Related papers: TF1 Snowmass Report: Quantum gravity, string theor…
We summarize the main results of our recent investigation of bundles of real Clifford modules and briefly touch on some applications to string theory and supergravity.
In this Chapter we would like to review a "~phenomenological~" approach taking into account the most fundamental feature of string theory or, more in general, of quantum gravity, whatever its origin, which is the existence of a minimal…
This is the report of the {\em Working Group on Early Universe Cosmology and Tests of Fundamental Physics}, group P4.8 of the of the Snowmass 2001 conference. Here we summarize the impressive array of advances that have taken place in this…
Quantum gravity may allow black holes to tunnel into white holes. If so, the lifetime of a black hole could be shorter than the one given by Hawking evaporation, solving the information paradox. More interestingly, this could open to a new…
We derive the solution for a spherically symmetric string cloud configuration in a d-dimensional spacetime in the framework of f(R) theories of gravity. We also analyze some thermodynamic properties of the joint black hole - cloud of…
A full quantum description of global vortex strings is presented in the framework of a pure Higgs system with a broken global U(1) symmetry in 3+1D. An explicit expression for the string creation operator is obtained, both in terms of the…
The search for a theory of quantum gravity faces two great challenges: the incredibly small scales of the Planck length and time, and the possibility that the observed constants of nature are in part the result of random processes. A…
These notes introduce basic aspects of black hole thermodynamics. I review the classical laws of black hole mechanics, give a brief introduction to the essential concepts of quantum field theory in curved spacetime, and derive the Unruh and…
We portray the structure of quantum gravity emerging from recent progress in understanding the quantum mechanics of an evaporating black hole. Quantum gravity admits two different descriptions, based on Euclidean gravitational path integral…
An introduction to generalized thermodynamics of quantum black holes, in the one-loop approximation, is given. The material is aimed at graduate students. The topics include: quantum evaporation of black holes, Euclidean formulation of…
We derive the world-volume theory, the (non)-extremal entropy and background geometry of black holes and black strings constructed out of the NS IIA fivebrane within the framework of matrix theory. The CFT description of strings propagating…
We review a selection of recent developments in the application of ideas of string theory to heavy ion physics. Our topics divide naturally into equilibrium and non-equilibrium phenomena. On the non-equilibrium side, we discuss…
Black Holes have always played a central role in investigations of quantum gravity. This includes both conceptual issues such as the role of classical singularities and information loss, and technical ones to probe the consistency of…
In this paper we summarize "loop quantum gravity" (LQG) and we show how ideas developed in LQG can solve the black hole singularity problem when applied to a minisuperspace model.
A very brief review is given of the current state of research in quantum gravity. Over the past fifteen years, two approaches have emerged as the most promising paths to a quantum theory of gravity: string theory and quantum geometry. I…
The loop representation of quantum gravity has many formal resemblances to a background-free string theory. In fact, its origins lie in attempts to treat the string theory of hadrons as an approximation to QCD, in which the strings…
This review gives an introduction into problems, concepts and techniques when quantizing matter fields near black holes. The first part focusses on quantum fields in general curved space-times. The second part is devoted to a detailed…
The incompatibility between gravity and quantum coherence represented by black holes should be solved by a consistent quantum theory that contains gravity as superstring theory. Despite many encouraging results in that sense, I question…
General relativity successfully describes space-times at scales that we can observe and probe today, but it cannot be complete as a consequence of singularity theorems. For a long time there have been indications that quantum gravity will…
For more than 80 years theoretical physicists have been trying to develop a theory of quantum gravity which would successfully combine the tenets of Einstein's theory of general relativity (GR) together with those of quantum field theory.…