Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime

Abstract

These lectures deal with selected aspects of quantum field theory in curved spacetime including the following topics: (1) Quantization of fields on a curved background, particle creation by gravitational fields, particle creation in an expanding universe; moving mirror radiation. (2) The Hawking effect - particle creation by black holes. (3) Ultraviolet and infrared divergences, renormalization of the expectation value of the stress tensor; global symmetry breaking in curved spacetime. (4) Negative energy in quantum field theory, its gravitational effects, and inequalities which limit negative energy densities and fluxes. (5) The semiclassical theory of gravity and its limitations, breakdown of this theory due to metric fluctuations, lightcone fluctuations.

Lectures given at the IX Jorge Andre Swieca Summer School, Campos dos Jordao, SP, Brazil, February 1997, and at Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, June 1997. To be published in the proceedings of the Swieca School. 44 pages, Latex, 5 figures, uses epsf

References in corpus (3)

• Quantum inequalities in two dimensional Minkowski spacetime
• Cosmological and Black Hole Horizon Fluctuations
• Two Topics concerning Black Holes: Extremality of the Energy, Fractality of the Horizon

Cited by in corpus (24)

• Conservative solutions to the black hole information problem
• Notes on moving mirrors
• A Naturally Renormalized Quantum Field Theory
• Conformal field theories in $d=4$ with a helical twist
• Introduction to Quantum Fields in Curved Spacetime and the Hawking Effect
• Multi-Loop Zeta Function Regularization and Spectral Cutoff in Curved Spacetime
• QED effective action in Krein space quantization
• Quantum Correlators in Friedmann Spacetimes -The omnipresent de Sitter and the invariant vacuum noise
• Krein Regularization of QED
• Equivalence of the Hawking temperature in conformal frames
• Is the semi-classical analysis valid for extreme black holes?
• Stochastic Quantization of Scalar Fields in de Sitter Spacetime
• Gravitational renormalization of quantum field theory
• Krein Regularization of λϕ^4
• Particle creation in (2+1) circular dust collapse
• Conjugate variables in quantum field theory: the basic case
• Stochastic Quantization of Scalar Fields in Einstein and Rindler Spacetime
• Electromagnetic radiation by gravitating bodies
• Notes on Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime: Problems Relating to the Concept of Particles and Hamiltonian Formalism
• Gravitational renormalization of quantum field theory: a "conservative" approach
• Classical and Quantum Fields in Curved Spacetime: Canonical Theory versus Conventional Construction
• Quantum Fields in Curved Spacetime: Quantum-Gravitational Nonlocality and Conservation of Particle Numbers
• Quantum black hole inflation
• Naturally-Coupled Dark Sectors