Robert Mann

Professor Mann works on gravitation, quantum physics, and the overlap between these two subjects. He is interested in questions that provide us with information about the foundations of physics, particularly those that could be tested by experiment.

Professor Mann has a lively and energetic research group of about 10 graduate and undergraduate students, where we address a number of interesting questions in physics, such as:

How would relativity influence how a quantum computer worked?

Could we use a quantum probe to peek inside a black hole?

Is it possible that the Big Bang could be replaced with a black hole at the beginning of time?

• Gravitation and particle physics

• Tests of gravitational theory

• Black holes

• Quantum gravity and string theory

• Astrophysics and Gravitation

Professor Mann's research is presently directed in three areas:

1. New tests of the equivalence principle are being designed and investigated. Such tests provide us with important information about the gravitational force, and may give some clues as to the structure of quantum gravity. Specific examples include gravitational redshifts of quantum vacuum energies, non-metric effects on anomalous magnetic moments, gravitational depolarizatinon of polarized light and neutrino flavour mixing due to gravitational effects.

2. Physical properties of black holes are being studied as a means of gaining insight into quantum gravity. The formulation of the thermodynamics of gravitating systems of finite size (such as a black hole in a box) is being carried out to this end. Pair production of black holes and quantum corrections to the laws of thermodynamics are being investigated as a means of gaining a fundamental understanding of the origin of black hole entropy.

3. Theories of lower dimensional gravity are being investigated. Such theories model many important conceptual elements of classical and quantum gravity in a context that is mathematically simple and elegant. Specific projects include a study of the N-body problem, gravitational collapse, dilatonic black holes, and interior structure of black holes. Lower-dimensional black holes.

• 1982 PhD Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• 1979 MSc Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• 1978 BSc Physics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

• 2014, Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision, University of Waterloo

• 2014, Highlight of the Year paper, Classical & Quantum Gravity (2013-2014)

• 2014 CGQ+paper Referee's top choice, Classical & Quantum Gravity (September and February)

• 2014 Presiden't Award of Merit, University of Waterloo

• 2013, Highlight of the Year paper, Classical & Quantum Gravity (2012-2013)

• 2010, Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Waterloo

• 2009, Teaching Excellence Award, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance

• 2009, Fulbright Fellow, University of California Santa Barbara, Institute for Theoretical Physics

• Life Member, International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation

• Member, Canadian Association of Physicists

• Member, Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation

• Member, Institute for Particle Physics

• 2013-2015 International Journal of Mathematical Physics G, Associate Editor

• 2013-2015 Canadian Association of Physicists Foundation, Board Chair

• 2011-2015 International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, Subatomic Physics Division, Canadian Representative

• 2011-2013 Canadian Association of Physicists, Member, Board of Trustees

• 2010-2011 Canadian Association of Physicists, Past President

• 2009-2010 Canadian Association of Physicists, President

• 2009-present Classical and Quantum Gravity, Associate Editor

• 2007-present Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Mathods and Applications (SIGMA), Editorial Board Member

• 2001-present LT3 Advisory Board, University of Waterloo, Member

• 2001-present Canadian Association of Physicists, Friend

• 1999-present Canadian Journal of Physics, Divisional Editor

• 1990-present Physics Essays, Associate Editor

• Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics

• Associate member, Institute for Quantum Computing

• Affiliate Member, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

• PHYS 115 - Mechanics
  • Taught in 2021
• PHYS 122 - Waves, Electricity and Magnetism
  • Taught in 2021
• PHYS 124 - Modern Physics
  • Taught in 2020, 2022, 2023
• PHYS 263 - Classical Mechanics and Special Relativity
  • Taught in 2022
• PHYS 359 - Statistical Mechanics
  • Taught in 2024
• PHYS 444 - Introduction to Particle Physics
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Hennigar, Robie A., Kubizňák, David, Mann, Robert B. Entropy Inequality Violations from Ultraspinning Black Holes. Phys.Rev.Lett. (3) 115, pp. 031101(1)-031101(5).

• Steele, T.G., Wang, Zhi-Wei, Contreras, D., Mann, R.B. Viable dark matter via radiative symmetry breaking in a scalar singlet Higgs portal extension of the standard model. Phys.Rev.Lett. (17) 112, pp. 1-6.

• Kerner, Ryan, Mann, Robert B. Tunnelling, temperature and Taub-NUT black holes. PhysRevD. (10) 73, pp. 104010(1)-104010(11).

• Fuentes-Schuller, Ivette, Mann, Robert B. Alice falls into a black hole: Entanglement in non-inertial frames. Phys.Rev.Lett. (12), 95, pp. 120404(1)-120404(4).

• Kempf, Achim, Mangano, Gianpiero, Mann, Robert B. Hilbert space representation of the minimal length uncertainty relation. Phys.Rev.D. (2), 52, pp. 1108-1118.

• April 11 2017: Quantum effects cloak impossible singularities with black holes (New Scientist)