Quantum Gravity on the Inside

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This award funds the research activities of Professor Jared Kaplan at Johns Hopkins University. For many years, physicists have been searching for a way to combine our understanding of the gravitational force, which is based on Einstein's theory of general relativity, with quantum mechanics. However, such a fusion gives rise to the so-called Black-Hole Information Paradox, which seems to challenge one of our most fundamental physical principles, namely the principle of locality, which states that objects can only interact if they are near each other. But just as Heisenberg's uncertainty principle was only a harbinger of all manner of quantum weirdness, the information paradox may presage other subtle violations of locality. The goal of Professor Kaplan's research is to study some of these exotic phenomena in order to determine if the laws of physics, and in particular the principle of locality, can be maintained near black holes. As a result, this research advances the national interest by promoting the progress of science towards the discovery and understanding of fundamental physical principles. This research project will also have broader impacts, as Professor Kaplan will involve graduate students in his research and plans to disseminate the results of this research through public talks. On a more technical level, Professor Kaplan aims to study locality in quantum gravity using the AdS/CFT correspondence. In particular, he will focus on the following questions: (1) How can the AdS/CFT correspondence make predictions for physical bulk observers beyond perturbation theory? (2) Are previously-discovered non-perturbative locality violations in (2+1)-dimensional AdS space robust and physical? (3) Can the impossibility of screening the gravitational field in AdS/CFT be demonstrated? Professor Kaplan will use the AdS/CFT correspondence, the conformal bootstrap, and Virasoro symmetry to perform explicit calculations that will help to address these questions. Professor Kaplan will also endeavor to interpret technical developments in CFT in terms of quantum gravity in AdS in order to shed light on the mysteries of black-hole evaporation and the limitations on locality in quantum gravity. Finally, Professor Kaplan will work to extend his results to higher dimensions and to more physically relevant spacetimes, including quantum gravitating cosmologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.