Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Quantum Black Holes: A macroscopic window into the microstructure of gravity

Objective

The thermodynamic behavior of black holes is a precious clue in unravelling the microscopic structure of quantum gravity.
High precision computations of quantum black hole entropy provide a new window into the fundamental microscopic theory
of gravity and its deviations from classical general relativity. Traditional methods of quantum field theory have proved to be
not well-suited to perform these computations. Two breakthroughs in my recent work establish new ground for progress.

On one front, a new method to sum up all perturbative quantum contributions to the entropy of a large class of black holes
has been developed. This gives rise to the first exactly solvable model of a quantum black hole. On a second front, a longstanding theoretical obstacle called the wall-crossing problem has been cleared in my recent work on the microscopic
description of black holes in string theory. The newly-developed field of mock modular forms is shown to be the correct
framework to address questions of exact black hole entropy. This makes a large class of microscopic models amenable to
analytic control, many of which were previously beyond reach.

These developments open up a new line of research that I propose to pursue along two intersecting avenues. First, I aim to
extend the computations of exact quantum black hole entropy towards models of realistic black holes. Second, I aim to
advance the theoretical understanding of quantum black holes by investigating the deeper origins of mock modular
symmetry. As a concrete application, I aim to establish that newfound group-theoretical structures called “moonshine”
symmetries are physically realized in quantum black holes, thus opening up connections between two exciting fields of
research previously thought to be distinct. Together, the broad goal is to explain black hole microstructure through
systematic computations of exact quantum entropy, and to investigate its consequences on the fundamental microscopic
theory of gravity.

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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

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.

Topic(s)

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.

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2015-CoG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

KING'S COLLEGE LONDON
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 1 759 064,00
Address
STRAND
WC2R 2LS London
United Kingdom

See on map

Region
London Inner London — West Westminster
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 1 759 064,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0