Quantum Effects in General Relativity

A special issue of Universe (ISSN 2218-1997). This special issue belongs to the section "Gravitation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2021) | Viewed by 8021

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Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sussex, Sussex BN1 4GE, UK
Interests: theoretical physics; quantum physics; quantum gravity; black holes; cosmology; quantum field theory
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will cover different aspects of quantum effects in general relativity. Understanding how to merge quantum mechanics and general relativity is one of the deepest problems in modern theoretical physics. The main issue is that Newton’s constant, which fixes the strength of the gravitational interactions, is dimensionful. In that sense gravity according to Einstein is very different from other fundamental interactions whose strengths are fixed by dimensionless coupling constants. This leads to the well-known problem of the non-renormalizability of Einstein’s theory, at least in perturbation theory. At this stage, it is not clear whether solving this problem will require expanding quantum physics or gravity or giving up the notion of point particles. One thus needs to remain open-minded and agnostic on how to resolve this fundamental problem. This Special Issue will present the state of the art in this field and is open to all approaches to quantum gravity. We welcome submissions of, either research or review, papers dealing with quantum effects in general relativity very broadly defined. Papers describing applications of quantum gravity to particle physics, cosmology, or astrophysics including black holes are also most welcome.

Prof. Dr. Xavier Calmet
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Quantum Mechanics
  • General Relativity Quantum Gravity
  • Cosmology
  • Astrophysics
  • Black Holes
  • Physics Beyond the Standard Model
  • Tests of Gravity
  • Foundations of Physics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 363 KiB  
Article
Regularity of a General Class of “Quantum Deformed” Black Holes
by Thomas Berry, Alex Simpson and Matt Visser
Universe 2021, 7(6), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe7060165 - 27 May 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2010
Abstract
We discuss the “quantum deformed Schwarzschild spacetime”, as originally introduced by Kazakov and Solodukhin in 1993, and investigate the precise sense in which it does and does not satisfy the desiderata for being a “regular black hole”. We shall carefully distinguish (i) regularity [...] Read more.
We discuss the “quantum deformed Schwarzschild spacetime”, as originally introduced by Kazakov and Solodukhin in 1993, and investigate the precise sense in which it does and does not satisfy the desiderata for being a “regular black hole”. We shall carefully distinguish (i) regularity of the metric components, (ii) regularity of the Christoffel components, and (iii) regularity of the curvature. We shall then embed the Kazakov–Solodukhin spacetime in a more general framework where these notions are clearly and cleanly separated. Finally, we analyze aspects of the classical physics of these “quantum deformed Schwarzschild spacetimes”. We shall discuss the surface gravity, the classical energy conditions, null and timelike geodesics, and the appropriate variant of the Regge–Wheeler equation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Effects in General Relativity)
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17 pages, 329 KiB  
Article
Singularity Theorems in the Effective Field Theory for Quantum Gravity at Second Order in Curvature
by Folkert Kuipers and Xavier Calmet
Universe 2020, 6(10), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe6100171 - 10 Oct 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1959
Abstract
In this paper, we discuss singularity theorems in quantum gravity using effective field theory methods. To second order in curvature, the effective field theory contains two new degrees of freedom which have important implications for the derivation of these theorems: a massive spin-2 [...] Read more.
In this paper, we discuss singularity theorems in quantum gravity using effective field theory methods. To second order in curvature, the effective field theory contains two new degrees of freedom which have important implications for the derivation of these theorems: a massive spin-2 field and a massive spin-0 field. Using an explicit mapping of this theory from the Jordan frame to the Einstein frame, we show that the massive spin-2 field violates the null energy condition, while the massive spin-0 field satisfies the null energy condition, but may violate the strong energy condition. Due to this violation, classical singularity theorems are no longer applicable, indicating that singularities can be avoided, if the leading quantum corrections are taken into account. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Effects in General Relativity)

Review

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19 pages, 4482 KiB  
Review
Black Holes and Wormholes in Extended Gravity
by Stanislav Alexeyev and Maxim Sendyuk
Universe 2020, 6(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe6020025 - 27 Jan 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3087
Abstract
We discuss black hole type solutions and wormhole type ones in the effective gravity models. Such models appear during the attempts to construct the quantum theory of gravity. The mentioned solutions, being, mostly, the perturbative generalisations of well-known ones in general relativity, carry [...] Read more.
We discuss black hole type solutions and wormhole type ones in the effective gravity models. Such models appear during the attempts to construct the quantum theory of gravity. The mentioned solutions, being, mostly, the perturbative generalisations of well-known ones in general relativity, carry out additional set of parameters and, therefore could help, for example, in the studying of the last stages of Hawking evaporation, in extracting the possibilities for the experimental or observational search and in helping to constrain by astrophysical data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Effects in General Relativity)
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