Tagged Questions

4
votes
1answer
55 views

T-Duality between Type HE String theory and Type HO string theory

My question is regarding T-Duality between the 2 Type H string theories. I know that the Type II String theories are T-dual to each other because T-Duality changes the sign of the Gamma Matrix so ...
3
votes
1answer
209 views

How do I quantize a classical field theory

I have not been able to find any information about this on the Internet. I am a middle-schooler, 14, who self-studies physics, and I know up to and including ODEs, and some of the calculus of ...
2
votes
3answers
272 views

Could all strings be one single string which weaves the fabric of the universe?

This question popped out of another discussion, about if the photon needs a receiver to exist. Can a photon get emitted without a receiver? A universe containing only one electron was hypothetically ...
4
votes
1answer
176 views

Is the quantization of gravity necessary for a quantum theory of gravity? Part II

(At the suggestion of the user markovchain, I have decided to take a very large edit/addition to the original question, and ask it as a separate question altogether.) Here it is: I have since ...
3
votes
1answer
220 views

Deriving the reduced Green's functions in Polchinski's volume 1

In equation 6.2.7, Polchinski defines his reduced Green's functions $G'$ on the 2-manifold to satisfy the equation, $$ \frac{-1}{2\pi \alpha '}\nabla ^2 G'(\sigma_1, \sigma_2) = ...
6
votes
0answers
140 views

Does local physics depend on global topology?

Motivating Example In standard treatments of AdS/CFT (MAGOO for example), one defines $\mathrm{AdS}_{p+2}$ as a particular embedded submanifold of $\mathbb R^{2,p+1}$ which gives it topology ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views

Divergence in Supergravity

I'm not familiar with supergravity so here's my question: I've heard in talks that if one finds divergence for five-loop 4-graviton scattering amplitudes in five dimensions this translates to a ...
1
vote
1answer
200 views

Dirac Equation in General Relativity

Dirac equation for the massless fermions in curved spase time is $γ^ae^μ_aD_μΨ=0$, where $e^μ_a$ are the tetrads. I have to show that Dirac spinors obey the following equation: ...
3
votes
3answers
220 views

Question on inflation

I have two particular questions regarding the inflationary scenario. They are: 1.) What is the physical origin of the inflaton field? 2.) Why has the potential of the inflation field its particular ...
1
vote
0answers
183 views

Curiosity episode with Stephen Hawking. The Big-Bang

In an episode of Discovery's Curiosity with host Stephen Hawking, he claims the Big Bang event can be explained from physics alone, and does not require the intervention of a creator. 1) His ...
1
vote
1answer
96 views

What are all the approaches that have been tried for a theory of quantum gravity? [closed]

I am aware that that the most researched approach is that of string theory. I have also heard about quantum loop gravity. What other approaches are there to unify gravity and QFT? Also, please include ...
1
vote
3answers
230 views

Why can't light escape from inside event horizon of Black Holes?

The simple answer: Its because Gravity of Black Hole there doesn't allow it. See also this and this Phys.SE posts. Isn't it a classical answer? When we're unable to connect Gravity with Quantum ...
0
votes
1answer
167 views

Which theory is closest to Theory of Everything? [closed]

To present, Which theory is closest to Theory of Everything? In the future, it probably including into Theory of Everything. Can you describe more detail or attach links that I can reading after?
0
votes
0answers
142 views

Newton Gravitational constant $G$, Plank constant $\hbar$ , Speed of Light $c$ : The Dream Team of moderators?

The 3 great constants of Nature are well known : The Speed of light $c$ (special relativity) The Plank constant $\hbar$ (quantum mechanics) The Newton ...
4
votes
1answer
248 views

What is the essence of BCFW recursion techniques?

I have recently briefly read about new methods as the Britto-Cachazo-Feng-Witten (BCFW) on-shell recursion method. Can anybody please tell me about the essence of it? What does it mean for the ...
3
votes
2answers
218 views

Hawking radiation and black hole entropy

Is black hole entropy, computed by means of quantum field theory on curved spacetime, the entropy of matter degrees of freedom i.e. non-gravitational dofs? What is one actually counting?
5
votes
1answer
149 views

How is the 'cluster decomposition principle' implemented in holographic theories?

Since holographic theories are non-local by definition, how is this principle implemented? Naively, it seems to me it is not, at least, in some sense. I would appreciate an explanation as simple ...
1
vote
2answers
90 views

What is unification, unified interactions, or dualities between interactions?

Scientists succeeded in unifying EM with the weak force, then with the strong force to achieve the standard model. They then studied supersymmetry and GUTs that showed improved gauge coupling ...
0
votes
3answers
246 views

Laws of gravity for a universe that only consists of two objects?

So, we know that when two objects of normal matter get away from each other, the gravitational pull they feel from each other, decreases. I wanted to see how that would work. And in my ...
9
votes
3answers
438 views

Is there any quantum-gravity theory that has flat space-time and gravitons?

Many quantum-gravity theories are strongly interacting. It is not clear if they produce the gravity as we know it at low energies. So I wonder, is there any quantum-gravity theory that a) is a well ...
1
vote
1answer
109 views

Classical black holes?

How big should the black hole be so we can consider it to be classical? When they claim that we can not probe shorter distances than the Planck length, can it be true? The argument says that, ...
4
votes
1answer
280 views

Interpretation of the Einstein-Hilbert action

Everyone knows the famous Einstein-Hilbert action $S_{EH} = \int d^4x \sqrt{-g} R$. I'd like to know if, after we first explicit the Ricci scalar in terms of the metric, it could be possible to ...
2
votes
2answers
199 views

Does the existence of dualities imply a more fundamental structure?

I was wondering if the existence of some kind of duality in physics always implies the existence of some underlying more fundamental structure/concept? Let me give a few example from history: ...
8
votes
1answer
173 views

Derivation of the basic equation for Witten diagrams

I could understand the derivation of the "bulk-to-boundary" propagators ($K$) for scalar fields in $AdS$ but the iterative definition of the "bulk-to-bulk" propagators is not clear to me. On is ...
15
votes
3answers
918 views

Is decoherence even possible in anti de Sitter space?

Is decoherence even possible in anti de Sitter space? The spatial conformal boundary acts as a repulsive wall, thus turning anti de Sitter space into an eternally closed quantum system. Superpositions ...
8
votes
5answers
771 views

Graduate School for Theoretical Physics

First off, let me just say that I am unsure if this question is appropriate for this site, and if the community deems it necessary, the question should be closed. So right now I am a fourth year ...
2
votes
0answers
26 views

What methods are there to deal with quantum spatiotemporal chaos?

By now, there has been enough grasp on quantum chaos for systems with a small number of degrees of freedom. The major tool used is periodic orbit theory to approximate the spectral distribution. Is ...
12
votes
1answer
95 views

6d Massive Gravity

Massive gravity (with a Fierz-Pauli mass) in 4 dimensions is very well-studied, involving exotic phenomena like the vDVZ discontinuity and the Vainshtein effect that all have an elegant and physically ...
14
votes
1answer
63 views

Instantons and Non Perturbative Amplitudes in Gravity

In perturbative QFT in flat spacetime the perturbation expansion typically does not converge, and estimates of the large order behaviour of perturbative amplitudes reveals ambiguity of the ...
2
votes
1answer
194 views

Why does gravity forbid local observables?

I heard in a conference that gravity forbids to construct local gauge invariants like $\mathrm{Tr}\left\{−\frac{1}{4} F_{μν}^{a}F_{a}^{μν}\right\}$ and only allows non-local gauge invariant quantities ...
0
votes
0answers
254 views

Gravitation and the QFT vacuum

I'm asking this to get yet another lessson in the inability of QFT and GR to cohabit. Many people believe GR must yield to quantization. The question here is as to why the activity of the vacuum ...
1
vote
0answers
257 views

Quantization of Gravitational Field: Quantization conditions

I'm begining to study Quantization of field with the second quantization formalism. I've studied phononic field, electromagnetic field in the vacuum and a generic relativistical scalar field. I ...
7
votes
2answers
632 views

Do traversable wormholes exist as solutions to string theory?

There has been some heated debate as to whether the laws of physics allow for traversable wormholes. Some physicists claim we require exotic matter to construct wormholes, but then others counter the ...
9
votes
1answer
723 views

Diff(M) as a gauge group and local observables in theories with gravity

In a gauge theory like QED a gauge transformation transforms one mathematical representation of a physical system to another mathematical representation of the same system, where the two mathematical ...
-4
votes
2answers
2k views

What are the main differences between these quantum theories?

What are the main differences between these quantum theories? Quantum Mechanics Quantum Field theory Quantum Gravity EDIT: I ask this question because when I asked a question before people talk ...
2
votes
3answers
624 views

What are some approaches to discrete space-time used in modern physics?

This thought gave rise to some new questions in my mind. What are the consequences for: How would it affect duality i.e. particle, wave property of photons? How does this statement affect the ...