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Main Author: Miller, Tomasz
Format: Preprint
Published: 2021
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.02552
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author Miller, Tomasz
author_facet Miller, Tomasz
contents We study the notion of a causal time-evolution of a conserved nonlocal physical quantity in a globally hyperbolic spacetime $\mathcal{M}$. The role of the `global time' is played by a chosen Cauchy temporal function $\mathcal{T}$, whereas the instantaneous configurations of the nonlocal quantity are modeled by probability measures $μ_t$ supported on the corresponding time slices $\mathcal{T}^{-1}(t)$. We show that the causality of such an evolution can be expressed in three equivalent ways: (i) via the causal precedence relation $\preceq$ extended to probability measures, (ii) with the help of a probability measure $σ$ on the space of future-directed continuous causal curves endowed with the compact-open topology and (iii) through a causal vector field $X$ of $L^\infty_{\textrm{loc}}$-regularity, with which the map $t \mapsto μ_t$ satisfies the continuity equation in the distributional sense. In the course of the proof we find that the compact-open topology is sensitive to the differential properties of the causal curves, being equal to the topology induced from a suitable $H^1_{\textrm{loc}}$-Sobolev space. This enables us to construct $X$ as a vector field in a sense `tangent' to $σ$. In addition, we discuss the general covariance of descriptions (i)-(iii), unraveling the geometrical, observer-independent notions behind them.
format Preprint
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institution arXiv
publishDate 2021
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Causal evolution of probability measures and continuity equation
Miller, Tomasz
Mathematical Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Functional Analysis
53C50 (Primary) 53C80, 28E99, 60B05 (Secondary)
We study the notion of a causal time-evolution of a conserved nonlocal physical quantity in a globally hyperbolic spacetime $\mathcal{M}$. The role of the `global time' is played by a chosen Cauchy temporal function $\mathcal{T}$, whereas the instantaneous configurations of the nonlocal quantity are modeled by probability measures $μ_t$ supported on the corresponding time slices $\mathcal{T}^{-1}(t)$. We show that the causality of such an evolution can be expressed in three equivalent ways: (i) via the causal precedence relation $\preceq$ extended to probability measures, (ii) with the help of a probability measure $σ$ on the space of future-directed continuous causal curves endowed with the compact-open topology and (iii) through a causal vector field $X$ of $L^\infty_{\textrm{loc}}$-regularity, with which the map $t \mapsto μ_t$ satisfies the continuity equation in the distributional sense. In the course of the proof we find that the compact-open topology is sensitive to the differential properties of the causal curves, being equal to the topology induced from a suitable $H^1_{\textrm{loc}}$-Sobolev space. This enables us to construct $X$ as a vector field in a sense `tangent' to $σ$. In addition, we discuss the general covariance of descriptions (i)-(iii), unraveling the geometrical, observer-independent notions behind them.
title Causal evolution of probability measures and continuity equation
topic Mathematical Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Functional Analysis
53C50 (Primary) 53C80, 28E99, 60B05 (Secondary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.02552