Refined algebraic quantisation with the triangular subgroup of SL(2,R)

We investigate refined algebraic quantisation with group averaging in a constrained Hamiltonian system whose gauge group is the connected component of the lower triangular subgroup of SL(2,R). The unreduced phase space is T^*R^{p+q} with p>0 and q>0, and the system has a distinguished classical o(p,q) observable algebra. Group averaging with the geometric average of the right and left invariant measures, invariant under the group inverse, yields a Hilbert space that carries a maximally degenerate principal unitary series representation of O(p,q). The representation is nontrivial iff (p,q) is not (1,1), which is also the condition for the classical reduced phase space to be a symplectic manifold up to a singular subset of measure zero. We present a detailed comparison to an algebraic quantisation that imposes the constraints in the sense H_a Psi = 0 and postulates self-adjointness of the o(p,q) observables. Under certain technical assumptions that parallel those of the group averaging theory, this algebraic quantisation gives no quantum theory when (p,q) = (1,2) or (2,1), or when p>1, q>1 and p+q is odd.Comment: 30 pages. LaTeX with amsfonts, amsmath, amssymb. (v4: Typos corrected. Published version.

Group averaging in the (p,q) oscillator representation of SL(2,R)

We investigate refined algebraic quantisation with group averaging in a finite-dimensional constrained Hamiltonian system that provides a simplified model of general relativity. The classical theory has gauge group SL(2,R) and a distinguished o(p,q) observable algebra. The gauge group of the quantum theory is the double cover of SL(2,R), and its representation on the auxiliary Hilbert space is isomorphic to the (p,q) oscillator representation. When p>1, q>1 and p+q == 0 (mod 2), we obtain a physical Hilbert space with a nontrivial representation of the o(p,q) quantum observable algebra. For p=q=1, the system provides the first example known to us where group averaging converges to an indefinite sesquilinear form.Comment: 34 pages. LaTeX with amsfonts, amsmath, amssymb. (References added; minor typos corrected.

Geometrical dynamics of Born-Infeld objects

We present a geometrical inspired study of the dynamics of $Dp$-branes. We focus on the usual nonpolynomial Dirac-Born-Infeld action for the worldvolume swept out by the brane in its evolution in general background spacetimes. We emphasize the form of the resulting equations of motion which are quite simple and resemble Newton's second law, complemented with a conservation law for a worldvolume bicurrent. We take a closer look at the classical Hamiltonian analysis which is supported by the ADM framework of general relativity. The constraints and their algebra are identified as well as the geometrical role they play in phase space. In order to illustrate our results, we review the dynamics of a $D1$-brane immersed in a $AdS_3 \times S^3$ background spacetime. We exhibit the mechanical properties of Born-Infeld objects paving the way to a consistent quantum formulation.Comment: LaTex, 20 pages, no figure

Modified geodetic brane cosmology

We explore the cosmological implications provided by the geodetic brane gravity action corrected by an extrinsic curvature brane term, describing a codimension-1 brane embedded in a 5D fixed Minkowski spacetime. In the geodetic brane gravity action, we accommodate the correction term through a linear term in the extrinsic curvature swept out by the brane. We study the resulting geodetic-type equation of motion. Within a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric, we obtain a generalized Friedmann equation describing the associated cosmological evolution. We observe that, when the radiation-like energy contribution from the extra dimension is vanishing, this effective model leads to a self-(non-self)-accelerated expansion of the brane-like universe in dependence on the nature of the concomitant \beta-parameter associated with the correction, which resembles an analogous behaviour in the DGP brane cosmology. Several possibilities in the description for the cosmic evolution of this model are embodied and characterized by the involved density parameters related in turn to the cosmological constant, the geometry characterizing the model, the introduced \beta-parameter as well as the dark like-energy and the matter content on the brane.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures. New version corresponds to the one published in CQ