Causal Fermion Systems: A Quantum Space-Time Emerging from an Action Principle

Causal fermion systems are introduced as a general mathematical framework for formulating relativistic quantum theory. By specializing, we recover earlier notions like fermion systems in discrete space-time, the fermionic projector and causal variational principles. We review how an effect of spontaneous structure formation gives rise to a topology and a causal structure in space-time. Moreover, we outline how to construct a spin connection and curvature, leading to a proposal for a "quantum geometry" in the Lorentzian setting. We review recent numerical and analytical results on the support of minimizers of causal variational principles which reveal a "quantization effect" resulting in a discreteness of space-time. A brief survey is given on the correspondence to quantum field theory and gauge theories.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX, 2 figures, footnote added on page

A Rigorous Treatment of Energy Extraction from a Rotating Black Hole

The Cauchy problem is considered for the scalar wave equation in the Kerr geometry. We prove that by choosing a suitable wave packet as initial data, one can extract energy from the black hole, thereby putting supperradiance, the wave analogue of the Penrose process, into a rigorous mathematical framework. We quantify the maximal energy gain. We also compute the infinitesimal change of mass and angular momentum of the black hole, in agreement with Christodoulou's result for the Penrose process. The main mathematical tool is our previously derived integral representation of the wave propagator.Comment: 19 pages, LaTeX, proof of Propositions 2.3 and 3.1 given in more detai

An Integral Spectral Representation of the Propagator for the Wave Equation in the Kerr Geometry

We consider the scalar wave equation in the Kerr geometry for Cauchy data which is smooth and compactly supported outside the event horizon. We derive an integral representation which expresses the solution as a superposition of solutions of the radial and angular ODEs which arise in the separation of variables. In particular, we prove completeness of the solutions of the separated ODEs. This integral representation is a suitable starting point for a detailed analysis of the long-time dynamics of scalar waves in the Kerr geometry.Comment: 41 pages, 4 figures, minor correction

A Discussion on Dirac Field Theory, No-Go Theorems and Renormalizability

We study Dirac field equations coupled to electrodynamics with metric and torsion fields: we discuss how special spinorial solutions are incompatible with torsion; eventually these results will be used to sketch a discussion on the problem of renormalizability of point-like particles.Comment: 10 page

Error Estimates for Approximate Solutions of the Riccati Equation with Real or Complex Potentials

A method is presented for obtaining rigorous error estimates for approximate solutions of the Riccati equation, with real or complex potentials. Our main tool is to derive invariant region estimates for complex solutions of the Riccati equation. We explain the general strategy for applying these estimates and illustrate the method in typical examples, where the approximate solutions are obtained by glueing together WKB and Airy solutions of corresponding one-dimensional Schrodinger equations. Our method is motivated by and has applications to the analysis of linear wave equations in the geometry of a rotating black hole.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX, 13 figures, minor improvements (published version

The Dirac Equation and the Normalization of its Solutions in a Closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker Universe

We set up the Dirac equation in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker geometry and separate the spatial and time variables. In the case of a closed universe, the spatial dependence is solved explicitly, giving rise to a discrete set of solutions. We compute the probability integral and analyze a space-time normalization integral. This analysis allows us to introduce the fermionic projector in a closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker geometry and to specify its global normalization as well as its local form.Comment: 22 pages, LaTeX, sign error in equation (3.7) correcte

Absence of Stationary, Spherically Symmetric Black Hole Solutions for Einstein-Dirac-Yang/Mills Equations with Angular Momentum

We study a stationary, spherically symmetric system of (2j+1) massive Dirac particles, each having angular momentum j, j=1,2,..., in a classical gravitational and SU(2) Yang-Mills field. We show that for any black hole solution of the associated Einstein-Dirac-Yang/Mills equations, the spinors must vanish identically outside of the event horizon

Superconducting Hair on Charged Black String Background

Behaviour of Dirac fermions in the background of a charged black string penetrated by an Abelian Higgs vortex is elaborated. One finds the evidence that the system under consideration can support fermion fields acting like a superconducting cosmic string in the sence that a nontrivial Dirac fermion field can be carried by the system in question. The case of nonextremal and extremal black string vortex systems were considered. The influence of electric and Higgs charge, the winding number and the fermion mass on the fermion localization near the black string event horizon was studied. It turned out that the extreme charged black string expelled fermion fields more violently comparing to the nonextremal one.Comment: RevTex, 16 pages, 12 figures, to be published in Phys.REvD1

The repulsive nature of naked singularities from the point of view of Quantum Mechanics

We use the Dirac equation coupled to a background metric to examine what happens to quantum mechanical observables like the probability density and the radial current in the vicinity of a naked singularity of the Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m type. We find that the wave function of the Dirac particle is regular in the point of the singularity. We show that the probability density is exactly zero at the singularity reflecting quantum-mechanically the repulsive nature of the naked singularity. Furthermore, the surface integral of the radial current over a sphere in the vicinity of the naked singularity turns out to be also zero.Comment: 11 page