Probing Quantized Einstein-Rosen Waves with Massless Scalar Matter

TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum gravity effects using scalar matter coupled to Einstein-Rosen waves, employing Hamiltonian quantization and analyzing particle modes to explore quantum features.

Contribution

It introduces a method to probe quantum gravity via scalar matter coupled to Einstein-Rosen waves, extending previous purely gravitational analyses.

Findings

Quantized Hamiltonian for scalar-coupled Einstein-Rosen waves

Analysis of two-point functions and propagators in this framework

Operational insights into quantum gravity features through particle modes

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss in detail the use of scalar matter coupled to linearly polarized Einstein-Rosen waves as a probe to study quantum gravity in the restricted setting provided by this symmetry reduction of general relativity. We will obtain the relevant Hamiltonian and quantize it with the techniques already used for the purely gravitational case. Finally we will discuss the use of particle-like modes of the quantized fields to operationally explore some of the features of quantum gravity within this framework. Specifically we will study two-point functions, the Newton-Wigner propagator, and radial wave functions for one-particle states.