Spacetime Singularities in (2+1)-Dimensional Quantum Gravity
Abstract
The effects of spacetime quantization on black hole and big bang/big crunch singularities can be studied using new tools from (2+1)-dimensional quantum gravity. I investigate effects of spacetime quantization on singularities of the (2+1)-dimensional BTZ black hole and the (2+1)-dimensional torus universe. Hosoya has considered the BTZ black hole, and using a ``quantum generalized affine parameter'' (QGAP), has shown that, for some specific paths, quantum effects ``smear'' the singularity. Using generic gaussian wave functions, I show that both BTZ black hole and the torus universe contain families of paths that still reach the singularities with a finite QGAP, suggesting that singularities persist in quantum gravity. More realistic calculations, using modular invariant wave functions of Carlip and Nelson for the torus universe, further support this conclusion.
Cite
@article{arxiv.gr-qc/0203026,
title = {Spacetime Singularities in (2+1)-Dimensional Quantum Gravity},
author = {Eric A. Minassian},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/0203026},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
30 pages, LaTeX, 1 eps figure (problem with eps figure corrected)