4,918 research outputs found
Quantum Non-Gravity and Stellar Collapse
Observational indications combined with analyses of analogue and emergent
gravity in condensed matter systems support the possibility that there might be
two distinct energy scales related to quantum gravity: the scale that sets the
onset of quantum gravitational effects (related to the Planck scale) and
the much higher scale signalling the breaking of Lorentz symmetry. We
suggest a natural interpretation for these two scales: is the energy
scale below which a special relativistic spacetime emerges, is the scale
below which this spacetime geometry becomes curved. This implies that the first
`quantum' gravitational effect around could simply be that gravity is
progressively switched off, leaving an effective Minkowski quantum field theory
up to much higher energies of the order of . This scenario may have
important consequences for gravitational collapse, inasmuch as it opens up new
possibilities for the final state of stellar collapse other than an evaporating
black hole.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. v2: Partially restructured; potentially
observable consequence added. Several clarifications + 3 new references. To
appear in Found. of Phy
Quantum evolution in spacetime foam
In this work, I review some aspects concerning the evolution of quantum low-energy fields in a foamlike spacetime, with involved topology at the Planck scale but with a smooth metric structure at large length scales, as follows. Quantum gravitational fluctuations may induce a minimum length thus introducing an additional source of uncertainty in physics. The existence of this resolution limit casts doubts on the metric structure of spacetime at the Planck scale and opens a doorway to nontrivial topologies, which may dominate Planck scale physics. This foamlike structure of spacetime may show up in low-energy physics through loss of quantum coherence and mode-dependent energy shifts, for instance, which might be observable. Spacetime foam introduces nonlocal interactions that can be modeled by a quantum bath, and low-energy fields evolve according to a master equation that displays such effects. Similar laws are also obtained for quantum mechanical systems evolving according to good real clocks, although the underlying Hamiltonian structure in this case establishes serious differences among both scenarios. Contents.--- Quantum fluctuations of the gravitational field; Spacetime foam; Loss of quantum coherence; Quantum bath; Low-energy effective evolution; Real clocks; Conclusions
Sonic analog of gravitational black holes in Bose-Einstein condensates
It is shown that, in dilute-gas Bose-Einstein condensates, there exist both
dynamically stable and unstable configurations which, in the hydrodynamic
limit, exhibit a behavior resembling that of gravitational black holes. The
dynamical instabilities involve creation of quasiparticle pairs in positive and
negative energy states, as in the well-known suggested mechanism for black hole
evaporation. We propose a scheme to generate a stable sonic black hole in a
ring trap.Comment: RevTeX 3.1, 1 figure, 4 page
Quasi-normal mode analysis in BEC acoustic black holes
We perform a quasi-normal mode analysis of black hole configurations in
Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC). In this analysis we use the full Bogoliubov
dispersion relation, not just the hydrodynamic or geometric approximation. We
restrict our attention to one-dimensional flows in BEC with step-like
discontinuities. For this case we show that in the hydrodynamic approximation
quasi-normal modes do not exist. The full dispersion relation, however, allows
the existence of quasi-normal modes. Remarkably, the spectrum of these modes is
not discrete but continuous.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Wormhole effective interactions in anti-de Sitter spacetime
The effects of asymptotically anti-de Sitter wormholes in low-energy field theory are calculated in full detail for three different matter contents: a conformal scalar field, an electromagnetic field and gravitons. There exists a close relation between the choice of vacuum for the matter fields and the selection of a basis of the Hilbert space of anti-de Sitter wormholes. In the presence of conformal matter (i.e., conformal scalar or electromagnetic fields), this relation allows us to interpret the elements of these bases as wormhole states containing a given number of particles. This interpretation is subject to the same kind of ambiguity in the definition of particle as that arising from quantum field theory in curved spacetime. In the case of gravitons, owing to the non-conformal coupling, it is not possible to describe wormhole states in terms of their particle content
Quantum Electromagnetic Wormholes and Geometrical Description of the Electric Charge
I present and discuss a class of solutions of the Wheeler-de Witt equation
describing wormholes generated by coupling of gravity to the electromagnetic
field for Kantowski-Sachs and Bianchi I spacetimes. Since the electric charge
can be viewed as electric lines of force trapped in a finite region of
spacetime, these solutions can be interpreted as the quantum corresponding of
the Ein\-stein\--Ro\-sen\--Mis\-ner\--Whee\-ler electromagnetic geon.Comment: 13 pages, PLAIN TEX, Report No: SISSA 92/94/A (to appear in Phys.
Rev. D15
Quantum evolution according to real clocks
We characterize good clocks, which are naturally subject to fluctuations, in
statistical terms. We also obtain the master equation that governs the
evolution of quantum systems according to these clocks and find its general
solution. This master equation is diffusive and produces loss of coherence.
Moreover, real clocks can be described in terms of effective interactions that
are nonlocal in time. Alternatively, they can be modeled by an effective
thermal bath coupled to the system.Comment: RevTeX 3.01, 6 page
Wormholes as Basis for the Hilbert Space in Lorentzian Gravity
We carry out to completion the quantization of a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker
model provided with a conformal scalar field, and of a Kantowski-Sachs
spacetime minimally coupled to a massless scalar field. We prove that the
Hilbert space determined by the reality conditions that correspond to
Lorentzian gravity admits a basis of wormhole wave functions. This result
implies that the vector space spanned by the quantum wormholes can be equipped
with an unique inner product by demanding an adequate set of Lorentzian reality
conditions, and that the Hilbert space of wormholes obtained in this way can be
identified with the whole Hilbert space of physical states for Lorentzian
gravity. In particular, all the normalizable quantum states can then be
interpreted as superpositions of wormholes. For each of the models considered
here, we finally show that the physical Hilbert space is separable by
constructing a discrete orthonormal basis of wormhole solutions.Comment: 23 pages (Latex), Preprint IMAFF-RC-04-94, CGPG-94/5-
Pure States, Mixed States and Hawking Problem in Generalized Quantum Mechanics
This paper is the continuation of a study into the information paradox
problem started by the author in his earlier works. As previously, the key
instrument is a deformed density matrix in quantum mechanics of the early
universe. It is assumed that the latter represents quantum mechanics with
fundamental length. It is demonstrated that the obtained results agree well
with the canonical viewpoint that in the processes involving black holes pure
states go to the mixed ones in the assumption that all measurements are
performed by the observer in a well-known quantum mechanics. Also it is shown
that high entropy for Planck remnants of black holes appearing in the
assumption of the Generalized Uncertainty Relations may be explained within the
scope of the density matrix entropy introduced by the author previously. It is
noted that the suggested paradigm is consistent with the Holographic Principle.
Because of this, a conjecture is made about the possibility for obtaining the
Generalized Uncertainty Relations from the covariant entropy bound at high
energies in the same way as R. Bousso has derived Heisenberg uncertainty
principle for the flat space.Comment: 12 pages,no figures,some corrections,new reference
Hilbert space of wormholes
Wormhole boundary conditions for the Wheeler--DeWitt equation can be derived
from the path integral formulation. It is proposed that the wormhole wave
function must be square integrable in the maximal analytic extension of
minisuperspace. Quantum wormholes can be invested with a Hilbert space
structure, the inner product being naturally induced by the minisuperspace
metric, in which the Wheeler--DeWitt operator is essentially self--adjoint.
This provides us with a kind of probabilistic interpretation. In particular,
giant wormholes will give extremely small contributions to any wormhole state.
We also study the whole spectrum of the Wheeler--DeWitt operator and its role
in the calculation of Green's functions and effective low energy interactions.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures available upon request, REVTE
- …