Space-like singularities beyond general relativity

Description du projet

Les théories de gravité quantique pour comprendre les singularités spatiales

Des études récentes sur les singularités spatiales (où la courbure de l’espace-temps est infinie) ont mis en lumière les défis de la physique moderne et les limites de la relativité générale. Pour y remédier, plusieurs cadres de gravité quantique ont vu le jour, la théorie des cordes étant la plus notable. Ces cadres améliorent le lagrangien d’Einstein-Hilbert en incorporant des termes de courbure d’ordre supérieur. Soutenu par le programme Actions Marie Skłodowska-Curie, le projet SpSBeyondGR élargira notre compréhension des singularités spatiales dans le contexte de ces théories. En outre, le projet reformulera la conjecture de Belinski-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz dans le cadre de gravités quasi-topologiques généralisées afin de comprendre la dynamique chaotique près des singularités spatiales, telles que les trous noirs et l’Univers primordial. Il poursuivra également d’autres activités, notamment le développement de méthodes numériques efficaces et l’exploration des implications holographiques des singularités.

Objectif

Space-like singularities, where space-time curvature becomes infinite, pose a profound challenge in modern physics, highlighting the limitations of general relativity and necessitating a quantum gravity framework. Several potential candidates for quantum gravity have been proposed and developed, with String Theory standing out as the most prominent one. At the level of low-energy effective actions, these theories refine the Einstein–Hilbert Lagrangian by introducing specific higher-order terms in spacetime curvature. This proposal seeks to understand space-like singularities in this context. Particularly, I will reformulate the Belinski-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz (BKL) conjecture within generalised quasi-topological gravities. This approach aims to deepen our understanding of the chaotic dynamics near space-like singularities, particularly in black holes and the early universe.

The motivation for this research stems from the need to understand space-like singularities, particularly the spacetime dynamics close to it, in an effective theory of quantum gravity. The project involves developing computationally efficient numerical methods to solve the complex equations of motion in generalised quasi-topological gravity coupled with massive tensor fields, focusing on spherically symmetric spacetimes to maintain tractability. We will explore the holographic implications of singularities through the AdS/CFT correspondence, analyzing boundary conformal field theory observables to gain insights into black hole interiors. This dual approach will enhance our understanding of how singularities encode themselves in these observables and provide fresh perspectives on the holographic nature of black hole interiors.

The project will be conducted under the supervision of Professor Simon Ross at Durham University. The expected outcomes include significant advancements in theoretical physics, resulting in high-impact publications and the development of new computational techniques.