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Robert Graham

Publications and source records attributed to Robert Graham.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Physical states of Bianchi type IX quantum cosmologies described by the Chern-Simons functional

A class of exact solutions of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for diagonal Bianchi type IX cosmologies with cosmological constant is derived in the metric representation. This class consists of all the ``topological solutions'' which are associated with the Bianchi type IX reduction of the Chern-Simons functional in Ashtekar variables. The different solutions within the class arise from the topologically inequivalent choices of the integration contours in the transformation from the Ashtekarrepresentation to the metric representation. We show how the saddle-points of the reduced Chern-Simons functional generate a complete basis of such integration contours and the associated solutions. Among the solutions we identify two, which, semi-classically, satisfy the boundary conditions proposed by Vilenkin and by Hartle and Hawking, respectively. In the limit of vanishing cosmological constant our solutions reduce to a class found earlier in special fermion sectors ofsupersymmetric Bianchi type IX models.

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Exact quantum state for N=1 supergravity

For N=1 supergravity in 3+1 dimensions we determine the graded algebra of the quantized Lorentz generators, supersymmetry generators, and diffeo-morphism and Hamiltonian generators and find that, at least formally, it closes in the chosen operator ordering. Following our recent conjecture and generalizing an ansatz for Bianchi-type models we proposed earlier we find an explicit exact quantum solution of all constraints in the metric representation.

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Quantum states on supersymmetric minisuperspace with a cosmological constant

Spatially homogeneous models in quantum supergravity with a nonvanishing cosmological constant are studied. A class of exact nontrivial solutions of the supersymmetry and Lorentz constraints is obtained in terms of the Chern-Simons action on the spatially homogeneous 3-manifold, both in Ashketar variables where the solution is explicit up to reality conditions, and, more concretely, in the tetrad-representation, where the solutions are given as integral representations differing only by the contours of integration. In the limit of a vanishing cosmological constant earlier exact solutions for Bianchi type IX models in the tetrad-representation are recovered and additional asymmetric solutions are found.

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Nontrivial Fermion States in Supersymmetric Minisuperspace

In this lecture supersymmetric minisuperspace models of any Bianchi type within class A of the classification of Ellis and McCallum are considered. The algebra of the supersymmetry generators, the Lorentz generators, the diffeomorphism generators and the Hamiltonian generator is determined explicitely and found to close. Different from earlier work it is established that physical states, which are annihilated by all these generators, exist in {\it all } sectors of these models with fixed even fermion number. A state in the 4-fermion sector of the Bianchi type IX model is considered as a specific example, which satisfies the `no-boundary' condition of Hartle and Hawking. The conclusion is that supersymmetric minisuperspace models have a much richer manifold of physical states than had been recognized before.

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Supersymmetric minisuperspace with non-vanishing fermion number

The Lagrangean of $N=1$ supergravity is dimensionally reduced to one (time-like) dimension assuming spatial homogeneity of any Bianchi type within class A of the classification of Ellis and McCallum. The algebra of the supersymmetry generators, the Lorentz generators, the diffeomorphism generators and the Hamiltonian generator is determined and found to close. In contrast to earlier work, infinitely many physical states with non-vanishing even fermion number are found to exist in these models, indicating that minisuperspace models in supergravity may be just as useful as in pure gravity.

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Cat States and Single Runs for the Damped Harmonic Oscillator

We discuss the fate of initial states of the cat type for the damped harmonic oscillator, mostly employing a linear version of the stochastic Schrödinger equation. We also comment on how such cat states might be prepared and on the relation of single realizations of the noise to single runs of experiments.

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Linear stochastic wave-equations for continuously measured quantum systems

While the linearity of the Schrödinger equation and the superposition principle are fundamental to quantum mechanics, so are the backaction of measurements and the resulting nonlinearity. It is remarkable, therefore, that the wave-equation of systems in continuous interaction with some reservoir, which may be a measuring device, can be cast into a linear form, even after the degrees of freedom of the reservoir have been eliminated. The superposition principle still holds for the stochastic wave-function of the observed system, and exact analytical solutions are possible in sufficiently simple cases. We discuss here the coupling to Markovian reservoirs appropriate for homodyne, heterodyne, and photon counting measurements. For these we present a derivation of the linear stochastic wave-equation from first principles and analyze its physical content.

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