arXiv subjects

Paolo Meda

Publications and source records attributed to Paolo Meda.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Semiclassical Einstein-Klein-Gordon System: Asymptotic Analysis of Minkowski Spacetime

We establish the linear instability of the semiclassical Einstein-Klein-Gordon system linearised about the Minkowski vacuum spacetime. The proof relies on formulating a forcing problem for both metric and state perturbations within the space of past-compact sections. This geometric framework admits a unique tensor decomposition which, in conjunction with the quantum M{\o}ller operator, enables the decoupling of the linearised system into two distinct Cauchy problems. Consequently, the metric perturbations are shown to be governed by a higher-order, nonlocal hyperbolic partial differential equation. By relegating the nonlocal contributions to subleading order, we establish the well-posedness of this forcing problem. Furthermore, we provide a rigorous asymptotic analysis for physically admissible choices of the renormalisation constants. We prove that the system exhibits a late-time linear instability: the metric perturbations grow exponentially, bounded strictly by a universal scale H, thereby indicating a quantum backreaction-driven transition toward a de Sitter cosmological spacetime. Provided the parameters governing the system are restricted to a physically relevant regime, this universal scale is compatible with the measured expansion of our universe.

math-ph↗

arXiv2025

Measurements in stochastic gravity and thermal variance

We analyze the thermal fluctuations of a free, conformally invariant, Maxwell quantum field (photon) interacting with a cosmological background spacetime, in the framework of quantum field theory in curved spacetimes and semiclassical and stochastic gravity. The thermal fluctuations give rise to backreaction effects upon the spacetime geometry, which are incorporated in the semiclassical Einstein-Langevin equation, evaluated in the cosmological Friedmann-Lema\^{i}tre-Robertson-Walker spacetime. We first evaluate the semiclassical Einstein equation for the background geometry sourced by the thermal quantum stress-energy tensor. For large enough temperature, the solution is approximated by a radiation-dominated expanding universe driven by the thermal bath of photons. We then evaluate the thermal noise kernel associated to the quantum fluctuations of the photon field using point-splitting regularization methods, and give its explicit analytic form in the limits of large and small temperature, as well as a local approximation. Finally, we prove that this thermal noise kernel corresponds exactly to the thermal variance of the induced fluctuations of the linearized metric perturbation in the local and covariant measurement scheme defined by Fewster and Verch. Our analysis allows to quantify the extent to which quantum fluctuations may give rise to non-classical effects, and thus become relevant in inflationary cosmology.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

One-loop correction to primordial tensor modes during radiation era

The ability to infer properties of primordial inflation relies on the conservation of the superhorizon perturbations between their exit during inflation, and their re-entry during radiation era. Any considerable departure from this property would require reinterpreting the data. This is why it is important to understand how superhorizon perturbations interact with the thermal plasma driving the radiation dominated Universe. We model the plasma by free photons in a thermal state and compute the one-loop correction to the power spectrum of primordial tensor perturbations. This correction grows in time and is not suppressed by any small parameter. While one-loop result is not reliable because it invalidates perturbation theory, it signals potentially interesting effects that should be investigated further.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Fermionic cellular automata in one dimension

We consider quantum cellular automata for one-dimensional chains of Fermionic modes and study their implementability as finite depth quantum circuits. Fermionic automata have been classified in terms of an index modulo circuits and the addition of ancillary systems. We strengthen this result removing the ancilla degrees of freedom in defining the equivalence classes. A complete characterization of nearest-neighbours automata is given. A class of Fermionic automata is found which cannot be expressed in terms of single mode and controlled-phase gates composed with shifts, as is the case for qubit cellular automata.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Entropy-area law and temperature of de Sitter horizons from modular theory

We derive an entropy-area law for the future horizon of an observer in diamonds inside the static patch of de Sitter spacetime, taking into account the backreaction of quantum matter fields. We prove positivity and convexity of the relative entropy for coherent states using Tomita--Takesaki modular theory, from which the QNEC for diamonds follows. Furthermore, we show that the generalized entropy conjecture holds. Finally, we reveal that the local temperature which is measured by an observer at rest exhibits subleading quantum corrections with respect to the well-known cosmological horizon temperature $H/(2π)$.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Linear stability of semiclassical theories of gravity

The linearization of semiclassical theories of gravity is investigated in a toy model, consisting of a quantum scalar field in interaction with a second classical scalar field which plays the role of a classical background. This toy model mimics also the evolution induced by semiclassical Einstein equations, such as the one which describes the early universe in the cosmological case. The equations governing the dynamics of linear perturbations around simple exact solutions of this toy model are analyzed by constructing the corresponding retarded fundamental solutions, and by discussing the corresponding initial value problem. It is shown that, if the quantum field which drives the back-reaction to the classical background is massive, then there are choices of the renormalization parameters for which the linear perturbations with compact spatial support decay polynomially in time for large times, thus indicating stability of the underlying semiclassical solution.

math-ph↗

arXiv2021

Trace anomaly and evaporation of spherical black holes

The evaporation of four-dimensional spherically symmetric black holes is presented in the framework of quantum field theory in curved spacetimes and semiclassical gravity. It is discussed how the evaporation process can be sourced by the presence of the trace anomaly of a massless, conformally coupled scalar field outside the apparent horizon of the black hole.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Evaporation of four-dimensional dynamical black holes sourced by the quantum trace anomaly

We study the evaporation of a four-dimensional spherically symmetric black hole formed in a gravitational collapse. We analyze the back-reaction of a massless quantum scalar field conformally coupled to the scalar curvature by means of the semiclassical Einstein equations. We show that the evaporation is linked to an ingoing negative energy flux at the dynamical horizon and that this flux is induced by the quantum matter trace anomaly outside the black hole horizon whenever a suitable averaged energy condition is satisfied. For illustrative purposes, we evaluate the negative ingoing flux and the corresponding rate of evaporation in the case of a null radiating star described by the Vaidya spacetime.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Existence and uniqueness of solutions of the semiclassical Einstein equation in cosmological models

We prove existence and uniqueness of solutions of the semiclassical Einstein equation in flat cosmological spacetimes driven by a quantum massive scalar field with arbitrary coupling to the scalar curvature. In the semiclassical approximation, the backreaction of matter to curvature is taken into account by equating the Einstein tensor to the expectation values of the stress-energy tensor in a suitable state. We impose initial conditions for the scale factor at finite time and we show that a regular state for the quantum matter compatible with these initial conditions can be chosen. Contributions with derivative of the coefficient of the metric higher than the second are present in the expectation values of the stress-energy tensor and the term with the highest derivative appears in a non-local form. This fact forbids a direct analysis of the semiclassical equation, and in particular, standard recursive approaches to approximate the solution fail to converge. In this paper we show that, after partial integration of the semiclassical Einstein equation in cosmology, the non-local highest derivative appears in the expectation values of the stress-energy tensor through the application of a linear unbounded operator which does not depend on the details of the chosen state. We prove that an inversion formula for this operator can be found, furthermore, the inverse happens to be more regular than the direct operator and it has the form of a retarded product, hence causality is respected. The found inversion formula applied to the traced Einstein equation has thus the form of a fixed point equation. The proof of local existence and uniqueness of the solution of the semiclassical Einstein equation is then obtained applying the Banach fixed point theorem.

math-ph↗