Research in Gravitational Physics

这个理论引力物理学项目涉及引力物理学的广泛研究，包括量子引力、弯曲时空的量子场论、经典广义相对论和一些天体物理学导向的研究。 将研究超空间上惠勒-德威特方程的数学特性，特别是关于初始值公式的存在性以及当空间几何缩放到“零尺寸”时极限解的渐近行为的研究。 分析弯曲时空量子场论中的“平均零能量条件”和“年代保护猜想”的有效性等问题。 将研究经典引力中的许多主题，包括如何在一般引力理论中定义非静止黑洞的熵，以及“第二定律”成立的条件。 这项研究的主要目标是更深入地了解广义相对论中的数学和物理问题，并在制定引力量子理论方面取得进展。

This project in theoretical gravitational physics is concerned with a broad range of research in gravitational physics, including quantum gravity, quantum field theory in curved spacetime, classical general relativity, and some astrophysically oriented research. The mathematical properties of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation on superspace will be investigated, particularly with regard to the existence of an initial value formulation and to the study of the asymptotic behavior of solutions in the limit as the spatial geometry is scaled to "zero size". Issues in quantum field theory in curved spacetime such as the validity of the "averaged null energy condition" and the "chronology protection conjecture" will be analyzed. Numerous topics in classical gravitation will be investigated, including the issue of how the entropy of a non-stationary black hole should be defined in a general theory of gravity, and the conditions under which a "second law" will hold. The main goals of this research are to obtain a deeper understanding of mathematical and physical issues in general relativity, and to make progress towards formulating a quantum theory of gravitation.