18 research outputs found
The volume operator in covariant quantum gravity
A covariant spin-foam formulation of quantum gravity has been recently
developed, characterized by a kinematics which appears to match well the one of
canonical loop quantum gravity. In particular, the geometrical observable
giving the area of a surface has been shown to be the same as the one in loop
quantum gravity. Here we discuss the volume observable. We derive the volume
operator in the covariant theory, and show that it matches the one of loop
quantum gravity, as does the area. We also reconsider the implementation of the
constraints that defines the model: we derive in a simple way the boundary
Hilbert space of the theory from a suitable form of the classical constraints,
and show directly that all constraints vanish weakly on this space.Comment: 10 pages. Version 2: proof extended to gamma > 1
Many-nodes/many-links spinfoam: the homogeneous and isotropic case
I compute the Lorentzian EPRL/FK/KKL spinfoam vertex amplitude for regular
graphs, with an arbitrary number of links and nodes, and coherent states peaked
on a homogeneous and isotropic geometry. This form of the amplitude can be
applied for example to a dipole with an arbitrary number of links or to the
4-simplex given by the compete graph on 5 nodes. All the resulting amplitudes
have the same support, independently of the graph used, in the large j (large
volume) limit. This implies that they all yield the Friedmann equation: I show
this in the presence of the cosmological constant. This result indicates that
in the semiclassical limit quantum corrections in spinfoam cosmology do not
come from just refining the graph, but rather from relaxing the large j limit.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Euclidean three-point function in loop and perturbative gravity
We compute the leading order of the three-point function in loop quantum
gravity, using the vertex expansion of the Euclidean version of the new spin
foam dynamics, in the region of gamma<1. We find results consistent with Regge
calculus in the limit gamma->0 and j->infinity. We also compute the tree-level
three-point function of perturbative quantum general relativity in position
space, and discuss the possibility of directly comparing the two results.Comment: 16 page
Physical boundary Hilbert space and volume operator in the Lorentzian new spin-foam theory
A covariant spin-foam formulation of quantum gravity has been recently
developed, characterized by a kinematics which appears to match well the one of
canonical loop quantum gravity. In this paper we reconsider the implementation
of the constraints that defines the model. We define in a simple way the
boundary Hilbert space of the theory, introducing a slight modification of the
embedding of the SU(2) representations into the SL(2,C) ones. We then show
directly that all constraints vanish on this space in a weak sense. The
vanishing is exact (and not just in the large quantum number limit.) We also
generalize the definition of the volume operator in the spinfoam model to the
Lorentzian signature, and show that it matches the one of loop quantum gravity,
as does in the Euclidean case.Comment: 11 page
A new look at loop quantum gravity
I describe a possible perspective on the current state of loop quantum
gravity, at the light of the developments of the last years. I point out that a
theory is now available, having a well-defined background-independent
kinematics and a dynamics allowing transition amplitudes to be computed
explicitly in different regimes. I underline the fact that the dynamics can be
given in terms of a simple vertex function, largely determined by locality,
diffeomorphism invariance and local Lorentz invariance. I emphasize the
importance of approximations. I list open problems.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Loop quantum gravity: the first twenty five years
This is a review paper invited by the journal "Classical ad Quantum Gravity"
for a "Cluster Issue" on approaches to quantum gravity. I give a synthetic
presentation of loop gravity. I spell-out the aims of the theory and compare
the results obtained with the initial hopes that motivated the early interest
in this research direction. I give my own perspective on the status of the
program and attempt of a critical evaluation of its successes and limits.Comment: 24 pages, 3 figure
Dynamics for a 2-vertex Quantum Gravity Model
We use the recently introduced U(N) framework for loop quantum gravity to
study the dynamics of spin network states on the simplest class of graphs: two
vertices linked with an arbitrary number N of edges. Such graphs represent two
regions, in and out, separated by a boundary surface. We study the algebraic
structure of the Hilbert space of spin networks from the U(N) perspective. In
particular, we describe the algebra of operators acting on that space and
discuss their relation to the standard holonomy operator of loop quantum
gravity. Furthermore, we show that it is possible to make the restriction to
the isotropic/homogeneous sector of the model by imposing the invariance under
a global U(N) symmetry. We then propose a U(N) invariant Hamiltonian operator
and study the induced dynamics. Finally, we explore the analogies between this
model and loop quantum cosmology and sketch some possible generalizations of
it.Comment: 28 pages, v2: typos correcte
Spinning Loop Black Holes
In this paper we construct four Kerr-like spacetimes starting from the loop
black hole Schwarzschild solutions (LBH) and applying the Newman-Janis
transformation. In previous papers the Schwarzschild LBH was obtained replacing
the Ashtekar connection with holonomies on a particular graph in a
minisuperspace approximation which describes the black hole interior. Starting
from this solution, we use a Newman-Janis transformation and we specialize to
two different and natural complexifications inspired from the complexifications
of the Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstrom metrics. We show explicitly that
the space-times obtained in this way are singularity free and thus there are no
naked singularities. We show that the transformation move, if any, the
causality violating regions of the Kerr metric far from r=0. We study the
space-time structure with particular attention to the horizons shape. We
conclude the paper with a discussion on a regular Reissner-Nordstrom black hole
derived from the Schwarzschild LBH and then applying again the Newmann-Janis
transformation.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figure
Towards classical geometrodynamics from Group Field Theory hydrodynamics
We take the first steps towards identifying the hydrodynamics of group field
theories (GFTs) and relating this hydrodynamic regime to classical
geometrodynamics of continuum space. We apply to GFT mean field theory
techniques borrowed from the theory of Bose condensates, alongside standard GFT
and spin foam techniques. The mean field configuration we study is, in turn,
obtained from loop quantum gravity coherent states. We work in the context of
2d and 3d GFT models, in euclidean signature, both ordinary and colored, as
examples of a procedure that has a more general validity. We also extract the
effective dynamics of the system around the mean field configurations, and
discuss the role of GFT symmetries in going from microscopic to effective
dynamics. In the process, we obtain additional insights on the GFT formalism
itself.Comment: revtex4, 32 pages. Contribution submitted to the focus issue of the
New Journal of Physics on "Classical and Quantum Analogues for Gravitational
Phenomena and Related Effects", R. Schuetzhold, U. Leonhardt and C. Maia,
Eds; v2: typos corrected, references updated, to match the published versio
The Spin Foam Approach to Quantum Gravity
This article reviews the present status of the spin foam approach to the
quantization of gravity. Special attention is payed to the pedagogical
presentation of the recently introduced new models for four dimensional quantum
gravity. The models are motivated by a suitable implementation of the path
integral quantization of the Plebanski formulation of gravity on a simplicial
regularization. The article also includes a self-contained treatment of the 2+1
gravity. The simple nature of the latter provides the basis and a perspective
for the analysis of both conceptual and technical issues that remain open in
four dimensions.Comment: To appear in Living Reviews in Relativit