Quantum Mechanics in Curved Space-Time (NATO Science Series B: Physics)

Oversized hardcover, x + 556 pages, shipping weight over 1kg, NOT ex-library. Gently aged, book is clean and bright with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps. A short corner crease to a portion of leaves. Issued without a dust jacket. -- Quantum Mechanics in Curved Space-Time presents a multifaceted account of the theoretical and empirical efforts to reconcile quantum mechanics with general relativity. Published as the proceedings of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held in 1989 at the Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture in Erice, Sicily, the volume gathers contributions from leading physicists working on one of the most fundamental problems in modern theoretical physics: the interaction between quantum fields and curved spacetime. The book responds to a historical separation between the domains of quantum mechanics - primarily the concern of particle physicists - and general relativity, the domain of relativists. While both frameworks claim universality, their coexistence had long lacked meaningful integration. However, the need for a combined theoretical approach arises in extreme physical contexts such as black holes and the early universe, where quantum effects cannot be disentangled from strong gravitational fields. The volume thus explores this confluence through the lens of semiclassical gravity, quantum field theory in curved spacetime, and preliminary steps toward a full theory of quantum gravity. Several major themes structure the book's contents. Seminal lectures cover neutron interferometry (Werner & Kaiser), exploring macroscopic quantum effects in gravitational contexts, and stochastic processes on frame bundles (DeWitt-Morette), offering a geometric formulation of quantum evolution in curved spaces. Unruh's treatment of particles and fields, and Wald's analysis of vacuum states in spacetimes with Killing horizons, provide foundational insight into particle creation, observer dependence, and Hawking radiation. The semiclassical approximation - where matter fields are quantized on a fixed classical gravitational background - is addressed through studies on black hole thermodynamics, absorption cross-sections (Fang Li Zhi), and vacuum polarization (Frolov). Contributions also investigate back-reaction effects, finite-temperature quantum field behavior, and renormalization problems. Audretsch evaluates the dynamics of mutually interacting quantum fields in curved spacetime, a crucial step toward non-perturbative understanding. Further topics reflect speculative and advanced approaches: N. Sanchez explores string theory in curved backgrounds; B.L. Hu and Castagnino consider quantum cosmology and superspace models; and B.S. DeWitt proposes a lattice definition of nonlinear sigma models in four dimensions, with implications for quantum gravity. The volume also includes seminar contributions on Berry's phase in weak gravitational fields (Papini), the fate of evaporating black holes and spacetime dimensionality (de Sabbata & Sivaram), and massive spin-2 inflationary scenarios. A particularly notable segment addresses the renormalization of quantum field theories in Riemann-Cartan geometries (Pronin), linking torsion with field-theoretic consistency. Together, these papers reflect a transitional moment in theoretical physics: the shift from isolated frameworks to a unified understanding of spacetime and quantum phenomena. The proceedings offer a rich blend of conceptual analysis, mathematical formalism, and phenomenological application, marking a significant step in the search for quantum gravity.…