Equivalent theories redefine Hamiltonian observables to exhibit change in general relativity

DOI10.1088/1361-6382/AA5CE8MaRDI QIDQ5348149zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors J. Brian Pitts

Publication date 14 August 2017

Published in Classical and Quantum Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.04812, http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/12870/1/ObservablesEquivalentArXiV.pdf

zbMATH Keywords

canonical quantum theoryconstrained Hamiltonian dynamicsconversionDirac-Bergmannmassive gravityobservablesproblem of time

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Relativistic dynamics for problems in Hamiltonian and Lagrangian mechanics (70H40) Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20) Einstein's equations (general structure, canonical formalism, Cauchy problems) (83C05) Quantization of the gravitational field (83C45) Relativistic gravitational theories other than Einstein's, including asymmetric field theories (83D05)

Abstract: 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 have equivalent observables and everything is observable in the non-gauge formulation. Taking an observable from the non-gauge formulation and finding the equivalent in the gauge formulation, one requires that the equivalent be an observable, constraining definitions. For massive photons, the de Broglie-Proca non-gauge formulation observable A_{mu} is equivalent to the Stueckelberg-Utiyama gauge formulation quantity A_{mu}+partial_{mu} phi. Thus observables must have 0 Poisson bracket not with each first-class constraint, but with the Rosenfeld-Anderson-Bergmann-Castellani gauge generator G, a tuned sum of first-class constraints, in accord with the Pons-Salisbury-Sundermeyer definition of observables. The definition for external gauge symmetries can be tested using massive gravity, where one can install gauge freedom by parametrization with clock fields X^A. The non-gauge observable g^{mu

u} has the gauge equivalent X^A,_{mu} g^{mu u} X^B,_{ u}. The Poisson bracket of X^A,_{mu} g^{mu u} X^B,_{ u} with G turns out to be not 0 but a Lie derivative. This non-zero Poisson bracket refines and systematizes Kuchar's proposal to relax the 0 Poisson bracket condition with the Hamiltonian constraint. Thus observables need covariance, not invariance, in relation to external gauge symmetries. The Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for massive gravity are those of General Relativity + Lambda + 4 scalars, so the same definition of observables applies to General Relativity. Local fields such as g_{mu

u} are observables. Thus observables change. Requiring equivalent observables for equivalent theories also recovers Hamiltonian-Lagrangian equivalence.

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Cited in

(10)

• Change without change, and how to observe it in general relativity
• Change in Hamiltonian general relativity with spinors
• What are observables in Hamiltonian Einstein-Maxwell theory?
• An elementary notion of gauge equivalence
• Quantum properties of affine-metric gravity with the cosmological term
• Local and gauge invariant observables in gravity
• Change in Hamiltonian general relativity from the lack of a time-like Killing vector field
• Reassessing the problem of time of quantum gravity
• Against radical relationalism: in defense of the ordinal structure of time
• Equivalent theories and changing Hamiltonian observables in general relativity

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