CAREER: QCD and String Theory

Brown University, Providence RI

Investigators

Abstract

This CAREER proposal is focused on the relations between various gauge theories and string theory, i.e. gauge/string duality. The PI will use insights coming from and inspired by string theory to address long-standing problems in gauge theories with the eventual goal to solve QCD. The project is devoted to exploring the rich structures of Yang-Mills perturbation theory, integrable structures found in the AdS/CFT context, and relations between them. The first part of the proposal involves the study of nonperturbative Yang-Mills and AdS5 string theory with the aim to make theoretical predictions for the experimentaly observed spectrum of strongly interacting particles. The second part of the proposal is concerned with the application of methods inspired by twistor string theory to the calculation of perturbative QCD scattering amplitudes. Improvement in this area of QCD is especially urgent since QCD processes will be the dominant physics at the Large Hadron Collider experiment which is coming online in the near future. The research will be integrated into outreach activities at Brown University, including participation in the Women in Science and Engineering Program and delivery of public lectures at local schools and science museums. The educational activities will consist of developing new classes and establishing group meetings with graduate and undergraduate students.