Finn Grathwol L&S Math & Physical Sciences
Generalized Symmetries from Topological Strings
One of the major projects of Modern Physics is to unify Quantum Mechanics with General relativity. Currently, the only self consistent approach appears to be String theory, where the fundamental objects are 1 dimensional quantum ‘strings’. However, our best model of particle physics, the Standard Model, is formulated in the language of quantum field theory, where ‘particles’ are treated as 0 dimensional point-like excitations of underlying ‘quantum fields’. While conventional symmetries (rotations, etc.) act naturally on these point-like excitations, there are indeed higher dimensional excitations/defects which are acted upon by ‘generalized symmetries’. Such generalized symmetries have a natural interpretation in terms of String theory, where they are related to so-called ‘Branes’. If String theory was indeed a fundamental theory of nature, then we expect quantum field theories to fall out lower energies. One such approach to this is called geometric engineering – in this project we will attempt to understand the generalized symmetries of quantum field theories ‘geometrically engineered’ from a particular class of string theories, the so-called Topological strings.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much to the Donors for this opportunity! I have spent my last 3 years at Berkeley building up the knowledge and skills needed to do research in this field, and am deeply grateful to be able to pursue it over this summer full time!