Particle and Quantum Field Theory Investigations

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award funds the research activities of Professors S. Dubovskiy, G. Gabadadze, and M. Porrati at New York University. The research to be pursued under this grant aims at answering some of the truly fundamental questions in physics. How can we best determine the fundamental constants of nature? What is the correct theory of gravity? Does gravity behave differently over cosmic scales than over the shorter distances we encounter within our solar system? How is the evolution of the universe constrained by modern theories that attempt to unify the physics of the very small with the physics of the very large, such as string theory or quantum gravity? What can we learn by studying the fact that the universe is experiencing an accelerated expansion? Can gravitational theories that are consistent with quantum mechanics be solved mathematically in simple "toy model" settings? As such, research in this field advances the national interest by furthering our understanding of fundamental science in the United States. In this project, the PIs will work towards answering these questions both in parallel and in collaboration, involving postdocs and graduate students throughout the research process. They will also give public lectures and lecture in schools for diverse audiences ranging from research scientists to high-school students. More technically, Dubovskiy will continue the study of certain integrable deformations of two-dimensional field theory and their relations to quantum gravity. He plans to explore the high-energy asymptotic limit of the worldsheet theory of a single long string, and the emerging integrability in this regime. He will also study a new approximate symmetry of black-hole perturbations, which was identified in one of his recent works. This symmetry provides an explanation for surprising properties of black-hole tidal responses (``Love numbers"). Gabadadze proposes to investigate holographic dual theories for massive five-dimensional gravitational theories and their applications to cosmology and black-hole physics as well as study an effective field theory of gravity, its domain of consistency, and its applications to cosmology. He will also study the effects of wormholes in beyond-Einstein theories of gravity as well as the consequences of these effects for rotating black-hole solutions and for their superradiance. Porrati plans to understand diverse aspects of quantum gravity. He plans to compute partition functions of three-dimensional topological theories on spaces with high-genus boundaries and use recent advances in string theory on highly-curved spaces for understanding their holographic dual at the string-black hole transition point. He also plans to study how electric-magnetic duality combines with infinite-dimensional asymptotic algebras, and he will investigate certain recently discovered novel types of supergravity theories and use them to find effective theories with realistic features. Finally, he will investigate other aspects of supergravity and collaborate with Prof. Dubovskiy to study certain deformations of two-dimensional 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.