de Sitter Spaces

TL;DR

This paper constructs an infinite class of new solutions to de Sitter space by applying large gauge transformations in a gauge-theoretic formulation of gravity, revealing topological distinctions among solutions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to generate solutions via large gauge transformations in de Sitter gauge theory, highlighting topological differences and potential implications for gravity's fundamental nature.

Findings

Solutions are locally de Sitter with positive curvature.

Solutions are topologically distinct and labeled by an integer q.

Existence of such solutions may distinguish gauge theory of gravity from metric theories.

Abstract

We exploit an interpretation of gravity as the symmetry broken phase of a de Sitter gauge theory to construct new solutions to the first order field equations. The new solutions are constructed by performing large $Spin(4,1)$ gauge transformations on the ordinary de Sitter solution and extracting first the tetrad, then the induced metric. The class of metrics so obtained is an infinite class labelled by an integer, $q$. Each solution satisfies the local field equations defining constant positive curvature, and is therefore locally isometric to de Sitter space wherever the metric is non-degenerate. The degeneracy structure of the tetrad and metric reflects the topological differences among the solutions with different $q$. By topological arguments we show that the solutions are physically distinct with respect to the symmetries of Einstein-Cartan theory. Ultimately, the existence of solutions of this type may be a distinguishing characteristic of gravity as a metric theory versus gravity as a gauge theory.