The physical role of gravitational and gauge degrees of freedom in general relativity. II: Dirac versus Bergmann observables and the objectivity of space-time (Q2492742): Difference between revisions

In the second of a couple of papers the authors attempt to show the peculiar capability of the Hamiltonian Arnowitt-Deser-Misner formulation of general relativity to grasp a series of conceptual and technical problems, which were not discussed before. The authors propose in this paper new viewpoints on alternative programs of string theory and loop quantum gravity. The purposes of this paper include: 1) The analysis of the so-called Hole phenomenology in strict connection with the Hamiltonian treatment of the initial value problem. The work is carried through in metric gravity for the class of spatially non-compact Christodoulou-Klainermann space-times, in which the temporal evolution is ruled by the weak Arnowitt-Deser-Misner energy [see Part I, ibid. 38, No. 2, 187--227 (2006; Zbl 1096.83004)]; 2) The utilization of the Bergmann-Komar intrinsic pseudo-coordinates, defined as suitable functionals of the Weyl curvature scalars, as tools for a specific gauge fixing to the super-Hamiltonian and super-momentum constraints; 3) The consequent construction of a physical atlas of 4-coordinates systems for the four-dimensional mathematical manifold, in terms of the highly nonlocal degrees of freedom of the gravitational field (the Dirac observables). Such construction embodies the physical individuation of the points of space-time as point-events, in absence as well as in presence of matter, and associates a noncommutative structure to each gauge fixing or 4-dimensional coordinate system; 4) A clarification of the multiple definition given by Peter Bergmann of the concept of observable in general relativity. This clarification leads to the proposal of a main conjecture asserting the existence of i) special Dirac observables which are also Bergmann observables, ii) gauge variables that are coordinate independent (namely they behave like the tetradic scalar fields of the Newman-Penrose formalism). A by-product of this achievement is the falsification of a recently advanced argument asserting the absence of any kind of change in the obsevables of general relativity; 5) A proposal showing how the physical individuation of point-events could in principle be implemented as an exponential setup and protocol leading to a standard of space-time like atomic clocks define standards of time. The authors discuss the well known Einstein's assertion, that general covariance takes away from space and time the last remnant of physical objectivity. They state, that the role of matter in the non-vacuum gravitational case is that of participating directly in the individuation process, being involved in the determination of the Dirac observables. Finally, some hints following from the approach used in this paper for the quantum gravity are suggested.