Causal structure of acoustic spacetimes

The so-called ``analogue models of general relativity'' provide a number of specific physical systems, well outside the traditional realm of general relativity, that nevertheless are well-described by the differential geometry of curved spacetime. Specifically, the propagation of acoustic disturbances in moving fluids are described by ``effective metrics'' that carry with them notions of ``causal structure'' as determined by an exchange of sound signals. These acoustic causal structures serve as specific examples of what can be done in the presence of a Lorentzian metric without having recourse to the Einstein equations of general relativity. (After all, the underlying fluid mechanics is governed by the equations of traditional hydrodynamics, not by the Einstein equations.) In this article we take a careful look at what can be said about the causal structure of acoustic spacetimes, focusing on those containing sonic points or horizons, both with a view to seeing what is different from standard general relativity, and to seeing what the similarities might be.Comment: 51 pages, 39 figures (23 colour figures, colour used to convey physics information.) V2: Two references added, some additional discussion of maximal analytic extension, plus minor cosmetic change

Noncommutative nonsingular black holes

Adopting noncommutative spacetime coordinates, we determined a new solution of Einstein equations for a static, spherically symmetric matter source. The limitations of the conventional Schwarzschild solution, due to curvature singularities, are overcome. As a result, the line element is endowed of a regular DeSitter core at the origin and of two horizons even in the considered case of electrically neutral, nonrotating matter. Regarding the Hawking evaporation process, the intriguing new feature is that the black hole is allowed to reach only a finite maximum temperature, before cooling down to an absolute zero extremal state. As a consequence the quantum back reaction is negligible.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Proceedings to the 8th Workshop `What Comes Beyond the Standard Model', July 19-29, 2005, Bled, Slovenia, edited by C.D. Froggatt (Glasgow U.), N. Mankoc Borstnik (Ljubljana U.) and H.B. Nielsen (Bohr Inst.

Quadratic Form Expansions for Unitaries

We introduce techniques to analyze unitary operations in terms of quadratic form expansions, a form similar to a sum over paths in the computational basis when the phase contributed by each path is described by a quadratic form over $\mathbb R$. We show how to relate such a form to an entangled resource akin to that of the one-way measurement model of quantum computing. Using this, we describe various conditions under which it is possible to efficiently implement a unitary operation U, either when provided a quadratic form expansion for U as input, or by finding a quadratic form expansion for U from other input data.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figures; (extended version of) accepted submission to TQC 200

Black Holes as Effective Geometries

Gravitational entropy arises in string theory via coarse graining over an underlying space of microstates. In this review we would like to address the question of how the classical black hole geometry itself arises as an effective or approximate description of a pure state, in a closed string theory, which semiclassical observers are unable to distinguish from the "naive" geometry. In cases with enough supersymmetry it has been possible to explicitly construct these microstates in spacetime, and understand how coarse-graining of non-singular, horizon-free objects can lead to an effective description as an extremal black hole. We discuss how these results arise for examples in Type II string theory on AdS_5 x S^5 and on AdS_3 x S^3 x T^4 that preserve 16 and 8 supercharges respectively. For such a picture of black holes as effective geometries to extend to cases with finite horizon area the scale of quantum effects in gravity would have to extend well beyond the vicinity of the singularities in the effective theory. By studying examples in M-theory on AdS_3 x S^2 x CY that preserve 4 supersymmetries we show how this can happen.Comment: Review based on lectures of JdB at CERN RTN Winter School and of VB at PIMS Summer School. 68 pages. Added reference

Complexity, action, and black holes

Our earlier paper "Complexity Equals Action" conjectured that the quantum computational complexity of a holographic state is given by the classical action of a region in the bulk (the "Wheeler-DeWitt" patch). We provide calculations for the results quoted in that paper, explain how it fits into a broader (tensor) network of ideas, and elaborate on the hypothesis that black holes are the fastest computers in nature.Comment: 55+14 pages, many figures. v2: (so many) typos fixed, references adde

The Cheshire Cap

A key role in black hole dynamics is played by the inner horizon; most of the entropy of a slightly nonextremal charged or rotating black hole is carried there, and the covariant entropy bound suggests that the rest lies in the region between the inner and outer horizon. An attempt to match this onto results of the microstate geometries program suggests that a `Higgs branch' of underlying long string states of the configuration space realizes the degrees of freedom on the inner horizon, while the `Coulomb branch' describes the inter-horizon region and beyond. Support for this proposal comes from an analysis of the way singularities develop in microstate geometries, and their close analogy to corresponding structures in fivebrane dynamics. These singularities signal the opening up of the long string degrees of freedom of the theory, which are partly visible from the geometry side. A conjectural picture of the black hole interior is proposed, wherein the long string degrees of freedom resolve the geometrical singularity on the inner horizon, yet are sufficiently nonlocal to communicate information to the outer horizon and beyond.Comment: 64 pages, 8 figures. Version 2: References added, together with substantial elaborations and clarification

Causation does not explain contextuality

Realist interpretations of quantum mechanics presuppose the existence of elements of reality that are independent of the actions used to reveal them. Such a view is challenged by several no-go theorems that show quantum correlations cannot be explained by non-contextual ontological models, where physical properties are assumed to exist prior to and independently of the act of measurement. However, all such contextuality proofs assume a traditional notion of causal structure, where causal influence flows from past to future according to ordinary dynamical laws. This leaves open the question of whether the apparent contextuality of quantum mechanics is simply the signature of some exotic causal structure, where the future might affect the past or distant systems might get correlated due to non-local constraints. Here we show that quantum predictions require a deeper form of contextuality: even allowing for arbitrary causal structure, no model can explain quantum correlations from non-contextual ontological properties of the world, be they initial states, dynamical laws, or global constraints.Comment: 18+8 pages, 3 figure