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Andreas Blommaert

Publications and source records attributed to Andreas Blommaert.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Gravity without averaging

We present a gravitational theory that interpolates between JT gravity, and a gravity theory with a fixed boundary Hamiltonian. For this, we consider a matrix integral with the insertion of a Gaussian with variance $σ^2$, centered around a matrix $\textsf{H}_0$. Tightening the Gaussian renders the matrix integral less random, and ultimately it collapses the ensemble to one Hamiltonian $\textsf{H}_0$. This model provides a concrete setup to study factorization, and what the gravity dual of a single member of the ensemble is. We find that as $σ^2$ is decreased, the JT gravity dilaton potential gets modified, and ultimately the gravity theory goes through a series of phase transitions, corresponding to a proliferation of extra macroscopic holes in the spacetime. Furthermore, we observe that in the Efetov model approach to random matrices, the non-averaged factorizing theory is described by one simple saddle point.

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Eigenbranes in Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity

It was proven recently that JT gravity can be defined as an ensemble of L x L Hermitian matrices. We point out that the eigenvalues of the matrix correspond in JT gravity to FZZT-type boundaries on which spacetimes can end. We then investigate an ensemble of matrices with 1<<N<<L eigenvalues held fixed. This corresponds to a version of JT gravity which includes N FZZT type boundaries in the path integral contour and which is found to emulate a discrete quantum chaotic system. In particular this version of JT gravity can capture the behavior of finite-volume holographic correlators at late times, including erratic oscillations.

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Unruh detectors and quantum chaos in JT gravity

We identify the spectral properties of Hawking-Unruh radiation in the eternal black hole at ultra low energies as a probe for the chaotic level statistics of quantum black holes. Level repulsion implies that there are barely Hawking particles with an energy smaller than the level separation. This effect is experimentally accessible by probing the Unruh heat bath with a linear detector. We provide evidence for this effect via explicit and exact calculations in JT gravity building on a radar definition of bulk observables in the model. Similar results are observed for the bath energy density. This universal feature of eternal Hawking radiation should resonate into the evaporating setup.

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Searching for butterflies in dS JT gravity

We investigate out of time ordered correlators in the bulk of dS JT gravity, using Schwarzian perturbation theory, and propose that these out of time ordered correlators are encoded on the second sheet of the gravitational path integral, different sheets corresponding to different gravitational operator orderings. Implementing this in practice, we establish maximal chaos, in agreement with shockwave intuition.

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Dissecting the ensemble in JT gravity

We calculate bulk and boundary correlators in JT gravity by summing over geometries. The answers are reproduced by computing suitable ensemble averages of correlators of chaotic quantum systems. We then consider bulk correlators at large spatial separations and find that semiclassical decay eventually makes way for erratic oscillations around some nonzero answer. There is no cluster decomposition because of wormholes connecting distant regions. We construct more microscopic versions of JT gravity which are dual to a single quantum system by including a set of branes in the gravitational theory the data of which describes the Hamiltonian of the dual system. We focus on the bulk description of eigenstates which involves end of the world branes and we explain how observables factorize due to geometries connecting to these branes.

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Fine Structure of Jackiw-Teitelboim Quantum Gravity

We investigate structural aspects of JT gravity through its BF description. In particular, we provide evidence that JT gravity should be thought of as (a coset of) the noncompact subsemigroup SL$^+$(2,R) BF theory. We highlight physical implications, including the famous sinh Plancherel measure. Exploiting this perspective, we investigate JT gravity on more generic manifolds with emphasis on the edge degrees of freedom on entangling surfaces and factorization. It is found that the one-sided JT gravity degrees of freedom are described not just by a Schwarzian on the asymptotic boundary, but also include frozen SL$^+$(2,R) degrees of freedom on the horizon, identifiable as JT gravity black hole states. Configurations with two asymptotic boundaries are linked to 2d Liouville CFT on the torus surface.

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Clocks and Rods in Jackiw-Teitelboim Quantum Gravity

We specify bulk coordinates in Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity using a boundary-intrinsic radar definition. This allows us to study and calculate exactly diff-invariant bulk correlation functions of matter-coupled JT gravity, which are found to satisfy microcausality. We observe that quantum gravity effects dominate near-horizon matter correlation functions. This shows that quantum matter in classical curved spacetime is not a sensible model for near-horizon matter-coupled JT gravity. This is how JT gravity, given our choice of bulk frame, evades an information paradox. This echoes into the quantum expectation value of the near-horizon metric, whose analysis is extended from the disk model to the recently proposed topological completion of JT gravity. Due to quantum effects, at distances of order the Planck length to the horizon, a dramatic breakdown of Rindler geometry is observed.

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The Schwarzian Theory - A Wilson Line Perspective

We provide a holographic perspective on correlation functions in Schwarzian quantum mechanics, as boundary-anchored Wilson line correlators in Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity. We first study compact groups and identify the diagrammatic representation of bilocal correlators of the particle-on-a-group model as Wilson line correlators in its 2d holographic BF description. We generalize to the Hamiltonian reduction of SL(2,R) and derive the Schwarzian correlation functions. Out-of-time ordered correlators are determined by crossing Wilson lines, giving a 6j-symbol, in agreement with 2d CFT results.

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Edge Dynamics from the Path Integral: Maxwell and Yang-Mills

We derive an action describing edge dynamics on interfaces for gauge theories (Maxwell and Yang-Mills) using the path integral. The canonical structure of the edge theory is deduced and the thermal partition function calculated. We test the edge action in several applications. For Maxwell in Rindler space, we recover earlier results, now embedded in a dynamical canonical framework. A second application is 2d Yang-Mills theory where the boundary action becomes just the particle-on-a-group action. Correlators of boundary-anchored Wilson lines in 2d Yang-Mills are matched with, and identified as correlators of bilocal operators in the particle-on-a-group edge model.

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Edge State Quantization: Vector Fields in Rindler

We present a detailed discussion of the entanglement structure of vector fields through canonical quantization. We quantize Maxwell theory in Rindler space in Lorenz gauge, discuss the Hilbert space structure and analyze the Unruh effect. As a warm-up, in 1+1 dimensions, we compute the spectrum and prove that the theory is thermodynamically trivial. In d+1 dimensions, we identify the edge sector as eigenstates of horizon electric flux or equivalently as states representing large gauge transformations, localized on the horizon. The edge Hilbert space is generated by inserting a generic combination of Wilson line punctures in the edge vacuum, and the edge states are identified as Maxwell microstates of the black hole. This construction is repeated for Proca theory. Extensions to tensor field theories, and the link with Chern-Simons are discussed.

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