0000000001212691
AUTHOR
Iván Agulló
showing 27 related works from this author
Acceleration radiation and the Planck scale
2008
A uniformly accelerating observer perceives the Minkowski vacuum state as a thermal bath of radiation. We point out that this field-theory effect can be derived, for any dimension higher than two, without actually invoking very high energy physics. This supports the view that this phenomenon is robust against Planck-scale physics and, therefore, should be compatible with any underlying microscopic theory.
Black hole entropy in loop quantum gravity
2012
4 pags., 2 figs. -- Loops 11: Non-Perturbative / Background Independent Quantum Gravity 23–28 May 2011, Madrid, Spain
Hawking Radiation by Kerr Black Holes and Conformal Symmetry
2010
The exponential blueshift associated with the event horizon of a black hole makes conformal symmetry play a fundamental role in accounting for its thermal properties. Using a derivation based on two-point functions, we show that the full spectrum of thermal radiation of scalar particles by Kerr black holes can be explicitly derived on the basis of a conformal symmetry arising in the wave equation near the horizon. The simplicity of our approach emphasizes the depth of the connection between conformal symmetry and black hole radiance.
Revising the Predictions of Inflation for the Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies
2009
4 pages, 1 figure.-- PACS nrs.: 98.70.Vc; 11.10.Gh; 98.80.Cq.-- ArXiv pre-print available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0439
Remarks on the renormalization of primordial cosmological perturbations
2011
We briefly review the need to perform renormalization of inflationary perturbations to properly work out the physical power spectra. We also summarize the basis of (momentum-space) renormalization in curved spacetime and address several misconceptions found in recent literature on this subject.
The role of the Planck scale in black hole radiance
2008
Lorentz invariance plays a pivotal role in the derivation of the Hawking effect, which crucially requires an integration in arbitrarily small distances or, equivalently, in unbounded energies. New physics at the Planck scale could, therefore, potentially modify the emission spectrum. We argue, however, that the kinematic invariance can be deformed in such a way that the thermal spectrum remains insensitive to trans-Planckian physics.
Enhanced local-type inflationary trispectrum from a non-vacuum initial state
2011
We compute the primordial trispectrum for curvature perturbations produced during cosmic inflation in models with standard kinetic terms, when the initial quantum state is not necessarily the vacuum state. The presence of initial perturbations enhances the trispectrum amplitude for configuration in which one of the momenta, say $k_3$, is much smaller than the others, $k_3 \ll k_{1,2,4}$. For those squeezed configurations the trispectrum acquires the so-called local form, with a scale dependent amplitude that can get values of order $ \epsilon ({k_1}/{k_3})^2$. This amplitude can be larger than the prediction of the so-called Maldacena consistency relation by a factor $10^6$, and can reach t…
Combinatorics of theSU(2)black hole entropy in loop quantum gravity
2009
We use the combinatorial and number-theoretical methods developed in previous works by the authors to study black hole entropy in the new proposal put forth by Engle, Noui, and Perez. Specifically, we give the generating functions relevant for the computation of the entropy and use them to derive its asymptotic behavior, including the value of the Immirzi parameter and the coefficient of the logarithmic correction.
Inflation, quantum fields, and CMB anisotropies
2009
Revert field Inflationary cosmology has proved to be the most successful at predicting the properties of the anisotropies observed in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). In this essay we show that quantum field renormalization significantly influences the generation of primordial perturbations and hence the expected measurable imprint of cosmological inflation on the CMB. However, the new predictions remain in agreement with observation, and in fact favor the simplest forms of inflation. In the near future, observations of the influence of gravitational waves from the early universe on the CMB will test our new predictions.
Reply to "Comment on 'Insensitivity of Hawking radiation to an invariant Planck-scale cutoff' "
2010
We clarify the relationship between the conclusions of the previous Comment of A. Helfer and that of our Brief Report.
Reexamination of the Power Spectrum in De Sitter Inflation
2008
4 pages, 1 table.-- PACS nrs.: 98.80.Cq, 04.62.+v.-- PMID: 18999735 [PubMed].
Short distances, black holes, and TeV gravity
2007
The Hawking effect can be rederived in terms of two-point functions and in such a way that it makes it possible to estimate, within the conventional semiclassical theory, the contribution of ultrashort distances at $I^+$ to the Planckian spectrum. Thermality is preserved for black holes with $��l_P << 1$. However, deviations from the Planckian spectrum can be found for mini black holes in TeV gravity scenarios, even before reaching the Planck phase.
Black hole state counting in loop quantum gravity: a number-theoretical approach
2008
4 pages, 1 figure.-- PACS nrs.: 04.70.Dy, 04.60.Pp.-- ArXiv pre-print available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/0802.4077
Acceleration radiation, transition probabilities, and trans-Planckian physics
2010
An important question in the derivation of the acceleration radiation, which also arises in Hawking's derivation of black hole radiance, is the need to invoke trans-Planckian physics in describing the creation of quanta. We point out that this issue can be further clarified by reconsidering the analysis in terms of particle detectors, transition probabilities and local two-point functions. By writing down separate expressions for the spontaneous-and induced-transition probabilities of a uniformly accelerated detector, we show that the bulk of the effect comes from the natural (non-trans-Planckian) scale of the problem, which largely diminishes the importance of the trans-Planckian sector. T…
Revising the observable consequences of slow-roll inflation
2009
We study the generation of primordial perturbations in a (single-field) slow-roll inflationary Universe. In momentum space, these (Gaussian) perturbations are characterized by a zero mean and a nonzero variance Delta(2) (k, t). However, in position space the variance diverges in the ultraviolet. The requirement of a finite variance in position space forces one to regularize Delta(2) (k, t). This can (and should) be achieved by proper renormalization in an expanding Universe in a unique way. This affects the predicted scalar and tensorial power spectra (evaluated when the modes acquire classical properties) for wavelengths that today are at observable scales. As a consequence, the imprint of…
Insensitivity of Hawking radiation to an invariant Planck-scale cutoff
2009
A disturbing aspect of Hawking's derivation of black hole radiance is the need to invoke extreme conditions for the quantum field that originates the emitted quanta. It is widely argued that the derivation requires the validity of the conventional relativistic field theory to arbitrarily high, trans-Planckian scales. We stress in this note that this is not necessarily the case if the question is presented in a covariant way. We point out that Hawking radiation is immediately robust against an invariant Planck-scale cutoff. This important feature of Hawking radiation is relevant for a quantum gravity theory that preserves, in some way, the Lorentz symmetry.
Electric-magnetic duality and renormalization in curved spacetimes
2014
We point out that the duality symmetry of free electromagnetism does not hold in the quantum theory if an arbitrary classical gravitational background is present. The symmetry breaks in the process of renormalization, as also happens with conformal invariance. We show that a similar duality-anomaly appears for a massless scalar field in $1+1$ dimensions.
Electromagnetic Duality Anomaly in Curved Spacetimes
2016
The source-free Maxwell action is invariant under electric-magnetic duality rotations in arbitrary spacetimes. This leads to a conserved classical Noether charge. We show that this conservation law is broken at the quantum level in presence of a background classical gravitational field with a non-trivial Chern-Pontryagin invariant, in a parallel way to the chiral anomaly for massless Dirac fermions. Among the physical consequences, the net polarization of the quantum electromagnetic field is not conserved.
Two-point functions with an invariant Planck scale and thermal effects
2008
Nonlinear deformations of relativistic symmetries at the Planck scale are usually addressed in terms of modified dispersion relations. We explore here an alternative route by directly deforming the two-point functions of an underlying field theory. The proposed deformations depend on a length parameter (Planck length) and preserve the basic symmetries of the corresponding theory. We also study the physical consequences implied by these modifications at the Planck scale by analyzing the response function of an accelerated detector in Minkowski space, an inertial one in de Sitter space, and also in a black hole spacetime.
Computing black hole entropy in loop quantum gravity from a conformal field theory perspective
2009
Motivated by the analogy proposed by Witten between Chern-Simons and conformal field theories, we explore an alternative way of computing the entropy of a black hole starting from the isolated horizon framework in loop quantum gravity. The consistency of the result opens a window for the interplay between conformal field theory and the description of black holes in loop quantum gravity.
Classical and quantum aspects of electric-magnetic duality rotations in curved spacetimes
2018
It is well known that the source-free Maxwell equations are invariant under electric-magnetic duality rotations, $\mathrm{F}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{F}\mathrm{cos}\ensuremath{\theta}+^{\ensuremath{\star}}\mathrm{F}\mathrm{sin}\ensuremath{\theta}$. These transformations are indeed a symmetry of the theory in the Noether sense. The associated constant of motion is the difference in the intensity between self-dual and anti-self-dual components of the electromagnetic field or, equivalently, the difference between the right and left circularly polarized components. This conservation law holds even if the electromagnetic field interacts with an arbitrary classical gravitational background.…
Black hole radiance, short distances and TeV gravity.
2006
Using a derivation of black hole radiance in terms of two-point functions one can provide a quantitative estimate of the contribution of short distances to the spectrum. Thermality is preserved for black holes with $��l_P <<1$. However, deviations from the Planckian spectrum can be found for mini black holes in TeV gravity scenarios, even before reaching the Planck phase.
Gravity and handedness of photons
2017
Vacuum fluctuations of quantum fields are altered in presence of a strong gravitational background, with important physical consequences. We argue that a non-trivial spacetime geometry can act as an optically active medium for quantum electromagnetic radiation, in such a way that the state of polarization of radiation changes in time, even in the absence of electromagnetic sources. This is a quantum effect, and is a consequence of an anomaly related to the classical invariance under electric-magnetic duality rotations in Maxwell theory.
Black hole state degeneracy in Loop Quantum Gravity
2008
The combinatorial problem of counting the black hole quantum states within the Isolated Horizon framework in Loop Quantum Gravity is analyzed. A qualitative understanding of the origin of the band structure shown by the degeneracy spectrum, which is responsible for the black hole entropy quantization, is reached. Even when motivated by simple considerations, this picture allows to obtain analytical expressions for the most relevant quantities associated to this effect.
The Power Spectrum in de Sitter Inflation, Revisited
2008
We find that the amplitude of quantum fluctuations of the invariant de Sitter vacuum coincides exactly with that of the vacuum of a comoving observer for a massless scalar (inflaton) field. We propose redefining the actual physical power spectrum as the difference between the amplitudes of the above vacua. An inertial particle detector continues to observe the Gibbons-Hawking temperature. However, although the resulting power spectrum is still scale-free, its amplitude can be drastically reduced since now, instead of the Hubble's scale at the inflationary period, it is determined by the square of the mass of the inflaton fluctuation field.
Revising the predictions of inflation for the cosmic microwave background
2009
We point out that, if quantum field renormalization is taken into account and the counterterms are evaluated at the Hubble-radius crossing time or few e-foldings after it, the predictions of slow-roll inflation for both the scalar and the tensorial power spectrum change significantly. This leads to a change in the consistency condition that relates the tensor-to-scalar amplitude ratio with spectral indices. A reexamination of the potentials ϕ2 and ϕ4 shows that both are compatible with five-year WMAP data. Only when the counterterms are evaluated at much larger times beyond the end of inflation does one recover the standard predictions. The alternative predictions presented here may soon co…
Combinatorics of the SU(2) black hole entropy in loop quantum gravity
2009
We use the combinatorial and number-theoretical methods developed in previous works by the authors to study black hole entropy in the new proposal put forth by Engle, Noui, and Perez. Specifically, we give the generating functions relevant for the computation of the entropy and use them to derive its asymptotic behavior, including the value of the Immirzi parameter and the coefficient of the logarithmic correction.