David Kaplan: Shadow Matter

Thursday 10 Jul 2025, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Ljubljana

https://www.youtube.com/@astroFMF/streams (F2 - FMF)

I will review how one gets classical physics from quantum theories.  Then I will show that there are quantum states of the field theories of general relativity and electromagnetism that we typically ignore, but have interesting phenomenological effects.  These states amount to loosening the constraint equations in GR and EM.   Doing so in GR sources non-dynamical parts of the metric which mimic a pressureless dust, with some odd features, and thus these effects may be the explanation as to why we think there is dark matter.  The constraint in EM is Gauss’ Law, and turning it off mimics a charge density that does not respond to electric forces, but follows geodesics.   I will briefly discuss the cosmological consequences of these new fields and potential studies.

Shadow Matter -- Kaplan.pdf