We review some properties of the space of connections as the natural arena for canonical (quantum) gravity, and compare to the case of the superspace of 3-metrics. We detail how a 1-parameter family of metrics on the space of connections arises from the canonical analysis for general relativity which has a natural interpretation in terms of invariant tensors on the algebra of the gauge group. We also review the description of canonical GR as a geodesic principle on the space of connections, and comment on the existence of a time variable which could be used in the interpretation of the quantum theory.
We present a new cosmological model derived from Loop Quantum Gravity. The formulation is based on a projection of the kinematical Hilbert space of the full theory down to a subspace representing the proper arena for an inhomogeneous Bianchi I model. This procedure gives a direct link between the full theory and its cosmological sector. The emerging quantum cosmological model represents a simplified arena on which the complete canonical quantization program can be tested. The achievements of this analysis could also shed light on Loop Quantum Cosmology and its relation with the full theory.
The scenario consistent with a wealth of observations for the missing mass problem is that of weakly interacting dark matter particles. However, arguments or proposals for a Newtonian or relativistic modified gravity scenario continue to be made. A distinguishing characteristic between the two scenarios is that dark matter particles can produce a gravitational effect, in principle, without the need of baryons while this is not the case for the modified gravity scenario where such an effect must be correlated with the amount of baryonic matter. We consider here ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies …
In a previous paper we formulated axisymmetric general relativity in terms of real Ashtekar--Barbero variables. Here we proceed to quantize the theory. We are able to implement Thiemann's version of the Hamiltonian constraint. We discuss its action including the matrix elements and its solutions. This provides a 2+1 dimensional arena to test ideas for the dynamics of quantum gravity and opens the possibility of quantum studies of rotating black hole spacetimes.
We set the foundation and formulate the Perfect (Ideal) Hyperfluid. The latter represents the natural generalization of the usual perfect fluid structure where now the microscopic characteristics of matter (spin, shear, dilation) are also taken into account, sourcing a non-Riemannian arena (i.e spacetime torsion and non-metricity) for Metric-Affine Gravity. We derive the energy tensors of this Hyperfluid structure and subsequently present the conservation laws obeyed by them. Finally, we consider a Cosmological application of this Perfect Hyperfluid and classify some possible forms of this flu…
It is well known that non-local theories of gravity have been a flourish arena of studies for many reasons, for instance, the UV incompleteness of General Relativity (GR). In this paper we check the consistency of ST-homogeneous Gödel-type metrics within the non-local gravity framework. The non-local models considered here are ghost-free but not necessarily renormalizable since we focus on the classical solutions of the field equations. Furthermore, the non-locality is displayed in the action through transcendental entire functions of the d'Alembert operator $\Box$ that are mathematically repr…
In this review we collect, for the first time in one paper, old and new results and future perspectives of the research line that uses hadron production, in high-energy scattering processes, to experimentally probe fundamental questions of quantum gravity. The key observations, that ignited the link between the two arenas, are the so-called ``color-event horizon'' of quantum chromodynamics, and the enormous (de)accelerations involved in such scattering processes: both phenomena point to the Unruh (and related Hawking) type of effects. After the first pioneering investigations of this, such res…
We introduce a new framework for loop quantum gravity: mimicking the spinfoam quantization procedure we propose to study the symmetric sectors of the theory imposing the reduction weakly on the full kinematical Hilbert space of the canonical theory. As a first application of Quantum-Reduced Loop Gravity we study the inhomogeneous Bianchi I model. The emerging quantum cosmological model represents a simplified arena on which the complete canonical quantization program can be tested. The achievements of this analysis could elucidate the relationship between Loop Quantum Cosmology and the full th…
In the context of group field theory condensate cosmology, we clarify the extraction of cosmological variables from the microscopic quantum gravity degrees of freedom. We show that an important implication of the second quantized formalism is the dependence of cosmological variables and equations on the quantum gravitational atomic number N (number of spin network vertices/elementary simplices). We clarify the relation of the effective cosmological equations with loop quantum cosmology, understood as an effective (hydrodynamic-like) approximation of a more fundamental quantum gravity theory. B…
For testing gravity and detecting gravitational waves in space, deep-space laser ranging using drag-free spacecraft is a common method. Deep space provides a large arena and a long integration time. Laser technology provides measurement sensitivity, while drag-free technology ensures that gravitational phenomenon to be measured with least spurious noises. In this talk, we give an overview of motivations and methods of various space missions/proposals testing relativistic gravity and detecting gravitational waves, and refer to various references.
In the Ashtekar-Barbero formulation of canonical general relativity based on an SU(2) connection, Lorentz covariance is a subtle issue which has been the focus of some debate. Here we present a Lorentz covariant formulation generalising the notion of a foliation of spacetime to a field of local observers which specify a time direction only locally. This field spontaneously breaks the local SO(3,1) symmetry down to a subgroup SO(3); we show that the apparent symmetry breaking to SO(3) is not in conflict with Lorentz covariance. We give a geometric picture of our construction as Cartan geometrod…
Modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) can be obtained by modifying the entropic formulation of gravity, this is achieved by considering the quantum statistical nature of the degrees of freedom on the holographic screen. Through this frame work, we find some constraints on a cosmological extension for MOND, with no additional auxiliary fields. The connections between MOND to conformal gravity and Rindler force gravity are examined. These two alternative gravity theories are subsequently considered as possible cosmological extensions of MOND.
We study conditions on a generic connection written in terms of first-order derivatives of the vielbein in order to obtain (possible) equivalent theories to Einstein Gravity. We derive the equations of motion for these theories which are based on the new connections. We recover the Teleparallel Gravity equations of motion as a particular case. The analysis of this work might be useful to Double Field Theory to find other connections determined in terms of the physical fields.
In this paper, we base on the formalism of Symbolic Gauge Theory in the case of General relativity; we calculate the Feynman diagrams for the interaction between harmonic gravitational connections in the topological field theory. These calculations provide insights to interactions between gravity and dark energy. They could, therefore, have important repercussions for current cosmological problems.
We construct a positive complexifier, differentiable almost everywhere on the classical phase space of real triads and $SU(2)$ connections, which generates a Wick Transform from Euclidean to Lorentzian gravity everywhere except on a phase space set of measure zero. This Wick transform assigns an equal role to the self dual and anti-self dual Ashtekar variables in quantum theory. We argue that the appropriate quantum arena for an analysis of the properties of the Wick rotation is the diffeomorphism invariant Hilbert space of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) rather than its kinematic Hilbert space. We…
We construct a Lorentz-covariant connection in the context of first order canonical gravity with non-vanishing Barbero-Immirzi parameter. To do so, we start with the phase space formulation derived from the canonical analysis of the Holst action in which the second class constraints have been solved explicitly. This allows us to avoid the use of Dirac brackets. In this context, we show that there is a "unique" Lorentz-covariant connection which is commutative in the sense of the Poisson bracket, and which furthermore agrees with the connection found by Alexandrov using the Dirac bracket. This …
Scalar-tensor theories of gravity are known to allow significant deviations from general relativity through various astrophysical phenomena. In this paper, we formulate a scalar-connection gravity by setting up scalars and connection configurations instead of metric. Since the matter sector is not straightforward to conceive without a metric, we invoke cosmological fluids in terms of their one-form velocity in the volume element of the invariant action. This leads to gravitational equations with a perfect fluid source and a generated metric, which are expected to produce reasonable deviations …
A surprising connection between the weak gravity conjecture and cosmic censorship has recently been proposed. In particular, it was argued that a promising class of counterexamples to cosmic censorship in four-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-$Λ$ theory would be removed if charged particles (with sufficient charge) were present. We test this idea and find that indeed if the weak gravity conjecture is true, one cannot violate cosmic censorship this way. Remarkably, the minimum value of charge required to preserve cosmic censorship appears to agree precisely with that proposed by the weak gravity co…
We have recently shown that a class of counterexamples to (weak) cosmic censorship in anti-de Sitter spacetime is removed if the weak gravity conjecture holds. Surprisingly, the minimum value of the charge to mass ratio necessary to preserve cosmic censorship is precisely the weak gravity bound. To further explore this mysterious connection, we investigate two generalizations: adding a dilaton or an additional Maxwell field. Analogous counterexamples to cosmic censorship are found in these theories if there is no charged matter. Even though the weak gravity bound is modified, we show that in e…
Teleparallel geometry utilizes Weitzenböck connection which has nontrivial torsion but no curvature and does not directly follow from the metric like Levi-Civita connection. In extended teleparallel theories, for instance in $f(T)$ or scalar-torsion gravity, the connection must obey its antisymmetric field equations. So far only a few analytic solutions were known. In this note we solve the $f(T,ϕ)$ gravity antisymmetric vacuum field equations for a generic rotating tetrad ansatz in Weyl canonical coordinates, and find the corresponding spin connection coefficients. By a coordinate transformat…
The improved lattice regularization method of the Ashtekar connection holonomy representation in loop quantum gravity is described in this article. The approach is based on the geometric expansion of holonomies into power series up to the quadratic order terms in the regularization parameter. As a result, a more accurate procedure than the currently established approach to the canonical lattice quantization of gravity is obtained. Moreover, if holonomies are defined along linear links, this procedure becomes exact. Furthermore, in the improved method, the symmetry of holonomies assigned to lin…
We argue that quantum gravity theories should involve constructing a quantum theory on non-Cauchy hypersurfaces and suggest that the hypersurface direction should be the same as the direction of the effective non-gravitational force field at a point. We start with a short review of works which support this idea and then we foliate spacetime along an effective non-gravitational force field direction. Next we discuss the implication of this foliation on the expected properties of quantum gravity. We also discuss the vagueness caused by constructing any quantum theory when using non-Cauchy foliat…
Recently it was found that quantum gravity theories may involve constructing a quantum theory on non-Cauchy hypersurfaces. However this is problematic since the ordinary Poisson brackets are not causal in this case. We suggest a method to identify classical brackets that are causal on 2+1 non-Cauchy hypersurfaces and use it in order to show that the evolution of scalars and vectors fields in the 3rd spatial direction can be constructed by using a Hamilton-like procedure. Finally, we discuss the relevance of this result to quantum gravity.
Unruh effect is a landmark prediction of standard quantum field theory in which Fock vacuum state appears as a thermal state with respect to an uniformly accelerating observer. Given its dependence on trans-Planckian modes, Unruh effect is often considered as an arena for exploring a candidate theory of quantum gravity. Here we show that Unruh effect disappears if, instead of using Fock quantization, one uses polymer quantization or loop quantization, the quantization method used in loop quantum gravity. Secondly, the polymer vacuum state remains a vacuum state even for the accelerating observ…
The Hulse-Taylor binary provides possibly the best test of GR to date. We find the modified quadrupole formula for Infinite Derivative Gravity (IDG). We extend the backreaction formula for propagation of gravitational waves, found previously for Effective Quantum Gravity (EQG) for a flat background and extend this calculation to a de Sitter background for both EQG and IDG. We put tighter constraints on EQG using new LIGO data. We also find the power emitted by a binary system within the IDG framework for both circular and elliptical orbits and use the example of the Hulse-Taylor binary. IDG pr…
We study the coupling of the gravitational action, which is a linear combination of the Hilbert-Palatini term and the quadratic torsion term, to the action of Dirac fermions. The system possesses local Poincare invariance and hence belongs to Poincare gauge theory with matter. The complete Hamiltonian analysis of the theory is carried out without gauge fixing but under certain ansatz on the coupling parameters, which leads to a consistent connection dynamics with second-class constraints and torsion. After performing a partial gauge fixing, all second-class constraints can be solved, and a SU(…
Teleparallel gravity and its popular generalization $f(T)$ gravity can be formulated as fully invariant (under both coordinate transformations and local Lorentz transformations) theories of gravity. Several misconceptions about teleparallel gravity and its generalizations can be found in the literature, especially regarding their local Lorentz invariance. We describe how these misunderstandings may have arisen and attempt to clarify the situation. In particular, the central point of confusion in the literature appears to be related to the inertial spin connection in teleparallel gravity models…
Affine gravity is a connection-based formulation of gravity that does not involve a metric. After a review of basic properties of affine gravity, we compute the tree-level scattering amplitude of scalar particles interacting gravitationally via the connection in a curved spacetime. We find that, while classically equivalent to general relativity, affine gravity differs from metric quantum gravity.
The scalar-tensor theories of gravity in spacetime dimensions $D+1>2$ are studied. By doing Hamiltonian analysis, we obtain the geometrical dynamics of the theories from their Lagrangian. The Hamiltonian formalism indicates that the theories are naturally divided into two sectors by the coupling parameter $ω$. The Hamiltonian structure in both sectors are similar to the corresponding structure of 4-dimensional cases. It turns out that there is a symplectic reduction from the canonical structure of $so(D+1)$ Yang-Mills theories coupled to the scalar field to the canonical structure of the geome…
We consider a bi-connection model in the presence of four-dimensional Gauss-Bonnet term adding to the Einstein-Hilbert action. This generalization solves the dynamics issue which exists in pure Einstein-Hilbert formalism of bi-connection model. As an example we study the Weyl inspired bi-connection model and show there is a self-accelerating solution in this model. To compare it with previous results we try to find appropriate generalization of the Weyl geometrical bi-connection model to reach at de Rham-Gabadadze-Tolley massive gravity. In this formalism mixing terms between the potential and…
This article presents an extended model of gravity obtained by gauging the AdS-Mawell algebra. It involves additional fields that shift the spin connection, leading effectively to theory of two independent connections. Extension of algebraic structure by another tetrad gives rise to the model described by a pair of Einstein equations.
In the first order formalism of gravitational theories, the spacetime connection is considered as an independent variable to vary together with the metric. However, the metric still generates its Levi-Civita connection that turns out to determine the geodesics of matter. Recently, "hybrid" gravity theories have been introduced by constructing actions involving both the independent Palatini connection and the metric Levi-Civita connection. In this study a method is developed to analyse the field content of such theories, in particular to determine whether the propagating degrees of freedom are …
We explore emergent geometry of the spacetime at the microscopic scale by adiabatic transport of a quasi-coherent state of a fermionic string, with quantum spacetime described by the matrix theory (BFSS matrix model). We show that the generator of the Berry phase is the shift vector of the spacetime foliation by spacelike surfaces associated with the quasi-coherent state. The operator-valued generator of the geometric phase of weak adiabatic transport is the Lorentz connection of the emergent geometry which is not torsion free at the microscopic scale. The effects of the torsion seem consisten…
We consider the most general 11 parameter parity even quadratic Metric-Affine Theory whose action consists of the usual Einstein-Hilbert plus the 11 quadratic terms in torsion, non-metricity as well as their mixing. By following a certain procedure and using a simple trick we are able to find the unique solution of the affine connection in terms of an arbitrary hypermomentum. Given a fairly general non-degeneracy condition our result provides the exact form of the affine connection for all types of matter. Subsequently we compute the forms of torsion and non-metricity in terms of their sources…
In the "pure connection" formulation General Relativity becomes a particular diffeomorphism invariant SL(2) gauge theory. Using this formalism, we compute the divergent contributions to the gravitational one-loop effective action. Calculations of the on-shell effective action simplify greatly if one specialises to an instanton background where only the anti-self-dual part of the Weyl curvature is non-vanishing. One of the most striking features of the connection formulation is that the (linearised) Euclidean action has a definite sign, unlike in the metric case. As in the metric GR, we find th…
This article contains a local solution to the notorious Problem of Time in Quantum Gravity at the conceptual level and which is actually realizable for the relational triangle. The Problem of Time is that `time' in GR and `time' in ordinary quantum theory are mutually incompatible notions, which is problematic in trying to put these two theories together to form a theory of Quantum Gravity. Four frontiers to this resolution in full GR are identified, alongside three further directions not yet conquered even for the relational triangle. This article is also the definitive review on relational p…
In general relativity (GR), spacetime geometry is no longer just a background arena but a physical and dynamical entity with its own degrees of freedom. We present an overview of approaches to quantum gravity in which this central feature of GR is at the forefront. However, the short distance dynamics in the quantum theory are quite different from those of GR and classical spacetimes and gravitons emerge only in a suitable limit. Our emphasis is on communicating the key strategies, the main results and open issues. In the spirit of this volume, we focus on a few avenues that have led to the mo…
What is the right way to interpret a massive graviton? We generalize the kinematical framework of general relativity to multiple connections. The average of the connections is itself a connection and plays the role of the canonical connection in standard General Relativity. At the level of dynamics, the simplest choice of the Einstein-Hilbert action is indistinguishable from the single-connection case. However, inspired by Weyl geometry, we show how one can construct massive gravity to all orders in perturbation theory compatible with the de Rham-Gabadadze-Tolley ghost-free model. We conclude …
