Actions, topological terms and boundaries in first-order gravity: a review

DOI10.1142/S0218271816300111zbMATH Open1341.83001arXiv1604.07764OpenAlexW2289666884WikidataQ57564276 ScholiaQ57564276MaRDI QIDQ2809076FDOQ2809076

Authors: Alejandro Corichi, Irais Rubalcava-García, Tatjana Vukašinac 

Publication date: 27 May 2016

Published in: International Journal of Modern Physics D (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: In this review we consider first order gravity in four dimensions. In particular, we focus our attention in formulations where the fundamental variables are a tetrad $e_a^I$ and a SO(3,1) connection ${omeg{a}_{aI}}^J$. We study the most general action principle compatible with diffeomorphism invariance. This implies, in particular, considering besides the standard Einstein-Hilbert-Palatini term, other terms that either do not change the equations of motion, or are topological in nature. Having a well defined action principle sometimes involves the need for additional boundary terms, whose detailed form may depend on the particular boundary conditions at hand. In this work, we consider spacetimes that include a boundary at infinity, satisfying asymptotically flat boundary conditions and/or an internal boundary satisfying isolated horizons boundary conditions. We focus on the covariant Hamiltonian formalism where the phase space $Gamma$ is given by solutions to the equations of motion. For each of the possible terms contributing to the action we consider the well posedness of the action, its finiteness, the contribution to the symplectic structure, and the Hamiltonian and Noether charges. For the chosen boundary conditions, standard boundary terms warrant a well posed theory. Furthermore, the boundary and topological terms do not contribute to the symplectic structure, nor the Hamiltonian conserved charges. The Noether conserved charges, on the other hand, do depend on such additional terms. The aim of this manuscript is to present a comprehensive and self-contained treatment of the subject, so the style is somewhat pedagogical. Furthermore, along the way we point out and clarify some issues that have not been clearly understood in the literature.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.07764

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zbMATH Keywords

connectionsymplectic structureaction principlesisolated horizonsNoether chargestetradcovariant Hamiltonian formalismasymptotically flat gravityEinstein-Hilbert-Palatini termfirst-order gravityHamiltonian chargestopological terms in gravity

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of differential geometry to physics (53Z05) Einstein's equations (general structure, canonical formalism, Cauchy problems) (83C05) Gravitational energy and conservation laws; groups of motions (83C40) Relativistic gravitational theories other than Einstein's, including asymmetric field theories (83D05) Kaluza-Klein and other higher-dimensional theories (83E15) Topological characterizations of particular spaces (54F65) Analogues of general relativity in lower dimensions (83C80) Research exposition (monographs, survey articles) pertaining to relativity and gravitational theory (83-02)

Cites Work

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Cited In (22)

• Boundary effects in general relativity with tetrad variables
• Weakly isolated horizons: first order actions and gauge symmetries
• Quasi-local holographic dualities in non-perturbative 3d quantum gravity. I: Convergence of multiple approaches and examples of Ponzano-Regge statistical duals
• Weakly isolated horizons: 3 + 1 decomposition and canonical formulations in self-dual variables
• Asymptotic symmetries in de Sitter and inflationary spacetimes
• Most general theory of 3d gravity: covariant phase space, dual diffeomorphisms, and more
• A discretization of Holst's action for general relativity
• Surface charges for gravity and electromagnetism in the first order formalism
• Gravitational edge modes: from Kac–Moody charges to Poincaré networks
• Edge modes of gravity. II: Corner metric and Lorentz charges
• Boundary and corner terms in the action for general relativity
• Corners of gravity: the case of gravity As a constrained BF theory
• The gravitational Hamiltonian, first order action, Poincaré charges and surface terms
• First-order action and Euclidean quantum gravity
• Hamiltonian and Noether charges in first order gravity
• Comments on joint terms in gravitational action
• Cosmological constant is a conserved charge
• Edge modes and corner ambiguities in 3d Chern-Simons theory and gravity
• Generalized off-shell ADT conserved charges in the presence of matter Chern-Simons term
• Null infinity as an open Hamiltonian system
• Canonical analysis of field theories in the presence of boundaries: Maxwell + Pontryagin
• Topological M-theory, self-dual gravity and the Immirzi parameter

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