Quantum Gravity Research Articles

Beyond the Quantum Membrane Paradigm: A Philosophical Analysis of the Structure of Black Holes in Full QG

This paper presents a philosophical analysis of the structure of black holes, focusing on the event horizon and its fundamental status. While black holes have been at the centre of countless paradoxes arising from the attempt to merge quantum mechanics and general relativity, recent experimental discoveries have emphasised their importance as objects for the development of Quantum Gravity. In particular, the statistical mechanical underpinning of black hole thermodynamics has been a central research topic. The Quantum Membrane Paradigm, proposed by Wallace (Stud Hist Philos Sci Part B 66:103-117, 2019), posits a real membrane made of black hole microstates at the black hole horizon to provide a statistical mechanical understanding of black hole thermodynamics from an exterior observer’s point of view. However, we argue that the Quantum Membrane Paradigm is limited to low-energy Quantum Gravity and needs to be modified to avoid reference to geometric notions, such as the event horizon, which presumably do not make sense in the non-spatiotemporal context of full Quantum Gravity. Our proposal relies on the central dogma of black hole physics. It considers recent developments, such as replica wormholes and entanglement wedge reconstruction, to provide a new framework for understanding the nature of black hole horizons in full Quantum Gravity.

Fermions, quantum gravity, and holography in two dimensions

We study a model comprising N flavors of Kähler Dirac fermion propagating on a triangulated two-dimensional disk which is constrained to have a negative average bulk curvature. Dirichlet boundary conditions are chosen for the fermions. Quantum fluctuations of the geometry are included by summing over all possible triangulations consistent with these constraints. We show in the limit N→∞ that the partition function is dominated by a regular triangulation of two-dimensional hyperbolic space. We use strong coupling expansions and Monte Carlo simulation to show that in this limit boundary correlators of the fermions have a power law dependence on boundary separation as one expects from holography. However, we argue that this behavior breaks down for any finite number of massive fields in the thermodynamic limit and quantum fluctuations of the bulk geometry drive the theory into a nonholographic phase. In contrast, for massless fermions, we find evidence that the boundary is conformal even for finite N. This is consistent with theoretical results in quantum Liouville theory. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Holography of linear dilaton spacetimes from the bottom up

The linear dilaton (LD) background is the keystone of a string-derived holographic correspondence beyond AdSd+1/CFTd. This motivates an exploration of the (d+1)-dimensional linear dilaton spacetime (LDd+1) and its holographic properties from the low-energy viewpoint. We first notice that the LDd+1 space has simple conformal symmetries, that we use to shape an effective field theory (EFT) on the LD background. We then place a brane in the background to study holography at the level of quantum fields and gravity. We find that the holographic correlators from the EFT feature a pattern of singularities at certain kinematic thresholds. We argue that such singularities can be used to bootstrap the putative d-dimensional dual theory using techniques analogous to those of the cosmological bootstrap program. Turning on finite temperature, we study the holographic fluid emerging on the brane in the presence of a bulk black hole. We find that the holographic fluid is pressureless for any d due to a cancellation between Weyl curvature and dilaton stress tensor, and verify consistency with the time evolution of the theory. From the fluid thermodynamics, we find a universal temperature and Hagedorn behavior for any d. This matches the properties of a CFT2 with large TT¯ deformation, and of little string theory for d=6. We also find that the holographic fluid entropy exactly matches the bulk black hole Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. Both the fluid equation of state and the spectrum of quantum fluctuations suggest that the d-dimensional dual theory arising from LDd+1 is generically gapped. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Inflation in simple one-loop effective potentials of perturbative quantum gravity

Inflation in simple one-loop effective potentials of perturbative quantum gravity

Simulating electromagnetic cascades with Lorentz invariance violation

Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) is a phenomenon featuring in various quantum gravity models whereby Lorentz symmetry is broken at high energies, potentially impacting the behaviour of particles and their interactions. Here we investigate the phenomenology of LIV within the context of gamma-ray–induced electromagnetic cascades. We conduct detailed numerical simulations to explore the expected manifestations of LIV on gamma-ray fluxes, taking into account relevant effects such as pair production and inverse Compton scattering. Additionally, we consider processes forbidden in the standard model, namely vacuum Cherenkov emission and photon decay. Our analysis reveals that these modifications result in distinct characteristics within the measured particle fluxes at Earth, which have the potential to be observed in high-energy gamma-ray observations.

Virtual experiment on platonic solids for teaching space-time quantization

The work presents the virtual experiment on Platonic solids in a complementary way, where its importance is crucially used for the treatment of the teaching of the quantization of space-time via loop quantum gravity. The research was part of one of the studies carried out with 23 students in the 3rd year of high school in São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The project is part of several introduced subjects on modern and contemporary physics, as well as frontier research topics. The student starts to have a student-researcher posture and based on Ausubel and Bruner's learning theories, they develop significant learning and receive new information and concepts at the elementary level, conditioning them to a critical and reflective posture. We use the experiment in which students interactively learn three-dimensional shapes, calculate surface area and volume and discover mathematical properties of shapes, necessary knowledge that covers the discussion of the theory. Subsequently, they carried out the skills test and we collected data from the students' operations to present the scenario of innovation and reflection on the possibility of introducing research topics in physics, but with appropriate language for the audience of interest according to Bruner's learning theory.

Supersymmetry Via EDM (Electric Dipole Moment)

The article begins by mentioning the accepted correlation between Albert Einstein’s relativistic equations, as well as James Clerk Maxwell’s electromagnetic waves, with the Prandtl-Glauert equations for fluid flow. This equation-free mention nevertheless ends with 180° ΔO = + => - (180 Degree Change in Orientation Equals Positive Becomes Negative). Of course, it also means negative can become positive: 180° ΔO = - => +. Using this article’s new equations, the Electric Dipole Moment is introduced and the charges of the quarks composing a neutron are transformed. EDM’s undetectability is explained from the perspective of a hypothetical someone who doesn’t accept the Big Bang but believes the universe is literally infinite and eternal. Then quantum spin of matter particles is discussed, and extended to astronomy’s black holes, in terms of photons and gravitons not being elementary force-carrying particles but being in possession of EDM. The photon-graviton interaction producing quantum spin is proposed as electromagnetic and gravitational vectors in a figure that might be called “Vector-Tensor-Scalar Geometry”, as well as being related to quaternions plus the Higgs boson and field. Then the article returns to black holes, showing how the inability of light to escape them leads to a 4-dimensional space-time: via binary digits or base 2 mathematics, Mobius bands, figure-8 Klein bottles, and Wick rotation. The electric potential of photons and gravitons is then interpreted not strictly as a neutron-identical Electric Dipole Moment but as a vast array of pulses sharing similarities with modern computers and electronics – the binary digits of the previous sentence. As a consequence of the electric force-carriers bringing them into existence, particles of matter and antimatter are symmetrical with bosons in the sense that every boson or fermion is, at its most fundamental level, composed of binary digits. Imaginary numbers are essential to quantum mechanics, and this article connects the imaginary numbers of Wick rotation to the nature of time. Therefore, the words here are not painting a classical picture of space-time. The 1’s and 0’s of binary digits are compatible with quantum mechanics and may be referred to as the Hidden Variables which Einstein advocated to complete quantum physics, and to give its calculations an exactness which would bring a hidden order to its chaotic randomness and superficial uncertainty. If the universe can be quantized and viewed as comprised of infinitesimal ones and zeros, how could it not obey quantum physics? And if those ones and zeros are all ultimately connected by Quantum Gravity, waves and particles could never be separated but wave-particle duality would rule. To finish, many thanks to Albert Einstein for laying the foundations of this article 105 years ago when he published a paper titled “Do gravitational fields play an essential role in the structure of elementary particles?” Immediately before submission for publication, a few topics were added to this article - dark matter, precession, the Hodge conjecture, and the Riemann hypothesis.

A realist interpretation of unitarity in quantum gravity

Unitarity is a difficult concept to implement in canonical quantum gravity because of state non-normalisability and the problem of time. We take a realist approach based on pilot-wave theory to address this issue in the Ashtekar formulation of the Wheeler–DeWitt equation. We use the postulate of a definite configuration in the theory to define a global time for the gravitational-fermionic system recently discussed in Alexander et al (2022 Phys. Rev. D 106 106012), by parameterising a variation of a Weyl-spinor that depends on the Kodama state. The total Hamiltonian constraint yields a time-dependent Schrodinger equation, without semi-classical approximations, which we use to derive a local continuity equation over the configuration space. We implement the reality conditions at the level of the guidance equation, and obtain a real spin-connection, extrinsic curvature and triad along the system trajectory. We obtain quantum corrections to deSitter spacetime from the guidance equation. The non-normalisable Kodama state is naturally factored out of the full quantum state in the conserved current density, opening the possibility for quantum-mechanical unitarity. We also give a pilot-wave generalisation of the notion of unitarity applicable to non-normalisable states, and show the existence of equilibrium density for our system. Lastly, we find unitary states in mini-superspace by finding an approximate solution to the Hamiltonian constraint.

Quantum Gravity Effective Action Provides Entropy of the Universe

The effective action in the renormalizable quantum theory of gravity provides entropy because the total Hamiltonian vanishes. Since it is a renormalization group invariant that is constant in the process of cosmic evolution, we can show conservation of entropy, which is an ansatz in the standard cosmology. Here, we study renormalizable quantum gravity that exhibits conformal dominance at high energy beyond the Planck scale. The current entropy of the universe is derived by calculating the effective action under the scenario of quantum gravity inflation caused by its dynamics. We then argue that ghost modes must be unphysical but are necessary for the Hamiltonian to vanish and for entropy to exist in gravitational systems.

Worldline path integrals for the graviton

We present an extension to arbitrary dimensions of a worldline path integral approach to one-loop quantum gravity, which was previously formulated in four spacetime dimensions. By utilizing this method, we recalculate gauge invariant coefficients related to the UV divergences of quantum gravity. These gauge invariant coefficients were previously obtained in arbitrary dimensions through two alternative techniques: the quantization of the N=4 spinning particle that propagates the graviton on Einstein spaces and the more conventional heat kernel approach. Our worldline path integrals are closer to the latter method and are employed to compute the trace of the heat kernel.

Universal Pattern in Quantum Gravity at Infinite Distance

Universal Pattern in Quantum Gravity at Infinite Distance

Suppression of spacetime singularities in quantum gravity

Abstract We investigate the requirement of suppressing spacetime geometries with a curvature singularity via destructive interference in the Lorentzian gravitational path integral as a constraint on the microscopic action for gravity. Based on simple examples of static spherically symmetric spacetimes, we demonstrate that complete singularity suppression in the path integral stipulates that the action for gravity be of infinite order in the curvature.

Holographic study on Einstein ring for a charged black hole in conformal gravity

Under the help of AdS/CFT correspondence, the Einstein ring of a charged black hole in conformal gravity has been studied. As an alternative to standard Einstein’s theory, the conformal gravity is both renormalizable and unitary. And such conformal theory can naturally solve some troublesome problems in physics, such as the quantum gravity problem, the dark matter problem and so on. Considering the conformal gravity has many advantages, therefore in this paper, we study Einstein ring and the effect of gravity-related parameters c0, temperature T and chemical potential u on such Einstein ring in the conformal gravity through the holographic method. Explicitly, imposing an oscillating Gauss source on one side of the AdS boundary which propagates in the bulk, the response functions are derived on the other side of the boundary. Given the proposed wave optics system, the Einstein rings are observed as expected. All these results reveal that when the observer locates at the north pole, there always exists the Einstein ring and surrounding concentric stripes. And such ring becomes into a luminosity-deformed ring or light spot while the observer departs away from the north pole. We also investigate the effect of temperature T, chemical potential u and gravity-related parameters c0 on the ring radius. We find the ring radius increases with the decrease of the temperature, increase of the chemical potential, and increase of the gravity-related parameters respectively. And more, in conformal gravity, because the charge does not appear in the metric but is given by the constraint relation, the chemical potential affects the radius of the ring differently compared with that in Einstein’s gravity. To check the results in the framework of holography, we investigate the ingoing angle of photon at the photon ring via geometric optics and find it is consistent with the angle of Einstein ring obtained via holography.

Traversable wormholes from Loop Quantum Gravity

This study introduces and investigates Lorentzian traversable wormhole solutions rooted in Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG). The static and spherically symmetric solutions to be examined stem from the energy density sourcing self-dual regular black holes discovered by L. Modesto, relying on the parameters associated with LQG, which account for the quantum nature of spacetime. We specifically focus on macroscopic wormholes characterized by small values of these parameters. Our analysis encompasses zero-tidal solutions and those with non-constant redshift functions, exploring immersion diagrams, curvatures, energy conditions, equilibrium requirements, and the requisite quantity of exotic matter to sustain these wormholes. The investigation underscores the influence of LQG parameters on these features, highlighting the pivotal role of spacetime's quantum properties in shaping such objects and governing their behavior.

Master constraint approach to quantum-reduced loop gravity

Abstract We introduce a master constraint operator on the kinematical Hilbert space of loop quantum gravity representing a set of gauge conditions which classically fix the densitized triad to be diagonal. We argue that the master constraint approach provides a natural and systematic way of carrying out the quantum gauge-fixing procedure which underlies the model known as quantum-reduced loop gravity. The Hilbert space of quantum-reduced loop gravity is obtained as a particular space of solutions of the gauge-fixing master constraint operator. We give a concise summary of the fundamental structure of the quantum-reduced framework, and consider several possible extensions thereof, for which the master constraint formulation provides a convenient starting point. In particular, we propose a generalization of the standard Hilbert space of quantum-reduced loop gravity, which may be relevant in the application of the quantum-reduced model to physical situations in which the Ashtekar connection is not diagonal.

Information scrambling -- a quantum thermodynamic perspective

Abstract Recent advances in quantum information science have shed light on the intricate dynamics of quantum many-body systems, for which quantum information scrambling is a perfect example. Motivated by considerations of the thermodynamics of quantum information, this perspective aims at synthesizing key findings from several pivotal studies, exploring various aspects of quantum scrambling. We consider quantifiers such as the Out-of-Time-Ordered Correlator (OTOC), the quantum Mutual Information, and the Tripartite Mutual Information (TMI), their connections to thermodynamics, and their role in understanding chaotic versus integrable quantum systems. Focusing on representative examples, we cover a range of topics, including the thermodynamics of quantum information scrambling, and the scrambling dynamics in quantum gravity models such as the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model. By examining these diverse approaches, we highlight the multifaceted nature of quantum information scrambling and its significance in understanding the fundamental aspects of quantum many-body dynamics at the intersection of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics.

A trace inequality for Euclidean gravitational path integrals (and a new positive action conjecture)

The AdS/CFT correspondence states that certain conformal field theories are equivalent to string theories in a higher-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. One aspect of the correspondence is an equivalence of density matrices or, if one ignores normalizations, of positive operators. On the CFT side of the correspondence, any two positive operators A, B will satisfy the trace inequality Tr(AB) ≤ Tr(A)Tr(B). This relation holds on any Hilbert space H\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{H} $$\\end{document} and is deeply associated with the fact that the algebra B(H\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{H} $$\\end{document}) of bounded operators on H\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{H} $$\\end{document} is a type I von Neumann factor. Holographic bulk theories must thus satisfy a corresponding condition, which we investigate below. In particular, we argue that the Euclidean gravitational path integral respects this inequality at all orders in the semi-classical expansion and with arbitrary higher-derivative corrections. The argument relies on a conjectured property of the classical gravitational action, which in particular implies a positive action conjecture for quantum gravity wavefunctions. We prove this conjecture for Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity and we also motivate it for more general theories.

The Cosmic Black Hole

Concurrent with advancements in cosmology, various theories have been proposed about the origin of the universe or its ultimate fate. These theories include the Steady State Theory, Oscillating Universe Theory or Cyclic model, Multiverse Theory, String Theory/M-Theory, Quantum Gravity or Loop Quantum Cosmology, The Big Bang Theory, Inflationary Universe Theory, and the No-Boundary Proposal. Among these, the Big Bang theory has been widely accepted by most scientists, with the Inflation theory serving as its complementary addition. On the other hand, theories such as the big rip, flat universe, and big crunch have also addressed the ultimate fate of the cosmos. However, T-Consciousness Cosmology presents a new hypothesis to explain how the universe was born from a black hole named the ‘Cosmic Black Hole,’ or the initial seed of the universe. This hypothesis not only addresses how this particular type of black hole forms, contingent on the reversion of the cosmos according to the Spherical Cosmos model but also details its fundamental differences from known black holes, referred to as “intra-cosmic black holes.” The reversion of the cosmos in the ‘Spherical Cosmos Model,’ is described through a mechanism known as space Rebound, which is distinct from the Big Crunch. The Terminal Edge of the cosmos is defined as the maximum radius at which space mesh is capable of rebound during the universe's volume increase. In the process of the rebound of space to its ultimate extent, objects within the cosmos face complete disintegration and transform into waves called absolute waves. Due to the inherent rotation of the cosmos and its reversion from the Terminal Edge, these waves collide and create gravitational centers in the central regions of the spherical cosmos, forming new types of matter known as light-dark matter, dark-dark matter, and thermal matter. Each of these mentioned materials represents a new type of matter introduced by T-Consciousness Cosmology. Additionally, according to this model, the cosmos contracts into a very tiny point with a final quench, where all types of matter and fundamental forces unite, forming a new type of absolute matter called ‘Taheri Absolute Matter’ (TAM). The spherical cosmos model also divides time into various types: ‘Longitudinal’ and ‘Transverse,’ and unlike the theory of relativity, where time is considered a dimension, it classifies it as one of the types of transverse time introduced as an entropic force. In essence, this type of force (time) acts against the force of gravity and, by disintegrating all types of objects from fundamental to large scale, acts as an agent of stress or tension release from the space mesh.

The quantum theory of gravitation, effective field theories, and strings: yesterday and today

The quantum theory of gravitation, effective field theories, and strings: yesterday and today

Resonant detectors of gravitational wave in the linear and quadratic generalized uncertainty principle framework

In this work, we consider a resonant bar detector of gravitational waves in the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) framework with linear and quadratic momentum uncertainties. The phonon modes in these detectors vibrate due to the interaction with the incoming gravitational wave. In this uncertainty principle framework, we calculate the resonant frequencies and transition rates induced by the incoming gravitational waves on these detectors. We observe that the energy eigenstates and the eigenvalues get modified by the GUP parameters. We also observe non-vanishing transition probabilities between two adjacent energy levels due to the existence of the linear order momentum correction in the generalized uncertainty relation which was not present in the quadratic GUP analysis (Class Quantum Gravity 37:195006, 2020). We finally obtain bounds on the dimensionless GUP parameters using the form of the transition rates obtained during this analysis.