arXiv subjects

Joseph D. Romano

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph D. Romano.

93 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv1993

Scalar and Spinor Fields in Signature Changing Spacetimes

The propagation of scalar and spinor fields in a spacetime whose metric changes signature is analyzed. Recent work of Dray et al. on particle production from signature change for a (massless) scalar field is reviewed, and an attempt is made to extend their analysis to the case of a (massless) spin-half field. In contrast to their results for a scalar field, it is shown here---for $SL(2,C)$ spinors---that although there are inequivalent forms of the Dirac equation that can be used to propagate a spinor in a signature changing spacetime, none of these forms gives rise to a conserved inner product on the space of solutions to the field equations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1992

The Spin Holonomy Group In General Relativity

It has recently been shown by Goldberg et al that the holonomy group of the chiral spin-connection is preserved under time evolution in vacuum general relativity. Here, the underlying reason for the time-independence of the holonomy group is traced to the self-duality of the curvature 2-form for an Einstein space. This observation reveals that the holonomy group is time-independent not only in vacuum, but also in the presence of a cosmological constant. It also shows that once matter is coupled to gravity, the "conservation of holonomy" is lost. When the fundamental group of space is non-trivial, the holonomy group need not be connected. For each homotopy class of loops, the holonomies comprise a coset of the full holonomy group modulo its connected component. These cosets are also time-independent. All possible holonomy groups that can arise are classified, and examples are given of connections with these holonomy groups. The classification of local and global solutions with given holonomy groups is discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1992

Degenerate Extensions of General Relativity

General relativity has previously been extended to incorporate degenerate metrics using Ashtekar's hamiltonian formulation of the theory. In this letter, we show that a natural alternative choice for the form of the hamiltonian constraints leads to a theory which agrees with GR for non-degenerate metrics, but differs in the degenerate sector from Ashtekar's original degenerate extension. The Poisson bracket algebra of the alternative constraints closes in the non-degenerate sector, with structure functions that involve the {\it inverse} of the spatial triad. Thus, the algebra does {\it not} close in the degenerate sector. We find that it must be supplemented by an infinite number ofsecondary constraints, which are shown to be first class (although their explicit form is not worked out in detail). All of the constraints taken together are implied by, but do not imply, Ashtekar's original form of constraints. Thus, the alternative constraints give rise to a different degenerate extension of GR. In the corresponding quantum theory, the single loop and intersecting loop holonomy states found in the connection representation satisfy {\it all} of the constraints. These states are therefore exact (formal) solutions to this alternative degenerate extension of quantum gravity, even though they are {\it not} solutions to the usual vector constraint.

gr-qc↗