Professor Konkowski will continue and extend her previous work on spacetimes with mild singularities. Mild singularities include quasiregular and nonscalar curvature singularities. In the case of quasiregular singularities, particle paths end suddenly with no warning from infinitely- increasing tidal forces, while in the case of nonscalar curvature singularities some, but not all, particles moving near the singularity feel infinite tidal forces. A study has already begun of a spacetime with a quasiregular singularity which can be approached only by an incomplete curve of bounded acceleration. This investigation will be continued using classical and quantum fields and applications of the singularity conjecture. In addition, spacetimes with mild singularities due to Siklos and to Gurses and Sermutlu will be studied. The rather than Ricci curvature singularities, which are likely to provide more stringent limits on the validity of the conjectures. Most of the stability tests have involved classical field techniques. She will now extend the tests to include the behavior of quantum particles and fields near mild singularities and Cauchy horizons. It will be interesting, for example, to examine the behavior of a particle wave packet as it approaches a mild singularity or a Cauchy horizon to study the effects of barrier penetration. It will also be interesting to broaden the stability conjectures to include the behavior of quantum test-fields near singularities and Cauchy horizons.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Physics (PHY)
Application #
9602068
Program Officer
Richard Isaacson
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1996-08-01
Budget End
1998-07-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1996
Total Cost
$37,148
Indirect Cost
Name
United States Naval Academy
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Annapolis
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21402