Conformally flat spaces and gravitation

This article considers the theory of gravity which is defined by R ² as the free Lagrangian. The resulting equations are conformally invariant, and their equivalence to Einstein's equation is demonstrated (provided the stress tensor is traceless). The possibility of adapting this theory to massive point particles on a conformally flat background is discussed.     

Conformal Operators on Forms and Detour Complexes on Einstein Manifolds

For even dimensional conformal manifolds several new conformally invariant objects were found recently: invariant differential complexes related to, but distinct from, the de Rham complex (these are elliptic in the case of Riemannian signature); the cohomology spaces of these; conformally stable form spaces that we may view as spaces of conformal harmonics; operators that generalise Branson’s Q-curvature; global pairings between differential form bundles that descend to cohomology pairings. Here we show that these operators, spaces, and the theory underlying them, simplify significantly on conformally Einstein manifolds. We give explicit formulae for all the operators concerned. The null spaces for these, the conformal harmonics, and the cohomology spaces are expressed explicitly in terms of direct sums of subspaces of eigenspaces of the form Laplacian. For the case of non-Ricci flat spaces this applies in all signatures and without topological restrictions. In the case of Riemannian signature and compact manifolds, this leads to new results on the global invariant pairings, including for the integral of Q-curvature against the null space of the dimensional order conformal Laplacian of Graham et al.     

Separation of variables and symmetry operators for the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation on curved spacetime

The separability of the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation and the Laplace-Beltrami equation are contrasted on two classes of Petrov type D curved spacetimes, showing that neither implies the other. The second-order symmetry operators corresponding to the separation of variables of the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation are constructed in both classes and the most general second-order symmetry operator for the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon operator on a general curved background is characterized tensorially in terms of a valence two-symmetric tensor satisfying the conformal Killing tensor equation and further constraints.     

A local approach to dimensional reduction: I. General formalism

We present a formalism for dimensional reduction based on the local properties of invariant cross-sections (“fields”) and differential operators. This formalism does not need an ansatz for the invariant fields and is convenient when the reducing group is non-compact.

In the approach presented here, splittings of some exact sequences of vector bundles play a key role. In the case of invariant fields and differential operators, the invariance property leads to an explicit splitting of the corresponding sequences, i.e. to the reduced field/operator. There are also situations when the splittings do not come from invariance with respect to a group action but from some other conditions, which leads to a “non-canonical” reduction.

In a special case, studied in detail in the second part of this article, this method provides an algorithm for construction of conformally invariant fields and differential operators in Minkowski space.     

A local approach to dimensional reduction: II. Conformal invariance in Minkowski space

We consider the problem of obtaining conformally invariant differential operators in Minkowski space. We show that the conformal electrodynamics equations and the gauge transformations for them can be obtained in the frame of the method of dimensional reduction developed in the first part of the paper. We describe a method for obtaining a large set of conformally invariant differential operators in Minkowski space.     

Conformal quantum mechanics as the CFT1 dual to AdS2

A (0+1)-dimensional candidate theory for the CFT₁ dual to AdS₂ is discussed. The quantum mechanical system does not have a ground state that is invariant under the three generators of the conformal group. Nevertheless, we show that there are operators in the theory that are not primary, but whose “non-primary character” conspires with the “non-invariance of the vacuum” to give precisely the correlation functions in a conformally invariant theory.     

Yang-Mills Detour Complexes and Conformal Geometry

Working over a pseudo-Riemannian manifold, for each vector bundle with connection we construct a sequence of three differential operators which is a complex (termed a Yang-Mills detour complex) if and only if the connection satisfies the full Yang-Mills equations. A special case is a complex controlling the deformation theory of Yang-Mills connections. In the case of Riemannian signature the complex is elliptic. If the connection respects a metric on the bundle then the complex is formally self-adjoint. In dimension 4 the complex is conformally invariant and generalises, to the full Yang-Mills setting, the composition of (two operator) Yang-Mills complexes for (anti-)self-dual Yang-Mills connections. Via a prolonged system and tractor connection a diagram of differential operators is constructed which, when commutative, generates differential complexes of natural operators from the Yang-Mills detour complex. In dimension 4 this construction is conformally invariant and is used to yield two new sequences of conformal operators which are complexes if and only if the Bach tensor vanishes everywhere. In Riemannian signature these complexes are elliptic. In one case the first operator is the twistor operator and in the other sequence it is the operator for Einstein scales. The sequences are detour sequences associated to certain Bernstein-Gelfand-Gelfand sequences.     

Conformal curves on the WO3 surface

We have studied the isoheight lines on the WO3 surface as a physical candidate for conformally invariant curves. We have shown that these lines are conformally invariant with the same statistics of domain walls in the critical Ising model. They belong to the family of conformal invariant curves called Schramm-Loewner evolution (or SLE(kappa)), with diffusivity of kappa approximately 3. This can be regarded as the first experimental observation of SLE curves. We have also argued that Ballistic Deposition (BD) can serve as a growth model giving rise to contours with similar statistics at large scales.     

Complex Gaussian Multiplicative Chaos

In this article, we study complex Gaussian multiplicative chaos. More precisely, we study the renormalization theory and the limit of the exponential of a complex log-correlated Gaussian field in all dimensions (including Gaussian Free Fields in dimension 2). Our main working assumption is that the real part and the imaginary part are independent. We also discuss applications in 2D string theory; in particular we give a rigorous mathematical definition of the so-called Tachyon fields, the conformally invariant operators in critical Liouville Quantum Gravity with a c = 1 central charge, and derive the original KPZ formula for these fields.     

Riemann-Cartan-Weyl quantum geometry,I: Laplacians and supersymmetric systems

In this first article of a series dealing with the geometry of quantum mechanics, we introduce the Riemann-Cartan-Weyl (RCW) geometries of quantum mechanics for spin-0 systems as well as for systems of nonzero spin. The central structure is given by a family of Laplacian (or D'Alembertian) operators on forms of arbitrary degree associated to the RCW geometries. We show that they are conformally equivalent with the Laplacian operators introduced by Witten in topological quantum field theories. We show that the Laplacian RCW operators yield a supersymmetric system, in the sense of Witten, and study the relation between the RCW geometries and the symplectic structure of loop space. The RCW family of Laplacians are the infinitesimal generators of diffusion processes on nondegenerate space-times of systems of arbitrary spin.     

Existence theory of the linear equations appearing in the Chapman-Enskog solutions to two kinetic equations for liquids

The linear operators appearing in the Chapman-Enskog solutions to Kirkwood's Fokker-Planck kinetic equation and to Rice and Allnatt's kinetic equation are studied in this article. Existence proofs are given for the linearized Chapman-Enskog equations involving either the Fokker-Planck or the Rice-Allnatt operators. It is shown that the Fokker-Planck and Rice-Allnatt operators, defined in the domain appropriate to kinetic theory, are essentially self-adjoint. It is also shown that the spectrum of either of these operators coincides with the spectrum of the self-adjoint extension of the corresponding operator.Sloan Foundation Fellow 1968–70. Guggenheim Fellow 1969–70.     

An Explicit Formula for the Natural and Conformally Invariant Quantization

Lecomte (Prog Theor Phys Suppl 144:125–132, 2001) conjectured the existence of a natural and conformally invariant quantization. In Mathonet and Radoux (Existence of natural and conformally invariant quantizations of arbitrary symbols, math.DG 0811.3710), we gave a proof of this theorem thanks to the theory of Cartan connections. In this paper, we give an explicit formula for the natural and conformally invariant quantization of trace-free symbols thanks to the method used in Mathonet and Radoux and to tools already used in Radoux [Lett Math Phys 78(2):173–188, 2006] in the projective setting. This formula is extremely similar to the one giving the natural and projectively invariant quantization in Radoux.     

Black hole temperature: Minimal coupling vs conformal coupling

In this article, we discuss the propagation of scalar fields in conformally transformed spacetimes with either minimal or conformal coupling. The conformally coupled equation of motion is transformed into a one-dimensional Schrödinger-like equation with an invariant potential under conformal transformation. In a second stage, we argue that calculations based on conformal coupling yield the same Hawking temperature as those based on minimal coupling. Finally, it is conjectured that the quasi normal modes of black holes are invariant under conformal transformation.     

General relativity as a conformally invariant scalar gauge field theory

The global symmetry implied by the fact that one can multiply all masses with a common constant is made into a local, gauge symmetry. The matter action then becomes Conformally invariant and it seems natural to choose for the corresponding scalar gauge field the action for a conformally invariant (massless) scalar field. The resulting conformally invariant theory turns out to be equivalent to general relativity. Since this means that the usual Einstein-Hilbert action is not, in fact, a true gauge action for the space-time geometry, the full theory ought to be supplied with such a term. Gauge-theoretic arguments and conformal invariance requirements dictate its form.     

Conformally invariant equations of the quantum field theory

The equations invariant under the transformation of the conformal algebra are obtained using the Casimir operators. The connections among the components of the field are explicitly derived in the case of indecomposable representations of the conformal algebra which give rise to e.g. the Maxwell equations with currents. The free field equations are also incorporated in the conformally covariant scheme.     

Conformally Invariant Powers of the Laplacian, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Q</Emphasis>-Curvature,and Tractor Calculus

 We describe an elementary algorithm for expressing, as explicit formulae in tractor calculus, the conformally invariant GJMS operators due to C.R. Graham et alia. These differential operators have leading part a power of the Laplacian. Conformal tractor calculus is the natural induced bundle calculus associated to the conformal Cartan connection. Applications discussed include standard formulae for these operators in terms of the Levi-Civita connection and its curvature and a direct definition and formula for T. Branson's so-called Q-curvature (which integrates to a global conformal invariant) as well as generalisations of the operators and the Q-curvature. Among examples, the operators of order 4, 6 and 8 and the related Q-curvatures are treated explicitly. The algorithm exploits the ambient metric construction of Fefferman and Graham and includes a procedure for converting the ambient curvature and its covariant derivatives into tractor calculus expressions. This is partly based on [12], where the relationship of the normal standard tractor bundle to the ambient construction is described. Received: 24 January 2002 / Accepted: 1 November 2002 Published online: 18 February 2003 Communicated by P. Sarnak     

Spatially homothetic cosmological models

Spatially homothetic cosmological models are defined as space-time manifolds acted on by a 3-parameter group of transformations transitive over spacelike hypersurfaces, whose effect is to multiply the metric by a constant conformal factor. Previous work on these models is reviewed briefly and the algebraic classification scheme of Eardley is described. Explicit forms of the metric and group generators are given for each class in terms of a conformally synchronous coordinate system using an invariant orthogonal basis of 1-forms. It is shown that certain subclasses are necessarily incomplete in the sense that a singularity of the conformally synchronous system must develop within a finite time.This article is Dedicated to Achille Papapetrou on the occasion of his retirement and forms a part of the Papapetrou Festschrift.     

Mach's Principle and Model for a Broken Symmetric Theory of Gravity

We investigate spontaneous symmetry breaking in a conformally invariant gravitational model. In particular, we use a conformally invariant scalar tensor theory as the vacuum sector of a gravitational model to examine the idea that gravitational coupling may be the result of a spontaneous symmetry breaking. In this model matter is taken to be coupled with a metric which is different but conformally related to the metric appearing explicitly in the vacuum sector. We show that after the spontaneous symmetry breaking the resulting theory is consistent with Mach's principle in the sense that inertial masses of particles have variable configurations in a cosmological context. Moreover, our analysis allows to construct a mechanism in which the resulting large vacuum energy density relaxes during evolution of the universe.     

Solutions of Yang's EuclideanR-gauge equations and self-duality

Under some assumptions and transformations of variables, Yang's equations forR-gauge fields on Euclidean space lead to conformally invariant equations permitting one to obtain infinitely many other solutions from any solution of these conformally invariant equations. These conformally invariant equations closely resemble the mathematically interesting generalized Lund-Regge equations. Some exact solutions of these conformally in variant equations are obtained. Except for some singular situations, these solutions are self-dual.