Quantum Null Geometry and Gravity

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Ciambelli, Luca, Freidel, Laurent, Leigh, Robert G.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2024
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author Ciambelli, Luca
Freidel, Laurent
Leigh, Robert G.
author_facet Ciambelli, Luca
Freidel, Laurent
Leigh, Robert G.
contents In this work, we demonstrate that quantizing gravity on a null hypersurface leads to the emergence of a CFT associated with each null ray. This result stems from the ultralocal nature of null physics and is derived through a canonical analysis of the Raychaudhuri equation, interpreted as a constraint generating null time reparametrizations. The CFT exhibits a non-zero central charge, providing a mechanism for the quantum emergence of time in gravitational systems and an associated choice of vacuum state. Our analysis reveals that the central charge quantifies the degrees of freedom along each null ray. Throughout our investigation, the area element of a cut plays a crucial role, necessitating its treatment as a quantum operator due to its dynamic nature in phase space or because of quantum backreaction. Furthermore, we show that the total central charge diverges in a perturbative analysis due to the infinite number of null generators. This divergence is resolved if there is a discrete spectrum for the area form operator. We introduce the concept of `embadons' to denote these localized geometric units of area, the fundamental building blocks of geometry at a mesoscopic quantum gravity scale.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_11132
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quantum Null Geometry and Gravity
Ciambelli, Luca
Freidel, Laurent
Leigh, Robert G.
High Energy Physics - Theory
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Quantum Physics
In this work, we demonstrate that quantizing gravity on a null hypersurface leads to the emergence of a CFT associated with each null ray. This result stems from the ultralocal nature of null physics and is derived through a canonical analysis of the Raychaudhuri equation, interpreted as a constraint generating null time reparametrizations. The CFT exhibits a non-zero central charge, providing a mechanism for the quantum emergence of time in gravitational systems and an associated choice of vacuum state. Our analysis reveals that the central charge quantifies the degrees of freedom along each null ray. Throughout our investigation, the area element of a cut plays a crucial role, necessitating its treatment as a quantum operator due to its dynamic nature in phase space or because of quantum backreaction. Furthermore, we show that the total central charge diverges in a perturbative analysis due to the infinite number of null generators. This divergence is resolved if there is a discrete spectrum for the area form operator. We introduce the concept of `embadons' to denote these localized geometric units of area, the fundamental building blocks of geometry at a mesoscopic quantum gravity scale.
title Quantum Null Geometry and Gravity
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.11132