The role of BRST charge as a generator of gauge transformations in quantization of gauge theories and Gravity

TL;DR

This paper explores the construction and significance of the BRST charge in the quantization of gauge theories and gravity, highlighting differences between Yang-Mills fields and General Relativity, and emphasizing its role in defining physical quantum states.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the standard method of deriving the BRST charge aligns with Noether's theorem in Yang-Mills theories but not in General Relativity, using Hamiltonian formulation in extended phase space.

Findings

BRST charge construction differs between Yang-Mills and gravity.

In General Relativity, the Noether-based approach does not yield the same BRST charge.

The structure of the BRST charge is crucial for identifying physical quantum states in gravity.

Abstract

In the Batalin - Fradkin - Vilkovisky approach to quantization of gauge theories a principal role is given to the BRST charge which can be constructed as a series in Grassmannian (ghost) variables with coefficients given by generalized structure functions of constraints algebra. Alternatively, the BRST charge can be derived making use of the Noether theorem and global BRST invariance of the effective action. In the case of Yang - Mills fields the both methods lead to the same expression for the BRST charge, but it is not valid in the case of General Relativity. It is illustrated by examples of an isotropic cosmological model as well as by spherically-symmetric gravitational model which imitates the full theory of gravity much better. The consideration is based on Hamiltonian formulation of General Relativity in extended phase space. At the quantum level the structure of the BRST charge is of great importance since BRST invariant quantum states are believed to be physical states. Thus, the definition of the BRST charge at the classical level is inseparably related to our attempts to find a true way to quantize Gravity.