Alternative quantization of the Hamiltonian in loop quantum cosmology

Since there are quantization ambiguities in constructing the Hamiltonian constraint operator in isotropic loop quantum cosmology, it is crucial to check whether the key features of loop quantum cosmology are robust against the ambiguities. In this Letter, we quantize the Lorentz term of the gravitational Hamiltonian constraint in the spatially flat FRW model by two approaches different from that of the Euclidean term. One of the approaches is very similar to the treatment of the Lorentz part of Hamiltonian in loop quantum gravity and hence inherits more features from the full theory. Two symmetric Hamiltonian constraint operators are constructed respectively in the improved scheme. Both of them are shown to have the correct classical limit by the semiclassical analysis. In the loop quantum cosmological model with a massless scalar field, the effective Hamiltonians and Friedmann equations are derived. It turns out that the classical big bang is again replaced by a quantum bounce in both cases. Moreover, there are still great possibilities for the expanding universe to recollapse due to the quantum gravity effect.     

Loop quantum modified gravity and its cosmological application

A general nonperturvative loop quantization procedure for metric modified gravity is reviewed. As an example, this procedure is applied to scalar-tensor theories of gravity. The quantum kinematical framework of these theories is rigorously constructed. Both the Hamiltonian and master constraint operators are well defined and proposed to represent quantum dynamics of scalar-tensor theories. As an application to models, we set up the basic structure of loop quantum Brans-Dicke cosmology. The effective dynamical equations of loop quantum Brans-Dicke cosmology are also obtained, which lay a foundation for the phenomenological investigation to possible quantum gravity effects in cosmology.     

Gravitational Collapse in Loop Quantum Gravity

In this paper we study the gravitational collapse applying methods of loop quantum gravity to a minisuperspace model. We consider the space-time region inside the Schwarzschild black hole event horizon and we divide this region in two parts, the first one where the matter (dust matter) is localized and the other (outside) where the metric is Kantowski–Sachs type. We study the Hamiltonian constraint obtaining a set of three difference equations that give a regular and natural evolution beyond the classical singularity point in “r=0” localized.     

Towards the deformation quantization of linearized gravity

We present a first attempt to apply the approach of deformation quantization to linearized Einstein's equations. We use the analogy with Maxwell equations to derive the field equations of linearized gravity from a modified Maxwell Lagrangian which allows the construction of a Hamiltonian in the standard way. The deformation quantization procedure for free fields is applied to this Hamiltonian. As a result we obtain the complete set of quantum states and the discrete energy spectrum of linearized gravity.     

Gravitational Gauge Interactions of Scalar Field

Quantum gauge theory of gravity is formulated based on gauge principle. Because the Lagrangian hasstrict local gravitational gauge symmetry, gravitational gauge theory is a perturbatively renormalizable quantum theory.Gravitational gauge interactions of scalar field are studied in this paper. In quantum gauge theory of gravity, scalar fieldminimal couples to gravitational field through gravitational gauge covariant derivative. Comparing the Lagrangian forscalar field in quantum gauge theory of gravity with the corresponding Lagrangian in quantum fields in curved space-time, the definition for metric in curved space-time in geometry picture of gravity can be obtained, which is expressedby gravitational gauge field. In classical level, the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian approaches are also discussed.     

Gravitational Gauge Interactions of Scalar Field

Quantum gauge theory of gravity is formulated based on gauge principle. Because the Lagrangian has strict local gravitational gauge symmetry, gravitational gauge theory is a perturbatively renormalizable quantum theory. Gravitational gauge interactions of scalar field are studied in this paper. In quantum gauge theory of gravity, scalar field minimal couples to gravitational field through gravitational gauge covariant derivative. Comparing the Lagrangian for scalar field in quantum gauge theory of gravity with the corresponding Lagrangian in quantum fields in curved space-time, the definition for metric in curved space-time in geometry picture of gravity can be obtained, which is expressed by gravitational gauge field. In classical level, the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian approaches are also discussed.     

New formulation of Horava-Lifshitz quantum gravity as a master constraint theory

Both projectable and non-projectable versions of Horava-Lifshitz gravity face serious challenges. In the non-projectable version, the constraint algebra is seemingly inconsistent. The projectable version lacks a local Hamiltonian constraint, thus allowing for an extra scalar mode which can be problematic. A new formulation of non-projectable Horava-Lifshitz gravity, naturally realized as a representation of the master constraint algebra studied by loop quantum gravity researchers, is presented. This yields a consistent canonical theory with first class constraints. It captures the essence of Horava-Lifshitz gravity in retaining only spatial diffeomorphisms (instead of full space-time covariance) as the physically relevant non-trivial gauge symmetry; at the same time the local Hamiltonian constraint needed to eliminate the extra mode is equivalently enforced by the master constraint.     

Anomaly-free formulation of non-perturbative, four-dimensional Lorentzian quantum gravity

A Wheeler-DeWitt quantum constraint operator for four-dimensional, non-perturbative Lorentzian vacuum quantum gravity is defined in the continuum. The regulated Wheeler-DeWitt constraint operator is finite, does not require any renormalization and the final operator is anomaly-free and at least symmetric.

The technique introduced here can also be used to produce a couple of completely well-defined regulated operators including but not exhausting (i) the Euclidean Wheeler-DeWitt operator, (ii) the generator of the Wick rotation transform that maps solutions to the Euclidean Hamiltonian constraint to solutions to the Lorentzian Hamiltonian constraint, (iii) length operators, (iv) Hamiltonian operators of the matter sector and (v) the generators of the asymptotic Poincaré group including the quantum ADM energy.     

The dark side of a patchwork universe

While observational cosmology has recently progressed fast, it revealed a serious dilemma called dark energy: an unknown source of exotic energy with negative pressure driving a current accelerating phase of the universe. All attempts so far to find a convincing theoretical explanation have failed, so that one of the last hopes is the yet to be developed quantum theory of gravity. In this article, loop quantum gravity is considered as a candidate, with an emphasis on properties which might play a role for the dark energy problem. Its basic feature is the discrete structure of space, often associated with quantum theories of gravity on general grounds. This gives rise to well-defined matter Hamiltonian operators and thus sheds light on conceptual questions related to the cosmological constant problem. It also implies typical quantum geometry effects which, from a more phenomenological point of view, may result in dark energy. In particular the latter scenario allows several non-trivial tests which can be made more precise by detailed observations in combination with a quantitative study of numerical quantum gravity. If the speculative possibility of a loop quantum gravitational origin of dark energy turns out to be realized, a program as outlined here will help to hammer out our ideas for a quantum theory of gravity, and at the same time allow predictions for the distant future of our universe.     

Arrow of time, parity violation, and gravity in generalized quantum and classical dynamics

The quantum mechanics with a stationary non-Hermitian Hamiltonian and a complex evolution parameter, as well as its classical limit with nontrivial correlations have been studied. The corresponding dynamics is shown to be irreversible for the isothermal and adiabatic regimes of quantum and classical evolution. The possibility of a universal relationship between irreversibility and dynamical parity violation in the system has been established. The mechanism of gravity generation by the distribution of correlations in a free theory is demonstrated.     

Merging Higher Derivative Gravity and Quantum Mechanics

The most general quantum mechanical wave equation for a massive scalar particle in a metric generated by a spherically symmetric mass distribution is considered within the framework of higher derivative gravity (HDG). The exact effective Hamiltonian is constructed and the significance of the various terms is discussed using the linearized version of the above-mentioned theory. Not only does this analysis shed new light on the long standing problem of quantum gravity concerning the exact nature of the coupling between a massive scalar field and the background geometry, it also greatly improves our understanding of the role of HDG's coupling parameters in semiclassical calculations.     

Consistent canonical quantization of general relativity in the space of vassiliev invariants

We present a quantization of the Hamiltonian and diffeomorphism constraint of canonical quantum gravity in the spin network representation. The novelty consists in considering a space of wave functions based on the Vassiliev invariants. The constraints are finite, well defined, and reproduce at the level of quantum commutators the Poisson algebra of constraints of the classical theory. A similar construction can be carried out in 2+1 dimensions leading to the correct quantum theory.     

Uniqueness of Diffeomorphism Invariant States on Holonomy–Flux Algebras

Loop quantum gravity is an approach to quantum gravity that starts from the Hamiltonian formulation in terms of a connection and its canonical conjugate. Quantization proceeds in the spirit of Dirac: First one defines an algebra of basic kinematical observables and represents it through operators on a suitable Hilbert space. In a second step, one implements the constraints. The main result of the paper concerns the representation theory of the kinematical algebra: We show that there is only one cyclic representation invariant under spatial diffeomorphisms.While this result is particularly important for loop quantum gravity, we are rather general: The precise definition of the abstract *-algebra of the basic kinematical observables we give could be used for any theory in which the configuration variable is a connection with a compact structure group. The variables are constructed from the holonomy map and from the fluxes of the momentum conjugate to the connection. The uniqueness result is relevant for any such theory invariant under spatial diffeomorphisms or being a part of a diffeomorphism invariant theory.     

Quantum holonomy theory

We present quantum holonomy theory, which is a non‐perturbative theory of quantum gravity coupled to fermionic degrees of freedom. The theory is based on a ‐algebra that involves holonomy‐diffeo‐morphisms on a 3‐dimensional manifold and which encodes the canonical commutation relations of canonical quantum gravity formulated in terms of Ashtekar variables. Employing a Dirac type operator on the configuration space of Ashtekar connections we obtain a semi‐classical state and a kinematical Hilbert space via its GNS construction. We use the Dirac type operator, which provides a metric structure over the space of Ashtekar connections, to define a scalar curvature operator, from which we obtain a candidate for a Hamilton operator. We show that the classical Hamilton constraint of general relativity emerges from this in a semi‐classical limit and we then compute the operator constraint algebra. Also, we find states in the kinematical Hilbert space on which the expectation value of the Dirac type operator gives the Dirac Hamiltonian in a semi‐classical limit and thus provides a connection to fermionic quantum field theory. Finally, an almost‐commutative algebra emerges from the holonomy‐diffeomorphism algebra in the same limit.     

用圈量子引力解除Schwarichild-de Sitter黑洞的时空奇点

通过引入圈量子引力中holonomy基本变量的类比变量和采用相应的量子化方法,对Schwarichild-de Sitter黑洞中心附近的引力场进行量子化.分析和计算了黑洞中心附近的1r和曲率标量的谱分布,得到了它们均存在有限上界的结果.通过求解经典时空奇点r=0附近的量子哈密顿约束方程,给出了黑洞波函数在黑洞中心附近的时间演化行为,得到了该波函数可以通过经典奇点进行量子演化的结果.     

Accretion on high derivative asymptotically safe black holes

Asymptotically safe gravity is an effective approach to quantum gravity.It is important to differentiate modified gravity,which is inspired by asymptotically safe gravity.In this study,we examine particle dynamics near the improved version of a Schwarzschild black hole.We assume that in the context of an asymptotically safe gravity scenario,the ambient matter surrounding the black hole is of isothermal nature,and we investigate the spherical accretion of matter by deriving solutions at critical points.The analysis of various values of the state parameter for isothermal test fluids,viz.,k=1,1/2,1/3,1/4 show the possibility of accretion onto an asymptotically safe black hole.We formulate the accretion problem as Hamiltonian dynamical system and explain its phase flow in detail,which reveals interesting results in the asymptotically safe gravity theory.     

An Alternative Adiabatic Quantum Algorithm for the Hamiltonian Cycle Problem

We put forward an alternative quantum algorithm for finding Hamiltonian cycles in any N-vertex graph based on adiabatic quantum computing. With a von Neumann measurement on the final state, one may determine whether there is a Hamiltonian cycle in the graph and pick out a cycle if there is any. Although the proposed algorithm provides a quadratic speedup, it gives an alternative algorithm based on adiabatic quantum computation, which is of interest because of its inherent robustness.     

Information-theoretic differential geometry of quantum phase transitions

The manifold of coupling constants parametrizing a quantum Hamiltonian is equipped with a natural Riemannian metric with an operational distinguishability content. We argue that the singularities of this metric are in correspondence with the quantum phase transitions featured by the corresponding system. This approach provides a universal conceptual framework to study quantum critical phenomena which is differential geometric and information theoretic at the same time.