Jesper Møller Grimstrup

On spectral triples in quantum gravity: I

This paper establishes a link between noncommutative geometry and canonical quantum gravity. A semi-finite spectral triple over a space of connections is presented. The triple involves an algebra of holonomy loops and a Dirac-type operator, which resembles a global functional derivation operator. The commutation relation between the Dirac operator and the algebra has a structure related to the Poisson bracket of general relativity. Moreover, the associated Hilbert space corresponds, up to a certain symmetry group, to the Hilbert space of diffeomorphism-invariant states known from loop quantum gravity. Correspondingly, the square of the Dirac operator has, in terms of loop quantum gravity, the form of a global area-squared operator. Furthermore, the spectral action functional resembles a partition function of quantum gravity. The construction is background independent and is based on an inductive system of triangulations. This paper is the first of two papers on the subject.

A New Spectral Triple over a Space of Connections

A new construction of a semifinite spectral triple on an algebra of holonomy loops is presented. The construction is canonically associated to quantum gravity and is an alternative version of the spectral triple presented in [1].

Spectral triples of holonomy loops

The machinery of noncommutative geometry is applied to a space of connections. A noncommutative function algebra of loops closely related to holonomy loops is investigated. The space of connections is identified as a projective limit of Lie-groups composed of copies of the gauge group. A spectral triple over the space of connections is obtained by factoring out the diffeomorphism group. The triple consist of equivalence classes of loops acting on a hilbert space of sections in an infinite dimensional Clifford bundle. We find that the Dirac operator acting on this hilbert space does not fully comply with the axioms of a spectral triple.

On Spectral Triples in Quantum Gravity II

A semifinite spectral triple for an algebra canonically associated to canonical quantum gravity is constructed. The algebra is generated by based loops in a triangulation and its barycentric subdivisions. The underlying space can be seen as a gauge fixing of the unconstrained state space of Loop Quantum Gravity. This paper is the second of two papers on the subject. email: johannes.aastrup@uni-muenster.de email: grimstrup@nbi.dk email: rnest@math.ku.dk

On Semi-Classical States of Quantum Gravity and Noncommutative Geometry

We construct normalizable, semi-classical states for the previously proposed model of quantum gravity which is formulated as a spectral triple over holonomy loops. The semi-classical limit of the spectral triple gives the Dirac Hamiltonian in 3+1 dimensions. Also, time-independent lapse and shift fields emerge from the semi-classical states. Our analysis shows that the model might contain fermionic matter degrees of freedom.The semi-classical analysis presented in this paper does away with most of the ambiguities found in the initial semi-finite spectral triple construction. The cubic lattices play the role of a coordinate system and a divergent sequence of free parameters found in the Dirac type operator is identified as a certain inverse infinitesimal volume element.

Quantum Gravity coupled to Matter via Noncommutative Geometry

We show that the principal part of the Dirac Hamiltonian in 3+1 dimensions emerges in a semi-classical approximation from a construction which encodes the kinematics of quantum gravity. The construction is a spectral triple over a configuration space of connections. It involves an algebra of holonomy loops represented as bounded operators on a separable Hilbert space and a Dirac-type operator. Semi-classical states, which involve an averaging over points at which the product between loops is defined, are constructed and it is shown that the Dirac Hamiltonian emerges as the expectation value of the Dirac-type operator on these states in a semi-classical approximation.

Holonomy loops, spectral triples and quantum gravity

We review the motivation, construction and physical interpretation of a semi-finite spectral triple obtained through a rearrangement of central elements of loop quantum gravity. The triple is based on a countable set of oriented graphs and the algebra consists of generalized holonomy loops in this set. The Dirac type operator resembles a global functional derivation operator and the interaction between the algebra of holonomy loops and the Dirac type operator reproduces the structure of a quantized Poisson bracket of general relativity. Finally we give a heuristic argument as to how a natural candidate for a quantized Hamiltonian might emerge from this spectral triple construction.

Intersecting Quantum Gravity with Noncommutative Geometry { a Review ?

We review applications of noncommutative geometry in canonical quantum gravity. First, we show that the framework of loop quantum gravity includes natural non- commutative structures which have, hitherto, not been explored. Next, we present the con- struction of a spectral triple over an algebra of holonomy loops. The spectral triple, which encodes the kinematics of quantum gravity, gives rise to a natural class of semiclassical states which entail emerging fermionic degrees of freedom. In the particular semiclassical approximation where all gravitational degrees of freedom are turned off, a free fermionic quantum field theory emerges. We end the paper with an extended outlook section.

From quantum gravity to quantum field theory via noncommutative geometry

A link between canonical quantum gravity and fermionic quantum field theory is established in this paper. From a spectral triple construction which encodes the kinematics of quantum gravity semi-classical states are constructed which, in a semi-classical limit, give a system of interacting fermions in an ambient gravitational field. The interaction involves flux tubes of the gravitational field. In the additional limit where all gravitational degrees of freedom are turned off, a free fermionic quantum field theory emerges.

C*-algebras of holonomy-diffeomorphisms and quantum gravity: I

A new approach to a unified theory of quantum gravity based on noncommutative geometry and canonical quantum gravity is presented. The approach is built around a *-algebra generated by local holonomy-diffeomorphisms on a 3-manifold and a quantized Dirac-type operator, the two capturing the kinematics of quantum gravity formulated in terms of Ashtekar variables. We prove that the separable part of the spectrum of the algebra is contained in the space of measurable connections modulo gauge transformations and we give limitations to the non-separable part. The construction of the Dirac-type operator—and thus the application of noncommutative geometry—is motivated by the requirement of diffeomorphism invariance. We conjecture that a semi-finite spectral triple, which is invariant under volume-preserving diffeomorphisms, arises from a GNS construction of a semi-classical state. Key elements of quantum field theory emerge from the construction in a semi-classical limit, as does an almost commutative algebra. Finally, we note that the spectrum of loop quantum gravity emerges from a discretization of our construction. Certain convergence issues are left unresolved. This paper is the first of two where the second paper [1] is concerned with mathematical details and proofs concerning the spectrum of the holonomy-diffeomorphism algebra.