QNC 1201
Zoom: https://uwaterloo.zoom.us/j/99146089805?pwd=11rzj1Hn1TfvdSCzPIAVZBTzMoxIYv.1
Speaker
José Polo-Gómez
About the speaker: José is a final year PhD candidate in Applied Mathematics working within the Barrio RQI research group under the supervision of Eduardo Martín-Martínez here at the University of Waterloo. Prior to this, José completed his BSc in Physics and Mathematics at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, studying algebraic QFT and QFT in curved spacetime with Prof. Luis J. Garay. Much of his current work explores how these tools can be used in RQI and what they can tell us about measurement, thermodynamics, and spacetime in QFT. But for this seminar, we will hear about some very interesting tangentially related results about Kugelblitze -- black holes formed by light.
Title
No black holes from light
Abstract
We show that it is not possible to concentrate enough light to precipitate the formation of an event horizon. We argue that the dissipative effects coming from the electromagnetic self-interaction of light (such as vacuum polarization) are enough to prevent a meaningful buildup of energy that could create a black hole in any realistic scenario.
Note: We encourage you to join us fifteen minutes early for coffee and snacks, generously funded by the Department of Applied Mathematics!