Canonical formalism for simplicial gravity

We summarise a recently introduced general canonical formulation of discrete systems which is fully equivalent to the covariant formalism. This framework can handle varying phase space dimensions and is applied to simplicial gravity in particular.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, based on a talk given at Loops '11 in Madrid, to appear in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS

Equivalence of Approaches to Relational Quantum Dynamics in Relativistic Settings

We have previously shown that three approaches to relational quantum dynamics—relational Dirac observables, the Page-Wootters formalism and quantum deparametrizations—are equivalent. Here we show that this “trinity” of relational quantum dynamics holds in relativistic settings per frequency superselection sector. Time according to a clock subsystem is defined via a positive operator-valued measure (POVM) that is covariant with respect to the group generated by its (quadratic) Hamiltonian. This differs from the usual choice of a self-adjoint clock observable conjugate to the clock momentum. It also resolves Kuchař's criticism that the Page-Wootters formalism yields incorrect localization probabilities for the relativistic particle when conditioning on a Minkowski time operator. We show that conditioning instead on the covariant clock POVM results in a Newton-Wigner type localization probability commonly used in relativistic quantum mechanics. By establishing the equivalence mentioned above, we also assign a consistent conditional-probability interpretation to relational observables and deparametrizations. Finally, we expand a recent method of changing temporal reference frames, and show how to transform states and observables frequency-sector-wise. We use this method to discuss an indirect clock self-reference effect and explore the state and temporal frame-dependence of the task of comparing and synchronizing different quantum clocks

Effective relational dynamics

We provide a synopsis of an effective approach to the problem of time in the semiclassical regime. The essential features of this new approach to evaluating relational quantum dynamics in constrained systems are illustrated by means of a simple toy model.Comment: 4 pages, based on a talk given at Loops '11 in Madrid, to appear in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS

Quantum Relativity of Subsystems

One of the most basic notions in physics is the partitioning of a system into subsystems, and the study of correlations among its parts. In this work, we explore these notions in the context of quantum reference frame (QRF) covariance, in which this partitioning is subject to a symmetry constraint. We demonstrate that different reference frame perspectives induce different sets of subsystem observable algebras, which leads to a gauge-invariant, frame-dependent notion of subsystems and entanglement. We further demonstrate that subalgebras which commute before imposing the symmetry constraint can translate into non-commuting algebras in a given QRF perspective after symmetry imposition. Such a QRF perspective does not inherit the distinction between subsystems in terms of the corresponding tensor factorizability of the kinematical Hilbert space and observable algebra. Since the condition for this to occur is contingent on the choice of QRF, the notion of subsystem locality is frame-dependent

Effective approach to the problem of time: general features and examples

The effective approach to quantum dynamics allows a reformulation of the Dirac quantization procedure for constrained systems in terms of an infinite-dimensional constrained system of classical type. For semiclassical approximations, the quantum constrained system can be truncated to finite size and solved by the reduced phase space or gauge-fixing methods. In particular, the classical feasibility of local internal times is directly generalized to quantum systems, overcoming the main difficulties associated with the general problem of time in the semiclassical realm. The key features of local internal times and the procedure of patching global solutions using overlapping intervals of local internal times are described and illustrated by two quantum mechanical examples. Relational evolution in a given choice of internal time is most conveniently described and interpreted in a corresponding choice of gauge at the effective level and changing the internal clock is, therefore, essentially achieved by a gauge transformation. This article complements the conceptual discussion in arXiv:1009.5953.Comment: 42 pages, 9 figures; v2: streamlined discussions, more compact manuscrip

Equivalence of Approaches to Relational Quantum Dynamics in Relativistic Settings

We have previously shown that three approaches to relational quantum dynamics—relational Dirac observables, the Page-Wootters formalism and quantum deparametrizations—are equivalent. Here we show that this “trinity” of relational quantum dynamics holds in relativistic settings per frequency superselection sector. Time according to a clock subsystem is defined via a positive operator-valued measure (POVM) that is covariant with respect to the group generated by its (quadratic) Hamiltonian. This differs from the usual choice of a self-adjoint clock observable conjugate to the clock momentum. It also resolves Kuchař\u27s criticism that the Page-Wootters formalism yields incorrect localization probabilities for the relativistic particle when conditioning on a Minkowski time operator. We show that conditioning instead on the covariant clock POVM results in a Newton-Wigner type localization probability commonly used in relativistic quantum mechanics. By establishing the equivalence mentioned above, we also assign a consistent conditional-probability interpretation to relational observables and deparametrizations. Finally, we expand a recent method of changing temporal reference frames, and show how to transform states and observables frequency-sector-wise. We use this method to discuss an indirect clock self-reference effect and explore the state and temporal frame-dependence of the task of comparing and synchronizing different quantum clocks

Trinity of relational quantum dynamics

The problem of time in quantum gravity calls for a relational solution. Using quantum reduction maps, we establish a previously unknown equivalence between three approaches to relational quantum dynamics: (1) relational observables in the clock-neutral picture of Dirac quantization, (2) Page and Wootters’ (PW) Schrödinger picture formalism, and (3) the relational Heisenberg picture obtained via symmetry reduction. Constituting three faces of the same dynamics, we call this equivalence the trinity. In the process, we develop a quantization procedure for relational Dirac observables using covariant positive operator-valued measures which encompass nonideal clocks and resolve the nonmonotonicity issue of realistic quantum clocks reported by Unruh and Wald. The quantum reduction maps reveal this procedure as the quantum analog of gauge-invariantly extending gauge-fixed quantities. We establish algebraic properties of these relational observables. We extend a recent “clock-neutral” approach to changing temporal reference frames, transforming relational observables and states, and demonstrate a clock dependent temporal nonlocality effect. We show that Kuchař’s criticism, alleging that the conditional probabilities of the PW formalism violate the constraint, is incorrect. They are a quantum analog of a gauge-fixed description of a gauge-invariant quantity and equivalent to the manifestly gauge-invariant evaluation of relational observables in the physical inner product. The trinity furthermore resolves a previously reported normalization ambiguity and clarifies the role of entanglement in the PW formalism. The trinity finally permits us to resolve Kuchař’s criticism that the PW formalism yields wrong propagators by showing how conditional probabilities of relational observables give the correct transition probabilities. Unlike previous proposals, our resolution does not invoke approximations, ideal clocks or ancilla systems, is manifestly gauge invariant, and easily extends to an arbitrary number of conditionings

New insights into the genetics of primary open-angle glaucoma based on meta-analyses of intraocular pressure and optic disc characteristics

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the most common optic neuropathy, is a highly heritable disease (h2 = 0.42 ± 0.09). Siblings of POAG cases have a ten-fold increase risk of developing the disease. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and optic nerve head characteristics are used clinically to predict POAG risk. We conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of IOP and optic disc parameters and validated our findings in multiple sets of POAG cases and controls. Using imputation to the 1000 genomes (1000G) reference set, we identified 9 new genomic regions associated with vertical cup disc ratio (VCDR) and 1 new region associated with IOP. Additionally, we found 5 novel loci for optic nerve cup area and 6 for disc area. Previously it was assumed that genetic variation influenced POAG either through IOP or via changes to the optic nerve head; here we present evidence that some genomic regions affect both IOP and the disc parameters. We characterized the effect of the novel loci through pathway analysis and found that pathways involved are not entirely distinct as assumed. Further, we identified a novel association between CDKN1A and POAG. Using a zebrafish model we show that six6b (associated with POAG and optic nerve head variation) alters the expression of cdkn1a. In summary, we have identified several novel genes influencing the major clinical risk predictors of POAG and showed that genetic variation in CDKN1A is important in POAG ris

Edge modes as reference frames and boundary actions from post-selection

We introduce a general framework realizing edge modes in (classical) gauge field theory as dynamical reference frames, an often suggested interpretation that we make entirely explicit. We focus on a bounded region M with a co-dimension one time-like boundary Γ, which we embed in a global spacetime. Taking as input a variational principle at the global level, we develop a systematic formalism inducing consistent variational principles (and in particular, boundary actions) for the subregion M. This relies on a post-selection procedure on Γ, which isolates the subsector of the global theory compatible with a general choice of gauge-invariant boundary conditions for the dynamics in M. Crucially, the latter relate the configuration fields on Γ to a dynamical frame field carrying information about the spacetime complement of M; as such, they may be equivalently interpreted as frame-dressed or relational observables. Generically, the external frame field keeps an imprint on the ensuing dynamics for subregion M, where it materializes itself as a local field on the time-like boundary Γ; in other words, an edge mode. We identify boundary symmetries as frame reorientations and show that they divide into three types, depending on the boundary conditions, that affect the physical status of the edge modes. Our construction relies on the covariant phase space formalism, and is in principle applicable to any gauge (field) theory. We illustrate it on three standard examples: Maxwell, Abelian Chern-Simons and non-Abelian Yang-Mills theories. In complement, we also analyze a mechanical toy-model to connect our work with recent efforts on (quantum) reference frames