Project description
Gravity, chaos and the holographic heart of black holes
Black holes are much more than cosmic mysteries. They also reveal links between gravity and quantum physics. The ERC-funded TraBHolo project aims to explore the physics near black hole singularities and their possible holographic descriptions, where a dual quantum theory could capture the full gravitational behaviour. Existing models rely on a negative cosmological constant, making them unrealistic for the study of our universe. TraBHolo introduces new methods to approximate the complicated near-singularity dynamics of gravity using dynamical Carroll geometry. The project also works towards holographic models for flat spacetime, aiming to quantise dual field theories and illuminate the hidden structure of black holes, gravity and the holographic universe.
Objective
In this project, I will develop new and timely methods for studying gravity in asymptotically flat spacetime and in the region near black hole singularities, along with their possible holographic interpretations. The thermodynamics associated to black hole event horizons suggests a holographic description in terms of a quantum theory without gravity in fewer dimensions. From string theory, such holographic dualities have been constructed and were tested to amazing precision, but all currently-known examples rely crucially on a negative cosmological constant, which prevents us from using them to make predictions for black holes in our universe. On the other hand, approximating gravity near spacelike singularities has long been known to lead to rich and chaotic dynamics, which therefore appears to be a fundamental property of black holes. However, its relation to known holographic descriptions of black holes is still mysterious.
Very recently, I established a new and systematic method of approximating gravity near singularities using dynamical Carroll geometry. By implementing the ultra-local limit of such approximations off shell, my method leads to tractable models in settings previously only accessible with supercomputer simulations, including spatial inhomogeneity and subleading corrections. It is also connected to several recent developments identifying near-singularity chaotic dynamics in AdS/CFT holography. Additionally, using related techniques, I will work towards more realistic holographic models with zero cosmological constant. Here, I will address key roadblocks by establishing how asymptotically flat spacetime metrics are determined by a general null boundary metric, energy-momentum tensor and radiation, which will also allow me to derive consistent ways of quantizing dual Carroll field theories. Through this project I will therefore make key advances in our understanding of black holes and their singularities in gravity and holography.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1040 Wien
Austria
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.