Non-Riemannian gravitational theories suggest alternative avenues to understand properties of quantum gravity and provide a concrete setting to study condensed matter systems with non-relativistic symmetry. Derivation of an action principle for these theories generally proved challenging for various reasons. In this technical note, we employ the formulation of double field theory to construct actions for a variety of such theories. This formulation helps removing ambiguities in the corresponding equations of motion. In particular, we embed Torsional Newton-Cartan gravity, Carrollian gravity and String Newton-Cartan gravity in double field theory, derive their actions and compare with the previously obtained results in literature.
Taking $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$ covariant field variables as its truly fundamental constituents, Double Field Theory can accommodate not only conventional supergravity but also non-Riemannian gravities that may be classified by two non-negative integers, $(n,\bar{n})$. Such non-Riemannian backgrounds render a propagating string chiral and anti-chiral over $n$ and $\bar{n}$ dimensions respectively. Examples include, but are not limited to, Newton--Cartan, Carroll, or Gomis--Ooguri. Here we analyze the variational principle with care for a generic $(n,\bar{n})$ non-Riemannian sector. We recognize a non…
We suggest a new scenario of gravitation in which gravity at the fundamental level is described by a Riemannian (i.e. locally Euclidean) theory without the notion of time. The Lorentzian metric structure and the notion of time emerge as effective properties at long distances. On the other hand, at short distances, higher derivative terms compatible with the Riemannian diffeomorphism become important and the system is described by a power-counting renormalizable Riemannian theory.
Quasi-Riemannian theories of gravity have smaller gauge groups acting on the tangent spacetime than the full Lorentz group. Among others, the spatial rotation group can be gauged to obtain spacetime asymmetric gravity with general covariance. We may introduce `spatial' higher-derivative interactions exclusively to improve ultraviolet behavior with unitarity.
This is a self-contained introduction to quantum Riemannian geometry based on quantum groups as frame groups, and its proposed role in quantum gravity. Much of the article is about the generalisation of classical Riemannian geometry that arises naturally as the classical limit; a theory with nonsymmetric metric and a skew version of metric compatibilty. Meanwhile, in quantum gravity a key ingredient of our approach is the proposal that the differential structure of spacetime is something that itself must be summed over or `quantised' as a physical degree of freedom. We illustrate such a scheme…
We propose a novel Kaluza-Klein scheme which assumes the internal space to be maximally non-Riemannian, meaning that no Riemannian metric can be defined for any subspace. Its description is only possible through Double Field Theory but not within supergravity. We spell out the corresponding Scherk-Schwarz twistable Kaluza--Klein ansatz, and point out that the internal space prevents rigidly any graviscalar moduli. Plugging the same ansatz into higher-dimensional pure Double Field Theory and also to a known doubled-yet-gauged string action, we recover heterotic supergravity as well as heterotic…
Double Field Theory provides a geometric framework capable of describing string theory backgrounds that cannot be understood purely in terms of Riemannian geometry -- not only globally (`non-geometry'), but even locally (`non-Riemannian'). In this work, we show that the non-relativistic closed string theory of Gomis and Ooguri [1] arises precisely as such a non-Riemannian string background, and that the Gomis-Ooguri sigma model is equivalent to the Double Field Theory sigma model of [2] on this background. We further show that the target-space formulation of Double Field Theory on this non-Rie…
We explore the notion of isometries in non-Riemannian geometries. Such geometries include and generalise the backgrounds of non-relativistic string theory, and they can be naturally described using the formalism of double field theory. Adopting this approach, we first solve the corresponding Killing equations for constant flat non-Riemannian backgrounds and show that they admit an infinite-dimensional algebra of isometries which includes a particular type of supertranslations. These symmetries correspond to known worldsheet Noether symmetries of the Gomis-Ooguri non-relativistic string, which …
Connections with (skew-symmetric) torsion on non-symmetric Riemannian manifold satisfying the Einstein metricity condition (NGT with torsion) are considered. It is shown that an almost Hermitian manifold is an NGT with torsion if and only if it is a Nearly Kähler manifold. In the case of an almost contact metric manifold the NGT with torsion spaces are characterized and a possibly new class of almost contact metric manifolds is extracted. Similar considerations lead to a definition of a particular classes of almost para-Hermitian and almost paracontact metric manifolds. The conditions are give…
We construct the ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric extension of Double Field Theory for Riemannian and the non-Riemannian in a unified approach. The inclusion of fermions in the double geometry force us to use the generalized frame formalism to construct the generalized flux components for these geometries. We focus on the most general prescription required to get the $D=10$ minimal supergravity model. We study how to consistently avoid the gauge fixing procedure of the double Lorentz symmetry when $n=\bar n$ and $0\le n \le 5$, which gives rise to a bigravity structure (pair of vielbeins producing …
It is well known that one can parameterize 2-D Riemannian structures by conformal transformations and diffeomorphisms of fiducial constant curvature geometries; and that this construction has a natural setting in general relativity theory in 2-D. I will show that a similar parameterization exists for 3-D Riemannian structures, with the conformal transformations and diffeomorphisms of the 2-D case replaced by a finite dimensional group of gauge transformations. This parameterization emerges from the theory of 3-D gravity coupled to topological matter.
A superconnection is a supermatrix whose even part contains the gauge-potential one-forms of a local gauge group, while the odd parts contain the (0-form) Higgs fields; the combined grading is thus odd everywhere. We demonstrate that the simple supergroup ${\bar P}(4,R)$ (rank=3) in Kac' classification (even subgroup $\bar {SL}(4,R)$) prverline {SL}(4,R)$) provides for the most economical spontaneous breaking of $\bar{SL}(4,R)$ as gauge group, leaving just local $\bar{SO}(1,3)$ unbroken. As a result, post-Riemannian SKY gravity yields Einstein's theory as a low-energy (longer range) effective …
We initiate a systematic study of fracton physics within the geometric framework of Double Field Theory. We ascribe the immobility and large degeneracy of the former to the non-Riemannian backgrounds of the latter, in terms of generalised geodesics and infinite-dimensional isometries. A doubled pure Yang-Mills or Maxwell theory reduces to an ordinary one coupled to a strain tensor of elasticity theory, and thus rather remarkably provides a unifying description of photons and phonons. Upon a general Double Field Theory background, which consists of Riemannian and non-Riemannian subspaces, the d…
Assuming $\mathbf{O}(D,D)$ covariant fields as the `fundamental' variables, Double Field Theory can accommodate novel geometries where a Riemannian metric cannot be defined, even locally. Here we present a complete classification of such non-Riemannian spacetimes in terms of two non-negative integers, $(n,\bar{n})$, $0\leq n+\bar{n}\leq D$. Upon these backgrounds, strings become chiral and anti-chiral over $n$ and $\bar{n}$ directions respectively, while particles and strings are frozen over the $n+\bar{n}$ directions. In particular, we identify $(0,0)$ as Riemannian manifolds, $(1,0)$ as non-…
Admitting non-Riemannian geometries, Double Field Theory extends the notion of spacetime beyond the Riemannian paradigm. We identify a class of singular spacetimes known in General Relativity with regular non-Riemannian geometries. The former divergences merely correspond to coordinate singularities of the generalised metric for the latter. Computed in string frame, they feature an impenetrable non-Riemannian sphere outside of which geodesics are complete with no singular deviation. Approaching the non-Riemannian points, particles freeze and strings become (anti-)chiral.
For an $SU(2)\times U(1)$-invariant $S^3$ boundary the classical Dirichlet problem of Riemannian quantum gravity is studied for positive-definite regular solutions of the Einstein equations with a negative cosmological constant within biaxial Bianchi-IX metrics containing bolts, i.e., within the family of Taub-Bolt-anti-de Sitter (Taub-Bolt-AdS) metrics. Such metrics are obtained from the two-parameter Taub-NUT-anti-de Sitter family. The condition of regularity requires them to have only one free parameter ($L$) and constrains $L$ to take values within a narrow range; the other parameter is de…
We propose a spin foam model for pure gauge fields coupled to Riemannian quantum gravity in four dimensions. The model is formulated for the triangulation of a four-manifold which is given merely combinatorially. The Riemannian Barrett--Crane model provides the gravity sector of our model and dynamically assigns geometric data to the given combinatorial triangulation. The gauge theory sector is a lattice gauge theory living on the same triangulation and obtains from the gravity sector the geometric information which is required to calculate the Yang--Mills action. The model is designed so that…
The Israel equations for thin shells in General Relativity are derived directly from the least action principle. The method is elaborated for obtaining the equations for double layers in quadratic gravity from the least action principle.
We show that dark energy and dark matter can be described simultaneously by ordinary Einstein gravity interacting with a single scalar field provided the scalar field Lagrangian couples in a symmetric fashion to two different spacetime volume-forms (covariant integration measure densities) on the spacetime manifold - one standard Riemannian given by the square-root of the determinant of the pertinent Riemannian metric and another non-Riemannian volume-form independent of the Riemannian metric, defined in terms of an auxiliary antisymmetric tensor gauge field of maximal rank. Integration of the…
MIT Center for theoretical physics（麻省理工学院理论物理中心）；INFN Sezione di Firenze（意大利国家核物理研究所佛罗伦萨分部）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University（乌普萨拉大学物理与天文系）；Centre for Geometry and Physics, Uppsala University（乌普萨拉大学几何与物理中心）
We present an extended version of Riemannian geometry suitable for the description of current formulations of double field theory (DFT). This framework is based on graded manifolds and it yields extended notions of symmetries, dynamical data and constraints. In special cases, we recover general relativity with and without 1-, 2- and 3-form gauge potentials as well as DFT. We believe that our extended Riemannian geometry helps to clarify the role of various constructions in DFT. For example, it leads to a covariant form of the strong section condition. Furthermore, it should provide a useful st…
In the semi-classical regime, quantum fluctuations embedded in a Riemannian spacetime can be effectively recast as classical back reactions and manifest themselves in the form of non-minimal couplings between matter and curvature. In this work, we exhibit that this semi-classical description can also be applied within the teleparallel formulation. In the teleparallel formulation, quantum fluctuations generically lead to non-minimal torsion-matter couplings. Due to the equivalence between the (classical) Einstein gravity in the Riemannian description and that in teleparallel description, some e…
This paper is a contribution to the development of a framework, to be used in the context of semiclassical canonical quantum gravity, in which to frame questions about the correspondence between discrete spacetime structures at "quantum scales" and continuum, classical geometries at large scales. Such a correspondence can be meaningfully established when one has a "semiclassical" state in the underlying quantum gravity theory, and the uncertainties in the correspondence arise both from quantum fluctuations in this state and from the kinematical procedure of matching a smooth geometry to a disc…
We show that a post-Riemannian spacetime can accommodate an internal symmetry structure of the Yang-Mills prototype in such a way that the internal symmetry becomes an integral part of the spacetime itself. The construction encrusts the internal degrees of freedom in spacetime in a manner that merges the gauging of these degrees of freedom with the frame geometrical gauges of spacetime. In particular, we prove that the three spacetime structural identities, which now become ``contaminated'' by internal degrees of freedom, remain invariant with respect to internal gauge transformations. In a We…
The classical double copy relations establish correspondence between exact gravity solutions and their counterparts in biadjoint and gauge theories. In this work, we investigate a peculiar case of double copy relations arising in exact solutions of the scalar gravity equation, relating static spacetime geometry to the Komar density distribution. We use a scalar-restricted static metric ansatz to isolate the degree of freedom governed by the linear equation for the zeroth copy. The corresponding metric solutions are interpreted as describing gravity without self-interaction, based on the Komar …
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.
Black Holes have always played a central role in investigations of quantum gravity. This includes both conceptual issues such as the role of classical singularities and information loss, and technical ones to probe the consistency of candidate theories. Lacking a full theory of quantum gravity, such studies had long been restricted to black hole models which include some aspects of quantization. However, it is then not always clear whether the results are consequences of quantum gravity per se or of the particular steps one had undertaken to bring the system into a treatable form. Over a littl…
We report on the explicit form of the equations of motion of pole-dipole particles for a very large class of gravitational theories. The non-Riemannian framework in which the equations are derived allows for a unified description of nearly all known gravitational theories. The propagation equations are obtained with the help of a multipole expansion method from the conservation laws that follow from Noether's theorem. The well-known propagation equations of general relativity, e.g., as given by Mathisson and Papapetrou, represent a special case in our general framework. Our formalism allows fo…
We present a new group field theory model, generalising the Boulatov model, which incorporates both 3-dimensional gravity and matter coupled to gravity. We show that the Feynman diagram amplitudes of this model are given by Riemannian quantum gravity spin foam amplitudes coupled to a scalar matter field. We briefly discuss the features of this model and its possible generalisations.
The problem of motion for different test particles, charged and spinning objects of constant spinning tensor in different versions of bimetric theory of gravity is obtained by deriving their corresponding path and path deviation equations, using a modified Bazanski in presence of Riemannian geometry. This method enables us to find path and path deviation equations of different objects orbiting very strong gravitational fields.
The Dirichlet boundary-value problem and isoperimetric inequalities for positive definite regular solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations are studied in arbitrary dimensions for the class of metrics with boundaries admitting a U(1) action. We show that in the case of non-trivial bundles Taub-Bolt infillings are double-valued whereas Taub-Nut and Eguchi-Hanson infillings are unique. In the case of trivial bundles, there are two Schwarzschild infillings in arbitrary dimensions. The condition of whether a particular type of filling in is possible can be expressed as a limitation on squashing t…
We construct a background for M-theory that is moduli free. This background is then shown to be related to a topological phase of the $\mathrm{E}_{8(8)}$ exceptional field theory (ExFT). The key ingredient in the construction is the embedding of non-Riemannian geometry in ExFT. This allows one to describe non-relativistic geometries, such as Newton-Cartan or Gomis-Ooguri-type limits, using the ExFT framework originally developed to describe maximal supergravity. This generalises previous work by Morand and Park in the context of double field theory.
Inspired by the Poisson Sigma Model and its relation to 2d gravity, we consider models governing morphisms from TSigma to any Lie algebroid E, where Sigma is regarded as d-dimensional spacetime manifold. We address the question of minimal conditions to be placed on a bilinear expression in the 1-form fields, S^ij(X) A_i A_j, so as to permit an interpretation as a metric on Sigma. This becomes a simple compatibility condition of the E-tensor S with the chosen Lie algebroid structure on E. For the standard Lie algebroid E=TM the additional structure is identified with a Riemannian foliation of M…
The classical boundary-value problem of the Einstein field equations is studied with an arbitrary cosmological constant, in the case of a compact ($S^{3}$) boundary given a biaxial Bianchi-IX positive-definite three-metric, specified by two radii $(a,b).$ For the simplest, four-ball, topology of the manifold with this boundary, the regular classical solutions are found within the family of Taub-NUT-(anti)de Sitter metrics with self-dual Weyl curvature. For arbitrary choice of positive radii $(a,b),$ we find that there are three solutions for the infilling geometry of this type. We obtain exact…
We describe the global geometry, symmetries and tensors for Double Field Theory over pairs of nilmanifolds with fluxes or gerbes. This is achieved by a rather straightforward application of a formalism we developed previously. This formalism constructs the analogue of a Courant algebroid over the correspondence space of a T-duality, using the language of graded manifolds, derived brackets and we use the description of nilmanifolds in terms of periodicity conditions rather than local patches. The strong section condition arises purely algebraically, and we show that for a particularly symmetric…
We explain how quantum gravity can be defined by quantizing spacetime itself. A pinpoint is that the gravitational constant G = L_P^2 whose physical dimension is of (length)^2 in natural unit introduces a symplectic structure of spacetime which causes a noncommutative spacetime at the Planck scale L_P. The symplectic structure of spacetime M leads to an isomorphism between symplectic geometry (M, ω) and Riemannian geometry (M, g) where the deformations of symplectic structure ωin terms of electromagnetic fields F=dA are transformed into those of Riemannian metric g. This approach for quantum g…
We compute the classical effective action of color charges moving along worldlines by integrating out the Yang-Mills gauge field to next-to-leading order in the coupling. An adapted version of the Bern-Carrasco-Johansson (BCJ) double-copy construction known from quantum scattering amplitudes is then applied to the Feynman integrands, yielding the prediction for the classical effective action of point masses in dilaton gravity. We check the validity of the result by independently constructing the effective action in dilaton gravity employing field redefinitions and gauge choices that greatly si…
Employing alternative spacetime volume-forms (generally-covariant integration measure densities) independent of the pertinent Riemannian spacetime metric have profound impact in general relativity. Although formally appearing as "pure-gauge" dynamical degrees of freedom they trigger a number of remarkable physically important phenomena such as: (i) new mechanism of dynamical generation of cosmological constant; (ii) new type of "quintessential inflation" scenario in cosmology; (iii) non-singular initial "emergent universe" phase of cosmological evolution preceding the inflationary phase; (iv) …
In the semiclassical limit of de Sitter gravity a separation of scales takes place that divides the theory into a "cosmic" sector and a "microscopic" sector. A similar separation takes place in the double-scaled limit of SYK theory. We examine the scaling behaviors that accompany these limits and find parallels that support the previously conjectured duality between Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity (with positive cosmological constant), and double-scaled SYK. This paper is a companion to "dS JT Gravity and Double-Scaled SYK" by Adel Rahman, to appear simultaneously with this paper.
We review quantum gravity model building using the new formalism of `quantum Riemannian geometry' to construct this on finite discrete spaces and on fuzzy ones such as matrix algebras. The formalism starts with a `differential structure' as a bimodule $Ω^1$ of differential 1-forms over the coordinate algebra $A$, which could be noncommutative. A quantum metric is a noncommutative rank (0,2) tensor in $Ω^1\otimes_AΩ^1$, for which we then search for a quantum Levi-Civita connection (this is no longer unique or guaranteed). We outline the three models which have so far been constructed in this fo…
In the present paper we investigate the conservative conditions in Quadratic Gravity. It is shown explicitly that the Bianchi identities lead to the conservative condition of the left-hand-side of the (gravitational) field equation. Therefore, the total energy-momentum tensor is conservative in the bulk (like in General Relativity). However, in Quadratic Gravity it is possible to have singular hupersurfaces separating the bulk regions with different behavior of the matter energy-momentum tensor or different vacua. They require special consideration. We derived the conservative conditions on su…
Our primary objective is the formulation of a plausible cosmological inflationary model entirely in terms of a pure modified gravity without any a priori matter couplings within the formalism of non-Riemannian spacetime volume elements. The non-Riemannian volume elements dynamically create in the physical Einstein frame a canonical scalar matter field and produce a non-trivial inflationary scalar potential with a large flat region and a low-lying stable minimum corresponding to the late universe stage. This dynamically generated inflationary potential is a substantial generalization of the cla…
We continue our exploration of local Double Field Theory (DFT) in terms of symplectic graded manifolds carrying compatible derivations and study the case of heterotic DFT. We start by developing in detail the differential graded manifold that captures heterotic Generalized Geometry which leads to new observations on the generalized metric and its twists. We then give a symplectic pre-NQ-manifold that captures the symmetries and the geometry of local heterotic DFT. We derive a weakened form of the section condition, which arises algebraically from consistency of the symmetry Lie 2-algebra and i…
Emergent gravity is aimed at constructing a Riemannian geometry from U(1) gauge fields on a noncommutative spacetime. But this construction can be inverted to find corresponding U(1) gauge fields on a (generalized) Poisson manifold given a Riemannian metric (M, g). We examine this bottom-up approach with the LeBrun metric which is the most general scalar-flat Kahler metric with a U(1) isometry and contains the Gibbons-Hawking metric, the real heaven as well as the multi-blown up Burns metric which is a scalar-flat Kahler metric on C^2 with n points blown up. The bottom-up approach clarifies so…
Results ranging from Ashtekar variables to the perturbative Bern-Carrasco-Johansson (BCJ) double copy suggest a deep relation between Yang-Mills theory and Einstein gravity. I examine this relation by writing down the tetradic Palatini action for Einstein gravity and covariantly decomposing its variables into two $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ connections and two soldering forms. This leads to a conjecture that the BCJ double copy can be understood through a "holomorphic trail", a series of injection maps between two copies of $SU(2)$ theories and Einstein gravity.
Following up on the recent work of Cachazo, He and Yuan \cite{arXiv:1503.04816 [hep-th]}, we derive the double soft graviton theorem in perturbative gravity. We show that the double soft theorem derived using CHY formula precisely matches with the perturbative computation involving Feynman diagrams. In particular, we find how certain delicate limits of Feynman diagrams play an important role in obtaining this equivalence.
Recently, an intriguing relationship (the "double copy") has been discovered between theories like electromagnetism, and gravity. This potentially gives us a new way to think about gravity, and there are also practical applications involving the efficient calculation of gravitational observables, and also how to simulate gravity using optical systems. In this tutorial, we will review what is known about the double copy, and argue that now is the perfect time for researchers in optics and / or condensed matter to become interested in this fascinating correspondence.
Here we discuss color-kinematics duality for higher-derivative QCD-like amplitudes. We explicitly show that the duality still holds in this case and it can be instrumental in constructing the associated quadratic-gravity amplitudes by using the double-copy prescription. This allows one to drastically simplify calculations. We also evaluate some tree-level Compton scattering amplitudes in higher-derivative Yang-Mills and quadratic gravity coupled with matter. Furthermore, we illustrate the application of generalized unitarity method for both cases by studying a specific one-loop amplitude.
We discuss the gravity dual description for a non-commutative Yang-Mills theory, which reduces to that on AdS_{5} x S_{5} in the commutative limit. It is found that doubletons do not decouple in this dual gravity description unless one takes the commutative limit. The decoupling of the doubletons in AdS_{5} space implies that the dual gauge theory has SU(N) gauge symmetry. Our result implies that this gravity description is dual to non-commutative U(N) gauge theory. It is compatible with the claim that U(1) and SU(N) gauge symmetries can not separate in non-commutative U(N) gauge theory.
We study the interplay between graviton reggeization and double-logarithmic in energy contributions to four-graviton scattering in theories with and without supersymmetry. Predictions to all orders in the gravitational coupling are given for these double-logarithms. As the number of supersymmetries grows these terms generate a convergent behaviour for the amplitudes at very high energies. At two-loop level, we find agreement with previous exact results for N=8 supergravity and with those of Boucher-Veronneau and Dixon, who studied the N=4,5,6 supergravities using a conjectured double-copy stru…
We review the recently discovered duality between color and kinematics in gauge theories. This duality leads to a remarkably simple double-copy relation between diagrammatic numerators of gravity scattering amplitudes and gauge-theory ones. We summarize nontrivial evidence that the duality and double-copy property holds to all loop orders. We also comment on other developments, including a proof that the gauge-theory duality leads to the gravity double-copy property, and the identification of gauge-theory Lagrangians whose double copies yield gravity Lagrangians.
We construct a combined non-perturbative path integral over geometries and topologies for two-dimensional Lorentzian quantum gravity. The Lorentzian structure is used in an essential way to exclude geometries with unacceptably large causality violations. The remaining sum can be performed analytically and possesses a unique and well-defined double-scaling limit, a property which has eluded similar models of Euclidean quantum gravity in the past.
Weyl conformal geometry may play a role in early cosmology where effective theory at short distances becomes conformal. Weyl conformal geometry also has a built-in geometric Stueckelberg mechanism: it is broken spontaneously to Riemannian geometry after a Weyl gauge transformation (of "gauge fixing") while Stueckelberg mechanism re-arranges the degrees of freedom, conserving their number ($n_{df}$). The Weyl gauge field ($ω_μ$) of local scale transformations acquires a mass after absorbing a compensator (dilaton), decouples, and Weyl connection becomes Riemannian. Mass generation has thus a dy…
