Related papers: Space cannot stretch too {\it fast}
In a recent work we have argued that nosy energy momentum diffusion due to space-time discreteness at the Planck scale (naturally expected to arise from quantum gravity) can be responsible for the generation of a cosmological constant…
Primordial black holes can be produced by a long range attractive fifth force stronger than gravity, mediated by a light scalar field interacting with nonrelativistic "heavy" particles. As soon as the energy fraction of heavy particles…
The origin of dark energy driving the accelerated expansion of the universe is still mysterious. We explore the possibility that dark energy fluctuates, resulting in spatial correlations. Due to these fluctuations, the Hubble rate itself…
This paper delineates the first steps in a systematic quantitative study of the spacetime fluctuations induced by quantum fields in an evaporating black hole. We explain how the stochastic gravity formalism can be a useful tool for that…
Crystals, as quantum objects typically much larger than their lattice spacing, are a counterexample to a frequent prejudice that quantum effects should not be pronounced at macroscopic distances. We propose that the Einstein theory of…
A star that collapses gravitationally can reach a further stage of its life, where quantum-gravitational pressure counteracts weight. The duration of this stage is very short in the star proper time, yielding a bounce, but extremely long…
Black holes are more than just odd-looking curiosities in gravity theory. They uniquely intertwine the basic principles of General Relativity with those of Quantum Theory. Just by demanding that they nevertheless obey acceptable laws of…
We discuss the possible role of quantum horizon fluctuations on black hole radiance, especially whether they can invalidate Hawking's analysis based upon transplanckian modes. We are particularly concerned with ``enhanced'' fluctuations…
Black Holes generate a particular kind of environments dominated by an accretion flow which concentrates a magnetic field. The interplay of gravity and magnetism creates this paradoxical situation where relativistic ejection is allowed and…
We discuss whether black hole entropy counts short or long range microstates in quantum gravity. In brick wall and induced gravity models the entropy arises due to short distance correlations across the event horizon cut off at the Planck…
It is shown that space curvature can be disposed of by properly taking into account gravitational self energies. This leads to a parameter free modification of Newton's law, violating Gauss theorem, which accounts for the crucial tests of…
We study the magnitude of semiclassical gravity effects near the formation of a black-hole horizon in spherically-symmetric spacetimes. As a probe for these effects we use a quantised massless scalar field. Specifically, we calculate two…
Astronomical observations have shown that the expansion of the universe is at present accelerating, consistently with a constant negative pressure or tension. This is a major puzzle because we do not understand why this tension is so small…
When a shell collapses through its horizon, semiclassical physics suggests that information cannot escape from this horizon. One might hope that nonperturbative quantum gravity effects will change this situation and avoid the `information…
Planck scale physics represents a future challenge, located between particle physics and general relativity. The Planck scale marks a threshold beyond which the old description of spacetime breaks down and conceptually new phenomena must…
The emergence of Hawking radiation from vacuum fluctuations is analyzed in conventional field theories and their energy content is defined through the Aharonov weak value concept. These fluctuations travel in flat space-time and carry…
As a black hole evaporates, each outgoing Hawking quantum carries away some of the black holes asymptotic charges associated with the extended Bondi-Metzner-Sachs group. These include the Poincar\'e charges of energy, linear momentum,…
Using the result obtained in a prevoius paper, in which I found an upper limit on the region of particle creation in the vicinity of the event horizon of a Schwarzschild black hole, and by assuming that all the created energy will be…
Observations provide increasingly strong evidence that the universe is accelerating. This revolutionary advance in cosmological observations confronts theoretical cosmology with a tremendous challenge, which it has so far failed to meet.…
The Bekenstein-Hawking formula relates the black hole entropy and horizon area. Semiclassical entropy computations have relied on an action principle that fixes a gauge dependent and classically unobservable boundary three-geometry and…