Black holes are among the most intriguing objects in theoretical physics. They are thermodynamic ensembles and they
possess huge entropy, proportional to the area of the event horizon. Black hole entropy provides precious quantitative
information about the microscopic structure of quantum gravity: its holographic behavior suggests that the quantum
degrees of freedom of gravity are encoded in a lower-dimensional field theory.
The first aim of this ambitious project is to make progress in understanding the nature of quantum gravity by using
String Theory and the holographic (AdS/CFT) correspondence. The candidate will use AdS/CFT to explain the
microstructure of extremal rotating black holes, whose near horizon geometry falls into the same class as those present
in our universe. The counting of microstates is related to very recent exciting technical advances in the study of
supersymmetric QFT by exact non-perturbative methods. The applicant will push current techniques to encompass
also supersymmetry breaking setups, providing a new window into the fundamental microscopic theory of gravity.
The second aim of this proposal is to investigate the process of energy extraction from fast spinning black holes.
The candidate will solve the equations of Force Free Electrodynamics, which describe the electromagnetic field of
the black hole magnetosphere filled with plasma, in a simplified setup of spinning black hole. She will analytically
achieve a quantitative estimate of potential observational consequences, for instance the order of magnitude of the
Lorentz factor of accelerated particles in black hole jets.
The expertise of the candidate in black holes and holography complements that of the group at Harvard U. (Black
Hole Initiative) and Milano U. in index computations, Kerr/CFT and magnetohydrodynamics, providing a unique
opportunity to shed new light on these open questions.
possess huge entropy, proportional to the area of the event horizon. Black hole entropy provides precious quantitative
information about the microscopic structure of quantum gravity: its holographic behavior suggests that the quantum
degrees of freedom of gravity are encoded in a lower-dimensional field theory.
The first aim of this ambitious project is to make progress in understanding the nature of quantum gravity by using
String Theory and the holographic (AdS/CFT) correspondence. The candidate will use AdS/CFT to explain the
microstructure of extremal rotating black holes, whose near horizon geometry falls into the same class as those present
in our universe. The counting of microstates is related to very recent exciting technical advances in the study of
supersymmetric QFT by exact non-perturbative methods. The applicant will push current techniques to encompass
also supersymmetry breaking setups, providing a new window into the fundamental microscopic theory of gravity.
The second aim of this proposal is to investigate the process of energy extraction from fast spinning black holes.
The candidate will solve the equations of Force Free Electrodynamics, which describe the electromagnetic field of
the black hole magnetosphere filled with plasma, in a simplified setup of spinning black hole. She will analytically
achieve a quantitative estimate of potential observational consequences, for instance the order of magnitude of the
Lorentz factor of accelerated particles in black hole jets.
The expertise of the candidate in black holes and holography complements that of the group at Harvard U. (Black
Hole Initiative) and Milano U. in index computations, Kerr/CFT and magnetohydrodynamics, providing a unique
opportunity to shed new light on these open questions.