a spacetime domain $U$ can be calculated integrating (possibly non local) gauge invariant conserved currents on hypersurfaces such that $\partial \Sigma \subset \partial U$. The set of observables of this type is sufficient to distinguish gauge inequivalent solutions. The integral of a conserved current on a hypersurface is sensitive only to its homology class $[\Sigma]$, and if $U$ is homeomorphic to a four ball the homology class is determined by its boundary $S = \partial \Sigma$. We will see that a result of Anderson and Torre implies that for a class of theories including vacuum General Relativity all local observables are holographic in the sense that they can be written as integrals of over the two dimensional surface $S$. However, non holographic observables are needed to distinguish between gauge inequivalent solutions

Local gauge theory and coarse graining

Within the discrete gauge theory which is the basis of spin foam models, the problem of macroscopically faithful coarse graining is studied. Macroscopic data is identified; it contains the holonomy evaluation along a discrete set of loops and the homotopy classes of certain maps. When two configurations share this data they are related by a local deformation. The interpretation is that such configurations differ by "microscopic details". In many cases the homotopy type of the relevant maps is trivial for every connection; two important cases in which the homotopy data is composed by a set of integer numbers are: (i) a two dimensional base manifold and structure group U(1), (ii) a four dimensional base manifold and structure group SU(2). These cases are relevant for spin foam models of two dimensional gravity and four dimensional gravity respectively. This result suggests that if spin foam models for two-dimensional and four-dimensional gravity are modified to include all the relevant macroscopic degrees of freedom -the complete collection of macroscopic variables necessary to ensure faithful coarse graining-, then they could provide appropriate effective theories at a given scale.Comment: Based on talk given at Loops 11-Madri

Curvature function and coarse graining

A classic theorem in the theory of connections on principal fiber bundles states that the evaluation of all holonomy functions gives enough information to characterize the bundle structure (among those sharing the same structure group and base manifold) and the connection up to a bundle equivalence map. This result and other important properties of holonomy functions has encouraged their use as the primary ingredient for the construction of families of quantum gauge theories. However, in these applications often the set of holonomy functions used is a discrete proper subset of the set of holonomy functions needed for the characterization theorem to hold. We show that the evaluation of a discrete set of holonomy functions does not characterize the bundle and does not constrain the connection modulo gauge appropriately. We exhibit a discrete set of functions of the connection and prove that in the abelian case their evaluation characterizes the bundle structure (up to equivalence), and constrains the connection modulo gauge up to "local details" ignored when working at a given scale. The main ingredient is the Lie algebra valued curvature function $F_S (A)$ defined below. It covers the holonomy function in the sense that $\exp{F_S (A)} = {\rm Hol}(l= \partial S, A)$.Comment: 34 page

La convección y su tratamiento en los modelos de predicción numérica del tiempo

Los modelos de predicción numérica del tiempo han constituido uno de los avances más importantes de la meteorología, tanto de la investigación meteorológica como de la llamada meteorología operativa. Las predicciones del tiempo han mejorado como resultado de la constante mejora de los modelos numéricos. Como no es posible simular en laboratorio los procesos atmosféricos cualquier estudio sobre alguno de estos procesos debe hacerse en el marco de un modelo numérico que aporte el comportamiento general de la atmósfera. La convección atmosférica es uno de los procesos más importantes de los que regulan la redistribución energética en la atmósfera y uno de los temas más importantes en la investigación meteorológica. Este artículo realiza una revisión general y simplificada de los distintos esquemas que parametrizan los procesos convectivos dentro de los modelos numéricos. Tras una breve descripción de diferentes esquemas mostraremos los resultados de aplicar algunos de ellos a una situación de lluvias fuertes convectivas en España

Homotopy data as part of the lattice field: A first study

Fields exhibit a variety of topological properties, like different topological charges, when field space in the continuum is composed by more than one topological sector. Lattice treatments usually encounter difficulties describing those properties. In this work, we show that by augmenting the usual lattice fields to include extra variables describing local topological information (more precisely, regarding homotopy), the topology of the space of fields in the continuum is faithfully reproduced in the lattice. We apply this extended lattice formulation to some simple models with non-trivial topological charges, and we study their properties both analytically and via Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: We added some references and a section where we make contact between the extended lattice formalism and the usual lattice variables augmented with an integer lattice field in the dual lattice. We made some corrections, including changing the title and the abstract, after referee's corrections and critique