Talks

We present an improved formulation of 4-dimensional Lorentzian spinfoam quantum gravity with cosmological constant. The construction of spinfoam amplitudes uses the state-integral model of PSL(2,C) Chern-Simons theory and the implementation of simplicity constraint. The formulation has 2 key features: (1) spinfoam amplitudes are all finite, and (2) With suitable boundary data, the semiclassical asymptotics of the vertex amplitude has two oscillatory terms, with phase plus or minus the 4-dimensional Lorentzian Regge action with cosmological constant for the constant curvature 4-simplex.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/92219187641?pwd=RUsvcWo2SHFmVTE3NmxDMUZlVEV2UT09

No-hair theorems prevent black holes in General Relativity (GR) from being characterized by any property other than their mass, electric charge, and spin. Scalar fields provide perhaps the simplest way to generalize GR, and it turns out that cases exist where the no-hair theorems can be evaded and black holes with scalar hair may emerge. In this talk I will examine the notion of nontrivial scalar field configurations arising in the strong regime of gravity near black holes, but also compact neutron stars and wormholes. I will go over the concept of spontaneous scalarization of compact objects and discuss the viability of scalarized solutions against observations.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/92273469560?pwd=elpDRzliOHFaaUh3YVhzbC92NFlmUT09