Sebastiano Sonego

The spin state in the Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen–Bohm gedankenexperiment with identical particles is supplemented by the spatial part. This allows one to extract all the information needed in a typical EPR argument, without requiring semi-intuitive steps. Local spin operators are introduced, to describe measurements of spin in given regions of space.

Between the microscopic domain ruled by quantum gravity, and the macroscopic scales described by general relativity, there might be an intermediate, "mesoscopic" regime, where spacetime can still be approximately treated as a differentiable pseudo-Riemannian manifold, with small corrections of quantum gravitational origin. We argue that, unless one accepts to give up the relativity principle, either such a regime does not exist at all (hence, the quantum-to-classical transition is sharp), or the only mesoscopic, tiny corrections conceivable are on the behaviour of physical fields, rather than on the geometric structures.

Equivalence principles played a central role in the development of general relativity. Furthermore, they have provided operative procedures for testing the validity of general relativity, or constraining competing theories of gravitation. This has led to a flourishing of different, and inequivalent, formulations of these principles, with the undesired consequence that often the same name, “equivalence principle,” is associated with statements having a quite different physical meaning. In this paper, we provide a precise formulation of the several incarnations of the equivalence principle, clarifying their uses and reciprocal relations. We also discuss their possible role as selecting principles in the design and classification of viable theories of gravitation.

We propose the almost-geodesic motion of self-gravitating test bodies as a possible selection rule among metric theories of gravity. Starting from a heuristic statement, the "gravitational weak equivalence principle", we build a formal, operative test able to probe the validity of the principle for any metric theory of gravity, in an arbitrary number of spacetime dimensions. We show that, if the theory admits a well-posed variational formulation, this test singles out only the purely metric theories of gravity. This conclusion reproduces known results in the cases of general relativity (also with a cosmological constant term), and scalar-tensor theories, but extends also to debated or unknown scenarios, such as f(R) and Lanczos-Lovelock theories. We thus provide new tools going beyond the standard methods, where the latter turn out to be inconclusive or inapplicable.

The evolution of spatially homogeneous and isotropic cosmological models containing a perfect fluid with equation of state p = wρ and a cosmological constant Λ is investigated for arbitrary combinations of w and Λ, using standard qualitative analysis borrowed from classical mechanics. This approach allows one to consider a large variety of situations, appreciating similarities and differences between models, without solving the Friedmann equation, and is suitable for an elementary course in cosmology.

The evolution of spatially homogeneous and isotropic cosmological models containing a perfect fluid with equation of state p=w\rho\ and a cosmological constant \Lambda\ is investigated for arbitrary combinations of w and \Lambda, using standard qualitative analysis borrowed from classical mechanics. This approach allows one to consider a large variety of situations, appreciating similarities and differences between models, without solving the Friedmann equation, and is suitable for an elementary course in cosmology.

We investigate the minimal conditions that an asymptotically flat general relativistic spacetime must satisfy in order for a Hawking-like Planckian flux of particles to arrive at future null infinity. We demonstrate that there is no requirement that any sort of horizon form anywhere in the spacetime. We find that the irreducible core requirement is encoded in an approximately exponential “peeling” relationship between affine coordinates on past and future null infinity. As long as a suitable adiabaticity condition holds, then a Planck-distributed Hawking-like flux will arrive at future null infinity with temperature determined by the e-folding properties of the outgoing null geodesics. The temperature of the Hawking-like flux can slowly evolve as a function of time. We also show that the notion of peeling of null geodesics is distinct from the usual notion of “inaffinity” used in Hawking’s definition of surface gravity.