Can one do mathematical physics research without much knowledge of physics I've looked around a little but did not find something that really answers my question.

I'm a (pure) math student currently applying for Ph.D. My interest are in fields that are closely linked to physics, mainly PDEs and analysis in general. I have basically no basis in physics except for some very basic reading.

My question is: is it really possible to do good research on the maths of a subject such as quantum mechanics, kinetic theory, general relativity, etc... without prior knowledge beside maths ? 

I should finally add that this question is for a Ph.D. in West Europe, and that the programs I target do not have a taught component (even if it is probably possible to follow some courses if necessary).
Historically, most of the mathematics was developed to solve physical problems, and a fair amount of physical intuition helps to understand the ideas behind the mathematical methods, interpret solutions and check that their mathematical form is consistent with subject-specific problem, and also to develop new methods and communicate them to the users. So in general some background in Physics improves your chances to do a successful research in Applied Mathematics, and in particular to carry out PhD program.

However, there are some areas of Maths where you do just fine without any Physics. For example, general analysis of PDEs can lead you into functional analysis, and I don't think that analysis of properties of Sobolev spaces relies hugely on physical intuition.