Abstract: The theory of quantum fields in curved spacetime is a generalization of the well-established theory of quantum fields in Minkowski spacetime. To a great extent, the behavior of quantum fields in curved spacetime is a direct consequence of the corresponding flat spacetime theory. Local entities, such as the field equations and commutation relations, are to a large extent determined by the principle of general covariance and the principle of equivalence. However, global entities which are unique in Minkowski spacetime lose that uniqueness in curved spacetime. For example, the vacuum state, which in Minkowski spacetime is determined by Poincaré invariance, is not unambiguously determined in curved spacetime. This ambiguity is closely tied to the phenomenon of particle creation by certain gravitational fields, as in the expanding universe or near a black hole.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-08-20
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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