A note on topological brane theories

We consider the theory of closed $p$-branes propagating on $(p+1)$-dimensional space-time manifolds. This theory has no local degrees of freedom. Here we study its canonical and BRST structures of the theory. In the case of locally flat backgrounds one can show that the $p$-brane theory is related to another known topological field theory. In the general situation some equivalent actions can also be written for the topological $p$-brane theory.Comment: 14 pages, latex, no figure

Is Barbero's Hamiltonian formulation a Gauge Theory of Lorentzian Gravity?

This letter is a critique of Barbero's constrained Hamiltonian formulation of General Relativity on which current work in Loop Quantum Gravity is based. While we do not dispute the correctness of Barbero's formulation of general relativity, we offer some criticisms of an aesthetic nature. We point out that unlike Ashtekar's complex SU(2) connection, Barbero's real SO(3) connection does not admit an interpretation as a space-time gauge field. We show that if one tries to interpret Barbero's real SO(3) connection as a space-time gauge field, the theory is not diffeomorphism invariant. We conclude that Barbero's formulation is not a gauge theory of gravity in the sense that Ashtekar's Hamiltonian formulation is. The advantages of Barbero's real connection formulation have been bought at the price of giving up the description of gravity as a gauge field.Comment: 12 pages, no figures, revised in the light of referee's comments, accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Immirzi Ambiguity in the Kinematics of Quantum General Relativity

The Immirzi ambiguity arises in loop quantum gravity when geometric operators are represented in terms of different connections that are related by means of an extended Wick transform. We analyze the action of this transform in gravity coupled with matter fields and discuss its analogy with the Wick rotation on which the Thiemann transform between Euclidean and Lorentzian gravity is based. In addition, we prove that the effect of this extended Wick transform is equivalent to a constant scale transformation as far as the symplectic structure and kinematical constraints are concerned. This equivalence is broken in the dynamical evolution. Our results are applied to the discussion of the black hole entropy in the limit of large horizon areas. We first argue that, since the entropy calculation is performed for horizons of fixed constant area, one might in principle choose an Immirzi parameter that depends on this quantity. This would spoil the linearity with the area in the entropy formula. We then show that the Immirzi parameter appears as a constant scaling in all the steps where dynamical information plays a relevant role in the entropy calculation. This fact, together with the kinematical equivalence of the Immirzi ambiguity with a change of scale, is used to preclude the potential non-linearity of the entropy on physical grounds.Comment: very minor stylistic changes, version published in Phys. Rev.

Towards Loop Quantum Supergravity (LQSG)

Should nature be supersymmetric, then it will be described by Quantum Supergravity at least in some energy regimes. The currently most advanced description of Quantum Supergravity and beyond is Superstring Theory/M-Theory in 10/11 dimensions. String Theory is a top-to-bottom approach to Quantum Supergravity in that it postulates a new object, the string, from which classical Supergravity emerges as a low energy limit. On the other hand, one may try more traditional bottom-to-top routes and apply the techniques of Quantum Field Theory. Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) is a manifestly background independent and non-perturbative approach to the quantisation of classical General Relativity, however, so far mostly without supersymmetry. The main obstacle to the extension of the techniques of LQG to the quantisation of higher dimensional Supergravity is that LQG rests on a specific connection formulation of General Relativity which exists only in D+1 = 4 dimensions. In this Letter we introduce a new connection formulation of General Relativity which exists in all space-time dimensions. We show that all LQG techniques developed in D+1 = 4 can be transferred to the new variables in all dimensions and describe how they can be generalised to the new types of fields that appear in Supergravity theories as compared to standard matter, specifically Rarita-Schwinger and p-form gauge fields.Comment: 9 pages. v2: minor improvements in presentation, virtually identical to published versio

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic