Research on Quantum Fluctuation Effects and Gravity

该奖项支持对大量子能量密度波动及其物理效应的研究。这些波动的可能性比之前预期的要大，他们的研究可能会带来对量子物理和引力的新见解。大的能量密度涨落会导致时空几何的大涨落，这是量子引力的一个方面。这项工作有助于澄清相对论和量子理论之间的关系，这是基础物理中尚未解决的主要问题。它还可能有助于理解我们宇宙早期历史中的过程，如相变和黑洞成核。该项目还将研究凝聚态系统中的模拟模型，如光在非线性光学材料中的传播和液体中的密度波动。这些结果可能适用于其他科学领域，也可能适用于技术领域。该项目将通过学生的参与和开发向学生解释微妙概念的新方法来促进教育。这项研究将研究时空平均量子应力张量的概率分布及其物理应用。这些分布的下降速度相对较慢，导致出现较大波动的可能性相对较大。这种效应的细节将通过解析和数值相结合的方法进行更详细的研究。还将研究大波动的物理影响。这可能包括假真空衰减率的增加，这将对早期宇宙相变的研究产生影响，以及原始黑洞的成核。模拟模型，如流体中的量子密度波动，也将被研究。这里的概率分布有望类似于量子应力张量涨落的概率分布，并可用于实验研究。还将研究大量子应力张量波动在产生被动重力波动中的作用及其影响。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award supports studies of large quantum energy density fluctuations and their physical effects. These fluctuations are more likely than was previously expected, and their study could lead to new insights into both quantum physics and gravitation. Large energy density fluctuations can lead to large fluctuations of spacetime geometry, which is an aspect of quantum gravity. This work can help clarify the relation between relativity theory and quantum theory, which is major unsolved problem in fundamental physics. It may also help understand the processes in the early history of our universe, such as phase transitions and black hole nucleation. The project will also study analog models in condensed matter systems, such as light propagation in nonlinear optical materials and density fluctuations in liquids. The results may have application to other areas of science and possibly to technology. The project will contribute to education through the participation of students, and development of new ways to explain subtle concepts to students.This research will study probability distributions for spacetime averaged quantum stress tensors, and their physical applications. These distributions have been shown to fall relatively slowly, leading to a relatively large probability of large fluctuations. The details of this effect will be studied in more detail through a combination of analytic and numerical methods. The physical implications of the large fluctuations will also be studied. These may include increased rates of false vacuum decay, which will have implications for the study of phase transitions in the early universe, and nucleation of primordial black holes. Analog models, such as quantum density fluctuations in fluids, will also be studied. Here the probability distribution is expected to be similar to those for quantum stress tensor fluctuations, and may be accessible to experimental investigation. The role of large quantum stress tensor fluctuations in producing passive fluctuations of gravity and their effects will also be studied.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.