Horizon Edge Partition Functions in $\Lambda>0$ Quantum Gravity

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the spectra of horizon edge modes in de Sitter and Nariai spacetimes, revealing universal symmetries and geometric interpretations relevant to quantum gravity with positive cosmological constant.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed spectra of horizon edge degrees of freedom in de Sitter space, uncovering universal shift symmetries and their implications for quantum gravity.

Findings

Edge spectra exhibit universal shift symmetries.

Edge modes for gravitons can be interpreted as horizon fluctuations.

The analysis advances understanding of one-loop thermodynamics in de Sitter space.

Abstract

We obtain the spectra of codimension-2 horizon "edge" degrees of freedom for gravity and higher-spin gauge fields in de Sitter space and in the static Nariai spacetime, advancing previous Lorentzian and Euclidean analyses of one-loop thermodynamics. The edge spectra exhibit universal shift symmetries, revealing a novel symmetry-breaking structure in one-loop partition functions with positive cosmological constant. For the graviton, these modes admit a geometric interpretation as fluctuations of the cosmic horizon, which also persists in the Nariai case.