Classical and quantum aspects of degenerate metric fields

Tucker, Robin (1995) Classical and quantum aspects of degenerate metric fields. In: Geometry of constrained dynamical systems : proceedings of a conference held at the Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge, June 1994. Publications of the Newton Institute . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 251-263. ISBN 9780521070065

Abstract

Degenerate space-time metrics are discussed in the framework of gravitation in interaction with scalar fields. Minisuperspace quantisations are effected leading to coherent states that exhibit enhanced fluctuations in the vicinity of classical cosmological loci. An alternative approach for implementing the Hamiltonian constraint is offered in terms of a spinor state space and an analysis of solutions to the scalar field equation on a 2-dimensional topologically non-trivial manifold with a degenerate metric is summarised.