An ultralocal form of any classical field theory eliminates all spatial derivatives in its action functional, e.g., in its Hamiltonian functional density. It has been applied to covariant scalar field theories and even to Einstein's general relativity, by Pilati, as an initial term in a perturbation series that aimed to restore all omitted derivatives. Previously, the author has quantized ultralocal scalar fields by affine quantization to show that these non-renormalizanle theories can be correctly quantized by affine quantization; the story of such scalar models is discussed in this paper. The present paper will also show that ultralocal gravity can be successfully quantized by affine quantization.
The purpose of this study is that a successful affine quantization of any ultralocal field problem implies that, with properly restored derivatives, the classical theory can, in principle, be guaranteed a successful result using either a canonical quantization or an affine quantization. In particular, Einstein's gravity requires an affine quantization, and it will be successful.
In this article we show that the ultralocal state of gravity can be associated with the so-called crumpled phase of gravity, observed e.g. in Causal Dynamical Triangulations. By considering anisotropic scaling present in the Hořava-Lifshitz theory, we prove that in the ultralocal scaling limit ($z \rightarrow 0$) the graph representing connectivity structure of space is becoming complete. In consequence, transition from the ultralocal phase ($z=0$) to the standard relativistic scaling ($z=1$) is implemented by the geometrogensis, similar to the one considered in Quantum Graphity approach. Howe…
We study general relativity with pressureless dust in the canonical formulation, with the dust field chosen as a matter-time gauge. The resulting theory has three physical degrees of freedom in the metric field. The linearized canonical theory reveals two graviton modes and a scalar mode. We find that the graviton modes remain Lorentz covariant despite the time gauge, and that the scalar mode is ultralocal. We discuss also a modification of the theory to include a parameter in the Hamiltonian analogous to that in Horava-Lifshitz models. In this case the scalar mode is no longer ultralocal, and…
The Hamiltonian constraint operator in Loop Quantum Gravity acts ultralocally. Smolin has argued that this ultralocality seems incompatible with the existence of a quantum dynamics which propagates perturbations between macroscopically seperated regions of quantum geometry. We present evidence to the contrary within an LQG type `polymer' quantization of two dimensional Parameterised Field Theory (PFT). PFT is a generally covariant reformulation of free field propagation on flat spacetime. We show explicitly that while, as in LQG, the Hamiltonian constraint operator in PFT acts ultralocally, st…
The rules of canonical quantization normally offer good results, but sometimes they fail, e.g., leading to quantum triviality ($=$ free) for certain examples that are classically nontrivial ($\ne$ free). A new procedure, called Enhanced Quantization, relates classical models with their quantum partners differently and leads to satisfactory results for all systems. This paper features enhanced quantization procedures and provides highlights of two examples, a rotationally symmetric model and an ultralocal scalar model, for which canonical quantization fails while enhanced quantization succeeds.
We formulate and explore the physical implications of a new translation gauge theory of gravity in flat space-time with a new Yang-Mills action, which involves quadratic gauge curvature and fermions. The theory shows that the presence of an "effective Riemann metric tensor" for the motions of classical particles and light rays is probably the manifestation of the translation gauge symmetry. In the post-Newtonian approximation of the tensor gauge field produced by the energy-momentum tensor, the results are shown to be consistent with classical tests of gravity and with the quadrupole radiation…
We use numerical relativity simulations to explore the conditions for a canonical scalar field $ϕ$ minimally coupled to Einstein gravity to generate an extended phase of slow contraction that robustly smooths the universe for a wide range of initial conditions and then sets the conditions for a graceful exit stage. We show that to achieve robustness it suffices that the potential $V(ϕ)$ is negative and $M_{\rm Pl}|V_{,ϕ}/V|\gtrsim5$ during the smoothing phase. We also show that, to exit slow contraction, the potential must have a minimum. Beyond the minimum, we find no constraint on the uphill…
We study the conditions for classical r-matrices to be compatible with the generalised Chern-Simons action for 3d gravity. Compatibility means solving the classical Yang-Baxter equations with a prescribed symmetric part for each of the real Lie algebras and bilinear pairings arising in the generalised Chern-Simons action. We give a new construction of r-matrices via a generalised complexification and derive a non-linear set of matrix equations determining the most general compatible r-matrix. We exhibit new families of solutions and show that they contain known solutions for special parameter …
In this short review, we explain how and in which sense the causal action principle for causal fermion systems gives rise to classical gravity and the Einstein equations. Moreover, methods are presented for going beyond classical gravity, with applications to a positive mass theorem for static causal fermion systems, a connection between area change and matter flux and the construction of a quantum state.
We analyse the role, on large cosmological scales and laboratory experiments, of the leading curvature squared contributions to the low energy effective action of gravity. We argue for a natural relationship $c_0λ^2\simeq 1$ at low-energy between the ${\cal R}^2$ coefficients $c_0$ of the Ricci scalar squared term in this expansion and the dark energy scale $Λ=(λM_{\rm Pl})^4$ in four dimensional Planck mass units. We show how the compatibility between the acceleration of the expansion rate of the Universe, local tests of gravity and the quantum stability of the model all converge to select su…
In the research paper [1], the analytical solution of semi-classical rotating black holes (BH) in loop quantum gravity theory (LQG) is obtained, but an unknown function $H$ is still preserved. In this note, we obtain an expression for the unknown function $H$, which makes the space-time line element of the semi-classical rotating BH in the LQG theory sufficiently well-expressed and thus provides a basis for the study of such rotating BHs.
We demonstrate that a recently proposed classical double copy procedure to construct the effective action of two massive particles in dilaton-gravity from the analogous problem of two color charged particles in Yang-Mills gauge theory fails at next-to-next-to-leading orders in the post-Minkowskian (3PM) or post-Newtonian (2PN) expansions.
We study various classical aspects of the Weyl transverse (WTDiff) gravity in a general space-time dimension. First of all, we clarify a classical equivalence among three kinds of gravitational theories, those are, the conformally-invariant scalar tensor gravity, Einstein's general relativity and the WTDiff gravity via the gauge fixing procedure. Secondly, we show that in the WTDiff gravity the cosmological constant is a mere integration constant as in unimodular gravity, but it does not receive any radiative corrections unlike the unimodular gravity. A key point in this proof is to construct …
In this thesis we present a study of the computation of classical observables in gauge theories and gravity directly from scattering amplitudes. In particular, we discuss the direct application of modern amplitude techniques in the one, and two-body problems for both, scattering and bounded scenarios, and in both, classical electrodynamics and gravity, with particular emphasis on spin effects in general, and in four spacetime dimensions. Among these observables we have the conservative linear impulse and the radiated waveform in the two-body problem, and the differential cross section for the …
We study classical solutions in the Weyl-transverse (WTDiff) gravity. The WTDiff gravity is invariant under both the local Weyl (conformal) transformation and the volume preserving diffeormorphisms (transverse diffeomorphisms) and is known to be equivalent to general relativity at least at the classical level. In particular, we find that in a general space-time dimension, the Schwarzschild metric is a classical solution in the WTDiff gravity when it is expressed in the Cartesian coordinate system.
We formulate axisymmetric general relativity in terms of real Ashtekar--Barbero variables. We study the constraints and equations of motion and show how the Kerr, Schwarzschild and Minkowski solutions arise. We also discuss boundary conditions. This opens the possibility of a midisuperspace quantization using loop quantum gravity techniques for spacetimes with axial symmetry and time dependence.
In this manuscript, we survey the main characteristics that provide neutrinos with the capability of being the perfect candidate to test gravity. A number of potentially resourceful scenarios is analyzed, with particular emphasis on how the versatility of neutrinos lends itself to understand the multifaceted nature of the gravitational interaction, both at classical and quantum scales. As a common thread running through the two different regimes, we consider the fundamental principles underpinning General Relativity and its possible quantum extensions. Finally, we discuss some open problems an…
We give a general overview of various flavors of the equivalence principle in classical and quantum physics, with special emphasis on the so-called weak equivalence principle, and contrast its validity in mechanics versus field theory. We also discuss its generalisation to a theory of quantum gravity. Our analysis suggests that only the strong equivalence principle can be considered fundamental enough to be generalised to a quantum gravity context, since all other flavors of equivalence principle hold only approximately already at the classical level.
Modave lectures on energy conditions in quantum field theory and semi-classical gravity
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge(剑桥大学应用数学与理论物理系);Physique Théoretique et Mathématique, Université Libre de Bruxelles & International Solvay Institutes(布鲁塞尔自由大学理论与数学物理及国际索尔维研究所)
Niels Bohr International Academy, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen(哥本哈根大学尼尔斯·玻尔研究所);Theoretical Physics Department, CERN(欧洲核子研究中心理论物理部);Department of Physics, Yonsei University(延世大学物理系);Quantum Universe Center, Korea Institute for Advanced Study(韩国高等研究院量子宇宙中心)