An algebra for covariant observers in de Sitter space

Abstract: A consistent implementation of the gravitational constraints in de Sitter space requires gauging the full $SO(1,d)$ isometry group. In this paper, we develop a framework that enables the gauging of the full de Sitter isometry while consistently incorporating multiple observers on arbitrary geodesics. We achieve this by introducing the concept of \textit{covariant observer}, whose geodesic is a dynamical entity that transforms under the isometry group. Upon quantization, the geodesic becomes a fluctuating degree of freedom, providing a quantum reference frame for $SO(1,d)$. Inspired by the timelike tube theorem, we propose that the algebra of observables is generated by all degrees of freedom within the fluctuating static patch, including the quantum fields modes and other observers. The gauge-invariant subalgebra of observables is an averaged version of the modular crossed product algebra, and we establish its type II character by constructing a trace. This yields a well-defined von Neumann entropy. For semiclassical states, by imposing a UV cutoff in QFT and proposing a quantum generalization of the first law, we demonstrate that the algebraic and generalized entropies are in match. Our work generalizes the notion of a local algebra to that of a \textit{fluctuating region}, representing an average of algebras over all possible static patches and configurations of other geodesics. This provides a complete, covariant, and multi-observer extension of the CLPW construction and lays the foundation for a fully relational quantum gravitational description of de Sitter space.