arXiv subjects

Carlo Rovelli

Publications and source records attributed to Carlo Rovelli.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

Towards Spinfoam Cosmology

We compute the transition amplitude between coherent quantum-states of geometry peaked on homogeneous isotropic metrics. We use the holomorphic representations of loop quantum gravity and the Kaminski-Kisielowski-Lewandowski generalization of the new vertex, and work at first order in the vertex expansion, second order in the graph (multipole) expansion, and first order in 1/volume. We show that the resulting amplitude is in the kernel of a differential operator whose classical limit is the canonical hamiltonian of a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology. This result is an indication that the dynamics of loop quantum gravity defined by the new vertex yields the Friedmann equation in the appropriate limit.

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arXiv2010

Single particle in quantum gravity and Braunstein-Ghosh-Severini entropy of a spin network

Passerini and Severini have recently shown that the Braunstein-Ghosh-Severini (BGS) entropy S(Gamma) = -Tr[rho(Gamma) log rho(Gamma)] of a certain density matrix rho(Gamma) naturally associated to a graph Gamma, is maximized, among all graphs with a fixed number of links and nodes, by regular graphs. We ask if this result can play a role in quantum gravity, and be related to the apparent regularity of the physical geometry of space. We show that in Loop Quantum Gravity the matrix rho(Gamma) is precisely the Hamiltonian operator (suitably normalized) of a non-relativistic quantum particle interacting with the quantum gravitational field, if we restrict elementary area and volume eigenvalues to a fixed value. This operator provides a spectral characterization of the physical geometry, and can be interpreted as a state describing the spectral information about the geometry available when geometry is measured by its physical interaction with matter. It is then tempting to interpret its BGS entropy S(Gamma) as a genuine physical entropy: we discuss the appeal and the difficulties of this interpretation.

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arXiv2010

Triangulated Loop Quantum Cosmology: Bianchi IX and inhomogenous perturbations

We develop the "triangulated" version of loop quantum cosmology, recently introduced in the literature. We focus on the "dipole" cosmology, where space is a three-sphere and the triangulation is formed by two tetrahedra. We show that the discrete fiducial connection has a simple and appealing geometrical interpretation and we correct the ansatz on the relation between the model variables and the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker scale factor. The modified ansatz leads to the convergence of the Hamiltonian constraint to the continuum one. We then ask which degrees of freedom are captured by this model. We show that the model is rich enough to describe the (anisotropic) Bianchi IX Universe, and give the explicit relation between the Bianchi IX variables and the variables of the model. We discuss the possibility of using this path in order to define the quantization of the Bianchi IX Universe. The model contains more degrees of freedom than Bianchi IX, and therefore captures some inhomogeneous degrees of freedom as well. Inhomogeneous degrees of freedom can be expanded in representations of the SU(2) Bianchi IX isometry group, and the dipole model captures the lowest integer representation of these, connected to hyper-spherical harmonic of angular momentum j=1.

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arXiv2010

On the spinfoam expansion in cosmology

We consider the technique introduced in a recent work by Ashtekar, Campiglia and Henderson, which generate a spinfoam-like sum from a Hamiltonian theory. We study the possibility of using it for finding the generalized projector of a constraint on physical states, without first deparametrising the system. We illustrate this technique in the context of a very simple example. We discuss the infinities that appear in the calculation, and argue that they can be appropriately controlled. We apply these ideas to write a spinfoam expansion for the "dipole cosmology".

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arXiv2009

Black holes in full quantum gravity

Quantum black holes have been studied extensively in quantum gravity and string theory, using various semiclassical or background dependent approaches. We explore the possibility of studying black holes in the full non-perturbative quantum theory, without recurring to semiclassical considerations, and in the context of loop quantum gravity. We propose a definition of a quantum black hole as the collection of the quantum degrees of freedom that do not influence observables at infinity. From this definition, it follows that for an observer at infinity a black hole is described by an SU(2) intertwining operator. The dimension of the Hilbert space of such intertwiners grows exponentially with the horizon area. These considerations shed some light on the physical nature of the microstates contributing to the black hole entropy. In particular, it can be seen that the microstates being counted for the entropy have the interpretation of describing different horizon shapes. The space of black hole microstates described here is related to the one arrived at recently by Engle, Noui and Perez, and sometime ago by Smolin, but obtained here directly within the full quantum theory.

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arXiv2009

Second-order amplitudes in loop quantum gravity

We explore some second-order amplitudes in loop quantum gravity. In particular, we compute some second-order contributions to diagonal components of the graviton propagator in the large distance limit, using the old version of the Barrett-Crane vertex amplitude. We illustrate the geometry associated to these terms. We find some peculiar phenomena in the large distance behavior of these amplitudes, related with the geometry of the generalized triangulations dual to the Feynman graphs of the corresponding group field theory. In particular, we point out a possible further difficulty with the old Barrett-Crane vertex: it appears to lead to flatness instead of Ricci-flatness, at least in some situations. The observation raises the question whether this difficulty remains with the new version of the vertex.

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arXiv2009

"Forget time"

Following a line of research that I have developed for several years, I argue that the best strategy for understanding quantum gravity is to build a picture of the physical world where the notion of time plays no role. I summarize here this point of view, explaining why I think that in a fundamental description of nature we must "forget time", and how this can be done in the classical and in the quantum theory. The idea is to develop a formalism that treats dependent and independent variables on the same footing. In short, I propose to interpret mechanics as a theory of relations between variables, rather than the theory of the evolution of variables in time.

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arXiv2008

LQG propagator: III. The new vertex

In the first article of this series, we pointed out a difficulty in the attempt to derive the low-energy behavior of the graviton two-point function, from the loop-quantum-gravity dynamics defined by the Barrett-Crane vertex amplitude. Here we show that this difficulty disappears when using the corrected vertex amplitude recently introduced in the literature. In particular, we show that the asymptotic analysis of the new vertex amplitude recently performed by Barrett, Fairbairn and others, implies that the vertex has precisely the asymptotic structure that, in the second article of this series, was indicated as the key necessary condition for overcoming the difficulty.

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arXiv2008

What is a particle?

Theoretical developments related to the gravitational interaction have questioned the notion of particle in quantum field theory (QFT). For instance, uniquely-defined particle states do not exist in general, in QFT on a curved spacetime. More in general, particle states are difficult to define in a background-independent quantum theory of gravity. These difficulties have lead some to suggest that in general QFT should not be interpreted in terms of particle states, but rather in terms of eigenstates of local operators. Still, it is not obvious how to reconcile this view with the empirically-observed ubiquitous particle-like behavior of quantum fields, apparent for instance in experimental high-energy physics, or "particle"-physics. Here we offer an element of clarification by observing that already in flat space there exist --strictly speaking-- two distinct notions of particles: globally defined $n$-particle Fock-states and *local particle states*. The last describe the physical objects detected by finite-size particle detectors and are eigenstates of local field operators. In the limit in which the particle detectors are appropriately large, global and local particle states converge in a weak topology (but not in norm). This observation has little relevance for flat-space theories --it amounts to a reminder that there are boundary effects in realistic detectors--; but is relevant for gravity. It reconciles the two points of view mentioned above. More importantly, it provides a definition of local particle state that remains well-defined even when the conventional global particle states are not defined. This definition plays an important role in quantum gravity.

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arXiv2008

Self-energy and vertex radiative corrections in LQG

We consider the elementary radiative-correction terms in loop quantum gravity. These are a two-vertex "elementary bubble" and a five-vertex "ball"; they correspond to the one-loop self-energy and the one-loop vertex correction of ordinary quantum field theory. We compute their naive degree of (infrared) divergence.

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arXiv2008

A note on DSR

I study the physical meaning of Deformed, or Doubly, Special Relativity (DSR). I argue that DSR could be physically relevant in a certain large-distance limit. I consider a concrete physical effect: the gravitational slowing down of time due to the gravitational potential well of a massive-particle, and its effect on the dynamics of the particle itself. I argue that this physical effect can survive in a limit in which gravitation and quantum mechanics can be disregarded, and that taking it into account leads directy to the Girelli-Livine DSR formalism. This provides a physical interpretation to the corresponding 5d spacetime, and a concrete physical derivation of DSR.

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arXiv2008

Stepping out of Homogeneity in Loop Quantum Cosmology

We explore the extension of quantum cosmology outside the homogeneous approximation, using the formalism of loop quantum gravity. We introduce a model where some of the inhomogeneous degrees of freedom are present, providing a tool for describing general fluctuations of quantum geometry near the initial singularity. We show that the dynamical structure of the model reduces to that of loop quantum cosmology in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. This result corroborates the assumptions that ground loop cosmology, sheds light on the physical and mathematical relation between loop cosmology and full loop quantum gravity, and on the nature of the cosmological approximation. Finally, we show that the non-graph-changing Hamiltonian constraint considered in the context of algebraic quantum gravity provides a viable effective dynamics within this approximation.

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arXiv2007

LQG vertex with finite Immirzi parameter

We extend the definition of the "flipped" loop-quantum-gravity vertex to the case of a finite Immirzi parameter. We cover the Euclidean as well as the Lorentzian case. We show that the resulting dynamics is defined on a Hilbert space isomorphic to the one of loop quantum gravity, and that the area operator has the same discrete spectrum as in loop quantum gravity. This includes the correct dependence on the Immirzi parameter, and, remarkably, holds in the Lorentzian case as well. The ad hoc flip of the symplectic structure that was initially required to derive the flipped vertex is not anymore needed for finite Immirzi parameter. These results establish a bridge between canonical loop quantum gravity and the spinfoam formalism in four dimensions.

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arXiv2007

The complete LQG propagator: II. Asymptotic behavior of the vertex

In a previous article we have show that there are difficulties in obtaining the correct graviton propagator from the loop-quantum-gravity dynamics defined by the Barrett-Crane vertex amplitude. Here we show that a vertex amplitude that depends nontrivially on the intertwiners can yield the correct propagator. We give an explicit example of asymptotic behavior of a vertex amplitude that gives the correct full graviton propagator in the large distance limit.

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arXiv2007

Numerical indications on the semiclassical limit of the flipped vertex

We introduce a technique for testing the semiclassical limit of a quantum gravity vertex amplitude. The technique is based on the propagation of a semiclassical wave packet. We apply this technique to the newly introduced "flipped" vertex in loop quantum gravity, in order to test the intertwiner dependence of the vertex. Under some drastic simplifications, we find very preliminary, but surprisingly good numerical evidence for the correct classical limit.

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arXiv2007

Comment on "Are the spectra of geometrical operators in Loop Quantum Gravity really discrete?" by B. Dittrich and T. Thiemann

I argue that the prediction of physical discreteness at the Planck scale in loop gravity is a reasonable conclusion that derives from a sensible ensemble of hypotheses, in spite of some contrary arguments considered in an interesting recent paper by Dittrich and Thiemann. The counter-example presented by Dittrich and Thiemann illustrates a pathology which does not seem to be present in gravity. I also point out a common confusion between two distinct frameworks for the interpretation of general-covariant quantum theory, and observe that within one of these, the derivation of physical discreteness is immediate, and not in contradiction with gauge invariance.

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arXiv2007

Flipped spinfoam vertex and loop gravity

We introduce a vertex amplitude for 4d loop quantum gravity. We derive it from a conventional quantization of a Regge discretization of euclidean general relativity. This yields a spinfoam sum that corrects some difficulties of the Barrett-Crane theory. The second class simplicity constraints are imposed weakly, and not strongly as in Barrett-Crane theory. Thanks to a flip in the quantum algebra, the boundary states turn out to match those of SO(3) loop quantum gravity -- the two can be identified as eigenstates of the same physical quantities -- providing a solution to the problem of connecting the covariant SO(4) spinfoam formalism with the canonical SO(3) spin-network one. The vertex amplitude is SO(3) and SO(4)-covariant. It rectifies the triviality of the intertwiner dependence of the Barrett-Crane vertex, which is responsible for its failure to yield the correct propagator tensorial structure. The construction provides also an independent derivation of the kinematics of loop quantum gravity and of the result that geometry is quantized.

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arXiv2007

The complete LQG propagator: I. Difficulties with the Barrett-Crane vertex

Some components of the graviton two-point function have been recently computed in the context of loop quantum gravity, using the spinfoam Barrett-Crane vertex. We complete the calculation of the remaining components. We find that, under our assumptions, the Barrett-Crane vertex does not yield the correct long distance limit. We argue that the problem is general and can be traced to the intertwiner-independence of the Barrett-Crane vertex, and therefore to the well-known mismatch between the Barrett-Crane formalism and the standard canonical spin networks. In a companion paper we illustrate the asymptotic behavior of a vertex amplitude that can correct this difficulty.

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