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Gravitational vacuum polarization

Matt Visser
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Abstract

The energy conditions of classical Einstein gravity fail once quantum effects are introduced. These quantum violations of the energy conditions are not subtle high-energy Planck scale effects. Rather the quantum violations of the energy conditions already occur in semiclassical quantum gravity and are first-order O(\hbar) effects. Quantum violations of the energy conditions are widespread, albeit small.

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Matt Visser. 1997-10-15. Gravitational vacuum polarization. https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/9710034

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