Can Spinfoam Quantum Gravity Naturally Incorporate Feynman Diagrams?

In summary, the main goal expressed at Loops '05 was a slight redirection in emphasis towards a quantum theory of spacetime and matter, rather than just spacetime geometry. Rovelli and Freidel gave leading talks on this topic, with Freidel focusing on using spinfoam quantum gravity to incorporate Feynman diagrams as observables, and Rovelli aiming to calculate scattering amplitudes and derive Newton's law. Both have future work in progress on this topic, with several papers already published.
  • #1
marcus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Dearly Missed
24,775
792
This seems to be the goal expressed most clearly at Loops '05.
it is a slight redirection or change in emphasis in the common program.
Matter should naturally occur in quantum gravity. It's explicit.

two leading talks in this regard were by Rovelli and Freidel

In the latter's talk, Feynman diagrams of matter are natural observables of spinfoam quantum gravity. It helps to select the correct spinfoam model if one requires it to contain feynman diagrams---as either a zero gravity limit or as a zero order term in perturbation (I seemed to remember both ideas in Freidel's talk)

I am going to list some recent papers by Freidel or by people he occasionally co-authors with, and also some papers which are cited as being in preparation. I want to get an idea of the focus of future work.

a recent Freidel paper
http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0512113
Effective 3d Quantum Gravity and Non-Commutative Quantum Field Theory
cites this future work:
[17] A Baratin, L Freidel, Hidden quantum gravity in Feynman diagrams, to appear
here are other references the paper cites:
http://arxiv.org/refs/hep-th/0512113

for atmosphere, the acknowledgments in this Oriti/Livine paper http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0512002 say:

"We would like to thank, for hospitality and beverages, Caffe’ Nero in Cambridge and Cafe’ 1842 in Waterloo, where part of this work was done. D.O. thanks also the Perimeter Institute for hospitality during the early stages of this project, and the Kalahari Meerkat Project for hospitality in the Kuruman River Reserve, South Africa, during its completion."

the above Oriti/Livine paper cites
[22] A. Baratin, L. Freidel, E.R. Livine, Solving Spin Foam Models: Instantons and Group Field Theory, in preparation;

Oriti--- in http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0512048 ---
also cites [15] A. Baratin, L. Freidel, E. Livine, in preparation;

Oriti--- http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0512069

Freidel's program is find matter as a natural facet quantum gravity---in particular to get FEYNMAN DIAGRAMS out of SPINFOAM. His Loops '05 talk had the clearest statement of this, that I have heard so far. does anyone besides me have it? AEI-Golm seems to have taken the Loops '05 talks off line---hope they restore them soon---so you have to have already downloaded them.

"Background Independent Quantum Field Theory" was the keynote sounded by Rovelli's Loops '05 talk. Another one which i hope several of us downloaded during November when it was available.

rovelli took a few minutes at the beginning to say where he thinks the field is going. And apparently it it not going merely for a quantum theory of spacetime and its geometry----it is going for a quantum theory of spacetime and matter. A way of reformulating QFT where you do not need a spacetime to build it on. A QFT without underlying spacetime premises---- from which spacetime emerges, instead.

So Rovelli was the one who enunciated the B.I.Q.F.T. goal, but in his paper the aim was more modest: he just went after the graviton propagator. Like Freidel, he was using spinfoam formalism (which now far outweighs the older canonical LQG alternative) and he wanted to be able to calculate things like scattering amplitudes and to derive conventional Newton's law.

If anyone wants Rovelli and Freidel talks, and doesn't have them, is there any way those that have them can share?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
This is a crucial point in the development of quantum gravity.
 
  • #3


I agree with the goal of Background Independent Quantum Field Theory (BIQFT) as expressed by Rovelli and Freidel at Loops '05. It is a natural progression in the common program of combining quantum gravity with matter. By incorporating matter into the framework of quantum gravity, we can have a more complete understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe.

Freidel's approach of using spinfoam quantum gravity to derive Feynman diagrams is an interesting and promising direction. This could potentially lead to a deeper understanding of the relationship between gravity and quantum field theory.

I am also interested in the Oriti/Livine papers that cite future work by Baratin and Freidel. It seems that there is a lot of collaboration and progress being made in this area. I hope that these papers will eventually be published so that we can further explore the connections between spinfoam quantum gravity and BIQFT.

Overall, I believe that the goal of BIQFT is an important one and I look forward to seeing more progress in this area. As scientists, it is crucial to continue pushing the boundaries of our understanding and exploring new avenues for research. I am excited to see where this work will lead us in the future.
 

Related to Can Spinfoam Quantum Gravity Naturally Incorporate Feynman Diagrams?

1. What is Background Independent QFT?

Background Independent Quantum Field Theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that attempts to reconcile the principles of quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is based on the idea that the structure of space-time is not fixed, but rather emerges from the underlying quantum fields. This approach aims to remove the concept of a fixed background space-time, which is present in traditional QFT and general relativity.

2. How does Background Independent QFT differ from traditional QFT?

In traditional QFT, the equations of motion are formulated in a fixed background space-time, whereas in Background Independent QFT, the equations are derived from the dynamics of quantum fields. This means that the structure of space-time is not fixed, but rather emerges from the quantum fields themselves. Additionally, Background Independent QFT considers space-time as a discrete rather than continuous structure, allowing for a more fundamental understanding of the underlying physics.

3. What are the potential applications of Background Independent QFT?

Background Independent QFT has the potential to provide a more complete and unified understanding of the fundamental laws of nature. It has been proposed as a possible theory of quantum gravity, which would allow for a better understanding of the behavior of matter and energy at the smallest scales. It could also have implications for cosmology, as it may help to address some of the outstanding questions about the origins and evolution of the universe.

4. What are the challenges in developing Background Independent QFT?

One of the main challenges in developing Background Independent QFT is the mathematical complexity of the theory. It requires sophisticated mathematical tools and techniques, such as non-perturbative methods and renormalization, to make meaningful predictions. Additionally, there is currently no experimental evidence to support the theory, making it difficult to test its predictions.

5. How is Background Independent QFT being researched and tested?

Background Independent QFT is an active area of research in theoretical physics. Scientists use a combination of mathematical modeling, computer simulations, and thought experiments to explore the predictions of the theory. Some researchers are also working on developing experimental tests that could potentially provide evidence for or against the theory. However, due to its complexity, it may be some time before we have a complete understanding of Background Independent QFT and its implications for our understanding of the universe.

Similar threads

  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
10
Views
907
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
7
Views
771
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
4
Replies
105
Views
11K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
19
Views
2K
Back
Top