Averaged null energy condition in a classical curved background

TY - JOUR

T1 - Averaged null energy condition in a classical curved background

AU - Kontou, Eleni-Alexandra

AU - Olum, Ken D.

PY - 2012/12/11

Y1 - 2012/12/11

N2 - The Averaged Null Energy Condition (ANEC) states that the integral along a complete null geodesic of the projection of the stress-energy tensor onto the tangent vector to the geodesic cannot be negative. Exotic spacetimes, such as those allow wormholes or the construction of time machines are possible in general relativity only if ANEC is violated along achronal geodesics. Starting from a conjecture that flat-space quantum inequalities apply with small corrections in spacetimes with small curvature, we prove that ANEC is obeyed by a minimally-coupled, free quantum scalar field on any achronal null geodesic surrounded by a tubular neighborhood whose curvature is produced by a classical source.

AB - The Averaged Null Energy Condition (ANEC) states that the integral along a complete null geodesic of the projection of the stress-energy tensor onto the tangent vector to the geodesic cannot be negative. Exotic spacetimes, such as those allow wormholes or the construction of time machines are possible in general relativity only if ANEC is violated along achronal geodesics. Starting from a conjecture that flat-space quantum inequalities apply with small corrections in spacetimes with small curvature, we prove that ANEC is obeyed by a minimally-coupled, free quantum scalar field on any achronal null geodesic surrounded by a tubular neighborhood whose curvature is produced by a classical source.

KW - gr-qc

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.87.064009

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.87.064009

M3 - Article

SN - 2470-0010

JO - Physical Review D

JF - Physical Review D

ER -