Path integrals in JT gravity and Virasoro constraints

TL;DR

This paper investigates the validity of large-genus Weil-Petersson volume formulas in JT gravity by analyzing their consistency with Virasoro constraints and spectral form factors, supporting their use in computing gravitational correlators.

Contribution

It provides a novel validation of asymptotic volume formulas in JT gravity through Virasoro constraints and spectral analysis, confirming their plausibility for gravitational computations.

Findings

Volume formulas satisfy Virasoro-like constraints.

Asymptotic formulas are consistent with string and dilaton equations.

Spectral form factor analysis supports the formulas' validity.

Abstract

We examine the large-$g$ asymptotic Weil-Petersson volume formulas deduced in the previous literature. The volume formulas have application to computing the partition functions and the correlation functions in Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity. We utilize two approaches to assess the validity of the formulas. The first approach is to examine the asymptotic volume formulas from the perspective of the Witten conjecture. If the volume formulas are correct, the generating function of the intersection indices deduced from the asymptotic volume formulas would satisfy constraints that are analogous to the Virasoro constraints. We confirmed that the intersection indices computed from the large-$g$ asymptotic volume formulas satisfy variants of the string and dilaton equations. This implies that the generating function of the intersection indices deduced from the asymptotic volume formulas indeed satisfies constraints analogous to first two of the Virasoro constraints. As another approach, we also examined the asymptotic volume formulas by studying the behavior of the higher-order spectral form factors. Our analyses suggest that the large-$g$ asymptotic Weil-Petersson volume formulas yield plausible estimations.