Some of the current topics of research at the Center :
- The quantum transition to white hole from black hole. This is a phenomenon predicted by Loop Quantum Gravity. It is of great theoretical interest because it is a genuine quantum gravitational phenomenon. It is also of astrophysical interest because it might be related to dark matter, or to certain astrophysical signals like Fast Radio Bursts, or very high energy cosmic rays. The research is currently articulated in two main directions: computing the effect of the Hawking radiation on the metric of the interior of the black hole, in order to better understand the internal geometry. And computing the quantum transition amplitude for the horizon of the black hole to tunnel into the horizon a white hole; this is mostly in order to understand if the transition happens only at the end of the Hawking evaporation of the hole or earlier.
- Agency in the physical world. Agency is the capacity that have certain "agents", like animals, of deciding their behaviour. How agency can be understood in a physical world and in naturalistic terms is an open question. Agency is a strongly time oriented phenomenon; as such, it must be grounded in thermodynamics, because time orientation emerges only thermodynamically in nature, and must exploit the entropy gradient. The research at the center aims at modelling the emergency of agency from a thermodynamical gradient.
- Laboratory detection of quantum superposition of geometries. Sugato Bose of the University College in London and Chiara Marletto and Vladko Vedral of the University of Oxford have proposed a laboratory experiment which should allow the detection of quantum superposition of spacetimes. At center, we are studying the theoretical implications of this measurement.
- The quantum transition to white hole from black hole. This is a phenomenon predicted by Loop Quantum Gravity. It is of great theoretical interest because it is a genuine quantum gravitational phenomenon. It is also of astrophysical interest because it might be related to dark matter, or to certain astrophysical signals like Fast Radio Bursts, or very high energy cosmic rays. The research is currently articulated in two main directions: computing the effect of the Hawking radiation on the metric of the interior of the black hole, in order to better understand the internal geometry. And computing the quantum transition amplitude for the horizon of the black hole to tunnel into the horizon a white hole; this is mostly in order to understand if the transition happens only at the end of the Hawking evaporation of the hole or earlier.
- Agency in the physical world. Agency is the capacity that have certain "agents", like animals, of deciding their behaviour. How agency can be understood in a physical world and in naturalistic terms is an open question. Agency is a strongly time oriented phenomenon; as such, it must be grounded in thermodynamics, because time orientation emerges only thermodynamically in nature, and must exploit the entropy gradient. The research at the center aims at modelling the emergency of agency from a thermodynamical gradient.
- Laboratory detection of quantum superposition of geometries. Sugato Bose of the University College in London and Chiara Marletto and Vladko Vedral of the University of Oxford have proposed a laboratory experiment which should allow the detection of quantum superposition of spacetimes. At center, we are studying the theoretical implications of this measurement.
Some of the people participating in the research supported by the Center:
Some scientific papers from research supported by the Center for Space, Time and the Quantum (with links to online articles) :
- Characteristic Time Scales for the Geometry Transition of a Black Hole to a White Hole from Spinfoams.
Marios Christodoulou, Fabio D'Ambrosio. e-Print: arXiv:1801.03027.
- Planck star tunneling time: An astrophysically relevant observable from background-free quantum gravity. Marios Christodoulou, Carlo Rovelli, Simone Speziale, Ilya Vilensky. Published in Phys.Rev. D94 (2016) no.8, 084035, e-Print: arXiv:1605.05268.
- Volume inside old black holes. Marios Christodoulou, Tommaso De Lorenzo. Published in Phys.Rev. D94 (2016) no.10, 104002. e-Print: arXiv:1604.07222.
- Numerical methods for EPRL spin foam transition amplitudes and Lorentzian recoupling theory.
Pietro Dona, Giorgio Sarno. Jul 9, 2018. 20 pp. Published in Gen.Rel.Grav. 50 (2018) 127, e-Print: arXiv:1807.03066.
- Infrared divergences in the EPRL-FK Spin Foam model. Pietro Donà Published in Class.Quant.Grav. 35 (2018) no.17, 175019, arXiv:1803.00835.
- How information crosses Schwarzschild’s central singularity. Fabio D'Ambrosio, Carlo Rovelli. Published in Class.Quant.Grav. 35 (2018) no.21, 215010 e-Print: arXiv:1803.05015.
- White Holes as Remnants: A Surprising Scenario for the End of a Black Hole. Eugenio Bianchi, Marios Christodoulou, Fabio D'Ambrosio, Hal M. Haggard, Carlo Rovelli. Published in Class.Quant.Grav. 35 (2018) no.22, 225003. e-Print: arXiv:1802.04264.
- Space and Time in Loop Quantum Gravity. Carlo Rovelli, e-Print: arXiv:1802.02382.
- Black holes have more states than those giving the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy: a simple argument.
Carlo Rovelli, e-Print: arXiv:1710.00218.
- Planck stars as observational probes of quantum gravity. Carlo Rovelli Published in Nature. Astron. 1 (2017) 0065.
e-Print: arXiv:1708.01789.
- On the possibility of laboratory evidence for quantum superposition of geometries. Marios Christodoulou, Carlo Rovelli. Aug 17, 2018. 6 pp. e-Print: arXiv:1808.05842.
- On the possibility of experimental detection of the discreteness of time. Marios Christodoulou, Carlo Rovelli.
e-Print: arXiv:1812.01542.
- How big is a black hole? Marios Christodoulou, Carlo Rovelli. Published in Phys. Rev. D91 (2015) no.6, 064046.
e-Print: arXiv:1411.2854.
- Characteristic Time Scales for the Geometry Transition of a Black Hole to a White Hole from Spinfoams.
Marios Christodoulou, Fabio D'Ambrosio. e-Print: arXiv:1801.03027.
- Planck star tunneling time: An astrophysically relevant observable from background-free quantum gravity. Marios Christodoulou, Carlo Rovelli, Simone Speziale, Ilya Vilensky. Published in Phys.Rev. D94 (2016) no.8, 084035, e-Print: arXiv:1605.05268.
- Volume inside old black holes. Marios Christodoulou, Tommaso De Lorenzo. Published in Phys.Rev. D94 (2016) no.10, 104002. e-Print: arXiv:1604.07222.
- Numerical methods for EPRL spin foam transition amplitudes and Lorentzian recoupling theory.
Pietro Dona, Giorgio Sarno. Jul 9, 2018. 20 pp. Published in Gen.Rel.Grav. 50 (2018) 127, e-Print: arXiv:1807.03066.
- Infrared divergences in the EPRL-FK Spin Foam model. Pietro Donà Published in Class.Quant.Grav. 35 (2018) no.17, 175019, arXiv:1803.00835.
- How information crosses Schwarzschild’s central singularity. Fabio D'Ambrosio, Carlo Rovelli. Published in Class.Quant.Grav. 35 (2018) no.21, 215010 e-Print: arXiv:1803.05015.
- White Holes as Remnants: A Surprising Scenario for the End of a Black Hole. Eugenio Bianchi, Marios Christodoulou, Fabio D'Ambrosio, Hal M. Haggard, Carlo Rovelli. Published in Class.Quant.Grav. 35 (2018) no.22, 225003. e-Print: arXiv:1802.04264.
- Space and Time in Loop Quantum Gravity. Carlo Rovelli, e-Print: arXiv:1802.02382.
- Black holes have more states than those giving the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy: a simple argument.
Carlo Rovelli, e-Print: arXiv:1710.00218.
- Planck stars as observational probes of quantum gravity. Carlo Rovelli Published in Nature. Astron. 1 (2017) 0065.
e-Print: arXiv:1708.01789.
- On the possibility of laboratory evidence for quantum superposition of geometries. Marios Christodoulou, Carlo Rovelli. Aug 17, 2018. 6 pp. e-Print: arXiv:1808.05842.
- On the possibility of experimental detection of the discreteness of time. Marios Christodoulou, Carlo Rovelli.
e-Print: arXiv:1812.01542.
- How big is a black hole? Marios Christodoulou, Carlo Rovelli. Published in Phys. Rev. D91 (2015) no.6, 064046.
e-Print: arXiv:1411.2854.