Related papers: Vacuum Effects in Gravitational Fields: Theory and…
We show that "particle production" by gravitational field, especially the Hawking effect, may be treated as some quantum inertial effect, with the energy of Hawking radiation as some vacuum energy shift. This quantum inertial effect is…
Einstein's theory of gravity admits a low energy effective quantum field description from which predictions beyond classical general relativity can be drawn. As gravitational wave detectors improve, one may ask whether non-classical…
We show that gravitational-wave astronomy has the potential to inform us on quantum aspects of black holes. Based on Bekenstein's quantization, we find that black hole area discretization could impart observable imprints to the…
We discuss the possibility of verifying the equivalence principle for the zero-point energy of quantum electrodynamics, by evaluating the force, produced by vacuum fluctuations, acting on a rigid Casimir cavity in a weak gravitational…
This work investigates alternative theories of gravity, the solutions to their field equations and the constraints that can be imposed upon them from observation and experiment. Specifically, we consider the cosmologies and spherically…
I describe how gravitational entropy is intimately connected with the concept of gravitational heat, expressed as the difference between the total and free energies of a given gravitational system. From this perspective one can compute…
In the present Master's thesis, I describe the research I conducted during my Master's program on the topic of analogue gravity. This line of research was initiated by Bill Unruh, who established an analogy between hydrodynamic flow with a…
We discuss gravitational effects of global scalar fields and, especially, of global topological defects. We first give an introduction to the dynamics of global fields and the formation of defects. Next we investigate the induced…
Quantum considerations have led many theorists to believe that classical black hole physics is modified not just deep inside black holes but at {\it horizon scales}, or even further outward. The near-horizon regime has just begun to be…
Acoustic black holes are very interesting non-gravitational objects which can be described by the geometrical formalism of General Relativity. These models can be useful to experimentally test effects otherwise undetectable, as for example…
The vacuum (Casimir) energy in quantum field theory is a problem relevant both to new nanotechnology devices and to dark energy in cosmology. The crucial question is the dependence of the energy on the system geometry under study. Despite…
The understanding of black holes in loop quantum gravity is becoming increasingly accurate. This review focuses on the possible experimental or observational consequences of the underlying spinfoam structure of space-time. It adresses both…
The discovery of cosmic acceleration has presented a unique challenge for cosmologists. As observational cosmology forges ahead, theorists have struggled to make sense of a standard model that requires extreme fine tuning. This challenge is…
Quantum effects of fields on curved spacetimes may be studied in the laboratory thanks to quantum fluids. Here we use a polariton fluid to study the Hawking effect, the correlated emission from the quantum vacuum at the acoustic horizon. We…
Black holes are the most compact objects in the Universe. According to general relativity, black holes have a horizon that hides a singularity where Einstein's theory breaks down. Recently, gravitational waves opened the possibility to…
In this work, we investigate the signatures of black holes within an effective quantum gravity framework recently proposed in the literature [1] . We begin by outlining the general setup, highlighting the two distinct models under…
Gravitational waves (GWs) originating from cosmological sources offer direct insights into the physics of the primordial Universe, the fundamental nature of gravity, and the cosmic expansion of the Universe. In this review paper, we present…
The purpose of this thesis is to provide insights into different aspects of black hole physics, both at a quantum level and from an observational point of view. On the one hand, regarding their fundamental constitutive characteristics, we…
Pre--big bang models of inflation based on string cosmology produce a stochastic gravitational wave background whose spectrum grows with decreasing wavelength, and which may be detectable using interferometers such as LIGO. We point out…
Vacuum field fluctuations exert a radiation pressure which induces mechanical effects on scatterers. The question naturally arises whether the energy of vacuum fluctuations gives rise to inertia and gravitation in agreement with the general…