Space-time Structures from Critical Values in 2D Quantum Gravity

TL;DR

This paper constructs a 2D quantum gravity model using the Virasoro group, revealing how space-time structures emerge at critical conformal anomaly values and challenging the imposition of quantum diffeomorphism constraints.

Contribution

It introduces a novel 2D quantum gravity framework based on Virasoro group quantization, highlighting the role of critical anomaly values in space-time emergence.

Findings

Space-time arises from SL(2,R) symmetry at critical c values.

Multiple AdS spaces coexist with different curvatures.

Quantum diffeomorphisms should be constraints only in the classical limit.

Abstract

A model for 2D Quantum Gravity is constructed out of the Virasoro group. To this end the quantization of the abstract Virasoro group is revisited. For the critical values of the conformal anomaly c, some quantum operators (SL(2,R) generators) lose their dynamical content (they are no longer conjugated operators). The notion of space-time itself in 2D gravity then arises as associated with this kinematical SL(2,R) symmetry. An ensemble of different copies of AdS do co-exist in this model with different weights, depending on their curvature (which is proportional to \hbar^{2}) and they are connected by gravity operators. This model suggests that, in general, quantum diffemorphisms should not be imposed as constraints to the theory, except for the classical limit.