Solving the simplicity constraints for spinfoam quantum gravity
Abstract
General relativity can be written as topological BF theory plus a set of second-class constraints. Classically the constraints provide the geometric interpretation of the B variables and reduce BF to general relativity. In the quantum theory these constraints do not commute and thus cannot be imposed strongly. We use SU(2) coherent states to develop a notion of semiclassical states for the quantum geometry which allows to implement them weakly, i.e. on average with minimal uncertainty. Using the spinfoam formalism, this leads to a background independent regularized path integral for quantum gravity whose variables have a transparent geometric interpretation.
- Publication:
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EPL (Europhysics Letters)
- Pub Date:
- March 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1209/0295-5075/81/50004
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0708.1915
- Bibcode:
- 2008EL.....8150004L
- Keywords:
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- General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology;
- High Energy Physics - Theory
- E-Print:
- 6 pages, 2 figures, v2: typos corrected