Topological Measure and Graph-Differential Geometry on the Quotient Space of Connections

(This is a report for the Proceedings of ``Journees Relativistes 1993'' written in September 1993. Containes a short description of the results published elsewhere in the joint paper with A. Ashtekar) Integral calculus on the space of gauge equivalent connections is developed. By carring out a non-linear generalization of the theory of cylindrical measures on topological vector spaces, a faithfull, diffeomorphism invariant measure is introduced on a suitable completion of the quotient space. The strip (i.e. momentum) operators are densely-defined in the resulting Hilbert space and interact with the measure correctly, to become essentially self adjoint operators.Comment: 3 pp., Proceedings of ``Journees Relativistes 1993'

Geometry of Non-expanding Horizons and Their Neighborhoods

This is a contribution to MG9 session BHT4. Certain geometrically distinguished frame on a non-expanding horizon and in its space-time neighborhood, as well as the Bondi-like coordinates are constructed. The construction provides free degrees of freedom, invariants, and the existence conditions for a Killing vector field. The reported results come from the joint works with Ashtekar and Beetle.Comment: BHT4 session of MG

Black hole entropy from Quantum Geometry

Quantum Geometry (the modern Loop Quantum Gravity using graphs and spin-networks instead of the loops) provides microscopic degrees of freedom that account for the black-hole entropy. However, the procedure for state counting used in the literature contains an error and the number of the relevant horizon states is underestimated. In our paper a correct method of counting is presented. Our results lead to a revision of the literature of the subject. It turns out that the contribution of spins greater then 1/2 to the entropy is not negligible. Hence, the value of the Barbero-Immirzi parameter involved in the spectra of all the geometric and physical operators in this theory is different than previously derived. Also, the conjectured relation between Quantum Geometry and the black hole quasi-normal modes should be understood again.Comment: a new section ``The spin probability distribution'' adde