Acceleration, black holes and thermality in quantum field theory

Project description

Hawking's 1974 prediction of black hole radiation continues to inspire the search for novel quantum phenomena associated with global properties of spacetime and with motion of observers in spacetime, as well as the search for laboratory systems that exhibit similar phenomena. At a fundamental level, a study of these phenomena provides guidance for developing theories of the quantum mechanical structure of spacetime, including the puzzle of the microphysical origin of black hole entropy. At a more practical level, a theoretical control of the phenomena may have applications in quantum information processing in situations where gravity and relative motion are significant, such as quantum communication via satellites.

Specific areas for a PhD project may include:

• Model particle detectors as a tool for probing nonstationary quantum phenomena in spacetime, such as the onset of Hawking radiation during gravitational collapse. See arXiv:1406.2574, arXiv:1605.01316and arXiv:1610.08455, and the references therein.
• Black hole structure behind the horizons as revealed by quantum field observations outside the horizons. See arXiv:1001.0124 and references therein.
• Quantum fields in accelerated cavities. See arXiv:1210.6772 and arXiv:1411.2948 and references therein.
• Theory supporting analogue spacetime laboratory experiments for detecting Hawking radiation and related effects. See arXiv:1807.04584, arXiv:2007.07160 and arXiv:2007.09523 and references therein.