118421024
Two-dimensional topological field theories coupled to four-dimensional BF theory
Four-dimensional BF theory admits a natural coupling to extended sources supported on two-dimensional surfaces or string world sheets. Solutions of the theory are in one to one correspondence with solutions of Einstein equations with distributional matter (cosmic strings). We study new (topological field) theories that can be constructed by adding extra degrees of freedom to the two-dimensional world sheet. We show how two-dimensional Yang-Mills degrees of freedom can be added on the world sheet, producing in this way, an interactive (topological) theory of Yang-Mills fields with BF fields in four dimensions. We also show how a world sheet tetrad can be naturally added. As in the previous case the set of solutions of these theories are contained in the set of solutions of Einstein's equations if one allows distributional matter supported on two-dimensional surfaces. These theories are argued to be exactly quantizable. In the context of quantum gravity, one important motivation to study these models is to explore the possibility of constructing a background-independent quantum field theory where local degrees of freedom at low energies arise from global topological (world sheet) degrees of freedom at the fundamental level.
16607831
Multiple-event probability in general-relativistic quantum mechanics. II. A discrete model
We introduce a simple quantum mechanical model in which time and space are discrete and periodic. These features avoid the complications related to continuous-spectrum operators and infinite-norm states. The model provides a tool for discussing the probabilistic interpretation of generally covariant quantum systems, without the confusion generated by spurious infinities. We use the model to illustrate the formalism of general-relativistic quantum mechanics, and to test the definition of multiple-event probability introduced in a companion paper [Phys. Rev. D 75, 084033 (2007)]. We consider a version of the model with unitary time evolution and a version without unitary time evolution.
14983134
Spin foam diagrammatics and topological invariance
We provide a simple proof of the topological invariance of the Turaev–Viro model (corresponding to simplicial 3D pure Euclidean gravity with cosmological constant) by means of a novel diagrammatic formulation of the state sum models for quantum BF theories. Moreover, we prove the invariance under more general conditions allowing the state sum to be defined on arbitrary cellular decompositions of the underlying manifold. Invariance is governed by a set of identities corresponding to local gluing and rearrangement of cells in the complex. Due to the fully algebraic nature of these identities our results extend to a vast class of quantum groups. The techniques introduced here could be relevant for investigating the scaling properties of non-topological state sums, proposed as models of quantum gravity in 4D, under refinement of the cellular decomposition.
18617564
Iterative approach to gravitational lensing theory
We develop an iterative approach to gravitational lensing theory based on approximate solutions of the null geodesic equations. The approach can be employed in any space-time which is ``close'' to a space-time in which the null geodesic equations can be completely integrated, such as Minkowski space-time, Robertson-Walker cosmologies, or Schwarzschild-Kerr geometries. To illustrate the method, we construct the iterative gravitational lens equations and time of arrival equation for a single Schwarzschild lens. This example motivates a discussion of the relationship between the iterative approach, the standard thin lens formulation, and an exact formulation of gravitational lensing.
732756
On the quantum origin of the seeds of cosmic structure
The current understanding of the quantum origin of cosmic structure is discussed critically. We point out that in the existing treatments a transition from a symmetric quantum state to an (essentially classical) non-symmetric state is implicitly assumed, but not specified or analysed in any detail. In facing this issue, we are led to conclude that new physics is required to explain the apparent predictive power of the usual schemes. Furthermore, we show that the novel way of looking at the relevant issues opens new windows from where relevant information might be extracted regarding cosmological issues and perhaps even clues about aspects of quantum gravity.
202708693
Characteristic Formulation of the Eikonal Equation
A method of solving the eikonal equation, in either flat or curved spacetimes, with arbitrary Cauchy data, is extended to the case of data given on a characteristic surface. We find a beautiful relationship between the Cauchy and characteristic data for the same solution, namely they are related by a Legendre transformation. From the resulting solutions, we study and describe their associated wave-front singularities.
124142447
Higher Spin Black Holes
We review some relevant results in the context of higher spin black holes in three-dimensional spacetimes, focusing on their asymptotic behaviour and thermodynamic properties. For simplicity, we mainly discuss the case of gravity nonminimally coupled to spin-three fields, being nonperturbatively described by a Chern–Simons theory of two independent \(\mathit{sl}\left (3, \mathbb{R}\right )\) gauge fields. Since the analysis is particularly transparent in the Hamiltonian formalism, we provide a concise discussion of their basic aspects in this context; and as a warming up exercise, we briefly analyze the asymptotic behaviour of pure gravity, as well as the BTZ black hole and its thermodynamics, exclusively in terms of gauge fields. The discussion is then extended to the case of black holes endowed with higher spin fields, briefly signaling the agreements and discrepancies found through different approaches. We conclude explaining how the puzzles become resolved once the fall off of the fields is precisely specified and extended to include chemical potentials, in a way that it is compatible with the asymptotic symmetries. Hence, the global charges become completely identified in an unambiguous way, so that different sets of asymptotic conditions turn out to contain inequivalent classes of black hole solutions being characterized by a different set of global charges.
118051961
Incompressibility of hot nuclear matter, general relativistic stellar collapse and shock propagation
Research into the effect of considering two extreme kinds of Skyrme-type nuclear interactions on the outcome of stellar core collapsing models have been carried out. Particular attention has been payed to dissociation effects generated by the shock. Neutrinos tansport is included via a Multigroup Trapping Scheme
14359365
Random phase approximation to neutrino energy losses from a relativistic electron-positron plasma
The process of $\nu \bar{\nu}$ radiation from a relativistic plasma of electrons and positrons is studied within the Random Phase Approximation.
11836156
Measurement of the angle alpha at BABAR
The authors present recent measurements of the CKM angle {alpha} using data collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e{sup +}e{sup -} collider at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, operating at the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance. They present constraints on {alpha} from B {yields} {pi}{pi}, B {yields} {rho}{rho} and B {yields} {rho}{pi} decays.
33335950
Higher spin extension of cosmological spacetimes in 3D: asymptotically flat behaviour with chemical potentials and thermodynamics
A bstractA generalized set of asymptotic conditions for higher spin gravity without cosmological constant in three spacetime dimensions is constructed. They include the most general temporal components of the gauge fields that manifestly preserve the original asymptotic higher spin extension of the BMS3 algebra, with the same central charge. By virtue of a suitable permissible gauge choice, it is shown that this set can be directly recovered as a limit of the boundary conditions that have been recently constructed in the case of negative cosmological constant, whose asymptotic symmetries are spanned by two copies of the centrally-extended W3 algebra. Since the generalized asymptotic conditions allow to incorporate chemical potentials conjugated to the higher spin charges, a higher spin extension of locally flat cosmological spacetimes becomes naturally included within the set. It is shown that their thermodynamic properties can be successfully obtained exclusively in terms of gauge fields and the topology of the Euclidean manifold, which is shown to be the one of a solid torus, but with reversed orientation as compared with the one of black holes. It is also worth highlighting that regularity of the fields can be ensured through a procedure that does not require an explicit matrix representation of the entire gauge group. In few words, we show that the temporal components of generalized dreibeins can be consistently gauged away, which partially fixes the chemical potentials, so that the remaining conditions can just be obtained by requiring the holonomy of the generalized spin connection along a thermal circle to be trivial. The extension of the generalized asymptotically flat behaviour to the case of spins s ≥ 2 is also discussed.