Physics Program Presents
Are Exotic Spacetimes Possible?
Monday, April 20, 2015
RKC 115
Eleni-Alexandra Kontou
Tufts Institute of Cosmology
Tufts Institute of Cosmology
Spacetimes with exotic phenomena such as wormholes, time machines and superluminal travel are possible in the context of Einstein’s general relativity. This possibility of their existence has puzzled physicists for a long time, since they violate causality and create paradoxes. The issue that their existence requires negative energy has been solved by quantum field theory which allows negative energies, as in the case of the Casimir effect. However in the context of quantum field theory there are also restrictions on how negative the energy can be. These restrictions, quantum inequalities and energy conditions, may be the key to rule out exotic spacetimes. Recently there has been progress in proving energy conditions in a variety of spacetimes but there are still some open possibilities.
For more information, call 845-758-7584, or e-mail [email protected].
Location: RKC 115