Symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundaries
Abstract We study general relativity at a null boundary using the covariant phase space formalism. We define a covariant phase space and compute the algebra of symmetries at the null boundary by considering the boundary-preserving diffeomorphisms that preserve this phase space. This algebra is the s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of High Energy Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP11(2018)125 |
| _version_ | 1818903964627763200 |
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| author | Venkatesa Chandrasekaran Éanna É. Flanagan Kartik Prabhu |
| author_facet | Venkatesa Chandrasekaran Éanna É. Flanagan Kartik Prabhu |
| author_sort | Venkatesa Chandrasekaran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We study general relativity at a null boundary using the covariant phase space formalism. We define a covariant phase space and compute the algebra of symmetries at the null boundary by considering the boundary-preserving diffeomorphisms that preserve this phase space. This algebra is the semi-direct sum of diffeomorphisms on the two sphere and a nonabelian algebra of supertranslations that has some similarities to supertranslations at null infinity. By using the general prescription developed by Wald and Zoupas, we derive the localized charges of this algebra at cross sections of the null surface as well as the associated fluxes. Our analysis is covariant and applies to general non-stationary null surfaces. We also derive the global charges that generate the symmetries for event horizons, and show that these obey the same algebra as the linearized diffeomorphisms, without any central extension. Our results show that supertranslations play an important role not just at null infinity but at all null boundaries, including non-stationary event horizons. They should facilitate further investigations of whether horizon symmetries and conservation laws in black hole spacetimes play a role in the information loss problem, as suggested by Hawking, Perry, and Strominger. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T20:59:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a681a199e11040abadb1583d46f8839e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1029-8479 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T20:59:55Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of High Energy Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-a681a199e11040abadb1583d46f8839e2022-12-21T20:05:51ZengSpringerOpenJournal of High Energy Physics1029-84792018-11-0120181116810.1007/JHEP11(2018)125Symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundariesVenkatesa Chandrasekaran0Éanna É. Flanagan1Kartik Prabhu2Center for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Physics, Cornell UniversityCornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based Sciences and Education (CLASSE), Cornell UniversityAbstract We study general relativity at a null boundary using the covariant phase space formalism. We define a covariant phase space and compute the algebra of symmetries at the null boundary by considering the boundary-preserving diffeomorphisms that preserve this phase space. This algebra is the semi-direct sum of diffeomorphisms on the two sphere and a nonabelian algebra of supertranslations that has some similarities to supertranslations at null infinity. By using the general prescription developed by Wald and Zoupas, we derive the localized charges of this algebra at cross sections of the null surface as well as the associated fluxes. Our analysis is covariant and applies to general non-stationary null surfaces. We also derive the global charges that generate the symmetries for event horizons, and show that these obey the same algebra as the linearized diffeomorphisms, without any central extension. Our results show that supertranslations play an important role not just at null infinity but at all null boundaries, including non-stationary event horizons. They should facilitate further investigations of whether horizon symmetries and conservation laws in black hole spacetimes play a role in the information loss problem, as suggested by Hawking, Perry, and Strominger.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP11(2018)125Black HolesClassical Theories of GravitySpace-Time Symmetries |
| spellingShingle | Venkatesa Chandrasekaran Éanna É. Flanagan Kartik Prabhu Symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundaries Journal of High Energy Physics Black Holes Classical Theories of Gravity Space-Time Symmetries |
| title | Symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundaries |
| title_full | Symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundaries |
| title_fullStr | Symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundaries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundaries |
| title_short | Symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundaries |
| title_sort | symmetries and charges of general relativity at null boundaries |
| topic | Black Holes Classical Theories of Gravity Space-Time Symmetries |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP11(2018)125 |
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