English

Quantum general covariance

High Energy Physics - Theory 2023-09-06 v2 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

The structure of quantum interactions with fields of helicity two ("gravitons") is strongly constrained by three principles: positivity (Hilbert space), covariance, and locality of observables. To fulfil them simultaneously, some (non-observable) fields need to be non-local. We work with string-localized fields. The results then follow from the condition that entities closely related to observables, like the S-matrix, be local and string-independent. They in particular reproduce the interactions dictated by general covariance in classical field theory. Graviton-matter couplings are consistent only when the graviton self-interaction is taken into account as well.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2304.09843,
  title  = {Quantum general covariance},
  author = {Christian Gaß and José M. Gracia-Bondía and Karl-Henning Rehren},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2304.09843},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

36 pages. v2: 38 pages, Dirac coupling case included, otherwise as to appear in Class. Qu. Grav

R2 v1 2026-06-28T10:11:27.487Z