Gauge theories, strong interactions and string theory

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

Recent advances in understanding String Theory on boundaries have led to seeing connections between classical Gravity in 10 dimensions and Conformal Field Theories in 4 dimensions. This proposal will explore further the relation between string and gauge theories to understand the structure of hadrons. The main idea is to improve the understanding of the AdS/CFT correspondence, so that similar methods could be applied to the theory of strong interactions Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). As stepping stones to the main goal are the PI intends to study field theory planar diagrams in light-cone gauge. He hopes to understand the emergence of strings from a field theory as a tool for describing long gauge invariant operators. He will look for new solutions to the string equations of motion with characteristic properties that make them identifiable in the field theory side of the correspondence. He will also look at generalizations of cusp anomaly calculations to better understand the dynamics of gluons in gauge theories with supersymmetries. The PI plans to give as part of his outreach a series of popular introductory lectures on string theory and particle physics at the QuarkNet Center at Purdue. He also intends to give lectures at the Tindley Accelerated School (98% minority student population).