Related papers: What good are quantum field theory infinities?
Some problems in finding a complete quantum theory incorporating gravity are discussed. One is that of giving a consistent unitary description of high-energy scattering. Another is that of giving a consistent quantum description of…
Since ancient times, mathematics has proven unreasonably effective in its description of physical phenomena. As humankind enters a period of advancement where the completion of the much coveted theory of quantum gravity is at hand, there is…
Most of the approaches to the construction of a theory of quantum gravity share some principles which do not have specific experimental support up to date. Two of these principles are relevant for our discussion: (i) the gravitational field…
It is a maxim often stated, yet rarely illustrated, that the combination of special relativity and quantum mechanics necessarily leads to quantum field theory. An elementary illustration is provided, using the familiar particle in a box,…
Quantum physics has intrigued scientists and philosophers alike, because it challenges our notions of reality and locality--concepts that we have grown to rely on in our macroscopic world. It is an intriguing open question whether the…
It is now known (or in some cases just believed) that many quantum field theories exhibit dualities, equivalences with the same or a different theory in which things appear very different, but the overall physical implications are the same.…
We will highlight that despite there being various approaches to quantum gravity, there are universal approach-independent features of quantum gravity. The geometry of spacetime becomes an emergent structure, which emerges from some purely…
Any theory of quantum gravity must ultimately be connected to observations. This demand is difficult to be met due to the high energies at which we expect the quantum nature of gravity to become manifest. Here we study, how viable quantum…
To date, both quantum theory, and Einstein's theory of general relativity have passed every experimental test in their respective regimes. Nevertheless, almost since their inception, there has been debate surrounding whether they should be…
Fully covariant wave equations predict the existence of a class of inertial-gravitational effects that can be tested experimentally. In these equations inertia and gravity appear as external classical fields, but, by conforming to general…
I give a very brief introduction to the use of effective field theory techniques in quantum calculations of general relativity. The gravitational interaction is naturally organized as a quantum effective field theory and a certain class of…
In this work we report a new result that appears when one investigates the route that starts from a scalar field theory and ends on a supersymmetric quantum mechanics. The subject has been studied before in several distinct ways and here we…
Advances in our understanding of the physical universe have impacted dramatically on how we view ourselves. Right at the core of all modern thinking about the universe is the assumption that dynamics is an elemental feature that exists…
Setting aside anthropic arguments, there is no reason why the universe should initially favour a net expanding phase rather than one experiencing a net contraction. However, a collapsing universe containing "normal" matter will end at a…
The occurrence of a big smash singularity which ends the universe in a finite time in the future is investigated in the context of superquintessence, i.e. dark energy with effective equation of state parameter w<-1. The simplest model of…
Black holes merge together different field of physics. From General Relativity over thermodynamics and quantum field theory, they do now also reach into the regime of particle and collider physics. In the presence of additional compactified…
The concept of discrepancy plays an important role in the study of uniformity properties of point sets. For sets of random points, the discrepancy is a random variable. We apply techniques from quantum field theory to translate the problem…
A phenomenological model of unstable particles based on uncertainty principle is discussed in quantum field approach. We show that the simplest quantum field description of mass uncertainty makes it possible to account finite width effects…
Nature allows one to explore a manifold of remarkable quantum effects. Most prominently, quantum entanglement can be observed in many-particle systems, between multiple quantized fields, and in hybrid combinations thereof. This diversity,…
Is field space infinite? If not, it either loops back on itself or ends altogether. Periodic boundary conditions are of course familiar, but field space endpoints--which appear in real-world systems--are far less explored. In this paper we…