Non-Perturbative Aspects of Quantum Field Theory and Gravity

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

This award funds the research activities of Professor Simone Giombi at Princeton University. Over the past several years, research in theoretical physics has uncovered a surprising and far-reaching correspondence between gravity and the other fundamental forces of nature. One of the main underlying themes of this research program will be the exploration of this correspondence and its implications. Research in this area has the potential to answer deep questions about the behavior of strongly interacting matter and may also shed light on the problem of reconciling gravity with quantum mechanics, the framework that lies at the basis of our understanding of all other fundamental forces. As a result, this research program serves the national interest by improving our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature, hence promoting the progress of basic science. This project is also envisioned to have a number of educational and broader impacts. While working on specific research problems, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will receive extensive mentoring and training. Undergraduate students will also be supervised and actively involved in research topics related to this program. Professor Giombi plans to develop special courses for graduate students and advanced undergraduates on recent trends in theoretical physics. He is also active in giving lectures at various international schools, as well as organizing workshops and conferences, with a focus on those with interdisciplinary aspects. More technically, Professor Giombi's research program is centered on fundamental aspects of quantum field theory and quantum gravity in various space-time dimensions, with a focus on the interplay between these subjects via the so-called gauge/gravity duality. The PI's research consists of several interrelated key areas. A substantial effort will be devoted to a deep study of gravitational theories of massless higher-spin fields and their role in the gauge/gravity duality; in particular, this may lead to a direct derivation of the duality in a simplified setting, but it may also offer novel insights on non-perturbative aspects of quantum field theories such as 2+1 dimensional gauge theories coupled to fundamental matter fields. A closely related direction will involve studying the space of Conformal Field Theories (CFT) in various dimensions, using non-perturbative tools such as the conformal bootstrap, and investigating in particular the general constraints on Renormalization Group Flows between CFT's. Many CFT's find application in concrete physical problems, such as in various condensed matter systems. Hence the research carried out in this program will be of intellectual value across various fields of physics.