Topics in String Theory and Quantum Field Theory

弦论和量子场论主题

• 批准号: 2310635
• 负责人: Jeffrey Harvey
• 金额: $ 39万
• 依托单位: University of Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2310635&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Topics; String; Theory; Quantum; Field; Topics; String; Theory; Quantum; Field

This award funds the research activities of Professor Jeffrey A. Harvey at the University of Chicago. There are four known forces in nature: the force of gravity, the electromagnetic force, and the weak and strong forces which play a role in nuclear physics. The framework of quantum field theory gives us a mathematical description of all the forces except for gravity, and string theory is a promising, but experimentally untested, framework for unifying gravity with the other forces of nature. Quantum field theories and string theories are not fully understood. One way to unravel their structure is to focus on certain parts of these theories which constrain their structure. This project will uncover new approaches to these theories by studying the algebraic structure of special states known as "BPS states" and will also study the precise nature of the symmetries of these theories. This research advances the national interest by increasing our understanding of nature at its most fundamental level --- an understanding that in the past has eventually led to concrete applications in improved technology and medicine. The broader impacts of this research include training for postdocs who will become future scientific leaders and will involve presentations of their research in seminars and public lectures.At a more technical level, Professor Harvey will study the algebra of BPS states in both quantum field theory and string theory and its consequences for weak-strong coupling duality. He will also assess whether symmetries in string theory are always gauge symmetries, and if this turns out to be correct, will study how one can construct the co-dimension-two defects in string theory which are implied by the existence of gauge symmetries. Other aspects of his research will include a search for exceptional or sporadic rational conformal field theories.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该奖项为芝加哥大学的Jeffrey A. Harvey教授的研究活动提供资金。自然界中有四种已知的力：重力，电磁力以及在核物理学中起作用的弱和强力。量子场理论的框架为我们提供了除重力以外所有力的数学描述，而弦理论是一个有希望的，但经过实验未经测试的框架，将重力与自然界的其他力量统一。量子场理论和弦理论尚未完全理解。解开其结构的一种方法是专注于这些理论的某些部分，这些理论限制了它们的结构。该项目将通过研究称为“ BPS状态”的特殊状态的代数结构来揭示这些理论的新方法，并将研究这些理论的对称性的确切性质。这项研究通过提高我们对自然最基本水平的自然的理解来推动国家利益 - 一种理解，即过去最终导致了改善技术和医学的具体应用。这项研究的更广泛影响包括对将成为未来科学领导者的博士后进行培训，并将涉及他们在研讨会和公开演讲中的研究。 他还将评估字符串理论中的对称性是否始终是衡量对称性，如果事实证明这是正确的，将研究如何在字符串理论中构造co-Dimension-two两个缺陷，这暗示了仪表对称性的存在。他的研究的其他方面将包括寻求卓越或零星的理性形成性领域理论。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准通过评估来获得支持的。