Research in Gravitational Physics

理论引力物理项目涉及广泛的引力物理研究，包括量子引力、弯曲时空中的量子场论、经典广义相对论和一些天体物理学方向的研究。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，以及当空间几何缩放到“零尺寸”时解在极限下的渐近行为的研究。分析了弯曲时空中量子场论中的“平均零能条件”和“时序保护猜想”的有效性等问题。经典万有引力中的许多主题将被研究，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。本研究的主要目标是对广义相对论中的数学和物理问题有更深入的了解，并朝着建立量子引力理论的方向取得进展。

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.