String Gravity and Physics at the Planck Energy Scale

ISBN-13: 9789401065894 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 544 str.

Norma G. Sanchez;Antonino Zichichi

Opis

The contemporary trends in the quantum unification of all interactions including gravity motivate this Course. The main goal and impact of modern string theory is to provide a consistent quantum theory of gravity. This, Course is intended to provide an updated understanding of the last developments and current problems of string theory in connection with gravity and the physics at the Planck energy scale. It is also the aim of this Course to discuss fundamental problems of quantum gravity in the present-day context irrespective of strings or any other models. Emphasis is given to the mutual impact of string theory, gravity and cosmology, within a deep a well defined programme, which provides, in addition, a careful interdisciplinarity. Since the most relevant new physics provided by strings concerns the quantization of gravity, we must, at least, understand string quantization in curved space-times to start. Curved space-times, besides their evident relevance m classical gravitation, are also important at energies of the order of the Planck scale. At the Planck energy, gravitational interactions are at least as important as the rest and can not be neglected anymore. Special care is taken here to provide the grounds of the different lines of research in competition (not just only one approach); this provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the real state of the discipline, and to learn it in a critical way.

Spis treści

Preface. The String Equation and Solitons; S.P. Novikov. Lectures on String Theory in Curved Spacetimes; H.J. de Vega, N. Sánchez. Strings and Multi-Strings in Black Hole and Cosmological Spacetimes; A.L. Larsen, N. Sánchez. Renormalization Constants from String Theory; P. di Vecchia, et al. Closed Superstrings in Magnetic Field: Instabilities and Supersymmetry Breaking; A.A. Tseytlin. Solution of the SL(2,R) String in Curved Spacetime; I. Bars. Internal Physics of Black Holes: Recent Developments; W. Israel. Black Hole Entropy and Physics at Planckian Scales; V. Frolov. Black Hole Condensation and Duality in String Theory; A. Strominger. Correlation Dynamics of Quantum Fields; and Black Hole Information Paradox; B.L. Hu. Topology and Time Reversal; A. Chamblin, G.W. Gibbons. Polymer Geometry at Planck Scale and Quantum Einstein Equations; A. Ashtekar. Modular Cosmology; T. Banks. Status of String Cosmology: Basic Concepts and Main Consequences; G. Veneziano. Status of String Cosmology: Phenomenological Aspects; M. Gasperini. Predictions from Quantum Cosmology; A. Vilenkin. Statistics of the Microwave Background Anisotropies Caused by Cosmological Perturbations of Quantum-Mechanical Origin; L.P. Grishchuk. Cosmological Inflation and the Nature of Time; D.S. Salopek. Aspects of Quantum Cosmology; D.N. Page. New Aspects of Reheating; D. Boyanovsky, et al. The Electroweak Phase Transition: A Status Report; L.G. Yaffe. Aspects of Cosmic-Ray Astrophysics in the Galaxy and Beyond; M.M. Shapiro. Quantum Field Theory for Dynamical Systems with Curved Phase Space; E.S. Fradkin. Author Index.