Research on Quantum Fluctuations and Gravitation

这个项目将涉及量子场论的各个方面的理论研究，以及它与引力理论和宇宙学的关系。它的中心焦点将是与量子涨落相关的物理现象。已经选择了几个具体的主题进行详细研究，其中一些涉及引力场，另一些涉及非引力系统。这些主题包括对源自量子场论的负能量密度的限制。这些限制对使用负能量创造奇异引力场施加了严格的限制。第二个主题是量子化物质场的应力张量的涨落。这在引力场的量子涨落和固体之间的范德华力理论的背景下都很有趣。包括地平线在内的边界的量子波动也将受到调查。最后，我们将讨论与平坦时空中电磁场的真空涨落有关的一些问题。其中包括这种涨落对电子干涉图样的影响，以及在范德华力的背景下放大真空涨落的可能性。这项研究旨在更深入地了解各种情况下量子涨落的一些影响，特别是理解引力场的量子性质的各个方面。

***9800965FordThis project will involve theoretical research on various aspects of quantum field theory and its relationship to gravitational theory and cosmology. Its central focus will be physical phenomena associated with quantum fluctuations. Several specific topics have been selected for detailed study, some of which involve the gravitational field, and others of which involve nongravitational systems. These topics include constraints on negative energy densities which derive from quantum field theory. Such constraints impose severe restrictions on the use of negative energy to create exotic gravitational fields. A second topic will be fluctuations of the stress tensor of quantized matter fields. This is of interest both in the context of quantum fluctuations of the gravitational field and of the theory of van der Waals forces between solid bodies. The quantum fluctuations of boundaries, including horizons, will also be subject to investigation. Finally, some topics related to vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field in flat spacetime will be examined. These include the effects of such fluctuations on electron interference patterns, and the possibility of amplifying vacuum fluctuations in the context of van der Waals forces.This research aims to understand more deeply some of the effects of quantum fluctuations in a variety of situations, and in particular, to understand aspects of the quantum nature of the gravitational field.***