Research Interests

Research Groups

• Mathematical Physics

Recent Conference and Workshop Involvement

"Gravitational aspects in string theory", Pre-Strings held at Granada (Spain), from June 17th to June 22nd (2007). "Gravitational thermodynamics and the quantum nature of spacetime", workshop to be held in Edinburgh from June 16th to June 20th (2008).

Biographical Statement

I was born in Barcelona (Spain) on a September 23rd, one sunday morning, a few hours before Barcelona (the team of my heart) defeated Espanyol by 3-0. Some hours later my father registered me as an official supporter, before being registered in the social security. I believe this still describes rather accurately who I am and who I will be. After that, I enjoyed playing basketball and hiking in the Pyrenees, before deciding that I wanted to devote my life to the understanding of nature at its most fundamental level (theoretical physics). Fortunately, being a string theorist did not prevent me from learning some of the most fundamental truths of our existence (not necessarily scientifical).

Professional Activities

The most important driving force in my research is the understanding of spacetime. This involves learning what it is made of, how emerges from a more fundamental (discrete) nature and includes understanding the meaning and origin of time. This is why I am a string theorist, and why I am interested in black holes, resolution of singularities and thermodynamics of horizon (null) hypersurfaces.

Despite appearances, I am also interested in understanding the world we see and measure. This is why I also am interested in particle physics and cosmology. In particular, I would like to have a more fundamental understanding for the values of the parameters that have already been measured, and the relevance of quantum gravity, if any, to explain them and the world around us.

Education Background

Undergraduate studies in Physics in Barcelona. Ph D in physics in Barcelona.

Previous Employment

Three year postdoc at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, from october 2000 to august 2003. Three year postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, from september 2003 to august 2006. One year postdoc at the University of California in Berkeley, from september 2006 to july 2007.

Selected Publications

The library of Babel: on the origin of gravitational thermodynamics
Balasubramanian V. (External), De Boer, J. (External), Jejjala, V. (External)
Journal of High Energy Physics vol: 2005,
Page: 6
DOI: 10.1088/1126-6708/2005/12/006

The geometry of null rotation identifications

Journal of High Energy Physics vol: 2002,
Page: 1
DOI: 10.1088/1126-6708/2002/06/001

Null orbifolds in AdS, time dependence and holography

Journal of High Energy Physics vol: 2002,
Page: 36
DOI: 10.1088/1126-6708/2002/10/036

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