This book seeks to present a new way of thinking about the interaction of gravitational fields with quantum systems. Despite the massive amounts of research and experimentation, the myriad meetings, seminars and conferences, all of the articles, treatises and books, and the seemingly endless theorization, quantization and just plain speculation that have been engaged in regarding our evolving understanding of the quantum world, that world remains an enigma, even to the experts. The usefulness of general relativity in this regard has proven to be imperfect at best, but there is a new approach. We do not simply have to accept the limitations of Einstein's most celebrated theorem in regard to quantum theory; we can also embrace them, and thereby utilize them, to reveal new facts about the behavior of quantum systems within inertial and gravitational fields, and therefore about the very structure of spacetime at the quantum level. By taking existing knowledge of the essential functionality of spin (along with the careful identification of the omnipresent inertial effects) and applying it to the quantum world, the book gives the reader a much clearer picture of the difference between the classical and quantum behaviors of a particle, shows that Einstein's ideas may not be as incompatible within this realm as many have come to believe, sparks new revelations of the way in which gravity affects quantum systems and brings a new level of efficiencyquantum efficiency, if you willto the study of gravitational theory.

Approaches quantum gravity in a novel, quasi-classical way Provides a review of a field very much in need of one Gives a much clearer picture of the difference between classical and quantum behaviors

Autorentext

G. Lambiase is Professor at the Università di Salerno, Italy. He serves as National Coordinator of the INFN project and Local Coordinator of FARB grant. He has been Member of the local team of the PRIN and of the International Ph.D. in Physics in "Gravitational Physics and Astrophysics" at the University of Salerno, a joint operation with Portsmouth University (GB) and Zurich University (CH). He also has served as Adviser at the International Institute for Advanced Scientific Studies, Vietri sul Mare, Italy. His main fields of interest are quantum field theory, general theories of gravity, astroparticles, astrophysics and cosmology.G. Papini is Professor emeritus at the University of Regina, Canada, as well as Professor and Head of that same school's Physics Department. He is Adviser at the International Institute for Advanced Scientific Studies, Vietri sul Mare, Italy; the Institute of Field Physics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C. USA; and the Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin, Ireland. His main fields of interest are the interaction of gravity with quantum systems, the general theory of relativity and relativistic theories of gravitation.

Inhalt

1. Quantum Systems In Gravitational Fields. Berry Phases.- 2. The Mashhoon Eect. Spin-Gravity Interactions.- 3. Interferometers in Gravitational Fields.- 4. Neutrinos in Gravitational Fields.- 5. Neutrinos Physics: further topics.- 6. Radiative Processes, Spin Currents, Vortices.- 7. Other developments.- 8. Perspectives.- 9. Conclusions. <p