Work

Averaged null energy condition in a classical curved background

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: The averaged null energy condition (ANEC) states that the integral along a complete null geodesic of the projection of the stress-energy tensor onto the tangent vector to the geodesic cannot be negative. Exotic spacetimes, such as those allow wormholes or the construction of time machines are possible in general relativity only if ANEC is violated along achronal geodesics. Starting from a conjecture that flat-space quantum inequalities apply with small corrections in spacetimes with small curvature, we prove that ANEC is obeyed by a minimally coupled, free quantum scalar field on any achronal null geodesic surrounded by a tubular neighborhood whose curvature is produced by a classical source.

Source: Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.87.064009

Authors: Eleni-Alexandra Kontou, Ken D. Olum

Institution: Tufts University

Language: English

Topic: Black Holes and Theoretical Physics

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Foundational Questions Institute

Award: G8448669943