Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity

We propose a criterion for the validity of semiclassical gravity (SCG) which is based on the stability of the solutions of SCG with respect to quantum metric fluctuations. We pay special attention to the two-point quantum correlation functions for the metric perturbations, which contain both intrins...

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Authors: Hu, B. L. (Bei-Lok); Roura Crumols, Albert; Verdaguer Oms, Enric, 1950-
Format: Article
Status:Published version
Publication date:2004
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/12375
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/12375
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Gravetat quàntica
Teoria quàntica de camps
Fluctuacions (Física)
Moviment brownià
Processos estocàstics
Quantum gravity
Quantum field theory
Fluctuations (Physics)
Brownian movements
Stochastic processes
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author Hu, B. L. (Bei-Lok)
author2 Roura Crumols, Albert
Verdaguer Oms, Enric, 1950-
author2_role author
author
author_browse Hu, B. L. (Bei-Lok)
Roura Crumols, Albert
Verdaguer Oms, Enric, 1950-
author_facet Hu, B. L. (Bei-Lok)
Roura Crumols, Albert
Verdaguer Oms, Enric, 1950-
author_role author
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
description We propose a criterion for the validity of semiclassical gravity (SCG) which is based on the stability of the solutions of SCG with respect to quantum metric fluctuations. We pay special attention to the two-point quantum correlation functions for the metric perturbations, which contain both intrinsic and induced fluctuations. These fluctuations can be described by the Einstein-Langevin equation obtained in the framework of stochastic gravity. Specifically, the Einstein-Langevin equation yields stochastic correlation functions for the metric perturbations which agree, to leading order in the large N limit, with the quantum correlation functions of the theory of gravity interacting with N matter fields. The homogeneous solutions of the Einstein-Langevin equation are equivalent to the solutions of the perturbed semiclassical equation, which describe the evolution of the expectation value of the quantum metric perturbations. The information on the intrinsic fluctuations, which are connected to the initial fluctuations of the metric perturbations, can also be retrieved entirely from the homogeneous solutions. However, the induced metric fluctuations proportional to the noise kernel can only be obtained from the Einstein-Langevin equation (the inhomogeneous term). These equations exhibit runaway solutions with exponential instabilities. A detailed discussion about different methods to deal with these instabilities is given. We illustrate our criterion by showing explicitly that flat space is stable and a description based on SCG is a valid approximation in that case.
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
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institution Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
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oai_identifier_str oai:recercat.cat:2445/12375
publishDate 2004
publishDateSort 2004
publisher The American Physical Society
publisherStr The American Physical Society
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
spelling Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity Hu, B. L. (Bei-Lok) Roura Crumols, Albert Verdaguer Oms, Enric, 1950- Gravetat quàntica Teoria quàntica de camps Fluctuacions (Física) Moviment brownià Processos estocàstics Quantum gravity Quantum field theory Fluctuations (Physics) Brownian movements Stochastic processes We propose a criterion for the validity of semiclassical gravity (SCG) which is based on the stability of the solutions of SCG with respect to quantum metric fluctuations. We pay special attention to the two-point quantum correlation functions for the metric perturbations, which contain both intrinsic and induced fluctuations. These fluctuations can be described by the Einstein-Langevin equation obtained in the framework of stochastic gravity. Specifically, the Einstein-Langevin equation yields stochastic correlation functions for the metric perturbations which agree, to leading order in the large N limit, with the quantum correlation functions of the theory of gravity interacting with N matter fields. The homogeneous solutions of the Einstein-Langevin equation are equivalent to the solutions of the perturbed semiclassical equation, which describe the evolution of the expectation value of the quantum metric perturbations. The information on the intrinsic fluctuations, which are connected to the initial fluctuations of the metric perturbations, can also be retrieved entirely from the homogeneous solutions. However, the induced metric fluctuations proportional to the noise kernel can only be obtained from the Einstein-Langevin equation (the inhomogeneous term). These equations exhibit runaway solutions with exponential instabilities. A detailed discussion about different methods to deal with these instabilities is given. We illustrate our criterion by showing explicitly that flat space is stable and a description based on SCG is a valid approximation in that case. The American Physical Society https://hdl.handle.net/2445/12375
spellingShingle Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity
Hu, B. L. (Bei-Lok)
Gravetat quàntica
Teoria quàntica de camps
Fluctuacions (Física)
Moviment brownià
Processos estocàstics
Quantum gravity
Quantum field theory
Fluctuations (Physics)
Brownian movements
Stochastic processes
status_str publishedVersion
title Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity
title_full Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity
title_fullStr Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity
title_full_unstemmed Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity
title_short Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity
title_sort Induced quantum metric fluctuations and the validity of semiclassical gravity
topic Gravetat quàntica
Teoria quàntica de camps
Fluctuacions (Física)
Moviment brownià
Processos estocàstics
Quantum gravity
Quantum field theory
Fluctuations (Physics)
Brownian movements
Stochastic processes
topic_facet Gravetat quàntica
Teoria quàntica de camps
Fluctuacions (Física)
Moviment brownià
Processos estocàstics
Quantum gravity
Quantum field theory
Fluctuations (Physics)
Brownian movements
Stochastic processes
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/12375