Gauge fixing in (2+1)-gravity: Dirac bracket and spacetime geometry

Meusburger C, Schönfeld T (2011)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2011

Journal

Classical and Quantum Gravity Institute of Physics: Hybrid Open Access

Publisher: Institute of Physics: Hybrid Open Access

Book Volume: 28

Article Number: 125008

Journal Issue: 12

DOI: 10.1088/0264-9381/28/12/125008

Abstract

We consider (2+1)-gravity with a vanishing cosmological constant as a constrained dynamical system. By applying Dirac's gauge fixing procedure, we implement the constraints and determine the Dirac bracket on the gauge-invariant phase space. The chosen gauge fixing conditions have a natural physical interpretation and specify an observer in the spacetime. We derive explicit expressions for the resulting Dirac brackets and discuss their geometrical interpretation. In particular, we show that specifying an observer with respect to two point particles gives rise to conical spacetimes, whose deficit angle and time shift are determined, respectively, by the relative velocity and minimal distance of the two particles. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Authors with CRIS profile

Cathérine Meusburger Professur für Mathematik (Darstellungstheorie und Mathematische Physik) Torsten Schönfeld Professur für Mathematik (Darstellungstheorie und Mathematische Physik)

How to cite

APA:

Meusburger, C., & Schönfeld, T. (2011). Gauge fixing in (2+1)-gravity: Dirac bracket and spacetime geometry. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 28(12). https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/28/12/125008

MLA:

Meusburger, Cathérine, and Torsten Schönfeld. "Gauge fixing in (2+1)-gravity: Dirac bracket and spacetime geometry." Classical and Quantum Gravity 28.12 (2011).

BibTeX: Download