Related papers: On the non-commutativity of geometric observables …
Some conceptual issues concerning general invariant theories, with special emphasis on general relativity, are analyzed. The common assertion that observables must be required to be gauge invariant is examined in the light of the role…
Quantum groups and non-commutative spaces have been repeatedly utilized in approaches to quantum gravity. They provide a mathematically elegant cut-off, often interpreted as related to the Planck-scale quantum uncertainty in position. We…
Change and local spatial variation are missing in canonical General Relativity's observables as usually defined, part of the problem of time. Definitions can be tested using equivalent formulations, non-gauge and gauge, because they must…
The possible role of gravity in a noncommutative geometry is investigated. Due to the Moyal *-product of fields in noncommutative geometry, it is necessary to complexify the metric tensor of gravity. We first consider the possibility of a…
One of the celebrated results of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) is the discreteness of the spectrum of geometrical operators such as length, area and volume operators. This is an indication that Planck scale geometry in LQG is discontinuous…
We investigate some properties of geometric operators in canonical quantum gravity in the connection approach \`a la Ashtekar, which are associated with volume, area and length of spatial regions. We motivate the construction of analogous…
A Planck-scale minimal observable length appears in many approaches to quantum gravity. It is sometimes argued that this minimal length might conflict with Lorentz invariance, because a boosted observer could see the minimal length further…
A common misconception is that Lorentz invariance is inconsistent with a discrete spacetime structure and a minimal length: under Lorentz contraction, a Planck length ruler would be seen as smaller by a boosted observer. We argue that in…
We study general relativity in the framework of non-commutative differential geometry. In particular, we introduce a gravity action for a space-time which is the product of a four dimensional manifold by a two-point space. In the simplest…
Characteristics of observers in relativity theory are critically examined. For field measurements in Minkowski spacetime, the Bohr-Rosenfeld principle implies that the connection between actual (i.e., noninertial) and inertial observers…
This paper considers the problem of consistently defining subsystems in gravitational theories. It is argued that a subsystem is a spacetime subregion in which the observables form a closed Poisson algebra. In a generally covariant theory,…
We exploit the reparametrization symmetry of a relativistic free particle to impose a gauge condition which upon quantization implies space-time noncommutativity. We show that there is an algebraic map from this gauge back to the standard…
In the first paper in this series, we introduced "persistent gravitational wave observables" as a framework for generalizing the gravitational wave memory effect. These observables are nonlocal in time and nonzero in the presence of…
The problem of quantization of general relativity is considered in the framework of noncommutative differential geometry. Operator analogues for interval, scalar curvature, values of the Einstein tensor are proposed. Quantum measurements of…
We discuss the distinction between the notion of partial observable and the notion of complete observable. Mixing up the two is frequently a source of confusion. The distinction bears on several issues related to observability, such as (i)…
We give a closed expression for the Minkowski (1+1)-dimensional metric in the radar coordinates of an arbitrary non-inertial observer O in terms of O's proper acceleration. Knowledge of the metric allows the non-inertial observer to perform…
In this paper, we describe physical effects occurring in the regularized Robertson-Walker spacetime which can reveal the presence of the defect. Our analysis is based on two main physical quantities: the compressive forces acting on (human)…
The physical interpretation of cold dark matter perturbations is clarified by associating Bertschinger's Poisson gauge with a Eulerian/observer's frame of reference. We obtain such an association by using a Lagrangian approach to…
Quantum field theory - our basic framework for describing all non-gravitational physics - conflicts with general relativity: the latter precludes the standard definition of the former's essential principle of locality, in terms of commuting…
We consider the $\varrho$-Minkowski spacetime, a model with linear noncommutativity involving the time and the azimuthal angle. We study its quantum symmetries, the $\varrho$-Poincar\'e quantum group, and analyse the concepts of…