Classical and quantum conformal gravity
Conformal gravity, based on the action quadratic in the Weyl conformal curvature, constitutes a scale-invariant, classically-confining, asymptotically-free theory of gravitation. This theory is examined with a view toward assessing its viability as an alternative to Einstein gravity at the fundamental level. First, by extending the manifestly-covariant, six-dimensional formalism of Dirac, it is shown that conformal gravity arises uniquely as the local gauge theory of the conformal group SU(2,2). The exact, spherically-symmetric, electrovac solutions of the classical theory are obtained. Next, it is argued that the phenomenologically-required breakdown of conformal invariance is a consequence of divergent quantum fluctuations and the resulting energy-momentum tensor trace anomaly. A non-local effective gravitational action reproducing this anomaly is constructed. Finally, the effect of asymptotic freedom and the consequential local confinement of energy-momentum is analyzed.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., San Diego (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6844972
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
GRAVITATION
CONFORMAL GROUPS
QUANTUM GRAVITY
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
CONFORMAL INVARIANCE
ENERGY-MOMENTUM TENSOR
FLUCTUATIONS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
FIELD THEORIES
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LIE GROUPS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
SYMMETRY GROUPS
TENSORS
VARIATIONS
645400* - High Energy Physics- Field Theory
657003 - Theoretical & Mathematical Physics- Relativity & Gravitation