Looking ahead to the third quarter MIP poll, it's time for a tentative listing of the most interesting/significant papers that have appeared since the beginning of July.
BTW collectively we performed as a group really well last time. I'm only gradually coming to realize how right-on the ranking turned out. The combined judgment of the 9 of us who took part was definitely more insightful and prescient than I personally could have managed six weeks ago on my own. Anyway, I'll start making a "short list" of what has appeared in third quarter (July-Sept.) so far.
This first attempt at a "short" list is clearly way too long. Will have to prune it down to half or less.
Here's one MTd2 spotted, not sure it's close enough to main Loop-and-allied QG topic to keep on the poll, but seems very interesting from unification standpoint:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1308.1278
Second Order Standard Model
Johnny Espin, Kirill Krasnov
(Submitted on 6 Aug 2013)
We rewrite the Lagrangian of the fermionic sector of the Standard Model in a novel compact form. The new Lagrangian is second order in derivatives, and is obtained from the usual first order Lagrangian by integrating out all primed (or dotted) 2-component spinors. The Higgs field enters the new Lagrangian non-polynomially, very much like the metric enters the Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian of General Relativity. We also discuss unification in the second order formalism, and describe a natural in this framework SU(2)xSU(4) unified theory.
21 pages.
There's a strong research current in the direction of applying the full spinfoam theory to cosmology:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1308.0687
Anisotropic Spinfoam Cosmology
Julian Rennert, David Sloan
(Submitted on 3 Aug 2013)
The dynamics of a homogeneous, anisotropic universe are investigated within the context of spinfoam cosmology. Transition amplitudes are calculated for a graph consisting of a single node and three links - the `Daisy graph' - probing the behaviour a classical Bianchi I spacetime. It is shown further how the use of such single node graphs gives rise to a simplification of states such that all orders in the spin expansion can be calculated, indicating that it is the vertex expansion that contains information about quantum dynamics.
28 pages, 1 figure
Atyy spotted some really interesting work by Laurent Freidel and others:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1308.0300
Snyder Momentum Space in Relative Locality
Andrzej Banburski, Laurent Freidel
(Submitted on 1 Aug 2013)
The standard approaches of phenomenology of Quantum Gravity have usually explicitly violated Lorentz invariance, either in the dispersion relation or in the addition rule for momenta. We investigate whether it is possible in 3+1 dimensions to have a non local deformation that preserves fully Lorentz invariance, as it is the case in 2+1D Quantum Gravity. We answer positively to this question and show for the first time how to construct a homogeneously curved momentum space preserving the full action of the Lorentz group in dimension 4 and higher, despite relaxing locality. We study the property of this relative locality deformation and show that this space leads to a noncommutativity related to Snyder spacetime.
22 pages, 6 figures.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1308.0040
Spinning geometry = Twisted geometry
Laurent Freidel, Jonathan Ziprick
(Submitted on 31 Jul 2013)
It is well known that the SU(2)-gauge invariant phase space of loop gravity can be represented in terms of twisted geometries. These are piecewise-linear-flat geometries obtained by gluing together polyhedra, but the resulting geometries are not continuous across the faces. Here we show that this phase space can also be represented by continuous, piecewise-flat three-geometries called spinning geometries. These are composed of metric-flat three-cells glued together consistently. The geometry of each cell and the manner in which they are glued is compatible with the choice of fluxes and holonomies.
We first remark that the fluxes provide each edge with an angular momentum. By studying the piecewise-flat geometries which minimize edge lengths, we show that these angular momenta can be literally interpreted as the spin of the edges: the geometries of all edges are necessarily helices. We also show that the compatibility of the gluing maps with the holonomy data results in the same conclusion. This shows that a spinning geometry represents a way to glue together the three-cells of a twisted geometry to form a continuous geometry which represents a point in the loop gravity phase space.
20 pages, 5 figures
Though not all that close to Loop QG, the next paper presents an interesting variation on causal sets.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.6167
The Universe as a Process of Unique Events
Marina Cortês, Lee Smolin
(Submitted on 23 Jul 2013)
We describe a new class of models of quantum space-time based on energetic causal sets and show that under natural conditions space-time emerges from them. These are causal sets whose causal links are labelled by energy and momentum and conservation laws are applied at events. The models are motivated by principles we propose govern microscopic physics which posit a fundamental irreversibility of time. One consequence is that each event in the history of the universe has a distinct causal relationship to the rest; this requires a novel form of dynamics which an be applied to uniquely distinctive events. We hence introduce a new kind of deterministic dynamics for a causal set in which new events are generated from pairs of progenitor events by a rule which is based on extremizing the distinctions between causal past sets of events. This dynamics is asymmetric in time, but we find evidence from numerical simulations of a 1+1 dimensional model, that an effective dynamics emerges which restores approximate time reversal symmetry. Finally we also present a natural twistorial representation of energetic causal sets.
26 pages, 5 figures
This guy Schliemann has 86 papers but they are almost all in condensed matter. If you dip into the paper, though, you see he is working with the LQG tetrahedron. Go figure
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.5979
The Large-Volume Limit of a Quantum Tetrahedron is a Quantum Harmonic Oscillator
John Schliemann
(Submitted on 23 Jul 2013)
It is shown that the volume operator of a quantum tetrahedron is, in the sector of large eigenvalues, accurately described by a quantum harmonic oscillator. This result relies on the fact that (i) the volume operator couples only neighboring states of its standard basis, and (ii) its matrix elements show a unique maximum as a function of internal angular momentum quantum numbers. These quantum numbers, considered as a continuous variable, are the coordinate of the oscillator describing its quadratic potential, while the corresponding derivative defines a momentum operator. We also analyze the scaling properties of the oscillator parameters as a function of the size of the tetrahedron, and the role of different angular momentum coupling schemes.
10 pages, 3 figures
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.5885
Linking covariant and canonical LQG II: Spin foam projector
Thomas Thiemann, Antonia Zipfel
(Submitted on 22 Jul 2013)
In a seminal paper, Kaminski, Kisielowski an Lewandowski for the first time extended the definition of spin foam models to arbitrary boundary graphs. This is a prerequisite in order to make contact to the canonical formulation of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) and allows to investigate the question whether any of the presently considered spin foam models yield a rigging map for any of the presently defined Hamiltonian constraint operators. The KKL extension cannot be described in terms of Group Field Theory (GFT) since arbitrary foams are involved while GFT is tied to simplicial complexes. Therefore one has to define the sum over spin foams with given boundary spin networks in an independent fashion using natural axioms, most importantly a gluing property for 2-complexes. These axioms are motivated by the requirement that spin foam amplitudes should define a rigging map (physical inner product) induced by the Hamiltonian constraint. This is achieved by constructing a spin foam operator based on abstract 2-complexes that acts on the kinematical Hilbert space of Loop Quantum Gravity. In the analysis of the resulting object we are able to identify an elementary spin foam transfer matrix that allows to generate any finite foam as a finite power of the transfer matrix. It transpires that the sum over spin foams, as written, does not define a projector on the physical Hilbert space. This statement is independent of the concrete spin foam model and Hamiltonian constraint. However, the transfer matrix potentially contains the necessary ingredient in order to construct a proper rigging map in terms of a modified transfer matrix.
62 pages, 14 figures
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.5469
De Sitter Universe from Causal Dynamical Triangulations without Preferred Foliation
S. Jordan, R. Loll
(Submitted on 20 Jul 2013)
We present a detailed analysis of a recently introduced version of Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT) that does not rely on a distinguished time slicing. Focussing on the case of 2+1 spacetime dimensions, we analyze its geometric and causal properties, present details of the numerical set-up and explain how to extract "volume profiles". Extensive Monte Carlo measurements of the system show the emergence of a de Sitter universe on large scales from the underlying quantum ensemble, similar to what was observed previously in standard CDT quantum gravity. This provides evidence that the distinguished time slicing of the latter is not an essential part of its kinematical set-up.
44 pages, 29 figures
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.5461
Quantum hyperbolic geometry in loop quantum gravity with cosmological constant
Maite Dupuis, Florian Girelli
(Submitted on 20 Jul 2013)
Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) is an attempt to describe the quantum gravity regime. Introducing a non-zero cosmological constant Λ in this context has been a withstanding problem. Other approaches, such as Chern-Simons gravity, suggest that quantum groups can be used to introduce Λ in the game. Not much is known when defining LQG with a quantum group. Tensor operators can be used to construct observables in any type of discrete quantum gauge theory with a classical/quantum gauge group. We illustrate this by constructing explicitly geometric observables for LQG defined with a quantum group and show for the first time that they encode a quantized hyperbolic geometry. This is a novel argument pointing out the usefulness of quantum groups as encoding a non-zero cosmological constant. We conclude by discussing how tensor operators provide the right formalism to unlock the LQG formulation with a non-zero cosmological constant.
6 pages, 1 figure
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.5281
Double Scaling in Tensor Models with a Quartic Interaction
Stephane Dartois, Razvan Gurau, Vincent Rivasseau
(Submitted on 19 Jul 2013)
In this paper we identify and analyze in detail the subleading contributions in the 1/N expansion of random tensors, in the simple case of a quartically interacting model. The leading order for this 1/N expansion is made of graphs, called melons, which are dual to particular triangulations of the D-dimensional sphere, closely related to the "stacked" triangulations. For D<6 the subleading behavior is governed by a larger family of graphs, hereafter called cherry trees, which are also dual to the D-dimensional sphere. They can be resummed explicitly through a double scaling limit. In sharp contrast with random matrix models, this double scaling limit is stable. Apart from its unexpected upper critical dimension 6, it displays a singularity at fixed distance from the origin and is clearly the first step in a richer set of yet to be discovered multi-scaling limits.
40 pages.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.5238
Anomaly-free perturbations with inverse-volume and holonomy corrections in Loop Quantum Cosmology
Thomas Cailleteau, Linda Linsefors, Aurelien Barrau
(Submitted on 19 Jul 2013)
This article addresses the issue of the closure of the algebra of constraints for generic (cosmological) perturbations when taking into account simultaneously the two main corrections of effective loop quantum cosmology, namely the holonomy and the inverse-volume terms. Previous works on either the holonomy or the inverse volume case are reviewed and generalized. In the inverse-volume case, we point out new possibilities. An anomaly-free solution including both corrections is found for perturbations, and the corresponding equations of motion are derived.
19 pages.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.5029
Black hole entropy from loop quantum gravity in higher dimensions
Norbert Bodendorfer
(Submitted on 18 Jul 2013)
We propose a derivation for computing black hole entropy for spherical non-rotating isolated horizons from loop quantum gravity in four and higher dimensions. The state counting problem effectively reduces to the well studied 3+1-dimensional one based on an SU(2)-Chern-Simons theory, differing only in the precise form of the area spectrum and the restriction to integer spins.
5 pages
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.5026
Melonic phase transition in group field theory
Aristide Baratin, Sylvain Carrozza, Daniele Oriti, James P. Ryan, Matteo Smerlak
(Submitted on 18 Jul 2013)
Group field theories have recently been shown to admit a 1/N expansion dominated by so-called 'melonic graphs', dual to triangulated spheres. In this note, we deepen the analysis of this melonic sector. We obtain a combinatorial formula for the melonic amplitudes in terms of a graph polynomial related to a higher dimensional generalization of the Kirchhoff tree-matrix theorem. Simple bounds on these amplitudes show the existence of a phase transition driven by melonic interaction processes. We restrict our study to the Boulatov-Ooguri models, which describe topological BF theories and are the basis for the construction of four dimensional models of quantum gravity.
8 pages, 4 figures
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.3228
Maximal acceleration in covariant loop gravity and singularity resolution
Carlo Rovelli, Francesca Vidotto
(Submitted on 11 Jul 2013)
A simple argument indicates that covariant loop gravity (spinfoam theory) predicts a maximal acceleration, and hence forbids the development of curvature singularities. This supports the results obtained for cosmology and black holes using canonical methods.
4 pages, 1 figure
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.2719
Deformations of Polyhedra and Polygons by the Unitary Group
Etera R. Livine
(Submitted on 10 Jul 2013)
We introduce the set of framed (convex) polyhedra with N faces as the symplectic quotient C
2N //SU(2). A framed polyhedron is then parametrized by N spinors living in C
2 satisfying suitable closure constraints and defines a usual convex polyhedron plus extra U(1) phases attached to each face. We show that there is a natural action of the unitary group U(N) on this phase space, which changes the shape of faces and allows to map any (framed) polyhedron onto any other with the same total (boundary) area. This identifies the space of framed polyhedra to the Grassmannian space U(N )/ (SU(2)×U(N −2)). We show how to write averages of geometrical observables (polynomials in the faces’ area and the angles between them) over the ensemble of polyhedra (distributed uniformly with respect to the Haar measure on U(N)) as polynomial integrals over the unitary group and we provide a few methods to compute these integrals systematically. We also use the Itzykson-Zuber formula from matrix models as the generating function for these averages and correlations.
In the quantum case, a canonical quantization of the framed polyhedron phase space leads to the Hilbert space of SU(2) intertwiners (or, in other words, SU(2)-invariant states in tensor products of irreducible representations). The total boundary area as well as the individual face areas are quantized as half-integers (spins), and the Hilbert spaces for fixed total area form irreducible representations of U(N). We define semi-classical coherent intertwiner states peaked on classical framed polyhedra and transforming consistently under U(N) transformations. And we show how the U(N) character formula for unitary transformations is to be considered as an extension of the Itzykson-Zuber to the quantum level and generates the traces of all polynomial observables over the Hilbert space of intertwiners.
We finally apply the same formalism to two dimensions and show that classical (convex) polygons can be described in a similar fashion trading the unitary group for the orthogonal group. We conclude with a discussion of the possible (deformation) dynamics that one can define on the space of polygons or polyhedra. This work is a priori useful in the context of discrete geometry but it should hopefully also be relevant to (loop) quantum gravity in 2+1 and 3+1 dimensions when the quantum geometry is defined in terms of gluing of (quantized) polygons and polyhedra.
33 pages
http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.1679
Holonomy spin foam models: Asymptotic geometry of the partition function
Frank Hellmann, Wojciech Kaminski
(Submitted on 5 Jul 2013)
We study the asymptotic geometry of the spin foam partition function for a large class of models, including the models of Barrett and Crane, Engle, Pereira, Rovelli and Livine, and, Freidel and Krasnov.
The asymptotics is taken with respect to the boundary spins only, no assumption of large spins is made in the interior. We give a sufficient criterion for the existence of the partition function. We find that geometric boundary data is suppressed unless its interior continuation satisfies certain accidental curvature constraints. This means in particular that most Regge manifolds are suppressed in the asymptotic regime. We discuss this explicitly for the case of the configurations arising in the 3-3 Pachner move. We identify the origin of these accidental curvature constraints as an incorrect twisting of the face amplitude upon introduction of the Immirzi parameter and propose a way to resolve this problem, albeit at the price of losing the connection to the SU(2) boundary Hilbert space.
The key methodological innovation that enables these results is the introduction of the notion of wave front sets, and the adaptation of tools for their study from micro local analysis to the case of spin foam partition functions.
63 pages, 5 figures
