1,320 research outputs found
The Proca-field in Loop Quantum Gravity
In this paper we investigate the Proca-field in the framework of Loop Quantum
Gravity. It turns out that the methods developed there can be applied to the
symplectically embedded Proca-field, giving a rigorous, consistent,
non-perturbative quantization of the theory. This can be achieved by
introducing a scalar field, which has completely different properties than the
one used in spontaneous symmetry breaking. The analysis of the kernel of the
Hamiltonian suggests that the mass term in the quantum theory has a different
role than in the classical theory.Comment: 15 pages. v2: 19 pages, amended sections 2 and 6, references added
v3: 20 pages, amended section 6 and minor correction
The large cosmological constant approximation to classical and quantum gravity: model examples
We have recently introduced an approach for studying perturbatively classical
and quantum canonical general relativity. The perturbative technique appears to
preserve many of the attractive features of the non-perturbative quantization
approach based on Ashtekar's new variables and spin networks. With this
approach one can find perturbatively classical observables (quantities that
have vanishing Poisson brackets with the constraints) and quantum states
(states that are annihilated by the quantum constraints). The relative ease
with which the technique appears to deal with these traditionally hard problems
opens several questions about how relevant the results produced can possibly
be. Among the questions is the issue of how useful are results for large values
of the cosmological constant and how the approach can deal with several
pathologies that are expected to be present in the canonical approach to
quantum gravity. With the aim of clarifying these points, and to make our
construction as explicit as possible, we study its application in several
simple models. We consider Bianchi cosmologies, the asymmetric top, the coupled
harmonic oscillators with constant energy density and a simple quantum
mechanical system with two Hamiltonian constraints. We find that the technique
satisfactorily deals with the pathologies of these models and offers promise
for finding (at least some) results even for small values of the cosmological
constant. Finally, we briefly sketch how the method would operate in the full
four dimensional quantum general relativity case.Comment: 21 pages, RevTex, 2 figures with epsfi
Gauge Field Theory Coherent States (GCS) : II. Peakedness Properties
In this article we apply the methods outlined in the previous paper of this
series to the particular set of states obtained by choosing the complexifier to
be a Laplace operator for each edge of a graph. The corresponding coherent
state transform was introduced by Hall for one edge and generalized by
Ashtekar, Lewandowski, Marolf, Mour\~ao and Thiemann to arbitrary, finite,
piecewise analytic graphs. However, both of these works were incomplete with
respect to the following two issues : (a) The focus was on the unitarity of the
transform and left the properties of the corresponding coherent states
themselves untouched. (b) While these states depend in some sense on
complexified connections, it remained unclear what the complexification was in
terms of the coordinates of the underlying real phase space. In this paper we
resolve these issues, in particular, we prove that this family of states
satisfies all the usual properties : i) Peakedness in the configuration,
momentum and phase space (or Bargmann-Segal) representation, ii) Saturation of
the unquenched Heisenberg uncertainty bound. iii) (Over)completeness. These
states therefore comprise a candidate family for the semi-classical analysis of
canonical quantum gravity and quantum gauge theory coupled to quantum gravity,
enable error-controlled approximations and set a new starting point for {\it
numerical canonical quantum general relativity and gauge theory}. The text is
supplemented by an appendix which contains extensive graphics in order to give
a feeling for the so far unknown peakedness properties of the states
constructed.Comment: 70 pages, LATEX, 29 figure
Testing the Master Constraint Programme for Loop Quantum Gravity I. General Framework
Recently the Master Constraint Programme for Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) was
proposed as a classically equivalent way to impose the infinite number of
Wheeler -- DeWitt constraint equations in terms of a single Master Equation.
While the proposal has some promising abstract features, it was until now
barely tested in known models. In this series of five papers we fill this gap,
thereby adding confidence to the proposal. We consider a wide range of models
with increasingly more complicated constraint algebras, beginning with a finite
dimensional, Abelean algebra of constraint operators which are linear in the
momenta and ending with an infinite dimensional, non-Abelean algebra of
constraint operators which closes with structure functions only and which are
not even polynomial in the momenta. In all these models we apply the Master
Constraint Programme successfully, however, the full flexibility of the method
must be exploited in order to complete our task. This shows that the Master
Constraint Programme has a wide range of applicability but that there are many,
physically interesting subtleties that must be taken care of in doing so. In
this first paper we prepare the analysis of our test models by outlining the
general framework of the Master Constraint Programme. The models themselves
will be studied in the remaining four papers. As a side result we develop the
Direct Integral Decomposition (DID) for solving quantum constraints as an
alternative to Refined Algebraic Quantization (RAQ).Comment: 42 pages, no figure
Gauge Field Theory Coherent States (GCS) : I. General Properties
In this article we outline a rather general construction of diffeomorphism
covariant coherent states for quantum gauge theories.
By this we mean states , labelled by a point (A,E) in the
classical phase space, consisting of canonically conjugate pairs of connections
A and electric fields E respectively, such that (a) they are eigenstates of a
corresponding annihilation operator which is a generalization of A-iE smeared
in a suitable way, (b) normal ordered polynomials of generalized annihilation
and creation operators have the correct expectation value, (c) they saturate
the Heisenberg uncertainty bound for the fluctuations of and
(d) they do not use any background structure for their definition, that is,
they are diffeomorphism covariant.
This is the first paper in a series of articles entitled ``Gauge Field Theory
Coherent States (GCS)'' which aim at connecting non-perturbative quantum
general relativity with the low energy physics of the standard model. In
particular, coherent states enable us for the first time to take into account
quantum metrics which are excited {\it everywhere} in an asymptotically flat
spacetime manifold. The formalism introduced in this paper is immediately
applicable also to lattice gauge theory in the presence of a (Minkowski)
background structure on a possibly {\it infinite lattice}.Comment: 40 pages, LATEX, no figure
On (Cosmological) Singularity Avoidance in Loop Quantum Gravity
Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC), mainly due to Bojowald, is not the cosmological
sector of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG). Rather, LQC consists of a truncation of
the phase space of classical General Relativity to spatially homogeneous
situations which is then quantized by the methods of LQG. Thus, LQC is a
quantum mechanical toy model (finite number of degrees of freedom) for LQG(a
genuine QFT with an infinite number of degrees of freedom) which provides
important consistency checks. However, it is a non trivial question whether the
predictions of LQC are robust after switching on the inhomogeneous fluctuations
present in full LQG. Two of the most spectacular findings of LQC are that 1.
the inverse scale factor is bounded from above on zero volume eigenstates which
hints at the avoidance of the local curvature singularity and 2. that the
Quantum Einstein Equations are non -- singular which hints at the avoidance of
the global initial singularity. We display the result of a calculation for LQG
which proves that the (analogon of the) inverse scale factor, while densely
defined, is {\it not} bounded from above on zero volume eigenstates. Thus, in
full LQG, if curvature singularity avoidance is realized, then not in this
simple way. In fact, it turns out that the boundedness of the inverse scale
factor is neither necessary nor sufficient for curvature singularity avoidance
and that non -- singular evolution equations are neither necessary nor
sufficient for initial singularity avoidance because none of these criteria are
formulated in terms of observable quantities.After outlining what would be
required, we present the results of a calculation for LQG which could be a
first indication that our criteria at least for curvature singularity avoidance
are satisfied in LQG.Comment: 34 pages, 16 figure
On the Relation between Operator Constraint --, Master Constraint --, Reduced Phase Space --, and Path Integral Quantisation
Path integral formulations for gauge theories must start from the canonical
formulation in order to obtain the correct measure. A possible avenue to derive
it is to start from the reduced phase space formulation. In this article we
review this rather involved procedure in full generality. Moreover, we
demonstrate that the reduced phase space path integral formulation formally
agrees with the Dirac's operator constraint quantisation and, more
specifically, with the Master constraint quantisation for first class
constraints. For first class constraints with non trivial structure functions
the equivalence can only be established by passing to Abelian(ised) constraints
which is always possible locally in phase space. Generically, the correct
configuration space path integral measure deviates from the exponential of the
Lagrangian action. The corrections are especially severe if the theory suffers
from second class secondary constraints. In a companion paper we compute these
corrections for the Holst and Plebanski formulations of GR on which current
spin foam models are based.Comment: 43 page
Bayesian recursive parameter estimation for hydrologic models
The uncertainty in a given hydrologic prediction is the compound effect of the parameter, data, and structural uncertainties associated with the underlying model. In general, therefore, the confidence in a hydrologic prediction can be improved by reducing the uncertainty associated with the parameter estimates. However, the classical approach to doing this via model calibration typically requires that considerable amounts of data be collected and assimilated before the model can be used. This limitation becomes immediately apparent when hydrologic predictions must be generated for a previously ungauged watershed that has only recently been instrumented. This paper presents the framework for a Bayesian recursive estimation approach to hydrologic prediction that can be used for simultaneous parameter estimation and prediction in an operational setting. The prediction is described in terms of the probabilities associated with different output values. The uncertainty associated with the parameter estimates is updated (reduced) recursively, resulting in smaller prediction uncertainties as measurement data are successively assimilated. The effectiveness and efficiency of the method are illustrated in the context of two models: a simple unit hydrograph model and the more complex Sacramento soil moisture accounting model, using data from the Leaf River basin in Mississippi
Semiclassical quantisation of space-times with apparent horizons
Coherent or semiclassical states in canonical quantum gravity describe the
classical Schwarzschild space-time. By tracing over the coherent state
wavefunction inside the horizon, a density matrix is derived.
Bekenstein-Hawking entropy is obtained from the density matrix, modulo the
Immirzi parameter. The expectation value of the area and curvature operator is
evaluated in these states. The behaviour near the singularity of the curvature
operator shows that the singularity is resolved. We then generalise the results
to space-times with spherically symmetric apparent horizons.Comment: 52 pages, 4 figure
QSD IV : 2+1 Euclidean Quantum Gravity as a model to test 3+1 Lorentzian Quantum Gravity
The quantization of Lorentzian or Euclidean 2+1 gravity by canonical methods
is a well-studied problem. However, the constraints of 2+1 gravity are those of
a topological field theory and therefore resemble very little those of the
corresponding Lorentzian 3+1 constraints. In this paper we canonically quantize
Euclidean 2+1 gravity for arbitrary genus of the spacelike hypersurface with
new, classically equivalent constraints that maximally probe the Lorentzian 3+1
situation. We choose the signature to be Euclidean because this implies that
the gauge group is, as in the 3+1 case, SU(2) rather than SU(1,1). We employ,
and carry out to full completion, the new quantization method introduced in
preceding papers of this series which resulted in a finite 3+1 Lorentzian
quantum field theory for gravity. The space of solutions to all constraints
turns out to be much larger than the one as obtained by traditional approaches,
however, it is fully included. Thus, by suitable restriction of the solution
space, we can recover all former results which gives confidence in the new
quantization methods. The meaning of the remaining "spurious solutions" is
discussed.Comment: 35p, LATE
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