Quantum gravity fluctuations in the timelike Raychaudhuri equation
Source
arXiv
ISSN
2331-8422
Date Issued
2022-12-01
Author(s)
Bak, Sang-Eon
Parikh, Maulik
Sarkar, Sudipta
Setti, Francesco
Abstract
We consider a timelike geodesic congruence in the presence of perturbative quantum fluctuations of the spacetime metric. We calculate the change in the volume of a bundle of geodesics due to such fluctuations and thereby obtain a quantum-gravitationally modified timelike Raychaudhuri equation. Quantum gravity generically increases the convergence of congruences and the production of caustics.
Subjects
Raychaudhuri equation
Geodesic congruence
Quantum fluctuations
Spacetime metric
Quantum gravity
