Quantum Gowdy T{sup 3} model: A unitary description

Journal Article · Sat Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.73.084020· OSTI ID:20782919

Corichi, Alejandro ^[1]; Cortez, Jeronimo; Mena Marugan, Guillermo A ^[2]

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1. Instituto de Matematicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico A. Postal 61-3, Morelia, Michoacan 58090 (Mexico)
2. Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid (Spain)

The quantization of the family of linearly polarized Gowdy T{sup 3} spacetimes is discussed in detail, starting with a canonical analysis in which the true degrees of freedom are described by a scalar field that satisfies a Klein-Gordon type equation in a fiducial time-dependent background. A time-dependent canonical transformation, which amounts to a change of the basic (scalar) field of the model, brings the system to a description in terms of a Klein-Gordon equation on a background that is now static, although subject to a time-dependent potential. The system is quantized by means of a natural choice of annihilation and creation operators. The quantum time evolution is considered and shown to be unitary, so that both the Schroedinger and Heisenberg pictures can be consistently constructed. This has to be contrasted with previous treatments for which time evolution failed to be implementable as a unitary transformation. Possible implications for both canonical quantum gravity and quantum field theory in curved spacetime are noted.

• OSTI ID: 20782919
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 73; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ANNIHILATION
CANONICAL TRANSFORMATIONS
CREATION OPERATORS
DEGREES OF FREEDOM
EVOLUTION
HEISENBERG PICTURE
KLEIN-GORDON EQUATION
POTENTIALS
QUANTIZATION
QUANTUM GRAVITY
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SCALAR FIELDS
SPACE-TIME
TIME DEPENDENCE
UNITARY SYMMETRY