Research in Gravitational Physics

理论引力物理的这个项目涉及引力物理的广泛研究，包括量子引力、弯曲时空中的量子场论、经典广义相对论以及一些面向天体物理的研究。我们将研究超空间上Wheeler-DeWitt方程的数学性质，特别是关于初值公式的存在性和当空间几何尺度为“零”时极限上解的渐近行为的研究。对弯曲时空中量子场论中的“平均零能量条件”和“年表保护猜想”的正确性等问题进行了分析。我们将研究经典引力中的许多话题，包括如何在一般引力理论中定义动态黑洞的熵，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理解广义相对论中的数学和物理问题，并在建立引力的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.