We study the semiclassical Einstein field equations with a Klein-Gordon field in ultrastatic and static spacetimes. In both cases, the equations for the spacetime metric become constraint equations. In the ultrastatic case, the Hadamard singular structure can be characterised explicitly, which allows one to in principle give initial data for the Wightman function that has correct distributional singularities, such that the expectation value of the renormalised stress-energy tensor of the solution can be defined, and that hence the semiclassical Einstein equations make sense. Assuming a "positive energy" condition for the Klein-Gordon operator, we characterise the states for which, if the constraints hold for initial data, they hold everywhere in spacetime. These turn out to be time-translation invariant states. The static case is analysed by conformal techniques, effectively reducing the problem to an ultrastatic one.
We prove that semiclassical gravity in conformally static, globally hyperbolic spacetimes with a massless, conformally coupled Klein-Gordon field is well posed, when viewed as a coupled theory for the dynamical conformal factor of the metric and the Klein-Gordon theory. Namely, it admits unique and stable solutions whenever constrained fourth-order initial data for the conformal factor and suitably defined Hadamard initial data for the Klein-Gordon state are provided on a spacelike Cauchy surface. As no spacetime symmetries are imposed on the conformal factor, the present result implies that, …
We present a semiclassical analysis for Dirac fields on an arbitrary spacetime background and in the presence of a fixed electromagnetic field. Our approach is based on a Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation, and the results are analyzed at leading and next-to-leading order in the small expansion parameter $\hbar$. Taking into account the spin-orbit coupling between the internal and external degrees of freedom of wave packets, we derive effective ray equations with spin-dependent terms. These equations describe the gravitational spin Hall effect of localized Dirac wave packets. We treat bot…
We present a method to semiclassically compute the pair creation rate of bosons and fermions in de Sitter spacetime. The results in the bosonic case agree with the ones in the literature. We find that for the constant electric field the fermionic and bosonic pair creation rate are the same. This analogy of bosons and fermions in the semiclassical limit is known from several flat spacetime examples.
We study the solutions of the semiclassical Einstein equation in flat cosmological spacetimes driven by a massive conformally coupled scalar field. In particular, we show that it is possible to give initial conditions at finite time to get a state for the quantum field which gives finite expectation values for the stress-energy tensor. Furthermore, it is possible to control this expectation value by means of a global estimate on regular cosmological spacetimes. The obtained estimates permit to write a theorem about the existence and uniqueness of the local solutions encompassing both the space…
Improved semiclassical techniques are developed and applied to a treatment of a real scalar field in a $D$-dimensional gravitational background. This analysis, leading to a derivation of the thermodynamics of black holes, is based on the simultaneous use of: (i) a near-horizon description of the scalar field in terms of conformal quantum mechanics; (ii) a novel generalized WKB framework; and (iii) curved-spacetime phase-space methods. In addition, this improved semiclassical approach is shown to be asymptotically exact in the presence of hierarchical expansions of a near-horizon type. Most imp…
I briefly review some of the recent progress in quantum field theory in curved spacetime and other aspects of semiclassical gravity, as reported at the D3 Workshop at GR15.
It has been proposed recently to consider in the framework of cosmology an extension of the semiclassical Einstein's equations in which the Einstein tensor is considered as a random function. This paradigm yields a hierarchy of equations between the $n$-point functions of the quantum, normal ordered, stress energy-tensor and those associated to the stochastic Einstein tensor. Assuming that the matter content is a conformally coupled massive scalar field on de Sitter spacetime, this framework has been applied to compute the power spectrum of the quantum fluctuations and to show that it is almos…
The thermodynamical description of black holes is reviewed and critiqued. We present an alternative, microcanonical description of black holes and discuss the major differences. In particular the decay rates of black holes are compared in the two different pictures.
This article will summarize selected aspects of the semiclassical theory of gravity, which involves a classical gravitational field coupled to quantum matter fields. Among the issues which will be discussed are the role of quantum effects in black hole physics and in cosmology, the effects of quantum violations of the classical energy conditions, and inequalities which constrain the extent of such violations. We will also examine the first steps beyond semiclassical gravity, when the effects of spacetime geometry fluctuations start to appear.
The subject of this thesis is the coupling of quantum fields to a classical gravitational background in a semiclassical fashion. It contains a thorough introduction into quantum field theory on curved spacetime with a focus on the stress-energy tensor and the semiclassical Einstein equation. Basic notions of differential geometry, topology, functional and microlocal analysis, causality and general relativity will be summarised, and the algebraic approach to QFT on curved spacetime will be reviewed. Apart from these foundations, the original research of the author and his collaborators will be …
The semiclassical Einstein-Langevin equations which describe the dynamics of stochastic perturbations of the metric induced by quantum stress-energy fluctuations of matter fields in a given state are considered on the background of the ground state of semiclassical gravity, namely, Minkowski spacetime and a scalar field in its vacuum state. The relevant equations are explicitly derived for massless and massive fields arbitrarily coupled to the curvature. In doing so, some semiclassical results, such as the expectation value of the stress-energy tensor to linear order in the metric perturbation…
We consider the linearized semiclassical Einstein equations for small deviations around de Sitter spacetime including the vacuum polarization effects of conformal fields. Employing the method of order reduction, we find the exact solutions for general metric perturbations (of scalar, vector and tensor type). Our exact (nonperturbative) solutions show clearly that in this case de Sitter is stable with respect to small metric deviations and a late-time attractor. Furthermore, they also reveal a breakdown of perturbative solutions for a sufficiently long evolution inside the horizon. Our results …
The semiclassical gravity describes gravitational back-reactions of the classical spacetime interacting with quantum matter fields but the quantum effects on the background is formally defined as higher derivative curvatures. These induce catastrophic instabilities and classic solutions become unstable under small perturbations or their evolutions. In this paper we discuss validity of the semiclassical gravity from the perspective of the spacetime instabilities and consider cosmological dynamics of the Universe in this theory. We clearly show that the homogenous and isotropic flat Universe is …
de Sitter spacetime and Bunch-Davies vacuum are a solution to the semiclassical Einstein-Schroedinger equations describing the evolution of spacetime geometry and a massive scalar quantum field with arbitrary coupling to curvature. The stability of this solution is proven by calculating the renormalized energy momentum tensor expectation value for small spatially homogeneous deviations from the de Sitter - Bunch-Davies system and solving the linearized backreaction problem. A renormalization scheme is developed. All momentum integrations are carried out analytically. The general solution is gi…
We consider the semiclassical Einstein equations (SEE) in the presence of a quantum scalar field with self-interaction $λϕ^4$. Working in the Hartree truncation of the two-particle irreducible (2PI) effective action, we compute the vacuum expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor of the scalar field, which act as a source of the SEE. We obtain the renormalized SEE by implementing a consistent renormalization procedure. We apply our results to find self-consistent de Sitter solutions to the SEE in situations with or without spontaneous breaking of the $Z_2$-symmetry.
A spatially flat Robertson-Walker spacetime driven by a cosmological constant is non-conformally coupled to a massless scalar field. The equations of semiclassical gravity are explicitly solved for this case, and a self-consistent de Sitter solution associated with the Bunch-Davies vacuum state is found (the effect of the quantum field is to shift slightly the effective cosmological constant). Furthermore, it is shown that the corrected de Sitter spacetime is stable under spatially-isotropic perturbations of the metric and the quantum state. These results are independent of the free renormaliz…
A correspondence between fluctuations of conformally invariant quantum fields and that of classical fields finally reducing to perfect fluid matter content is shown to exist. Previously a similar correspondence between the stress tensors was known and well established in the 70's. Using recent results obtained in semiclassical stochastic gravity regarding exact definition and significance given to quantum fluctuations of the stress tensor, we obtain this correspondence, which is fundamental to statistical analysis of systems in curved spacetime. This is of immense importance, in that the fluct…
The vacuum polarization of the quantized scalar field with non-conformal coupling $ξ$ on the long throat of a wormhole background is calculated. It is shown that the stress-energy tensor of vacuum fluctuations in considered spacetime is determined by the local geometry of spacetime only. The self-consistent solutions of the semiclassical Einstein field equations describing a long throat of a traversable wormhole are obtained.
We present a coherent picture of the quantum mechanics of black holes. The picture does not require the introduction of any drastically new physical effect beyond what is already known; it arises mostly from synthesizing and (re)interpreting existing results in appropriate manners. We identify the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy as the entropy associated with coarse-graining performed to obtain semiclassical field theory from a fundamental microscopic theory of quantum gravity. This clarifies the issues around the unitary evolution, the existence of the interior spacetime, and the thermodynamic nat…
We derive the functional Schrodinger equation for quantum fields in curved spacetime in the semiclassical limit of quantum geometrodynamics with a Gaussian incoherent dust acting as a clock field. We perform the semiclassical limit using a WKB-type expansion of the wave functional in powers of the squared Planck mass. The functional Schrodinger equation that we obtain exhibits a functional time derivative that completes the usual definition of WKB time for curved spacetime, and the usual Schrodinger-type evolution is recovered in Minkowski spacetime.
Semiclassical gravity is investigated in a large class of asymptotically flat, static, spherically symmetric spacetimes including those containing static stars, black holes, and wormholes. Specifically the stress-energy tensors of massless free spin 0 and spin 1/2 fields are computed to leading order in the asymptotic regions of these spacetimes. This is done for spin 0 fields in Schwarzschild spacetime using a WKB approximation. It is done numerically for the spin 1/2 field in Schwarzschild, extreme Reissner-Nordstrom, and various wormhole spacetimes. And it is done by finding analytic soluti…
We argue that classical spacetimes represent amplified information in the holographic theory of quantum gravity. In general, classicalization of a quantum system involves amplification of information at the cost of exponentially reducing the number of observables. In quantum gravity, the geometry of spacetime must be the analogously amplified information. Bulk local semiclassical operators probe this information without disturbing it; these correspond to logical operators acting on code subspaces of the holographic theory. From this viewpoint, we study how bulk local operators may be realized …
Motivated by the understanding of holography as realized in tensor networks, we develop a bulk procedure that can be interpreted as generating a sequence of coarse-grained holographic states. The coarse-graining procedure involves identifying degrees of freedom entangled at short distances and disentangling them. This is manifested in the bulk by a flow equation that generates a codimension-1 object, which we refer to as the holographic slice. We generalize the earlier classical construction to include bulk quantum corrections, which naturally involves the generalized entropy as a measure of t…
We study the Hilbert space structure of classical spacetimes under the assumption that entanglement in holographic theories determines semiclassical geometry. We show that this simple assumption has profound implications; for example, a superposition of classical spacetimes may lead to another classical spacetime. Despite its unconventional nature, this picture admits the standard interpretation of superpositions of well-defined semiclassical spacetimes in the limit that the number of holographic degrees of freedom becomes large. We illustrate these ideas using a model for the holographic theo…
We discuss the uniqueness of the static spacetimes with non-trivial conformal scalar field. Then, we can show that the spacetime is unique to be the Bocharova-Bronnikov-Melnikov-Bekenstein solution outside the surface composed of the unstable circular orbit of photon(photon surface). In addition, we see that multi-photon surfaces having the same scalar field values do not exist.
Motivated by the quest for black holes in AdS braneworlds, and in particular by the holographic conjecture relating 5D classical bulk solutions with 4D quantum corrected ones, we numerically solve the semiclassical Einstein equations (backreaction equations) with matter fields in the (zero temperature) Boulware vacuum state. In the absence of an exact analytical expression for <T_(mu nu)> in four dimensions we work within the s-wave approximation. Our results show that the quantum corrected solution is very similar to Schwarzschild till very close to the horizon, but then a bouncing surface fo…
We study the internal structure of a two-dimensional dilatonic evaporating black hole, based on the CGHS model. At the semiclassical level, a (weak) spacelike singularity was previously found to develop inside the black hole. We employ here a simplified quantum formulation of spacetime dynamics in the neighborhood of this singularity, using a minisuperspace-like approach. Quantum evolution is found to be regular and well-defined at the semiclassical singularity. A well-localized initial wave-packet propagating towards the singularity bounces off the latter and retains its well-localized form. …
This is a quick review on some technology concerning the local zeta function applied to Quantum Field Theory in curved static (thermal) spacetime to regularize the stress-energy tensor and the field fluctuations.
We consider free and self-interacting quantum scalar fields satisfying modified dispersion relations in the framework of Einstein-Aether theory. Using adiabatic regularization, we study the renormalization of the equation for the mean value of the field in the self-interacting case, and the renormalization of the semiclassical Einstein-Aether equations for free fields. In both cases we consider Bianchi type I background spacetimes. Contrary to what happens for {\it free} fields in {\it flat} Robertson-Walker spacetimes, the self-interaction and/or the anisotropy produce non-purely geometric te…
A correspondence between fluctuations of non-minimally coupled scalar fields and that of an effective fluid with heat flux and anisotropic stresses, is shown. Though the correspondence between respective stress tensors of scalar fields and fluids is known and widely used in literature, the fluctuations in the two cases still await a formal correspondence and are open to investigation in all details. Using results obtained in the newly established theory of semiclassical stochastic gravity which focuses on the fluctuations of the quantum stress tensor, we show new relations in this regard. This…
In any quantum theory of gravity, it is of the utmost importance to recover the limit of quantum theory in an external spacetime. In quantum geometrodynamics (quantization of general relativity in the Schrödinger picture), this leads in particular to the recovery of a semiclassical (WKB) time which governs the dynamics of non-gravitational fields in spacetime. Here, we first review this procedure with special emphasis on conceptual issues. We then turn to an alternative theory - Weyl (conformal) gravity, which is defined by a Lagrangian that is proportional to the square of the Weyl tensor. We…
The Semiclassical Einstein-Klein-Gordon System: Asymptotic Analysis of Minkowski Spacetime
University of York（约克大学）；Università di Trento（特伦托大学）；GNFM-INdAM（意大利数学国家研究委员会几何与函数论全国小组）；TIFPA-INFN（意大利国家核物理研究所特伦托前沿物理与分析中心）；Università di Genova（热那亚大学）；INFN（意大利国家核物理研究所）；Universität Regensburg（雷根斯堡大学）
We propose a new concept, the transversely trapping surface (TTS), as an extension of the static photon surface characterizing the strong gravity region of a static/stationary spacetime in terms of photon behavior. The TTS is defined as a static/stationary timelike surface $S$ whose spatial section is a closed two-surface, such that arbitrary photons emitted tangentially to $S$ from arbitrary points on $S$ propagate on or toward the inside of $S$. We study the properties of TTSs for static spacetimes and axisymmetric stationary spacetimes. In particular, the area $A_0$ of a TTS is proved to be…
We analyze the gravitational radiation emitted from a particle in circular motion around a Schwarzschild black hole using the framework of quantum field theory in curved spacetime at tree level. The gravitational perturbations are written in a gauge-invariant formalism for spherically symmetric spacetimes. We discuss the results, comparing them to the radiation emitted by a particle when it is assumed to be orbiting a massive object due to a Newtonian force in flat spacetime.
In this paper, conformal motions are studied in plane symmetric static spacetimes. The general solution of conformal Killing equations and the general form of the conformal Killing vector for these spacetimes are presented. All possibilities for the existence of conformal motions in these spacetimes are exhausted.
It is shown that the recent corpuscular description of gravity generically excludes de Sitter spacetime in any semiclassical version of f(R) gravity. A phantom phenomenology of the cosmic dynamics is also naturally excluded.
We determine the conditions under which a static spherically symmetric spacetime metric is equivalent to a perturbed Friedman-Robertson-Walker metric. We construct the correspondence between the two metrics and discuss a simple application.
The theory of gravitational lensing has revealed many generic and fundamental properties of compact objects like black holes and wormholes. In this article, we utilize a recent formulation to compute the quantum effects on the deflection angle of a light ray, namely, the Gauss-Bonnet theorem (GBT) to explore the semiclassical gravitational effects in the spacetime of a point-like global monopole and a cosmic string. Previously, the Gauss-Bonnet theorem [Class. Quant. Grav. 25, 235009 (2008)] was proposed as an alternative way to compute the deflection angle of light in a static, spherically sy…
In the two-dimensional framework, the surface gravity of a (classical) black hole is independent of its mass $M$. As a consequence, the Hawking temperature and outflux are also independent of $M$ at the large-$M$ limit. (This contrasts with the four-dimensional framework, in which the surface gravity and temperature scale as 1/M.) However, when the semiclassical backreaction effects on the black-hole geometry are taken into account, the surface gravity is no longer $M$-independent, and the same applies to the Hawking temperature and outflux. This effect, which vanishes at the large-$M$ limit, …
It is well-known that some physical effects may arise in the spacetime of a straigth cosmic string due to its global conic properties. Among these effects, the vacuum polarization effect has been extensively studied in the litterature. In papers of reference [4] a more general situation has been considered in which the cosmic string carries a magnetic flux $Φ$ and interacts with a charged scalar field. In this case, the vacuum polarization arises both via non-trivial gravitational interaction (i.e, the conical structure) and via Aharonov-Bohm interaction. In papers [4] the non vanishing VEV of…
In this paper we shall discuss the backreaction of a massive quantum scalar field on the curvature, the latter treated as a classical field. Furthermore, we shall deal with this problem in the realm of cosmological spacetimes by analyzing the Einstein equations in a semiclassical fashion. More precisely, we shall show that, at least on small intervals of time, solutions for this interacting system exist. This result will be achieved providing an iteration scheme and showing that the series, obtained starting from the massless solution, converges in the appropriate Banach space. The quantum sta…
We study the fermionic Schwinger effect in two dimensional de Sitter spacetime. To do so we first present a method to semiclassically compute the number of pairs created per momentum mode for general time dependent fields. In addition the constant electric field is studied in depth. In this case solutions for the Dirac equation can be found and the number of pairs can be computed using the standard Bogoliubov method. This result is shown to agree with the semiclassical one in the appropriate limit. The solutions are also used to compute the expectation value of the induced current. Comparing t…
We consider the holographic principle, in its lightsheet formulation, in the semiclassical context of statistical-mechanical systems in classical Einstein spacetimes. A local condition, in terms of entropy and energy local densities of the material medium under consideration, is discussed, which turns out to be necessary and sufficient for the validity of the closely-related generalized covariant entropy bound. This condition is apparently a general consequence or expression of flat-spacetime quantum mechanics alone, without any reference to gravity. Using it, a lower bound η/s >= 1/4πcan be d…
In this paper we give a complete classification of spherically symmetric static space-times by their Noether symmetries. The determining equations for Noether symmetries are obtained by using the usual Lagrangian of a general spherically symmetric static spacetime which are integrated for each case. In particular we observe that spherically symmetric static spacetimes are categorized into six distinct classes corresponding to Noether algebra of dimensions 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17. Using Noether`s theorem we also write down the first integrals for each class of such spacetimes corresponding to the…
Ashtekar's formulation for canonical quantum gravity is known to possess the topological solutions which have their supports only on the moduli space $\CN$ of flat $SL(2,C)$ connections. We show that each point on the moduli space $\CN$ corresponds to a geometric structure, or more precisely the Lorentz group part of a family of Lorentzian structures, on the flat (3+1)-dimensional spacetime. A detailed analysis is given in the case where the spacetime is homeomorphic to $R\times T^{3}$. Most of the points on the moduli space $\CN$ yield pathological spacetimes which suffers from singularities …
We derive source integrals for multipole moments that describe the behavior of static and axially symmetric spacetimes close to spatial infinity. We assume that the matter distribution is isolated. We outline also some applications of these source integrals of the asymptotic multipole moments.
Consistency between quantum mechanical and general relativistic views of the world is a longstanding problem, which becomes particularly prominent in black hole physics. We develop a coherent picture addressing this issue by studying the quantum mechanics of an evolving black hole. After interpreting the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy as the entropy representing the degrees of freedom that are coarse-grained to obtain a semiclassical description from the microscopic theory of quantum gravity, we discuss the properties these degrees of freedom exhibit when viewed from the semiclassical standpoint. …
We show that the static and asymptotically flat black hole spacetime is unique to be Schwarzschild spacetime in the dynamical Chern-Simons gravity. In addition, we show that the strictly static spacetimes should be the Minkowski spacetime.
We show the existence of static, spherically symmetric spacetimes containing two stars of incompressible matter, possibly oppositely charged. The stars are held apart by the negative pressure of a positive cosmological constant but there is no cosmological horizon separating them. The spacetime between the stars is given by the Nariai solution, or a slight generalisation thereof in the charged case.
We examine backreaction of quantum massive fields on multiply-degenerate (ultraextremal) horizons. It is shown that, under influence of the quantum backreaction, the horizon of such a kind moves to a new position, near which the metric does not change its asymptotics, so the ultraextremal black holes and cosmological spacetimes do exist as self-consistent solutions of the semiclassical field equations.
