Hawking radiation from decoherence

It is argued that the thermal nature of Hawking radiation arises solely due to decoherence. Thereby any information-loss paradox is avoided because for closed systems pure states remain pure. The discussion is performed for a massless scalar field in the background of a Schwarzschild black hole, but the arguments should hold in general. The result is also compared to and contrasted with the situation in inflationary cosmology.Comment: 6 pages, to appear in Class. Quantum Gra

Quantum Gravitational Contributions to the CMB Anisotropy Spectrum

We derive the primordial power spectrum of density fluctuations in the framework of quantum cosmology. For this purpose we perform a Born-Oppenheimer approximation to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for an inflationary universe with a scalar field. In this way we first recover the scale-invariant power spectrum that is found as an approximation in the simplest inflationary models. We then obtain quantum gravitational corrections to this spectrum and discuss whether they lead to measurable signatures in the CMB anisotropy spectrum. The non-observation so far of such corrections translates into an upper bound on the energy scale of inflation.Comment: 4 pages, v3: sign error in Eq. (5) and its consequences correcte

Properties of cryogenically worked metals

A program was conducted to determine whether the mechanical properties of cryogenically worked 17-7PH stainless steel are suitable for service from ambient to cryogenic temperatures. It was determined that the stress corrosion resistance of the cryo-worked material is quite adequate for structural service. The tensile properties and fracture toughness at room temperature were comparable to titanium alloy 6Al-4V. However, at cryogenic temperatures, the properties were not sufficient to recommend consideration for structural service

Quantum Gravity Equation In Schroedinger Form In Minisuperspace Description

We start from classical Hamiltonian constraint of general relativity to obtain the Einstein-Hamiltonian-Jacobi equation. We obtain a time parameter prescription demanding that geometry itself determines the time, not the matter field, such that the time so defined being equivalent to the time that enters into the Schroedinger equation. Without any reference to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation and without invoking the expansion of exponent in WKB wavefunction in powers of Planck mass, we obtain an equation for quantum gravity in Schroedinger form containing time. We restrict ourselves to a minisuperspace description. Unlike matter field equation our equation is equivalent to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation in the sense that our solutions reproduce also the wavefunction of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation provided one evaluates the normalization constant according to the wormhole dominance proposal recently proposed by us.Comment: 11 Pages, ReVTeX, no figur

Where has all the information gone?

The existence of spacetime singularities is irrelevant for the irreversible appearance of black holes. However, confirmation of the latter's unitary dynamics would require the preparation of a coherent superposition of a tremendous number of appropriate ``Everett worlds''.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, Latex - Invited paper for a special Einstein issue of Physics Letters

Ehrenfest's Principle and the Problem of Time in Quantum Gravity

We elaborate on a proposal made by Greensite and others to solve the problem of time in quantum gravity. The proposal states that a viable concept of time and a sensible inner product can be found from the demand for the Ehrenfest equations to hold in quantum gravity. We derive and discuss in detail exact consistency conditions from both Ehrenfest equations as well as from the semiclassical approximation. We also discuss consistency conditions arising from the full field theory. We find that only a very restricted class of solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation fulfills all consistency conditions. We conclude that therefore this proposal must either be abandoned as a means to solve the problem of time or, alternatively, be used as an additional boundary condition to select physical solutions from the Wheeler-DeWitt equation.Comment: 20 pages, LATE

Remarks on the issue of time and complex numbers in canonical quantum gravity

We develop the idea that, as a result of the arbitrariness of the factor ordering in Wheeler-DeWitt equation, gauge phases can not, in general, being completely removed from the wave functional in quantum gravity. The latter may be conveniently described by means of a remnant complex term in WDW equation depending of the factor ordering. Taking this equation for granted we can obtain WKB complex solutions and, therefore, we should be able to derive a semiclassical time parameter for the Schroedinger equation corresponding to matter fields in a given classical curved space.Comment: Typewritten using RevTex, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Quantum Gravitational Collapse and Hawking Radiation in 2+1 Dimensions

We develop the canonical theory of gravitational collapse in 2+1 dimensions with a negative cosmological constant and obtain exact solutions of the Wheeler--DeWitt equation regularized on a lattice. We employ these solutions to derive the Hawking radiation from black holes formed in all models of dust collapse. We obtain an (approximate) Planck spectrum near the horizon characterized by the Hawking temperature $T_{\mathrm H}=\hbar\sqrt{G\Lambda M}/2\pi$, where $M$ is the mass of a black hole that is presumed to form at the center of the collapsing matter cloud and $-\Lambda$ is the cosmological constant. Our solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation are exact, so we are able to reliably compute the greybody factors that result from going beyond the near horizon region.Comment: 27 pages, no figure

Effective action and decoherence by fermions in quantum cosmology

We develop the formalism for the one-loop no-boundary state in a cosmological model with fermions. We use it to calculate the reduced density matrix for an inflaton field by tracing out the fermionic degrees of freedom, yielding both the fermionic effective action and the standard decoherence factor. We show that dimensional regularisation of ultraviolet divergences would lead to an inconsistent density matrix. Suppression of these divergences to zero is instead performed through a nonlocal Bogoliubov transformation of the fermionic variables, which leads to a consistent density matrix. The resulting degree of decoherence is less than in the case of bosonic fields.Comment: Latex, 26 page

Crogenic alloy screening Interim report

Evaluation of mechanical properties and fracture strength of aluminum alloys and stainless stee