9418812 Anandan This three-year award will support U.S.-U.K. cooperative research in theoretical physics between Jeeva Anandan of the University of South Carolina and Roger Penrose of the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford. The objective of their research is to study a possible connection between quantum mechanics and gravity. They will investigate unsolved problems in quantum state reduction using quantum gravity, and will study the incorporation of gravity into the geometry of quantum theory in Hilbert space. Theoretical and experimental implications of quantum state reduction in superconductors and molecular interferometry experiments will also be investigated. Dr. Anandan brings to this collaboration his expertise in quantum geometry, foundations of quantum theory, general relativity, and their relationship to each other. This is complemented by the considerable experience and expertise of Dr. Penrose in general relativity and the geometry of space-time and quantum gravity. The project will advance understanding of the relationship between gravity and quantum mechanics and will have important applications in subfields in physics, astronomy, and chemistry. ***
