Mathematical and Theoretical Physics Seminar: Xuchen Cao (UIUC), "Gravitational Algebras with Two Areas"

Abstract: We study gravitational algebras on spacetimes with two extremal surfaces. In the example of a long wormhole with two asymptotic AdS boundaries and two compact extremal surfaces, we discuss the assignment of gravitational algebras to various regions bounded by the extremal surfaces and/or asymptotic boundaries.

Using the split property, we construct type II algebras from the crossed product in the left exterior, right exterior, the middle ``python's lunch'' region, and their complement regions. We also study the case where only the area sum operator or area difference operator is included as part of the gravitational algebra.

This can be achieved by picking the appropriate microcanonical ensemble, and these gravitational algebras can either be type II or type III depending on the region. In the case where we include only the area difference mode, the crossed product gives rise to a weight that restricts to a trace on the middle region.

Differences of relative entropies with respect to this weight give differences in generalized entropies. This provides an algebraic understanding of the order parameter that controls the phase transitions between entanglement wedges.

We emphasize the role of operator-valued weights used in our construction.