Related papers: Implication of dressed form of relational observab…
The questions of describing observables and observation in quantum gravity appear to be centrally important to its physics. A relational approach holds significant promise, and a classification of different types of relational observables…
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 describe an algebra of observables for a static patch in de Sitter space, with operators gravitationally dressed to the worldline of an observer. The algebra is a von Neumann algebra of Type II$_1$. There is a natural notion of entropy…
Two sets of spatially diffeomorphism invariant operators are constructed in the loop representation formulation of quantum gravity. This is done by coupling general relativity to an anti- symmetric tensor gauge field and using that field to…
Gauge-invariant observables for quantum gravity are described, with explicit constructions given primarily to leading order in Newton's constant, analogous to and extending constructions first given by Dirac in quantum electrodynamics.…
Whereas local field operators play the crucial role in reconciling quantum mechanics and special relativity, they are not trivially compatible with the diffeomorphism invariance of gravity. In order to address this issue, we consider the…
Quantum theories of gravity are generally expected to have some degree of non-locality, with familiar local physics emerging only in a particular limit. Perturbative quantum gravity around backgrounds with isometries and compact Cauchy…
Some recent work has postulated the existence of an "observer" for a consistent definition of subregion algebras in gravitational universes. The subregion algebras consist of operators dressed to this "observer" and are typically Type II…
This paper explores construction of gauge (diffeomorphism)-invariant observables in anti de Sitter (AdS) space and the related question of how to find a "holographic map" providing a quantum equivalence to a boundary theory. Observables are…
Gravitational effective field theories with nondynamical backgrounds explicitly break diffeomorphism and local Lorentz invariance. At the same time, to maintain observer independence the action describing these theories is required to be…
We study the algebra of observables in semiclassical quantum gravity for cosmological backgrounds, focusing on two key examples: slow-roll inflation and evaporating Schwarzschild-de Sitter black holes. In both cases, we demonstrate the…
In gauge theories and gravity, field variables are generally not gauge-invariant observables, but such observables may be constructed by "dressing" these or more general operators. Dressed operators create particles, together with their…
We study the algebra of observables in a time band on the boundary of anti-de Sitter space in a theory of quantum gravity. Strictly speaking this algebra does not have a commutant because products of operators within the time band give rise…
The dressing field method is a tool to reduce gauge symmetries. Here we extend it to cover the case of diffeomorphisms. The resulting framework is a systematic scheme to produce Diff(M)-invariant objects, which has a natural relational…
We address the construction and interpretation of diffeomorphism-invariant observables in a low-energy effective theory of quantum gravity. The observables we consider are constructed as integrals over the space of coordinates, in analogy…
A central lesson of gravity is that local observables are ill-defined. Coordinates themselves are a redundancy of description, so any particular point in spacetime is only meaningful once defined relationally by clocks, rulers, or…
The two-point function of linearized gravitons on de Sitter space is infrared divergent in the standard transverse traceless synchronous gauge defined by $k=0$ cosmological coordinates (also called conformal or Poincare coordinates). We…
The crossed product, and consequent transition from von Neumann algebras of type III to II, is recovered from a truncation of more general gravitational dressing constructions, about certain spacetimes. This is done by extending "standard…
Local observables in (perturbative) quantum gravity are notoriously hard to define, since the gauge symmetry of gravity -- diffeomorphisms -- moves points on the manifold. In particular, this is a problem for backgrounds of high symmetry…
Assuming the von Neumann algebra associated with a generic de Sitter observer is properly infinite (type III) we use Connes cocycle to identify the unique ( up to unitary equivalence) background independent dominant weight on an extended…