Issues in Classical and Quantum Gravity

这项研究将推进我们对量子引力的理解，深入理解量子引力是理论物理学50多年来的目标，并吸引了狄拉克、彭罗斯和霍金等著名物理学家的注意。“量子引力”一词指的是将量子力学（由玻尔、海森堡等人提出，对于描述原子、分子和更小物体的物理学至关重要）和广义相对论（由爱因斯坦提出，用弯曲时空来描述引力）结合在一起的任何结构。具体来说，这项研究涉及黑洞的量子方面和时空的微观结构。人们期望对量子引力的深刻理解对于破译黑洞深处和早期宇宙中物质和能量的行为至关重要。人们普遍认为，如果我们对宇宙的概念有进一步的重大修正，可以与100年前爱因斯坦提出相对论相媲美，那么这将是它们出现的领域。因此，这种研究在原则上有可能彻底改变科学、技术和我们的整个文明。在短期内，它吸引了理科生和非专业公众的兴趣，并鼓励了科学素养和技术知识的公众和劳动力的增长。

This research will advance our understanding of quantum gravity, a deep understanding of which has been a goal of theoretical physics for more than 50 years and has attracted the attention of such well-known physicists as Dirac, Penrose, and Hawking. The term "quantum gravity" refers to any structure that would bring together the lessons of quantum mechanics (developed by Bohr, Heisenberg, and others and which is essential to describe the physics of atoms, molecules, and smaller objects) and general relativity (developed by Einstein, and describing gravity in terms of curved spacetime). Specifically, this research addresses quantum aspects of black holes and the microscopic structure of spacetime.One expects a deep understanding of quantum gravity to be critical for deciphering the behavior of matter and energy in the deep interior of black holes and in the very early universe. It is widely agreed that, if there are to be further major revisions in our conception of the universe comparable to those associated with Einstein's development of relativity 100 years ago, this is the field from which they will emerge. As a result, such research in principle has the potential to completely revolutionize science, technology, and our entire civilization. In the shorter term, it captivates the interest of both science students and the lay public and encourages the growth of a scientifically literate and technologically knowledgeable public and workforce.