

Cosmologists at Perimeter Institute seek to help pin down the constituents and history of our universe, and the rules governing its origin and evolution. Many of the most interesting clues about physics beyond the standard model (e.g., dark matter, dark energy, the matter/anti-matter asymmetry, and the spectrum of primordial density perturbations], come from cosmological observations, and cosmological observations are often the best way to test or constrain a proposed modification of the laws of nature, since such observations can probe length scales, time scales, and energy scales that are beyond the reach of terrestrial laboratories.
Christine Muschik Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC)
Barbara Soda Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Dalila Pirvu Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Ian Moss Newcastle University
Jorg Schmiedmayer Technical University of Vienna
Juan Carrasquilla Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Niayesh Afshordi University of Waterloo & Perimeter Institute
Astrid Eichhorn University of Southern Denmark
Ruth Gregory King's College London
Latham Boyle University of Edinburgh
Jarita Holbrook University of Edinburgh
Robert Brandenberger McGill University - Department of Physics
Sergey Sibiryakov McMaster University
Sergey Sibiryakov McMaster University
Sergey Sibiryakov McMaster University
Sergey Sibiryakov McMaster University
Sergey Sibiryakov McMaster University
Sergey Sibiryakov McMaster University
Ted Jacobson University of Maryland, College Park
Ted Jacobson University of Maryland, College Park
Ted Jacobson University of Maryland, College Park
Ted Jacobson University of Maryland, College Park
Bianca Dittrich Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Hermann Nicolai Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik
Alejandro Perez Centre de Physique Théorique
Daniel Harlow Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Herman Verlinde Princeton University
Aron Wall University of Cambridge
Frank Saueressig Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
Renate Loll Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
Matthew Johnson York University
Matthew Johnson York University
Mohamed Hibat Allah Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Mohamed Hibat Allah Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Matthew Johnson York University
Matthew Johnson York University
Matthew Johnson York University
Matthew Johnson York University
Matthew Johnson York University
Matthew Johnson York University
Matthew Johnson York University
Matthew Johnson York University
Bianca Dittrich Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Renate Loll Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
Sylvie Paycha Universität Potsdam
Reiko Toriumi Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)
Lee Smolin Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Cecilia Chirenti Universidade Federal do ABC
Abhay Ashtekar Pennsylvania State University
Unraveling the quantum nature of gravity is one of the most pressing problems of theoretical physics. Several ideas have been put forward and resulted in a number of theories of quantum gravity. While these theories have explored different facets of the “quantum gravity landscape”, all viable approaches should ultimately make contact with observations, and answer exciting questions in cosmology and black-hole physics.
Sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas, and building a dictionary between different theories are crucial steps toward answering these questions, efficiently contrasting different theories, and ultimately reaching a deeper understanding of our Universe.
This conference will contribute to these goals by bringing together leading experts in different approaches to quantum gravity, gravitational effective field theory, black-hole physics, and cosmology. We will focus on specific puzzles in quantum gravity and their resolutions within different approaches. The conference will be highly interactive, with plenty of time to discuss common problems, understand the big picture, and develop novel connections between fields.
Registration: Registration is now open, and both in-person and virtual participation is welcome. Online participants will be able to interact on an equal footing in question sessions and discussions. In-person attendance is limited and will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis. Talks are by invitation only, but in-person participants are encouraged to apply to present a poster.
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Confirmed Speakers and Panelists:
Territorial Land Acknowledgement
Perimeter Institute acknowledges that it is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples.
Perimeter Institute is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land.
We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.
This meeting will bring together researchers from the quantum technology, atomic physics, and fundamental physics communities to discuss how quantum simulation can be used to gain new insight into the physics of black holes and the early Universe. The core program of the workshop is intended to deepen collaboration between the UK-based Quantum Simulators for Fundamental Physics (QSimFP; https://www.qsimfp.org) consortium and researchers at Perimeter Institute and neighbouring institutions. The week-long conference will consist of broadly-accessible talks on work within the consortium and work within the broader community of researchers interested in quantum simulation, as well as a poster session and ample time for discussion and collaboration
Territorial Land Acknowledgement
Perimeter Institute acknowledges that it is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples.
Perimeter Institute is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land.
We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.
On Demand Recording: https://pirsa.org/C23035
The nature of space and time is one of the most foundational mysteries in both Physics and Philosophy. At the heart of this mystery are the two most successful theories of nature: Einstein's theory of relativity, an elegant and precise description of the geometry of our universe on large scales, and Quantum Mechanics, outlining accurate laws of interaction in the subatomic world. But these two great triumphs of 20th century physics remain inherently inconsistent, contradictory in their most basic principles, such as locality and causality. Nonetheless, the experimental domains or natural phenomena where these contradictions become manifest have remained elusive, and it is not clear that a century of theoretical investigation into quantum gravity is anywhere close to being verified in nature.
Arguably, this disconnect is our greatest and most foundational challenge in the history of Physics; despite groundbreaking progress in both theory and observations of quantum spacetimes, these two endeavours are moving farther apart. Successfully responding to this century-old challenge could require rethinking the epistemology of fundamental physics. While physicists are trained to push the frontiers of knowledge, developing a grand vision of the arch of history, and where we are (or should be) heading is a more interdisciplinary endeavor, requiring insights from theory and observations, but also philosophy and history.
We plan a focused, interactive, and highly interdisciplinary workshop, involving the world’s best theorists, observers, experimentalists, and philosophers, within a supportive, inclusive, and diverse environment, in order to kick start a long term initiative that might be our best bet to make significant progress towards uncovering the quantum nature of spacetime.
Sponsorship provided by:
Territorial Land Acknowledgemen
Perimeter Institute acknowledges that it is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples.
Perimeter Institute is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land.
We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.
The course is an introduction to quantum field theory in curved spacetime. Upon building up the general formalism, the latter is applied to several topics in the modern theory of gravity and cosmology where the quantum properties of fundamental fields play an essential role.
Topics to be covered:
1) Radiation of particles by moving mirrors
2) Hawking radiation of black holes
3) Production of primordial density perturbations and gravity waves during inflation
4) Statistical properties of the primordial spectra
Required prior knowledge:
Foundations of quantum mechanics and general relativity
This mini-course of four lectures is an introduction, review, and critique of two approaches to deriving the Einstein equation from hypotheses about horizon entropy.
It will be based on two papers:
We may also discuss ideas in "Gravitation and vacuum entanglement entropy" arxiv.org/abs/1204.6349
Zoom Link: https://pitp.zoom.us/j/96212372067?pwd=dWVaUFFFc3c5NTlVTDFHOGhCV2pXdz09
The Centre for the Universe and the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics are exciting new centres for cosmology, with excellent complementarity. CFU focuses mainly on theory, WCA mainly on observation but we both recognise that the most important advances happen when observation and theory successfully connect. In order to promote this connection, CFU and WCA are collaborating on a number of initiatives including regular CFU-WCA days.
Understanding the small-scale structure of spacetime is one of the biggest challenges faced by modern theoretical physics. There are many different attempts to solve this problem and they reflect the diversity of approaches to quantum gravity. This workshop will bring together researchers from a wide range of quantum gravity approaches and give them an opportunity to exchange ideas and gain new insights.