Andreas Thurn

New Variables for Classical and Quantum Gravity in all Dimensions I. Hamiltonian Analysis

We rederive the results of our companion paper, for matching space–time and internal signature, by applying in detail the Dirac algorithm to the Palatini action. While the constraint set of the Palatini action contains second class constraints, by an appeal to the method of gauge unfixing, we map the second class system to an equivalent first class system which turns out to be identical to the first class constraint system obtained via the extension of the ADM phase space performed in our companion paper. Central to our analysis is again the appropriate treatment of the simplicity constraint. Remarkably, the simplicity constraint invariant extension of the Hamiltonian constraint, that is a necessary step in the gauge unfixing procedure, involves a correction term which is precisely the one found in the companion paper and which makes sure that the Hamiltonian constraint derived from the Palatini Lagrangian coincides with the ADM Hamiltonian constraint when Gaus and simplicity constraints are satisfied. We therefore have rederived our new connection formulation of general relativity from an independent starting point, thus confirming the consistency of this framework.

New variables for classical and quantum gravity in all dimensions: IV. Matter coupling

We employ the techniques introduced in the companion papers [1, 2, 3] to derive a connection formulation of Lorentzian General Relativity coupled to Dirac fermions in dimensions D + 1 ≥ 3 with compact gauge group. The technique that accomplishes that is similar to the one that has been introduced in 3 + 1 dimensions already: First one performs a canonical analysis of Lorentzian General Relativity using the time gauge and then introduces an extension of the phase space analogous to the one employed in [1] to obtain a connection theory with SO(D+1) as the internal gauge group subject to additional constraints. The success of this method rests heavily on the strong similarity of the Lorentzian and Euclidean Clifford algebras. A quantisation of the Hamiltonian constraint is provided.

Loop quantum gravity without the Hamiltonian constraint

We show that under certain technical assumptions, including the existence of a constant mean curvature (CMC) slice and strict positivity of the scalar field, general relativity conformally coupled to a scalar field can be quantized on a partially reduced phase space, meaning reduced only with respect to the Hamiltonian constraint and a proper gauge fixing. More precisely, we introduce, in close analogy to shape dynamics, the generator of a local conformal transformation acting on both, the metric and the scalar field, which coincides with the CMC gauge condition. A new metric, which is invariant under this transformation, is constructed and used to define connection variables which can be quantized by standard loop quantum gravity methods. Since this connection is invariant under the local conformal transformation, the generator of which is shown to be a good gauge fixing for the Hamiltonian constraint, the Dirac bracket associated with implementing these constraints coincides with the Poisson bracket for the connection. Thus, the well developed kinematical quantization techniques for loop quantum gravity are available, while the Hamiltonian constraint has been solved (more precisely, gauge fixed) classically. The physical interpretation of this system is that of general relativity on a fixed spatial CMC slice, the associated ?time? of which is given by the CMC. While it is hard to address dynamical problems in this framework (due to the complicated ?time? function), it seems, due to good accessibility properties of the CMC gauge, to be well suited for problems such as the computation of black hole entropy, where actual physical states can be counted and the dynamics is only of indirect importance. The corresponding calculation yields the surprising result that the usual prescription of fixing the Barbero?Immirzi parameter ? to a constant value in order to obtain the well-known formula S = a(?)A/(4G) does not work for the black holes under consideration, while a recently proposed prescription involving an analytic continuation of ? to the case of a self-dual space-time connection yields the correct result. Also, the interpretation of the geometric operators gets an interesting twist, which exemplifies the deep relationship between observables and the choice of a time function and has consequences for loop quantum cosmology.

On the Implementation of the Canonical Quantum Simplicity Constraint

In this paper, we discuss several approaches to solve the quadratic and linear simplicity constraints in the context of the canonical formulations of higher dimensional general relativity and supergravity developed in our companion papers. Since the canonical quadratic simplicity constraint operators have been shown to be anomalous in any dimension D ⩾ 3 in Class. Quantum Grav. 30 045003, non-standard methods have to be employed to avoid inconsistencies in the quantum theory. We show that one can choose a subset of quadratic simplicity constraint operators which are non-anomalous among themselves and allow for a natural unitary map of the spin networks in the kernel of these simplicity constraint operators to the SU(2)-based Ashtekar–Lewandowski Hilbert space in D = 3. The linear constraint operators on the other hand are non-anomalous by themselves; however, their solution space is shown to differ in D = 3 from the expected Ashtekar–Lewandowski Hilbert space. We comment on possible strategies to make a connection to the quadratic theory. Also, we comment on the relation of our proposals to the existing work in the spin foam literature and how these works could be used in the canonical theory. We emphasize that many ideas developed in this paper are certainly incomplete and should be considered as suggestions for possible starting points for more satisfactory treatments in the future.

New variables for classical and quantum gravity in all dimensions: V. Isolated horizon boundary degrees of freedom

In this paper, we generalise the treatment of isolated horizons in loop quantum gravity, resulting in a Chern-Simons theory on the boundary in the four-dimensional case, to non-distorted isolated horizons in 2(n+1)-dimensional spacetimes. The key idea is to generalise the four-dimensional isolated horizon boundary condition by using the Euler topological density of a spatial slice of the black hole horizon as a measure of distortion. The resulting symplectic structure on the horizon coincides with the one of higher-dimensional SO(2(n+1))-Chern-Simons theory in terms of a Peldan-type hybrid connection and resembles closely the usual treatment in 3+1 dimensions. We comment briefly on a possible quantisation of the horizon theory. Here, some subtleties arise since higher-dimensional non-Abelian Chern-Simons theory has local degrees of freedom. However, when replacing the natural generalisation to higher dimensions of the usual boundary condition by an equally natural stronger one, it is conceivable that the problems originating from the local degrees of freedom are avoided, thus possibly resulting in a finite entropy.

Towards loop quantum supergravity (LQSG): I. Rarita–Schwinger sector

In our companion papers, we managed to derive a connection formulation of Lorentzian general relativity in D + 1 dimensions with compact gauge group SO(D + 1) such that the connection is Poisson-commuting, which implies that loop quantum gravity quantization methods apply. We also provided the coupling to standard matter. In this paper, we extend our methods to derive a connection formulation of a large class of Lorentzian signature supergravity theories, in particular 11 D SUGRA and 4 D, N = 8 SUGRA, which was in fact the motivation to consider higher dimensions. Starting from a Hamiltonian formulation in the time gauge which yields a Spin(D) theory, a major challenge is to extend the internal gauge group to Spin(D + 1) in the presence of the Rarita–Schwinger field. This is non-trivial because SUSY typically requires the Rarita–Schwinger field to be a Majorana fermion for the Lorentzian Clifford algebra and Majorana representations of the Clifford algebra are not available in the same spacetime dimension for both Lorentzian and Euclidean signatures. We resolve the arising tension and provide a background-independent representation of the non-trivial Dirac antibracket *-algebra for the Majorana field which significantly differs from the analogous construction for Dirac fields already available in the literature.

Towards loop quantum supergravity (LQSG): II. p-form sector

In our companion paper, we focused on the quantization of the Rarita–Schwinger sector of supergravity theories in various dimensions by using an extension of loop quantum gravity to all spacetime dimensions. In this paper, we extend this analysis by considering the quantization of additional bosonic fields necessary to obtain a complete SUSY multiplet next to graviton and gravitino in various dimensions. As a generic example, we study concretely the quantization of the 3-index photon of minimal 11d SUGRA, but our methods easily extend to more general p-form fields. Due to the presence of a Chern–Simons term for the 3-index photon, which is due to local SUSY, the theory is self-interacting and its quantization far from straightforward. Nevertheless, we show that a reduced phase space quantization with respect to the 3-index photon Gaus constraint is possible. Specifically, the Weyl algebra of observables, which deviates from the usual CCR Weyl algebras by an interesting twist contribution proportional to the level of the Chern–Simons theory, admits a background independent state of the Narnhofer–Thirring type.

Towards Loop Quantum Supergravity (LQSG)

Abstract Should nature be supersymmetric, then it will be described by Quantum Supergravity at least in some energy regimes. The currently most advanced description of Quantum Supergravity and beyond is Superstring Theory/M-Theory in 10/11 dimensions. String Theory is a top-to-bottom approach to Quantum Supergravity in that it postulates a new object, the string, from which classical Supergravity emerges as a low energy limit. On the other hand, one may try more traditional bottom-to-top routes and apply the techniques of Quantum Field Theory. Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) is a manifestly background independent and non-perturbative approach to the quantisation of classical General Relativity, however, so far mostly without supersymmetry. The main obstacle to the extension of the techniques of LQG to the quantisation of higher dimensional Supergravity is that LQG rests on a specific connection formulation of General Relativity which exists only in D + 1 = 4 dimensions. In this Letter we introduce a new connection formulation of General Relativity which exists in all space–time dimensions. We show that all LQG techniques developed in D + 1 = 4 can be transferred to the new variables in all dimensions and describe how they can be generalised to the new types of fields that appear in Supergravity theories as compared to standard matter, specifically Rarita–Schwinger and p-form gauge fields.

On a partially reduced phase space quantization of general relativity conformally coupled to a scalar field

The purpose of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, after a thorough review of the matter free case, we supplement the derivations in our companion paper on ‘loop quantum gravity without the Hamiltonian constraint’ with calculational details and extend the results to standard model matter, a cosmological constant, and non-compact spatial slices. On the other hand, we provide a discussion on the role of observables, focused on the situation of a symmetry exchange, which is key to our derivation. Furthermore, we comment on the relation of our model to reduced phase space quantizations based on deparametrization.

New variables for classical and quantum (super)-gravity in all dimensions

Supergravity was originally introduced in the hope of finding a theory of gravity without the shortcoming of perturbative non-renormalisability. Although this goal does not seem to have been reached today (with the possible exception of d = 4, N = 8 Supergravity [1]), Superstring theories are argued to reproduce 10d Supergravities as their low energy limits and thus provide a UV-completion of those theories. Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) on the other hand is a manifestly background independent and non-perturbative approach to the quantisation of General Relativity, however presently limited to four spacetime dimensions. In order to make contact between these two approaches to quantum gravity, we extend the techniques of LQG to higher dimensions and new matter fields appearing in Supergravity theories. The immediate applications of our framework for further research are comparisons between symmetry reduced sectors of those two theories, namely cosmology and black holes.