String/gauge theory duality and QCD

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

The connections between string theory and gauge theory are becoming more evident each year. There have been continued explorations of the AdS/ CFT correspondence since its discovery a little less than 10 years ago. This correspondence relates String Theory to Conformal N=4 Supersymmetric Versions of Yang-Mills Theories. The PI proposes to understand from the field theory side how strings emerge from summing planar diagrams. The PI plans to sum open string planar diagrams in the light cone gauge. If he is successful in this endeavor for the N=4 super Yang-Mills theory he will try to use similar techniques to more realistic models of strong interactions such as large-N QCD and finally QCD itself. The broader impacts are that the PI will participate in the QuarkNet Center at Purdue in training high school teachers on current research ideas in physics. He will also give lectures at the Tindley Accelerated School which has a mostly minority student population. This research, if successful will elucidate the intriguing connection between String theory and the theory of strong interactions-QCD.