Title : Origin of the Universe and Quantum Gravity -- An Emergent Viewpoint
Speaker : Prof. Bei-Lok Hu
From : Department of Physics,University of Maryland
Date : 2010.10.28
Abstract: We begin by giving a simple description of our universe and trace back in history to the very early universe where spacetime dynamics is described by Einstein’s general relativity and matter content is described by quantum field theory [1]. We believe that general relativity is an effective theory valid only at the long wavelength, low energy limits, and the metric and connection forms are collective variables. It does not make sense to quantize them for the purpose of finding a microscopic theory. In this new paradigm general relativity is hydrodynamics and gravity is emergent. The primary task of emergent gravity is to explore the characteristic features of emergence, find the mechanisms and identify the processes whereby the physical phenomena in today’s macroscopic universe can be explained from candidate theories of the microscopic structure of spacetime. Finally we explore the oldest puzzle of human inquiries from this newest viewpoint, the origin of the Universe.
