Pablo Castaño Basurto L&S Math & Physical Sciences
Study of 3+1 Dimensional Chern-Simons Gravity and Topological QFTs.
Physicists view the universe through the lens of two theories: Einstein’s theory of general relativity and quantum field theory (QFT). The former describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime due to the presence of matter and energy, while the latter tells us that elementary particles can be thought of as excitations of fundamental “fields”.
However, these theories are not complete, and there are many questions about the fundamental nature of space, time, and our universe that remain unanswered. Chern-Simons gravity, a theoretical framework that describes the behavior of three-dimensional spacetime, has proven to be a valuable tool for physicists who study phenomena such as topological phases of matter and quantum field theory, and it may provide new insights into the unanswered questions of space and time.
My research will investigate the geometrical behavior of 3-dimensional Chern-Simons gravity, its extensions to 4 dimensions, its applications to the behavior of black holes, and its relationship with topological quantum field theories, looking to ultimately gain insight into the fundamental connection between geometrical physics and spacetime.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for your generous donation to the SURF L&S program. Thanks to you, I'll be able to conduct research I am very passionate about over the summer, and hopefully grow into a better physicist, researcher, and person. This opportunity has truly made a difference for me, and I am very thankful.