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Phases of simplicial quantum gravity in four dimensions. Estimates for the critical exponents. (English) Zbl 0941.83509

Summary: A numerical evaluation of the discrete path integral for pure lattice gravity, with and without higher derivative terms, and using the lattice analog of the DeWitt gravitational measure, shows the existence of a well-behaved ground state for sufficiently strong gravity \((G\geq G_c\)). Close to the continuous critical point separating the smooth from the rough phase of gravity, the critical exponents are estimated using a variety of methods on lattices with up to \(15\times 16^4=1572864\) simplices. With periodic boundary conditions (four-torus) the average curvature approaches zero at the critical point. Curvature fluctuations diverge at this point, while the fluctuations in the local volumes remain bounded. The value of the curvature critical exponent is estimated to be \(\delta=0.626(25)\) when the critical point is approached from the smooth phase. In this phase, as well as at the critical point, the fractal dimension is consistent with four, the euclidean value. In the (physically unacceptable) rough, collapsed phase the fractal dimensions is closer to two, in agreement with earlier results which suggested a discontinuity in the fractal dimensions at the critical point. For sufficiently smaller higher derivative coupling, and in particular for the pure Regge-Einstein action, the transition between the smooth and rough phase becomes first order, suggesting the existence of a multicritical point separating the continuous from the discontinuous phase transition line.

MSC:

83C27 Lattice gravity, Regge calculus and other discrete methods in general relativity and gravitational theory
81V17 Gravitational interaction in quantum theory
83C45 Quantization of the gravitational field
Full Text: DOI

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