München 2004 – scientific programme

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Q: Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 21: Poster Quantengase

Q 21.10: Poster

Tuesday, March 23, 2004, 14:00–16:00, Schellingstr. 3

Light propagation in Gödel’s universe — •Endre Kajari, Reinhold Walser, and Wolfgang P. Schleich — Abteilung für Quantenphysik, Universität Ulm, Germany

The physics of cold quantum gases has many common themes with other important fields of physics, such as solid state physics, condensed matter physics and also general relativity e.g. [1]. In the present contribution, we are interested in a perculiar modell of curved spacetime, which was introduced by Kurt Gödel in 1949 [2]. This cosmological solution of Einstein’s field equations possesses closed timelike curves, due to its strange causal structure. In here we will examine the light propagation in this universe. First we will investigate the geometric optical limit. In a second step we will solve Maxwell’s equation in vacuum in an alternative approach to M. Cohen [3]. In particular we will discuss the influence of the causal structure to the proper formulation of a Cauchy initial value formulation.

[1] G.E.Volovik, The Universe in a Helium Droplet, Oxford Univ Pr (2003)

[2] K. Gödel, Rev. Mod. Phys. 21, 447 (1949)

[3] M. Cohen, C. V. Vishveshwara, S. V. Dhurandhar, J. Phys. A 13, 933 (1980)