“Linguistic relativity” has been studied for a long time. Many empirical studies have been conducted on cross-linguistic differences to find support for the influence of language on thought. This study proposes viewpoint (defined as the point from which the conceptualizer sees and construes the event) as a cross-linguistic difference, and explores whether the linguistic constraint and preference of subjective/objective construal can affect one’s cognitive activity as viewpoint. As Japanese is a subjectivity-prominent language whereas Swedish is not, data elicited from monolingual adolescences (aged 12-16) in Japan and Sweden were compared. A set of tasks which consisted of non-verbal tasks (scene-visualisation) and verbal tasks (narrative of comic strips) was performed in order to elicit the participants’ viewpoints. The same set of tasks was assigned to simultaneous Swedish-Japanese bilingual adolescences in Sweden. The bilinguals took the set of non-verbal and verbal tasks twice, once in Swedish and once in Japanese. The results demonstrated a clear difference between the monolingual groups both in the non-verbal and verbal tasks. The Japanese monolinguals showed a higher preference for subjective viewpoint. The bilinguals’ viewpoint preference had a tendency to fall between that of monolinguals of both languages. This finding indicates that the bilinguals’ viewpoint preference may be influenced by both languages. This study demonstrates for the first time that the speaker’s viewpoint can be affected not only in verbal tasks but also in non-verbal tasks. The findings suggest that a language may influence the speaker’s way of construing events. It is also implied that the influences from different languages in bilinguals can be bidirectional. However, the influence does not seem to be all or nothing. Regardless of the language, one’s event construal is more or less the same. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that the linguistic subjectivity in a language tends to counteract the universal construal. / Språkrelativitet (Linguistic relativity) har studerats under lång tid. Många empiriska studier har studerat om och i så fall hur språk påverkar tänkandet och eventuella skillnader mellan olika språk. Denna studie föreslår perspektivpreferens för att beskriva ur vilket perspektiv en berättare återger skeenden. Studien utforskar om ett språks lingvistiska begränsningar och preferens för subjektiva/objektiva tolkningar av skeenden påverkar personers kognitiva aktivitet som val av perspektiv. Japanska är ett tydligt subjektivt framträdande språk medan svenskan inte är det. Därför jämfördes data från enspråkiga ungdomar (12-16 år gamla) i Japan och i Sverige. För att klarlägga deltagarnas perspektivpreferens genomfördes två delstudier, dels en icke-verbal studie (en scenvisualisering) och dels en verbal studie (ett återberättande av tecknade serier). Samma delstudier genomfördes också till simultant svensk-japanska tvåspråkiga ungdomar i Sverige. De tvåspråkiga deltagarna gjorde de verbala och icke-verbala delstudierna i två omgångar, en gång på svenska och en gång på japanska. Resultatet visade en klar skillnad mellan de enspråkiga grupperna, både i den icke-verbala och verbala delstudien. De japanska enspråkiga deltagarna visade högre preferens för subjektiva tolkningar. De tvåspråkiga deltagarnas perspektivpreferens hade en tendens att komma mellan de enspråkiga deltagarnas preferenser. Detta indikerar att de tvåspråkigas val av perspektiv påverkades av deras tvåspråkighet. Studien visar för första gången att berättarens val av perspektiv kan påverkas inte bara i verbala uppgifter utan också i icke-verbala uppgifter. Resultaten från studien indikerar att ett språk kan påverka en berättares sätt att tolka händelser, och att påverkan från de olika språken hos tvåspråkiga kan vara dubbelriktad. Oberoende av språk återges skeenden på ett likartat sätt. Studien indikerar emellertid att lingvistisk subjektivitet i ett språk tenderar att motverka ett universellt återgivande av perspektiv.

Nous étudions l’analyse asymptotique en relativité générale sous deux aspects: le peeling et le scattering (diffusion) conforme. Le peeling est construit pour les champs scalaires linéaire et non-linéaires et pour les champs de Dirac en espace-temps de Kerr (qui est non-stationnaire et à symétrie simplement axiale), généralisant les travaux de L. Mason et J-P. Nicolas (2009, 2012). La méthode des champs de vecteurs (estimations d’énergie géométriques) et la technique de compactification conforme sont développées. Elles nous permettent de formuler les définitions du peeling à tous ordres et d’obtenir les données initiales optimales qui assurent ces comportements. Une théorie de la diffusion conforme pour les équations de champs sans masse de spîn n/2 dans l’espace-temps de Minkowski est construite.En effectuant les compactifications conformes (complète et partielle), l’espace-temps est complété en ajoutant une frontière constituée de deux hypersurfaces isotropes représentant respectivement les points limites passés et futurs des géodésiques de type lumière. Le comportement asymptotique des champs s’obtient en résolvant le problème de Cauchy pour l’équation rééchelonnée et en considérant les traces des solutions sur ces bords. L’inversibilité des opérateurs de trace, qui associent le comportement asymptotique passé ou futur aux données initiales, s’obtient en résolvant le problème de Goursat sur le bord conforme. L’opérateur de diffusion conforme est alors obtenu par composition de l’opérateur de trace futur avec l’inverse de l’opérateur de trace passé. / This work explores two aspects of asymptotic analysis in general relativity: peeling and conformal scattering.On the one hand, the peeling is constructed for linear and nonlinear scalar fields as well as Dirac fields on Kerr spacetime, which is non-stationary and merely axially symmetric. This generalizes the work of L. Mason and J-P. Nicolas (2009, 2012). The vector field method (geometric energy estimates) and the conformal technique are developed. They allow us to formulate the definition of the peeling at all orders and to obtain the optimal space of initial data which guarantees these behaviours. On the other hand, a conformal scattering theory for the spin-n/2 zero rest-mass equations on Minkowski spacetime is constructed. Using the conformal compactifications (full and partial), the spacetime is completed with two null hypersurfaces representing respectively the past and future end points of null geodesics. The asymptotic behaviour of fields is then obtained by solving the Cauchy problem for the rescaled equation and considering the traces of the solutions on these hypersurfaces. The invertibility of the trace operators, that to the initial data associate the future or past asymptotic behaviours, is obtained by solving the Goursat problem on the conformal boundary. The conformal scattering operator is then obtained by composing the future trace operator with the inverse of the past trace operator.

In the review part of the thesis we summarize various modified theories of gravity, especially those that are characterized by additional curvature invariants in the Lagrangian density. Further, we review non-twisting geometries, especially their Kundt subclass. Finally, from the principle of least action we derive field equations for the case with the Lagrangian density corresponding to an arbitrary function of the curvature invariants. In the original part of the thesis we explicitly express particular components of the field equations for non-gyratonic Kundt geometry in generic quadratic gravity in arbitrary dimension. Then we discuss how this, in general fourth order, field equations restrict the Kundt metric in selected geome- trically privileged situations. We also analyse the special case of Gauss-Bonnet theory. 1

Le problème des singularités en relativité générale remonte à la première solution exacte de la théorie obtenue en 1915, à savoir celle du trou noir de Schwarzschild. Qu'elles soient de coordonnée ou de courbure, ces singularités ont longtemps questionné les physiciens qui parvinrent à mieux les caractériser à la fin des années 1960. Cela conduisit aux fameux théorèmes sur les singularités, s'appliquant à la fois aux trous noirs et en cosmologie, basés sur un comportement classique du contenu en matière de l'espace-temps résumé par des conditions d'énergie. La violation de ces conditions dans les processus quantiques pourrait indiquer que les singularités doivent être vues comme des limitations de la relativité générale, pouvant ainsi disparaître dans une théorie plus générale de la gravité quantique.Dans l'attente d'une telle théorie, nous avons pour objectif dans cette thèse d'étudier les espaces-temps de trous noirs dépourvus de toute singularité ainsi que leurs conséquences observationnelles. A cette fin, nous considérons à la fois des modifications de la relativité générale et le couplage de la théorie à des contenus en matière exotiques. Dans le premier cas nous montrons qu'il est possible de retrouver des trous noirs réguliers à symétrie sphérique connus, tout d'abord en principe avec la théorie tenseur-scalaire de gravité mimétique, puis implicitement par le biais d'une déformation de la contrainte hamiltonienne en relativité générale inspirée des techniques de gravitation quantique à boucles. Dans le second cas nous restons dans le cadre de la relativité générale, et considérons des tenseurs énergie-impulsion effectifs. Ils sont en premier lieu associés à un modèle régulier à la Hayward en rotation fournissant dans un certain régime un premier exemple de trou noir en rotation exempt de toute singularité, puis à un espace-temps dynamique décrivant la formation et l'évaporation d'un trou noir sans singularité. Pour ce dernier, nous montrons que tout modèle basé sur l'effondrement gravitationnel de coquilles de genre lumière visant à décrire l'évaporation de Hawking est voué à violer les conditions sur l'énergie dans une région non compacte de l'espace-temps. Enfin, l'étude théorique de la métrique de Hayward en rotation est accompagnée de simulations numériques d'un tel objet au centre de la Voie Lactée, obtenues à l'aide du code de calcul de trajectoires de particules Gyoto en reproduisant les propriétés connues de la structure d'accrétion du trou noir présumé Sgr A*. Ces simulations permettent d'illustrer deux régimes très différents de la métrique, avec ou sans horizon, et soulignent la difficulté d'affirmer avec certitude la présence d'un horizon à partir d'images en champ fort telles que celles obtenues par l'instrument Event Horizon Telescope. / The issue of singularities in General Relativity dates back to the very first solution to the equations of the theory, namely Schwarzschild's 1915 black hole. Whether they be of coordinate or curvature nature, these singularities have long puzzled physicists, who managed to better characterize them in the late 60's. This led to the famous singularity theorems applying both to cosmology and black holes, and which assume a classical behaviour of the matter content of spacetime summarized in the so-called energy conditions. The violation of these conditions by quantum phenomena supports the idea that singularities are to be seen as a limitation of General Relativity, and would be cured in a more general theory of quantum gravity. In this thesis, pending for such a theory, we aim at investigating black hole spacetimes deprived of any singularity as well as their observational consequences. To that purpose, we consider both modifications of General Relativity and the coupling of Einstein's theory to exotic matter contents. In the first case, we show that one can recover the static spherically symmetric non-singular black holes of Bardeen and Hayward in principle in mimetic gravity, and implicitly by a deformation of General Relativity's hamiltonian constraint in an approach based on loop quantum gravity techniques. In the second case, we stay inside the framework of General Relativity and consider effective energy-momentum tensors associated with a fully regular rotating Hayward metric and with a dynamical spacetime describing the formation and evaporation of a non-singular black hole. For the latter, we show that all models based on the collapse of ingoing null shells and willing to describe Hawking’s evaporation are doomed to violate the energy conditions in a non-compact region of spacetime. Lastly, the theoretical study of the rotating Hayward metric comes with numerical simulations of such an object at the center of the Milky Way, using the ray-tracing code Gyoto and mimicking the known properties of the accretion structure of Sgr A*. These simulations allow exhibiting the two very different regimes of the metric, with or without horizon, and emphasize the difficulty of asserting the presence of a horizon from strong-field images as the ones provided by the Event Horizon Telescope.

L'existence de la masse négative a un sens parfaitement physique du moment que les conditions d'énergie dominante sont satisfaites par le tenseur énergie-impulsion correspondant. Jusqu'à maintenant, seules des configurations de masses négatives avaient été trouvées. On démontre l'existence de bulles de masse négative stables dans un espace-temps qui s'approche asymptotiquement d'un espace-temps de de Sitter. Les bulles sont des solutions aux équations d'Einstein qui correspondent à une région intérieure qui contient une distribution de masse spécifique séparée par une coquille mince de l'espace-temps à masse négative de Schwarzschild-de Sitter à l'extérieur. Ensuite, on applique les conditions de jonction d'Israel à la frontière de la bulle ce qui impose la conservation d'énergie-impulsion à travers la surface. Les conditions de jonction donnent une équation pour un potentiel pour le rayon de la bulle qui dépend de la distribution de masse à l'intérieur, ou vice versa. Finalement, on trouve un potentiel qui aboutit à une solution stable, statique et non-singulière, ce qui crée une distribution de masse interne qui satisfait les conditions d'énergie dominante partout à l'intérieur. Cependant, la bulle ne satisfait pas ces conditions. De plus, on trouve une solution stable, statique et non-singulière pour une géométrie interne de de Sitter pure. La solution est fondamentalement différente: elle requiert que la densité d'énergie de la bulle change avec le rayon. La condition d'énergie dominante est satisfaite partout. / Negative mass makes perfect physical sense as long as the dominant energy condition is satisfied by the corresponding energy-momentum tensor. Until now, only configurations of negative mass have been found. We demonstrate the existence of stable, negative-mass bubbles in an asymptotic de Sitter space-time. The bubbles are solutions of the Einstein equations which correspond to an interior region of space-time containing a specific distribution of mass separated by a thin wall from the exact, negative mass Schwarzschild-de Sitter space-time in the exterior. Then, we apply the Israel junction conditions at the wall which impose the conservation of energy and momentum across the wall. The junction conditions give rise to an effective potential for the radius of the wall that depends on the interior mass distribution, or vice versa. Finally, we find a potential that gives rise to stable, non-singular, static solutions, which yields an interior mass distribution that everywhere satisfies the dominant energy condition. However, the energy momentum of the wall does not satisfy the dominant energy condition. Moreover, we find a stable, non-singular, static solution for a pure de Sitter geometry inside the bubble. The solution is fundamentally different: the energy density of the bubble is no longer a constant, but now varies with the radius. The dominant energy condition is everywhere satisfied.

Albert Einstein published the English translation of Relativity: The Special and General Theory in the midst of two big events in 1920: the confirmation of the two theories of relativity and spacetime in 1919 and the Nobel prize in physics in 1921. The new global celebrity wanted to make the theories intelligible and readable for an international English-speaking audience, an audience that also included antagonistic scientists and even anti-Semites. The aim of this thesis is to do a rhetorical analysis of Einstein’s character, his ethos, in Relativity, with a specific focus on creation of credibility in regard to his historical context: scientific ideals, values and norms as well as the political and cultural tendencies in Europe during the early 20th century. This was done firstly by identifying the implied auditor. Secondly, based on the material, I have identified three stereotypes or characters – the professional idealist, the mentor and the internationalist –  which emphases different features and capacities that are crucial for the credibility of the text. Thirdly, by using these stereotypes and in regard to the specific historical context, I investigated how Einstein developed his primary ethos into a secondary ethos in the text. The rhetorical analysis of Einstein’s Relativity shows that his ethos stands in relation to the social and cultural perception of the virtuous epistemic scientist; to fight prejudices regarding being a Jewish-German theoretical physicist; and, noteworthy, a way to produce a well-needed international space – a crucial alternative to continue the positivistic knowledge production counter to the nationalistic project.

<p>This dissertation is concerned with two of the largest questions that we can ask about the nature of physical reality: first, whether physical reality begin to exist and, second, what criteria would physical reality have to fulfill in order to have had a beginning? Philosophers of religion and theologians have previously addressed whether physical reality began to exist in the context of defending the Kal{\'a}m Cosmological Argument (KCA) for theism, that is, (P1) everything that begins to exist has a cause for its beginning to exist, (P2) physical reality began to exist, and, therefore, (C) physical reality has a cause for its beginning to exist. While the KCA has traditionally been used to argue for God's existence, the KCA does not mention God, has been rejected by historically significant Christian theologians such as Thomas Aquinas, and raises perennial philosophical questions -- about the nature and history of physical reality, the nature of time, the nature of causation, and so on -- that should be of interest to all philosophers and, perhaps, all humans. While I am not a religious person, I am interested in the questions raised by the KCA. In this dissertation, I articulate three necessary conditions that physical reality would need to fulfill in order to have had a beginning and argue that, given the current state of philosophical and scientific inquiry, we cannot determine whether physical reality began to exist.</p>

In this work the extension of the criterion for local thermal equilibrium by Buchholz, Ojima and Roos to curved spacetime as introduced by Schlemmer is investigated. Several problems are identified and especially the instability under time evolution which was already observed by Schlemmer is inspected. An alternative approach to local thermal equilibrium in quantum field theories on curved spacetimes is presented and discussed. In the following the dynamic system of the linear field and matter perturbations in the generic model of inflation is studied in the view of ambiguity of quantisation. In the last part the compatibility of the temperature fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background radiation with local thermal equilibrium is investigated.:1. Introduction 5 2. Technical Background 10 2.1. The Free Scalar Field on a Globally Hyperbolic Spacetime . . . . . . 10 2.1.1. Construction of the Scalar Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.1.2. Algebra of Wick Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2.1.3. Local Covariance Principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2.2. Local Thermal Equilibirum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.2.1. Global Thermodynamic Equilibrium - KMS States . . . . . . 21 2.2.2. Local Thermal Observables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 2.2.3. LTE on Flat Spacetime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 2.2.4. LTE in Cosmological Spacetimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 2.3. Linear Scalar Cosmological Perturbations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 2.3.1. Robertson-Walker Cosmology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 2.3.2. Mathematical Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 2.3.3. Technical Framework and Formulae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 2.3.4. The Boltzmann Equation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 2.3.5. The Sachs-Wolfe Effect for Adiabatic Perturbations . . . . . . 49 3. Towards a Refinement of the LTE Condition on Curved Spacetimes 54 3.1. Non-Minimal Coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 3.1.1. Commutator Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 3.1.2. KMS Two-Point Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 3.1.3. Balanced Derivatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 3.2. Conformally Static Spacetimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 3.2.1. Conformal KMS States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 3.2.2. Extrinsic LTE in de Sitter Spacetime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 3.3. Massive Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 3.3.1. Properties of the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 3.3.2. Bogoliubov Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 3.3.3. Thermal Observables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 3.4. Towards an Alternative Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 3.4.1. Problems and Open Questions Concerning LTE . . . . . . . . 92 3.4.2. Dynamic Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 3.4.3. Positivity Inequalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 3.4.4. Macroobservable Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 3.5. An Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 4. Cosmological Perturbation Theory 105 4.1. Dynamics of Perturbations in Inflation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 4.1.1. CCR Quantisation is Ambiguous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 4.1.2. Canonical Symplectic Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 4.1.3. The Algebraic Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 4.2. LTE States in Cosmology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 4.2.1. The Link to Fluid Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 4.2.2. Incompatibility of LTE with Sachs-Wolfe Effect . . . . . . . . 125 5. Conclusion and Outlook 131 A. Technical proofs 136 A.1. Proof of Lemma 3.2.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 A.2. Proof of Lemma 3.2.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 A.3. Proof of Lemma 3.4.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 A.4. Idea of Proof for Conjecture 3.4.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 B. Introduction to Probability Theory 146 Bibliography 150 Correction of Lemma 3.1.2 155 / In dieser Arbeit wird die von Schlemmer eingeführte Erweiterung des Kriteriums für lokales thermisches Gleichgewicht in Quantenfeldtheorien von Buchholz, Ojima und Roos auf gekrümmte Raumzeiten untersucht. Dabei werden verschiedene Probleme identifiziert und insbesondere die bereits von Schlemmer gezeigte Instabilität unter Zeitentwicklung untersucht. Es wird eine alternative Herangehensweise an lokales thermisches Gleichgewicht in Quantenfeldtheorien auf gekrümmten Raumzeiten vorgestellt und deren Probleme diskutiert. Es wird dann eine Untersuchung des dynamischen Systems der linearen Feld- und Metrikstörungen im üblichen Inflationsmodell mit Blick auf Uneindeutigkeit der Quantisierung durchgeführt. Zuletzt werden die Temperaturfluktuationen der kosmischen Hintergrundstrahlung auf Kompatibilität mit lokalem thermalem Gleichgewicht überprüft.:1. Introduction 5 2. Technical Background 10 2.1. The Free Scalar Field on a Globally Hyperbolic Spacetime . . . . . . 10 2.1.1. Construction of the Scalar Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.1.2. Algebra of Wick Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2.1.3. Local Covariance Principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2.2. Local Thermal Equilibirum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.2.1. Global Thermodynamic Equilibrium - KMS States . . . . . . 21 2.2.2. Local Thermal Observables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 2.2.3. LTE on Flat Spacetime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 2.2.4. LTE in Cosmological Spacetimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 2.3. Linear Scalar Cosmological Perturbations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 2.3.1. Robertson-Walker Cosmology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 2.3.2. Mathematical Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 2.3.3. Technical Framework and Formulae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 2.3.4. The Boltzmann Equation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 2.3.5. The Sachs-Wolfe Effect for Adiabatic Perturbations . . . . . . 49 3. Towards a Refinement of the LTE Condition on Curved Spacetimes 54 3.1. Non-Minimal Coupling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 3.1.1. Commutator Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 3.1.2. KMS Two-Point Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 3.1.3. Balanced Derivatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 3.2. Conformally Static Spacetimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 3.2.1. Conformal KMS States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 3.2.2. Extrinsic LTE in de Sitter Spacetime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 3.3. Massive Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 3.3.1. Properties of the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 3.3.2. Bogoliubov Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 3.3.3. Thermal Observables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 3.4. Towards an Alternative Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 3.4.1. Problems and Open Questions Concerning LTE . . . . . . . . 92 3.4.2. Dynamic Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 3.4.3. Positivity Inequalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 3.4.4. Macroobservable Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 3.5. An Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 4. Cosmological Perturbation Theory 105 4.1. Dynamics of Perturbations in Inflation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 4.1.1. CCR Quantisation is Ambiguous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 4.1.2. Canonical Symplectic Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 4.1.3. The Algebraic Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 4.2. LTE States in Cosmology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 4.2.1. The Link to Fluid Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 4.2.2. Incompatibility of LTE with Sachs-Wolfe Effect . . . . . . . . 125 5. Conclusion and Outlook 131 A. Technical proofs 136 A.1. Proof of Lemma 3.2.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 A.2. Proof of Lemma 3.2.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 A.3. Proof of Lemma 3.4.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 A.4. Idea of Proof for Conjecture 3.4.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 B. Introduction to Probability Theory 146 Bibliography 150 Correction of Lemma 3.1.2 155

The discovery of topological quantum states of matter has required physicists to look beyond Landau’s theory of symmetry-breaking, previously the main paradigm for<br>studying states of matter. This has led also to the development of new topological theories for describing the novel properties. In this dissertation an investigation in this<br>frontier research area is presented, which looks at the interplay between the quantum geometry of these states, defects and disorder. After a brief introduction to the topological quantum states of matter considered herein, some aspects of my work in this area are described. First, the disorder-induced band structure engineering of topological insulator surface states is considered, which is possible due to their resilience from Anderson localization, and believed to be a consequence of their topological origin.<br>Next, the idiosyncratic behavior of these same surface states is considered, as observed in experiments on thin film topological insulators, in response to competition between<br>hybridization effects and an in-plane magnetic field. Then moving in a very different direction, the uncovering of topological ‘gravitational’ response is explained: the<br>topologically-protected charge response of two dimensional gapped electronic topological states to a special kind of 0-dimensional boundary – a disclination – that encodes spatial curvature. Finally, an intriguing relation between the gravitational response of quantum Hall states, and their response to an apparently unrelated perturbation – nonuniform electric fields is reported. <br>

During the last decades “Climate Change” has become a vital topic on national and international political agendas. There it is presented as an irrevocable fact of global impact and thus of universal relevance. What has often been neglected are local discourses of marginalized groups and their specific contextualization of “Climate Change” phenomena. The aim of this project, to develop another perspective along these dominant narratives, has resulted in the research question How is social reality reconstructed on the phenomenon of “Climate Change” among the “Emerging Black Farmers” in the Swartland region in Western Cape, South Africa? Taken as an example, “Climate Change Knowledge” is reconstructed through a case study on the information exchange between the NGO Goedgedacht Trust and local small-scale farmers in the post-Apartheid context of on-going political, social, economic and educational transition in South Africa. Applying a constructivist approach, “Climate Change Knowledge” is not understood as an objectively given, but a socially constructed “reality” that is based on the interdependency of socio-economic conditions and individual assets, including language skills and language practice, sets of social norms and values, as well as strategies of knowledge transfer. The data set consists of qualitative data sources, such as application forms and interview material, which are triangulated. The rationale of a multi-layered data analysis includes a discursive perspective as well as linguistic and ethical “side perspectives”. Epistemologically, the thesis is guided by assumptions of complexity theory, framing knowledge around “Climate Change” as a fluid, constantly changing system that is shaped by constant intra- and inter-systemic exchange processes, and characterized by non-linearity, self-organization and representation of its constituents. From this point of departure, a theoretical terminology has been developed, which differentiates between symbols, interrelations, contents and content clusters. These elements are located in a system of spatio-temporal orientation and embedded into a broader (socio-economic) context of “historicity”. Content clusters are remodelled with the help of concept maps. Starting from that, a local perspective on “Climate Change” is developed, adding an experiential notion to the global narratives. The thesis concludes that there is no single reality about “Climate Change” and that the farmers’ “Climate Change Knowledge” highly depends on experiential relativity and spatio-temporal immediacy. Furthermore, analysis has shown that the system’s historicity and social manifestations can be traced in the scope and emphasis of the content clusters discussed. Finally the thesis demonstrates that characteristics of symbols, interconnections and contents range between dichotomies of direct and indirect, predictable versus unpredictable, awareness and negligence or threat and danger, all coexisting and creating a continuum of knowledge production.