Tunneling through the quantum horizon

The emergence of quantum-gravity induced corrective terms for the probability of emission of a particle from a black hole in the Parikh-Wilczek tunneling framework is studied. It is shown, in particular, how corrections might arise from modifications of the surface gravity due to near horizon Planck-scale effects. Our derivation provides an example of the possible linking between Planck-scale departures from Lorentz invariance and the appearance of higher order quantum gravity corrections in the black-hole entropy-area relation.Comment: 8 pages, no figures, REVTeX. Extensively revised version. New title and modified paper structure. Main analysis unchanged. Some conclusions have been removed and will be discussed in a forthcoming wor

Black-hole entropy and minimal diffusion

The density of states reproducing the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy-area scaling can be modeled via a nonlocal field theory. We define a diffusion process based on the kinematics of this theory and find a spectral dimension whose flow exhibits surprising properties. While it asymptotes four from above in the infrared, in the ultraviolet the spectral dimension diverges at a finite (Planckian) value of the diffusion length, signaling a breakdown of the notion of diffusion on a continuum spacetime below that scale. We comment on the implications of this minimal diffusion scale for the entropy bound in a holographic and field-theoretic context.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. v2: physical interpretation of the results clarifie

Localization and diffusion in polymer quantum field theory

Polymer quantization is a non-standard approach to quantizing a classical system inspired by background independent approaches to quantum gravity such as loop quantum gravity. When applied to field theory it introduces a characteristic polymer scale at the level of the fields classical configuration space. Compared with models with space-time discreteness or non-commutativity this is an alternative way in which a characteristic scale can be introduced in a field theoretic context. Motivated by this comparison we study here localization and diffusion properties associated with polymer field observables and dispersion relation in order to shed some light on the novel physical features introduced by polymer quantization. While localization processes seems to be only mildly affected by polymer effects, we find that polymer diffusion differs significantly from the "dimensional reduction" picture emerging in other Planck-scale models beyond local quantum field theory.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

Entanglement entropy, scale-dependent dimensions and the origin of gravity

We argue that the requirement of a finite entanglement entropy of quantum degrees of freedom across a boundary surface is closely related to the phenomenon of running spectral dimension, universal in approaches to quantum gravity. If quantum geometry hinders diffusion, for instance when its structure at some given scale is discrete or too rough, then the spectral dimension of spacetime vanishes at that scale and the entropy density blows up. A finite entanglement entropy is a key ingredient in deriving Einstein gravity in a semi-classical regime of a quantum-gravitational theory and, thus, our arguments strengthen the role of running dimensionality as an imprint of quantum geometry with potentially observable consequences.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure. Received an Honorable Mention in the 2017 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundatio

UV dimensional reduction to two from group valued momenta

We describe a new model of deformed relativistic kinematics based on the group manifold $U(1) \times SU(2)$ as a four-momentum space. We discuss the action of the Lorentz group on such space and and illustrate the deformed composition law for the group-valued momenta. Due to the geometric structure of the group, the deformed kinematics is governed by {\it two} energy scales $\lambda$ and $\kappa$. A relevant feature of the model is that it exhibits a running spectral dimension $d_s$ with the characteristic short distance reduction to $d_s =2$ found in most quantum gravity scenarios.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figur

A fuzzy bipolar celestial sphere

We introduce a non-commutative deformation of the algebra of bipolar spherical harmonics supporting the action of the full Lorentz algebra. Our construction is close in spirit to the one of the non-commutative spherical harmonics associated to the fuzzy sphere and, as such, it leads to a maximal value of the angular momentum. We derive the action of Lorentz boost generators on such non-commutative spherical harmonics and show that it is compatible with the existence of a maximal angular momentum.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; v2: typos corrected, references added; v3 title slightly changed, minor adjustments in the presentation, results unchanged. References added, matches published versio