A clock is just a way to tell the time: gravitational algebras in cosmological spacetimes

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Autori principali: Chen, Chang-Han, Penington, Geoff
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Chen, Chang-Han
Penington, Geoff
author_facet Chen, Chang-Han
Penington, Geoff
contents We study the algebra of observables in semiclassical quantum gravity for cosmological backgrounds, focusing on two key examples: slow-roll inflation and evaporating Schwarzschild-de Sitter black holes. In both cases, we demonstrate the existence of a nontrivial algebra of diffeomorphism-invariant observables \emph{without} the introduction of an external clock system or the presence of any asymptotic gravitational charges. Instead, the rolling inflaton field and the evaporating black hole act as physical clocks that allow a definition of gauge-invariant observables at $G = 0$. The resulting algebras are both Type II$_\infty$ factors, but neither is manifestly a crossed product algebra. We establish a connection between the Type II entropy of these algebras and generalized entropies for appropriate states. Our work extends previous results on Type II gravitational algebras and highlights the crucial role of out-of-equilibrium dynamics for defining gauge-invariant observables in semiclassical canonically quantised gravity. We also briefly discuss the construction of gauge-invariant algebras for compact wedges bounded by extremal surfaces in generic spacetimes (i.e. in the absence of any Killing symmetry). In contrast to the inflaton and black hole cases, this algebra does end up being a simple crossed product. No clock or asymptotic charges are required because of the absence of any symmetry in the classical background.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_02116
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A clock is just a way to tell the time: gravitational algebras in cosmological spacetimes
Chen, Chang-Han
Penington, Geoff
High Energy Physics - Theory
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
We study the algebra of observables in semiclassical quantum gravity for cosmological backgrounds, focusing on two key examples: slow-roll inflation and evaporating Schwarzschild-de Sitter black holes. In both cases, we demonstrate the existence of a nontrivial algebra of diffeomorphism-invariant observables \emph{without} the introduction of an external clock system or the presence of any asymptotic gravitational charges. Instead, the rolling inflaton field and the evaporating black hole act as physical clocks that allow a definition of gauge-invariant observables at $G = 0$. The resulting algebras are both Type II$_\infty$ factors, but neither is manifestly a crossed product algebra. We establish a connection between the Type II entropy of these algebras and generalized entropies for appropriate states. Our work extends previous results on Type II gravitational algebras and highlights the crucial role of out-of-equilibrium dynamics for defining gauge-invariant observables in semiclassical canonically quantised gravity. We also briefly discuss the construction of gauge-invariant algebras for compact wedges bounded by extremal surfaces in generic spacetimes (i.e. in the absence of any Killing symmetry). In contrast to the inflaton and black hole cases, this algebra does end up being a simple crossed product. No clock or asymptotic charges are required because of the absence of any symmetry in the classical background.
title A clock is just a way to tell the time: gravitational algebras in cosmological spacetimes
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.02116