Towards Quantum Gravity: Proceedings of the XXXV International Winter School on Theoretical Physics Held in Polanica, Poland, 2–11 February 1999 (Lecture Notes in Physics (541))

The Aim Of This Book Is To Give Graduate Students An Overview Of Quantum Gravity But It Also Covers Related Topics From Astrophysics. Some Well-written Contributions Can Serve As An Introduction Into Basic Conceptual Concepts Like Time In Quantum Gravity Or The Emergence Of A Classical World From Quantum Cosmology. This Makes The Volume Attractive To Philosophers Of Science, Too. Other Topics Are Black Holes, Gravitational Waves And Non-commutative Extensions Of Physical Theories. From The Contents: Are We At The Dawn Of Quantum-gravity Phenomenology?- Classical And Quantum Physics Of Isolated Horizons: A Brief Overview -- Old And New Processes Of Vorton Formation -- Anti-de Sitter Supersymmetry -- Combinatorial Dynamics And Time In Quantum Gravity -- Non-commutative Extensions Of Classical Theories In Physics -- Conceptual Issues In Quantum Cosmology -- Single-exterior Black Holes -- Dirac-bergmann Observables For Tetrad Gravity -- Noncommutative Geometry And The Planck-scale Quantum Group -- Loop Quantum Gravity And The Meaning Of Diffeomorphism Invariance -- Black Holes In String Theory -- Gravitational Waves And Massless Particle Fields. Jerzy Kowalski-glikman (ed.). Includes Bibliographical References. Are We at the Dawn of Quantum-Gravity Phenomenology?....Pages 1-49 Classical and Quantum Physics of Isolated Horizons: A Brief Overview....Pages 50-70 Old and New Processes of Vorton Formation....Pages 71-78 Anti-de Sitter Supersymmetry....Pages 79-100 Combinatorial Dynamics and Time in Quantum Gravity....Pages 101-129 Non-commutative Extensions of Classical Theories in Physics....Pages 130-157 Conceptual Issues in Quantum Cosmology....Pages 158-187 Single-Exterior Black Holes....Pages 188-202 Dirac-Bergmann Observables for Tetrad Gravity....Pages 203-226 Meaning of Noncommutative Geometry and the Planck-Scale Quantum Group....Pages 227-276 Loop Quantum Gravity and the Meaning of Diffeomorphism Invariance....Pages 277-324 Black Holes in String Theory....Pages 325-364 Gravitational waves and massless particle fields....Pages 365-376 Traditionally the lack of experimental input [1] has been the most important obstacle in the search for "quantum gravity", the new theory that should provide a unified description of gravitation and quantum mechanics.