Research in General Relativity and Quantum Gravity

Syracuse University, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

The bulk of this research program will concern the "causal set hypothesis", which states that the deep structure of spacetime is that of an extended "family tree", known technically as a "partial order". Prof. Sorkin will develop this approach further by advancing the underlying theory, while at the same time applying it to questions like that of the cosmological constant, which recently has been shown to contribute the greater part of the effective energy density of the universe. The remainder of the research will continue the study of closely related questions about the fine structure of black hole horizons and questions concerning what happens when the topology of spacetime changes or deviates from flatness on small scales. All these questions are important as part of the larger problem of quantum gravity, which is how physicists refer to the task of unifying the two main pillars of physical theory in its current state of development: Quantum Theory and General Relativity. A theory of quantum gravity is generally expected to tell us about the deep structure of spacetime on the smallest length scales and, at the same time, to help answer questions about how the cosmos came to be as it is on the largest length scales.