Topology change in causal quantum gravity

Conference item

The role of topology change in a fundamental theory of quantum gravity is still a matter of debate. However, when regarding string theory as two-dimensional quantum gravity, topological fluctuations are essential. Here we present a third quantization of two-dimensional surfaces based on the method of causal dynamical triangulation (CDT). Formally, our construction is similar to the c = 0 non-critical string field theory developed by Ishibashi, Kawai and others, but physically it is quite distinct. Unlike in non-critical string theory the topology change of spatial slices is well controlled and regulated by Newton's constant.

Authors: Ambjorn, J; Loll, R; Watabiki, Y; Westra, W; Zohren, S

• Host title: Proceedings of the 17th Workshop on General Relativity and Gravitation in Japan, JGRG 2007
• Pages: 261-264
• Publication date: 2008-02-06
• Keywords: hep-th