Minkowski Space Research Articles

W1+∞ in 4D gravitational scattering

In four-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes, an infinite tower of soft graviton modes is known to generate the symmetry algebra of w1+∞ at tree-level. Here we demonstrate that the symmetry action follows from soft graviton theorems and acts non-trivially on massive scalar particles. By generalizing previous analyses that were specifically tailored to the scattering of massless particles, our results clarify that w1+∞ symmetry is a universal feature of tree-level gravitational scattering in four-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes and originates from minimally-coupled gravitational interactions. In addition, we show that the w1+∞ symmetry acts non-diagonally on massive states by mixing an infinite number of conformal families. We also present a concrete example of non-local behavior on the celestial sphere in the presence of massive scattering states.

Cosmological consequences of the Lorentz and Doppler transformations

The common opinion that the Lorentz transformation distorts the Minkowski spacetime arises from a mathematically incorrect neglect of its non-diagonal terms. When the non-diagonal Lorentz transformation is properly treated, the time dilation and the space distortion disappear. Consequently, the Lorentz metric produced by the Lorentz transformation is identical to the Minkowski metric. The spacetime distortion in moving inertial frames is properly described by the so-called Doppler metric produced by the Doppler transformation. This transformation assumes the existence of a preferred frame and depicts the Doppler shift of light for a moving light source and/or observer. The Doppler metric is Lorentz invariant and leaves the Maxwell’s equations unchanged from their form in the Minkowski spacetime. Moreover, the Doppler metric is experimentally confirmed because it yields the null result in the Michelson–Morley experiment and other interferometric experiments. The suitability of the Doppler metric for describing light properties in Special and General Relativity is supported by recent cosmological observations of the cosmic microwave background.

Does gravitational wave assist vacuum steering and Bell nonlocality?

We study quantum steering and Bell nonlocality harvested by the local interaction of two Unruh-DeWitt detectors with the vacuum massless scalar field, both in the presence of gravitational waves and in Minkowski spacetime. It is shown that quantum steerability under the influence of gravitational waves can be greater than or less than quantum steerability in Minkowski spacetime, which means that the gravitational waves can amplify or degrade the harvested steering. In particular, a resonance effect occurs when the energy gap of the detector is tuned to the frequency of the gravitational wave. We also find that the harvesting-achievable separation range of vacuum steering can be expanded or reduced by the presence of gravitational waves, which depends on the energy gap, the gravitational wave frequency, and the duration of the gravitational wave action. It is interesting to note that two detector systems that satisfy the Bell inequality in most parameter spaces, regardless of the existence of gravitational waves, indicating that steering harvesting cannot be considered to be nonlocal.

Location Problem in Relativistic Positioning: Relative Formulation

A relativistic positioning system is a set of four emitters broadcasting their proper times by means of light signals. The four emitter times received at an event constitute the emission coordinates of the event. The covariant quantities associated with relativistic positioning systems are analysed relative to an observer in Minkowski space-time by splitting them in their relative space-like and time-like components. The location of a user in inertial coordinates from a standard set of emission data (emitted times and satellite trajectories) is solved in the underlying 3+1 formalism. The analytical location solution obtained by Kleusberg for the GPS system is recovered and interpreted in a Minkowskian context.

Boltzmannian state counting for black hole entropy in causal set theory

This paper presents the first numerical study of black hole thermodynamics in causal set theory, focusing on the entropy of a Schwarzschild black hole as embodied in the distribution of proposed horizon molecules. To simulate causal sets we created a highly parallelized computational framework in ++ which allowed for the generation of causal sets with over a million points, the largest causal sets in a nonconformally flat spacetime to date. Our results confirm that the horizon molecules model is consistent with the Bekenstein-Hawking formula up to a dimensionless constant that can be interpreted as the fundamental discreteness scale in the order of a Planck length. Furthermore, the molecules are found to straddle the horizon of the black hole to within a few Planck lengths, indicating that entropy lives on the surface of the black hole. Finally, possible implications for the information paradox are drawn. In particular, we show how the horizon molecules model could yield a finite black hole temperature cutoff or even prevent full black hole evaporation. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Gauge theory on ρ-Minkowski space-time

We construct a gauge theory model on the 4-dimensional ρ-Minkowski space-time, a particular deformation of the Minkowski space-time recently considered. The corresponding star product results from a combination of Weyl quantization map and properties of the convolution algebra of the special Euclidean group. We use noncommutative differential calculi based on twisted derivations together with a twisted notion of noncommutative connection. The twisted derivations pertain to the Hopf algebra of ρ-deformed translations, a Hopf subalgebra of the ρ-deformed Poincaré algebra which can be viewed as defining the quantum symmetries of the ρ-Minkowski space-time. The gauge theory model is left invariant under the action of the ρ-deformed Poincaré algebra. The kinetic part of the action is found to coincide with the one of the usual (commutative) electrodynamics.

Charges and topology in linearised gravity

Covariant conserved 2-form currents for linearised gravity are constructed by contracting the linearised curvature with conformal Killing-Yano tensors. The corresponding conserved charges were originally introduced by Penrose and have recently been interpreted as the generators of generalised symmetries of the graviton. We introduce an off-shell refinement of these charges and find the relation between these improved Penrose charges and the linearised version of the ADM momentum and angular momentum. If the graviton field is globally well-defined on a background Minkowski space then some of the Penrose charges give the momentum and angular momentum while the remainder vanish. We consider the generalisation in which the graviton has Dirac string singularities or is defined locally in patches, in which case the conventional ADM expressions are not invariant under the graviton gauge symmetry in general. We modify them to render them gauge-invariant and show that the Penrose charges give these modified charges plus certain magnetic gravitational charges. We discuss properties of the Penrose charges, generalise to toroidal Kaluza-Klein compactifications and check our results in a number of examples.

Hexadecapole at the heart of nonlinear electromagnetic fields

In classical Maxwell’s electromagnetism, the monopole term of the electric field is proportional to r −2, while higher order multipole terms, sourced by anisotropic sources, fall-off faster. However, in nonlinear electromagnetism even a spherically symmetric field has multipole-like contributions. We prove that the leading subdominant term of the electric field, defined by nonlinear electromagnetic Lagrangian obeying Maxwellian weak field limit, in a static, spherically symmetric, asymptotically flat spacetime, is of the order O(r−6) as r→∞ . Moreover, using Lagrange inversion theorem and Faà di Bruno’s formula, we derive the series expansion of the electric field from the Taylor series of an analytic electromagnetic Lagrangian.

Toward higher-spin symmetry breaking in the bulk

We present a new vacuum of the bosonic higher-spin gauge theory in d+1 dimensions, which has leftover symmetry of the Poincaré algebra in d dimensions. Its structure is very simple: the space-time geometry is that of anti–de Sitter space, while the only nonzero field is a scalar. The scalar extends along the Poincaré radial coordinate z and is shown to be linearly exact for an arbitrary mixture of its two Δ=2 and Δ=d−2 conformal branches. The obtained vacuum breaks the global higher-spin symmetry, leading to a broken phase that lives in the Minkowski space-time. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Homogeneous Projective Coordinates for the Bondi–Metzner–Sachs Group

This paper studies the Bondi–Metzner–Sachs group in homogeneous projective coordinates because it is then possible to write all transformations of such a group in a manifestly linear way. The 2-sphere metric, the Bondi–Metzner–Sachs metric, asymptotic Killing vectors, generators of supertranslations as well as boosts and rotations of Minkowski spacetime are all re-expressed in homogeneous projective coordinates. Lastly, the integral curves of vector fields which generate supertranslations are evaluated in detail. This work paves the way for more advanced applications of the geometry of asymptotically flat spacetime in projective coordinates by virtue of the tools provided from complex analysis in several variables and projective geometry.

Soft algebras for leaf amplitudes

Celestial MHV amplitudes are comprised of non-distributional leaf amplitudes associated to an AdS3 leaf of a foliation of flat spacetime. It is shown here that the leaf amplitudes are governed by the same infinite-dimensional soft ‘S-algebra’ as their celestial counterparts. Moreover, taking the soft limit of the smooth three-point MHV leaf amplitude yields a nondegenerate minus-minus two-point leaf amplitude. The two- and three-point MHV leaf amplitudes are used to compute the plus-minus-minus leaf operator product coefficients.

Massive carrollian fields at timelike infinity

Motivated by flat space holography, we demonstrate that massive spin-s fields in Minkowski space near timelike infinity are massive carrollian fields on the carrollian counterpart of anti-de Sitter space called Ti. Its isometries form the Poincaré group, and we construct the carrollian spin-s fields using the method of induced representations. We provide a dictionary between massive carrollian fields on Ti and massive fields in Minkowski space, as well as to fields in the conformal primary basis used in celestial holography. We show that the symmetries of the carrollian structure naturally account for the BMS charges underlying the soft graviton theorem. Finally, we initiate a discussion of the correspondence between massive scattering amplitudes and carrollian correlation functions on Ti, and introduce physical definitions of detector operators using a suitable notion of conserved carrollian energy-momentum tensor.

SOME CHARACTERIZATIONS OF TIMELIKE HELICES WITH THE $F$-CONSTANT VECTOR FIELD IN MINKOWSKI SPACE $E_{1}^{3}$}

In this paper we give characterizations of timelike normal, rectifying and osculating helices in Minkowski space $E_{1}^{3}.$ Moreover, we examine the characterization of timelike helices whose axis $U$\ perpendicular to the $F$-constant vector field $X$, which is a generalization of these helices$.$

Exact gauge fields from anti-de Sitter space

In 1977 Lüscher found a class of SO(4)-symmetric SU(2) Yang–Mills solutions in Minkowski space, which have been rederived 40 years later by employing the isometry S3 ≅ SU(2) and conformally mapping SU(2)-equivariant solutions of the Yang–Mills equations on (two copies of) de Sitter space dS4≅R×S3. Here we present the noncompact analog of this construction via AdS3 ≅ SU(1, 1). On (two copies of) anti-de Sitter space AdS4≅R×AdS3 we write down SU(1,1)-equivariant Yang–Mills solutions and conformally map them to R1,3. This yields a two-parameter family of exact SU(1,1) Yang–Mills solutions on Minkowski space, whose field strengths are essentially rational functions of Cartesian coordinates. Gluing the two AdS copies happens on a dS3 hyperboloid in Minkowski space, and our Yang–Mills configurations are singular on a two-dimensional hyperboloid dS3∩R1,2. This renders their action and the energy infinite, although the field strengths fall off fast asymptotically except along the lightcone. We also construct Abelian solutions, which share these properties but are less symmetric and of zero action.

Observational test of ℛ2 spacetimes with the S2 star in the Milky Way galactic center

A novel class of vacuum metrics expressible in analytical form was recently found for pure ℛ2 gravity, based on a groundwork put forth by Buchdahl in 1962. These Buchdahl-inspired solutions offer a practical framework for testing ℛ2 gravity through empirical observations. Within a subclass of asymptotically flat Buchdahl-inspired vacuum spacetimes, we identified a parameter ϵ measuring the deviation from the classic Schwarzschild metric, which corresponds to ϵ=0. In this paper, we employ observational data from the S2 star's orbit around Sgr A* in the Milky Way galactic center and perform Monte Carlo Markov Chain simulations to probe the effects of the new metrics on the orbit of the S2 star. Our analysis presented herein reports a range at 95% confidence level on the deviation parameter as ϵ ∈ (-0.6690, 0.4452). While no decisive evidence either in favor or in disfavor of the asymptotically flat Buchdahl-inspired spacetimes has been achieved, the obtained bound is compatible with the tighter results using other data of different nature as recently reported in Eur. Phys. J. C 84 (2024) 330. As a meaningful test probing into a strong-field regime, our present study calls for further observations with prolonged period and improved accuracy in order to tighten the bound for ϵ using the S2 star orbit.

Gravitational stress tensor and current at null infinity in three dimensions

We develop the framework that reveals the intrinsic conserved stress tensor and current associated with the null infinity of a three-dimensional (3d) asymptotically flat spacetime. These are, respectively, canonical conjugates of degenerate metric and Ehresmann connection of the boundary Carrollian geometry. Their conservation reproduces the Bondi-mass and angular momentum conservation equations if the asymptotic boundary is endowed with a torsional affine connection that we specify. Our analysis and results shed further light on the 3d flat holography; the stress tensor and current give rise to an asymptotically flat fluid/gravity correspondence. The requirement of a well-defined 3d action principle yields Schwarzian action at null infinity governing the dynamics induced by reparametrizations over the celestial circle, in accord with the codimension 2 holography of 3d flat spacetimes.

Locally-homogeneous Riemann-Cartan geometries with the largest symmetry group

The symmetry frame formalism is an effective tool for computing the symmetries of a Riemann-Cartan geometry and, in particular, in metric teleparallel geometries. In the case of non-vanishing torsion in a four dimensional Riemann-Cartan geometry, the Minkowski geometry is the only geometry admitting ten affine frame symmetries. Excluding this geometry, the maximal number of affine frame symmetries is seven. A natural question is to ask what four dimensional geometries admit a seven-dimensional group of affine frame symmetries. Such geometries are locally homogeneous and admit the largest isotropy group permitted, and hence are called maximally isotropic. Using the symmetry frame formalism to compute affine frame symmetries along with the additional structure of the torsion tensor, we employ the Cartan-Karlhede algorithm to determine all possible seven-dimensional symmetry groups for Riemann-Cartan geometries.

From Schrödinger equation to tempered distribution space on Minkowski chronotope and Schwartz Linear Algebra

In this paper, we propose a rational and almost obliged path leading us from the most natural assumption regarding the SchrÅNodinger wave functions (wave functions classically belonging to the domain of the classic Schrödinger equation) to the space of tempered distributions defined upon the Minkowski space time. It’s extremely natural to consider the space E of complex valued smooth functions as the natural domain of the Schrödinger equation, as it was the obvious implicit assumption of any partial differential equation with constant coefficients at the time of Schrödinger himself. The orthodox Born interpretation of the normalized wave functions and the intervention of von Neumann (a Hilbert‘s pupil) have deviated the straightforward understanding of that domain towards the unnecessary and unnatural Hilbert space L2. The Hilbert space of square integrable functions is clearly incompatible with any partial differential equation, which would require at least Sobolev Spaces to live in; unfortunately, the inner product of the Sobolev space H2 is not good for quantum mechanics and the de Broglie solutions of the Schrödinger equation do not belong to L2. We show in this article that moving inside the very good space E - and finally inside the huge tempered distribution space S′ - represents the first framework in which any desirable property of the key characters and actors of basic Quantum Mechanics is satisfied.

Topology change and heterotic flux vacua

We investigate the interrelation between topology and Narain T-duality of heterotic flux vacua. We present evidence that all 5 and 4-dimensional Minkowski space heterotic flux backgrounds with 8 supercharges have a locus in the moduli space with a T-dual description in terms of a compactification on the product of a K3 surface with a circle or a torus. A test of this equivalence is provided by calculating the new supersymmetric index on both sides of the duality. We examine the implications of these dualities for CHL-like orbifolds that reduce the rank of the gauge group, as well as those that lead to minimal supersymmetry in 4 dimensions. We also discuss properties of flux vacua that preserve minimal supersymmetry in 4 dimensions that cannot be related to conventional compactifications by Narain T-duality. Along the way we point out a number of properties of these vacua, including the role played by non-trivial flat gerbes, the appearance of rational worldsheet CFTs in decompactification limits, and the role of attractive K3 surfaces in backgrounds with minimal supersymmetry. Finally, we discuss the dual pairs from the perspective of M-theory/heterotic duality.

Geometrical interpretation of isospin subalgebras in SU(3)

Ever since new tetrads in four-dimensional Lorentzian curved spacetimes were introduced, many outstanding properties and results have been proven regarding Riemannian geometry, gauge theory or group theory. These tetrads might carry spacetime-kinematic information about particle multiplets. Among other properties, these new tetrads, locally and covariantly diagonalize stress–energy tensors. In the case where particles have an electromagnetic field, the local planes of gauge symmetry served as a tool in order to propose a new gravitational-kinematic interpretation of particle multiplets. The core reason stems from the mathematical fact that all local gauge symmetries associated to the Standard Model have been proven to be isomorphic to local groups of tetrad transformations in four-dimensional Lorentzian spacetimes. Therefore, the different stress–energy tensors have been proven to determine the local gauge geometry as a natural part of Riemannian geometry. The stress–energy tensors determine locally the orthogonal planes such that the rotation on either of them of the local tetrad vectors that span these planes is isomorphic to local tetrad gauge transformations. All these properties put together allow for a reinterpretation presented previously of particle states as particle gravitational-kinematic-spacetime tetrad states in the asymptotically flat limit. We proceed in this paper to study the case where there are [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] isospin subalgebras or submultiplets within the context of this new Riemannian interpretation of gauge symmetries.