Research on Quantum Field Fluctuations and Gravity

该项目涉及与量子理论和引力相关的几个主题的理论研究。将特别强调与量子涨落有关的现象。一些要研究的主题包括负能量，能量密度的波动，以及由于电磁场的真空波动而对原子和宏观物体的力。关于负能量的工作旨在确定物理学对负能量密度的限制，这些限制反过来将有助于更好地理解量子系统可以产生的引力效应的类型。能量密度涨落的研究（应力张量波动）将有助于阐明物质的量子涨落如何引起引力场的量子涨落。这可能会导致更精确的描述早期宇宙中黑洞的事件视界或时空几何。关于真空涨落力（卡西米尔力）的工作将寻找这些通常很小的力可以增强的系统。将特别注意可能在实验上观察到这些增强效应的系统。本项目力求将引力场量子性质的研究与波动电磁力的研究结合起来。希望这种调查将导致对这两种现象的更深入了解。预计该项目将通过对其他科学、教育和技术领域的可能惠益产生更广泛的影响。这项工作的见解和技术可能是有用的物理学的特定子领域之外正在调查。该项目将通过培训研究生和主要教学机构的教员的参与来促进教育。它还应该产生的例子，可以用来解释一些概念的量子理论和相对论的学生在各种教育水平。关于卡西米尔力的工作最终可能在纳米技术中有用。更好地了解卡西米尔力可能对小型设备的建造变得重要。

This project involves theoretical research on several topics related to quantum theory and gravitation. There will be special emphasis on phenomena related to quantum fluctuations. Some of the topics to be investigated include negative energy, fluctuations of the energy density,and the forces on atoms and macroscopic bodies due to the vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. The work on negative energy seeks to ascertain the limits placed by the aws of physics upon negative energy density, which can be produced by quantum effects.These limits in turn will help to understand better the types of gravitational effects which quantum systems can produce.The study of energy density fluctuations (stress tensor fluctuations) will help to elucidate how quantum fluctuations of matter can give rise to quantum fluctuations of the gravitational field.This may lead to a more precise description of the event horizon of a black hole or the spacetime geometry in the early universe.The work on the forces due to vacuum fluctuations (Casimir forces) will look for systems in which these usually tiny forces can become enhanced. Particular attention will be paid to systems where these enhanced effects might be experimentally observed.This project seeks to integrate studies of the quantum nature of the gravitational field with studies of fluctuating electromagnetic forces. It is hoped that this type of investigation will lead to a deeper understanding of both types of phenomena. This project is expected to have a broader impact through possible benefits to other fields of science, to education, and to technology. The insights and techniques of this work may be useful outside of the specific subfields of physics being investigated. The project will further education through the training of graduate students and by the involvement of faculty at primarily teaching institutions. It should also produce examples which can be used to explain some of the concepts of quantum theory and relativity to students on a variety of educational evels. The work on Casimir forces may eventually be useful in nanotechnology. A better knowledge of Casimir forces is likely to become important for the construction of small scale devices.